OS list of what you REALLY need for a first baby

HopeElizzy

:hello: I had no choice but to bottle feed my little ones - no colostrum initially. The first time I didn't know this was going to happen and we came home from the hospital to a steriliser still in it's box with no idea how to use it and a screaming, hungry baby.
So, on the list should be a steriliser, please have a look at it and read the instructions before-hand so you don't get caught out like us.
Also in the months while I was pregnant I bought nappies and wipes that I spotted that were bogof and had significant savings on them. If you're going to do this don't buy too many first size nappies as your little one will grow really quickly!
I used my Baby Bouncer Seat alot - really good when we were eating our dinner as we were able to rock it with our foot as we ate!
We had a new Car Seat, a 2nd hand Moses basket, and a new pushchair which is still being used daily after 4 years.

Zed42

Things you need:


Full freezer ... definitely!! Especially with things you can eat one-handed.

Breast pump, for you to express if you wish. It allowed me to have some time off and get some sleep and DH to feed her also.

Cloth nappies and wipes. Frankly the idea of having to be organised enough to keep going out and spending money on "disposables" would kill me. Also, the cost of them is horrendous compared with the cost of cloth and far kinder to their skin.

My biggest waste of money was a baby bath. DD either top-to-toed or came in with me.

raymond

All you need are

Nappies .. whatever type tickle your fancy.
Baby Food
Bottle
Kettle to boil water to make food and sterilise bottle
Somewhere to put it to sleep.
Loads and loads and loads of toilet roll.

Anything else is a luxury as for the first 6 months all they do is eat, sleep, !!!!!!, cry and eat.

PS they are more commonly know in IT circles as food to !!!!!! interfaces.

thriftlady_2

raymond wrote:

Baby Food

Sorry,but you really don't need the stuff in jars.The good quality stuff is an extremely expensive way of buying mashed veg and the cheap stuff is padded out with thickeners like modified starch.Babies can eat real food,they do not need someone to put their carrots in a jar and label it 'first carrots'.Remember you know what's best for your child not some giant food corporation.

Get a good cookbook which specialises in feeding babies,like Annabel Karmel(she looks like a Stepford Wife,but knows her baby mush).They're always in the library.

The jars can be very handy if you travelling btw,Baby Organix have some lovely ones which smell like real food.

Jo_R_2

MrsB - am due too end of June with #2. We started off with #1 using disposables, but we 'turned' LOL and now I can honestly say I love cloth nappies. #1 is nearly out of them now but are saving them for #2 and have invested in a pack of eco-disposables for #2 as though we are very 'green' and have managed cloth with #1, the prospect of a newborn in cloth and meconium is not one I am savouring LOL!

Got the ecos off a friend and will be using size 1's cloth after that, luckily it looks like by the time #2 comes along, #1 will be nappy-free so no worrying about double nappy loads!

mummysaver

The only real essentials are nappies, milk (breast or bottle) and something for the baby to wear, and somewhere warm for the babe to sleep (incl blankets and sheets).

If you are going to breast feed try an old ice cream tub and sterilising tablets for the odd thing like dummies that you may want to sterilise, a steam sterilizer is great if you are bottle feeding though, makes things much more convenient.

Make sure that you have plenty of babygros, otherwise be prepared for lots of washing!

The only other things that you will need are a car seat (doesn't have to be new if you know the previous owner well, and know the history of it), and a buggy that lies flat.

A freezer full of food is also very useful, as the last thing you need to think about when you have a tiny babe is cooking, but you do need to eat! I once read an article about someone's mum arriving with a load of home cooked meals to fill the freezer, and when she opened one of them there was a £50 note inside, and a note saying "buy a takeaway tonight"!

Oh, almost forgot, you'll need a rucksack or something to use as a changing bag, you'll be amazed at how much "stuff" you lump about with a new baby, and one that can hang on the buggy is really useful.

mollymunchkin

I'd say definitely a freezer full of home cooked meals. Lasagne, shepherds pie, casseroles etc, stuff that's easy to reheat.

Muslin cloths are essential for mopping up sick etc. I still regularly use mine and my son is 14 months now.

Stock up on washing powder when it's on offer. You will be amazed how often you have to change little one's clothes and bedding and also you clothes when they're sick on you.

Join the Boots Parenting Club to get the freebies (Huggies changing bag, Avent pack, etc) and money off vouhers. Tesco also have a Baby Club.

Look at the baby related websites (eg. https://www.bounty.com) to get news on baby related freebies. I got a Avent Gourmet Set which contained loads of tubs, lids and a few spoons.

If you are given too many clothes of a certain size, do not worry about taking the clothes back to the shop and either get a credit note, swap for an outfit which is more useful or swap for nappies if you want (eg. in Mothercare). I never did and wish I had. Loads of clothes too small, out of season etc, never worn and now I'm Ebaying them for a fraction of their worth.

You definitely don't need a wet wipe warmer :eek: , nappy disposal bin (they stink after a while apparently), etc.

Good luck and enjoy! :j

Surf_Widow

:T :T :T :T :T
Thank you everyone for your extremely useful and very funny advice . I'm going to print off your lists so that when we go shopping for baby things we're armed with all your good ideas.

Thanks again
SW

FunkyFairy

thriftlady wrote:

Sorry,but you really don't need the stuff in jars.The good quality stuff is an extremely expensive way of buying mashed veg and the cheap stuff is padded out with thickeners like modified starch.Babies can eat real food,they do not need someone to put their carrots in a jar and label it 'first carrots'.Remember you know what's best for your child not some giant food corporation.

Get a good cookbook which specialises in feeding babies,like Annabel Karmel(she looks like a Stepford Wife,but knows her baby mush).They're always in the library.

The jars can be very handy if you travelling btw,Baby Organix have some lovely ones which smell like real food.

I think she ment baby Forumla. Thats the way i read it.

freyaluck

our area have just had aour first freecycle baby born, everything they needed for baby was got off freecycle, so just an idea. works out very cheap indeed
I use terries nappies , which are great and only cost about £40 for everything i needed, so a very cheap form of nappyand good for the environment too.
hth
frey