What baby stuff is essential?

starbump

sarah1980 wrote: »

Thanks for the tip - any advice/recommendations on the evil-looking breast pumps? The NCT catalogue shows some very pleasant ladies happily expressing milk with their tops still on!

sarah1980 wrote: »

Any recommendations on these? Esp. considering I have always been rather generously proportioned in that department? If there's one thing I can't stand it's an uncomfortable bra...

I used a Philips Avent breast-pump until I heard about BPA. I now use a MAM breast-pump (and bottles - threw out all the Avent stuff). Both pumps are manual ones and quite easy to use. As for bras, I use Emma-Jane. They do some great nursing tops too.

Back to the original question, the only thing that is 100% essential is a car seat (assuming you drive) because you cannot leave the hospital without it. Everything else you need within the first few weeks can be picked up at the supermarket if necessary. Familiarise yourself with it before your EDD - make sure you can fit it into the car, etc. When we were leaving the hospital, we had to ask a midwife how to adjust the car seat straps because we'd neglected to read the instructions (at home) and were too tired to figure it out ourselves! Oh dear... not a great moment.

Finally, whatever you buy, there will always be at least one item that you regret and never use!

RoxieW

galvanizersbaby wrote: »

squashy wrote: »

Re the breathing monitors - it's worth saying that they can cause more trouble than good - I had one for my first baby and it kept going off un necessarily! - I think if you are co-sleeping it's best not to bother with the monitor and lets face it unless you live in a mansion if you are downstairs and baby is upstairs you will hear them crying - with a monitor it picks up every whimper and I found I would rush upstairs thinking my son had woken only to find he had settled himself fine and on occasion my sudden appearance would wake him up when he would otherwise be fast asleep - not very pleasing for either of us! :mad:

I agree. I bought an expensive (over £100) breathing monitor and it would go off constantly because baby had moved off of the sensor mat (which is very small) or it just wasnt sensitive enough. We binned it after a couple of weeks as it just woke baby and gave us a heart attack every night!

Re the poster recommending co-sleeping - doesnt this come with its own set of risks? Ie smothering from duvets/pillows/exhausted parents?

sarmia

sarah1980 wrote: »

Thanks for the tip - any advice/recommendations on the evil-looking breast pumps? The NCT catalogue shows some very pleasant ladies happily expressing milk with their tops still on!

Hi Sarah,

I started of with a tommee tippee hand pump which (for me) was awful. I had more luck hand expressing but that got quite painful (now I know what cows go through!). I then bought a Medusa/medeva (sp?), which was more expensive but produced a lot more milk quickly, less messy and less painful. I only wished I bought one in the first place.

I would say have a good think about your pram/pushchair etc. I started off with a M&P pramette @ £400 which was excellent in pram mode but once he was too big and went in the pram he faced the other way which I didnt like so I then bought a Loola £180 which is an excellent pushchair which is both way facing but now he is 16 months it is getting rather heavy and I am looking to buy a stroller. You can waste a lot of money on pushchairs like I have - just have a good think and get some recommendations.

I didnt like the heart monitors either, I never heard him once throughout the pregnancy on the monitior and it caused a lot of unneccessary worry, tears and hospital trips!

Have a happy healthy pregnancy

Sarah x

foreversomeday

RoxieW wrote: »

Re the poster recommending co-sleeping - doesnt this come with its own set of risks? Ie smothering from duvets/pillows/exhausted parents?

You do have to be careful. However it's been shown anecdotally and in studies now that parents (especially mothers) have an instinct which stops them rolling over on the baby - similar to the instinct which stops you from rolling out of bed when you get to a certain age.

You should keep the baby well away from pillows and duvets, and you shouldn't co-sleep if you smoke, have been drinking, or are on medication.

In fact FSID who are very anti co-sleeping are now even admitting that it's a lot safer to fall asleep in bed with a baby than to fall asleep while holding them on a sofa or even a chair. I believe this is because the baby can become trapped in the cushions whereas on a bed they have nowhere to fall into.

References/Links: (I have tried to keep them UK based)
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/T102200.asp
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/sleep/reducecotdeathexpert/
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article2115373.ece

Sorry, this website seems very one sided and therefore not the best to present in the situation, but the particular article linked to does have a very clear and concise summary of the current research.
http://www.babyreference.com/Cosleeping&SIDSFactSheet.htm

HTH

onlyroz

Most things don't have to be bought now, and can wait until after baby is born. You're unlikely to need a breast-pump from day one. Wait until you think you'll need one. Expensive sterilising kits are a waste of money when you can get a bottle of sterilising fluid for 99p. And don't buy too many clothes - you'll probably get bought a lot, and if not you can go out and buy them once baby is here. The amount of clothing you will need largely depends on how messy the poos are, and you won't know that until baby has done a few...

The essentials are buggy, carseat, cot, mattress, bedding. I wouldn't advise buying a carseat or mattress second-hand but everything else can be.

elliemoo

Lots of breast pads, especially if you are feeding yourself. I always found it hard to get decent maternity and then nursing bras, I found the Mothercare ones useless. Check out the likes of Anita, or Emma-Jane who specialise in maternity wear, I think it is worthwhile spending a bit extra on a really good bra or two. One thing I found really useful was a big bath sponge. It fits in the bath and you lay the baby on it, we bought ours in Mothercare and they were about £7.00.

Hell_Dans_Un_Handcart

foreversomeday wrote: »

You do have to be careful. However it's been shown anecdotally and in studies now that parents (especially mothers) have an instinct which stops them rolling over on the baby - similar to the instinct which stops you from rolling out of bed when you get to a certain age.

You should keep the baby well away from pillows and duvets, and you shouldn't co-sleep if you smoke, have been drinking, or are on medication.

In fact FSID who are very anti co-sleeping are now even admitting that it's a lot safer to fall asleep in bed with a baby than to fall asleep while holding them on a sofa or even a chair. I believe this is because the baby can become trapped in the cushions whereas on a bed they have nowhere to fall into.

References/Links: (I have tried to keep them UK based)
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/T102200.asp
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/sleep/reducecotdeathexpert/
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article2115373.ece

Sorry, this website seems very one sided and therefore not the best to present in the situation, but the particular article linked to does have a very clear and concise summary of the current research.
http://www.babyreference.com/Cosleeping&SIDSFactSheet.htm

HTH

I don't think FSID are ever going to reccommend co-sleeping because you're always going to have the idiots who say "oh, they're only guidelines!" and get into bed with baby when smashed on whatever substance it is that they fancy/after smoking. And then there will certainly be accidents.

FWIW, safe co-sleeping can end up being an "essential" if your baby won't sleep any other way (like mine!). But all babies are different and have different preferences for sleep.

mum2one

sarah1980 wrote: »

Any recommendations on these? Esp. considering I have always been rather generously proportioned in that department? If there's one thing I can't stand it's an uncomfortable bra...

hi

re bra, without sounding rude with my nurseing bra I thought it could be used for mud slinging. In our maternity unit there is a baby shop, and I got them to measure me after I had dd. Or otherwise Mothercare, (even thiou I dont like the store that much) one tip even if if the tape measure says your a 44D, then try one on, your wearing it and you have to be comfortable. I had to bottle feed afta 5 days as dd wasnt feeding, wouldnt mind but I was a 44C, went back to normal bras after couple weeks. x

mum2one

Another thought re Breast pumps, I was told not to breast feed to start off with and not to express for at least 3 weeks, by the midwifes (I do appriciate that this was back in 2002, so times may change), there reasoning was you'd express more than u need, and would end up with boobs the size of Dolly Partons. x

Alex1234

Hello and congratulations! This thread is making me broody!! I just thought I would add a couple of bits, as a lot of people have said, do sign up for the parenting clubs:
BOOTS - when I signed up you you got a free change bag as well as lots of discount vouchers. Also if you have a advantage card they give you double points on most baby stuff.
Bounty - lots of samples for you and for baby
Pampers- I am still getting £1 up to £2 vouchers and the good thing is when the supermarkets have offers on you can still use them against it
Tesco - again lots of various vouchers/coupons
Toys r us - various money off vouchers some are actually fairly good amounts.

Breast pumps again, I wouldn't bother straight away...I did and when my LO was born I couldn't breast feed so ended up selling it.

Also before my LO was born, I would with my weekly shop buy a pack of nappies just to stock up.

Good luck with the rest of your pregancy!:j