What kit do I need for my new baby?

SugarSpun

I use a sling to carry my baby about, when they're really tiny it's much less faff than a pram (she'll be a year old next week and I've only started using the pushchair regularly in the last three months). Other than that, she needed boobs and nappies and we had 14 vests and sleepsuits, an outdoor suit and a couple of hats. I also found a bouncer was a good thing to have so she could nosey about at what I was doing when not holding her.

The Ikea fleeces (they're about a pound) are excellent. You can use them for tummy time and nudey butt time, cut them up to make nappy liners if you use reusable nappies (nothing gets through them, they're magic), blankets for the bed, shawls for swaddling, discreet covers for breastfeeding and they wash lovely so you can use a handy corner to wipe up sick.

Sponge/foam bath supports are great, but I always hopped in with the baby so she was resting on my legs (chance of being peed/pooped on is high, unfortunately). The baby bath is a total waste of money and space.

Enjoy the baby, don't get carried away buying stuff and keep an eye out at boot sales/on ebay for cheap essentials (top tip: use the "within 10 miles of your postcode" search and see what's available). We had a Learn and Groove activity station and the beastie loved it. Cost a fiver from ebay.

Spendless

You need somewhere for them to sleep. Mine slept downstairs during the day (moses basket/travel cot/pram) in our bedroom at night (regular cot). You would need bedding for this. If baby is going to sleep and you are at a different area in your house you need to be able to hear them. I needed a baby monitor for this with my DD, but not with my DS as we lived in a smaller house and ears were good enough.

You need them to be able to eat - nothing if exclusively breastfeeding. Bottles, bottle brush and sterisliser if FF.

You need something for them to wee and poo in- so nappies whatever is your preference. I never used a nappy bin with disposibles. I put mine straight into the outside bin.

You need to be able to take them out and about -car seat if you have a car. Pram/sling for walking.

You need to be able to wash them. I top and tailed my kids each morning, but you don't need a special item, a bowl will do. Bath is personal choice. Mine came in with me, but I struggled to put baby down so I could climb out bath, never mastered climbing out holding babe, so this was something I could only do when hubby was home too. I had a bath sponge as described earlier, for times when I was alone.

And clothes to wear.

brians_daughter

mandragora wrote: »

Two boobies and someone to bring you cups of tea. That's pretty much all you'll need for the first year or so. Any spare money you have, buy nappies with.

Enjoy this time, and all the very best to all of you. You'll be amazed how much stuff other people buy you. At the end of the day, if there's anything else you want, wait a week or two, and if one hasn't turned up/been give or found for pennies at a car boot sale and if you still feel you need whatever it is, THEN buy it!

i agree!! Well said. I couldnt bf ds2 so i would add a few bottles and some sterilising tablets into this just incase as well as a pack of 7 babygros and vests from asda. and some muslim squares and a few sheets for the bed!

We had clothes ds1 was bought when he was born that he never wore, still in packets! I put them away for ds2, who never got to use them as we were boughts so much, so i put them away (again) for when ds3 was born... guess what... we got bought so much we never opened them lol. Now number 4 is due I have graciously asked that no one buy anything as we have so much stuff with 3 already that it really is a waste of their hard earned money!

You also need somewhere for them to sleep, but a lot of prams these days come with a carrycot so thats that problem solved for a few months!

If you drive you need a car seat.

As for bathing i used the big bath (even tho we had baby baths) and dont be bogged down with all these baby boxes, newborns should only be washed in plain water...

hermanmunster_3

Glamazon wrote: »

*off topic*

As for the job, I'm assuming your PCT staff?
I'm NHS, employed by Hospital Trust but my job is funded by the PCT, the GP consortias will still need people to do jobs that they do for the PCT like Commissioning Managers, IT, Governance & Data Quality people so most people will naturally move from working from the PCT to the consortia. GP's cannot handle it on their own (trust me, I used to work for a huge group of GP's!) they'll need the help, there will just be less jobs.

I am currently getting my face known to the local 80+ GP practices in the hope that when they do become consortias they realise how much they need me :cool:

Have worked both on GP side as GP and PCT side as a commissioner - I reckon the GP commissioners will need some PCT people but not all by any means. Mainly they will need the dually experienced / qualified. Many of the PCT staff had not got a clue what went on at the coal face.

clairec79

For moses baskets don't bother buying sheets pillowcases fit the mattresses in them and are a) far cheaper and b) have the bonus that you can just turn the mattress over and have a clean sheet for baby to go on - fab in the middle of the night

I'm also due in November, we haven't got much much and hnestly we won;t get much more, we have a few packs of babygros and vests, a few hats, cot - won't bother with moses basket etc as none of the other three every slept in it, a pram - will get a bouncy chair (which lies flat so baby can sleep in that downstairs). Have a steriliser as it was a bargain in Tescos for under £5 but that'll stay in the attic for several months after the birth till I want to express. (I know if I have bottles etc around in the middle of the night I'll give formula and really regret it afterwards so I won't have it in the house), baby sleeping bags are fab, have two will get at least one more and two or three blankets. Also need a warm baby all in one

Aside from nappies I think that'll be it

spendaholiceejit

Hi,
Even if you are planning to breast feed, I would suggest buying a steriliser. If breastfeeding doesn't work out, then everything is sitting ready to go, and if breast feeding does work out you can still use the equipment for expressing. Sterilisers generally come with a free starter pack of a couple of bottles so you wont need to buy these separately. And babies can be picky about bottles, so certainly don't buy loads of bottles until you work out which your baby likes.

For me the essentials would be:

Car Seat: Some hospitals wont let you leave without one.

Stroller, suitable from birth- any brand. I didn't use a carry cot with either child. they are bulky, don't get any more than 4/5 months use and then you have to store them. they also are generally not suitable for over night sleeping. Plus, who would want to take a child out in a carry cot exposing it to all the exhaust fumes of the day then let a child sleep in it when you get home- not me! We used a crib in the sitting room, and a cot from birth in the bedroom. Not everyone gets on with slings and carriers. I certainly didn't.

Plenty of bodysuits and baby gros.

Baby wipes, nappies

Bath sponge support.- Changing stations take up space and are no good when a baby can sit up.

Something to feed baby, somewhere to sleep, somewhere to sit, something to travel in and something for cleaning is all you really need until you find your feet. Congratulations x
Bouncer/Rocker (Someone might buy you this!)

I used to own a baby shop, and believe me, you can go crazy buying stuff. My first born had all of the gadgets you could imagine. But second time I kept it minimal. When your little one gets older you'll find out what you need.

esio_trot

clairec79 wrote: »

(I know if I have bottles etc around in the middle of the night I'll give formula and really regret it afterwards so I won't have it in the house),

Alternatively, to give you the flip side of that coin, you could end up like me, both of us crying for hours through the night, unable to get things to work, before queuing outside Tesco at 6am on a Saturday morning. Just because they're there, doesn't mean you'll cave, that can happen anyway.

I'd really recommend even just having 1 small carton of ready made formula - means if you get stuck like that in the middle of the night, you can feed baby, get some sleep then try again in the morning when you've had a rest and you're both less frustrated. Just my opinion but I really wish I'd done that myself, might have given me the patience and energy to try BF again.

clw1

I would say the essentials to buy / be given are:

• Cot (plus mattress, sheets and blankets or baby sleeping bags)
• Chest of drawers for baby's clothes
• Car seat
• Pram / buggy
• Pram blanket
• Sleepsuits - long leg & arms size 0-3 x 6
• Vests - ie short sleeve & no legs size 0-3 x 6
• Hat / coat size 0-3
• Changemat
• Nappies / wipes / nappy bags
• Nursing bras / breast pads / Lansinoh cream (or bottles & sterliser if you prefer)
• Muslins
• Baby monitor
• nail sissors

Borrow from friends if possible

• Moses basket - they are only in it for about 8 weeks !
• Newborn size clothes - some babies are too big for these and even if small are only in them for about 2 weeks !
• Baby bath

Nice to haves

• change table so you aren't bending down to the floor
• feeding pillow - you can use a pillow instead
• Sling
• bouncy chair for baby
• Floor mat for them to play on (could just be a nice fluffy blanket)
• bath thermometer

Don't buy outfits as friends buy you loads also you get a free changebag with the boots babyclub.

Look out for NCT nearly new sales or baby second hand shops or on ebay if money is tight and don't be afraid to ask grandparents / friends for specific things like bedding etc rather than get loads of outfits the same.



Good luck with the new arrival

spendaholiceejit

esio_trot wrote: »

Alternatively, to give you the flip side of that coin, you could end up like me, both of us crying for hours through the night, unable to get things to work, before queuing outside Tesco at 6am on a Saturday morning. Just because they're there, doesn't mean you'll cave, that can happen anyway.

I'd really recommend even just having 1 small carton of ready made formula - means if you get stuck like that in the middle of the night, you can feed baby, get some sleep then try again in the morning when you've had a rest and you're both less frustrated. Just my opinion but I really wish I'd done that myself, might have given me the patience and energy to try BF again.

I totally agree with this. It happened me too. "I'm not buying bottles because I'm breastfeeding" resulted in my standing bent double and ready to pass out in my local chemist 4 days after my first was born! I had to feed him formula as BF wasn't working. As well as that, I had not researched formulas, I was so cocky that I would breastfeed, so I had to make a decision based on the tins that day.

Next time I had it all worked out just in case Breast feeding didn't work again. Thankfully it did this time. I was never tempted to use the formula on her, but having it there was a security blanket in those first days in case we didn't establish feeding.

gratefulforhelp_2

The NCT offer fantastic b/f support, so you never need to be in the position of needing to formula feed if you don't want to.