What do you ACTUALLY need if you're having a baby?

notanewuser

mumps wrote: »

The hospital where I had my last two, we are talking 20 years ago, had a scheme to hire the first baby seat, the rear facing one. It was really cheap but I don't know if hospitals still do that.

In the UAE (Dubai etc) the hospitals give new mums a car seat. Its hipped this will encourage them to our their newborns ON THE DASHBOARD to take them home.

Icey77

There is probably hundreds of things that will prove to be very useful in hindsight and many that proved to be a waste of money.

Have a look at the NCT website and find out when all the local Nearly New Sales are - there will be several around you probably and the autumn ones will be starting soon.

These are great for picking up kit and clothing bargains, even some brand new items that kids have obviously grown out of before wearing them.

If you're a member you get early entry, if not you get in 1/2 an hour after the members, so for the better pickings it could be worth starting your membership especially if you're thinking about classes later. Bear in mind the classes are very useful for meeting people who will be having babies at the same time of you. We were in a group of 6 couples and still see them regularly after 18 months!

HattieMoo

Hippipal wrote: »

Don't buy everything new. If you are trying to save money go to local charity shops for clothes, they are worn for such a short time that they are usually in really good condition. Try local facebook selling pages for equipment and later for toys. I have seen lots of things at really good prices and you can pick them up so no expensive postage.

I bought about 80% of my childrens clothes from charity shops. Newborn baby clothes, in particular, are used so little that they're often in near perfect condition. Just beware - it becomes addictive!!

As well as clothes, look out for baby slleping bags such as Grobags - really useful if baby likes to kick their blankets off at night.

Have you considered reusable nappies (they've changed a lot compared top the old fashoined terry squares and pins!)- they can save you a lot of money and will last right through to when baby potty trains.

ciderwithrosie_2

Most useful things I had for mine were...

2 crochet blankets from my old auntie - lasted all 3 for prams, cots, swaddling (and crochet is fashionable again right now)

terry nappies - for burping, laying on the changing mat, cuddling up with whilst sucking a thumb (baby, not me!)

Bouncy chair - keeps them safe, can be carried easily from room to room, more fun for baby than lying flat (when it gets a bit older obviously)

Front sling and back carrier - I had 2 babies in 17 months so it was either baby in the sling and toddler in buggy, or baby in pram and toddler in backpack.

Also stock up on sanitary towels - I had no idea I might bleed for weeks afterwards (sorry if TMI but I wish someone had warned me it could happen)

mogwai

i think everyone has different opinions on what was useful and what wasnt, and a lot will depend on your baby. Id recommend you buy stuff second hand, try selling boards on baby forums, babies grow out of stuff so quickly they are generally in good condition.

As an example, the things that people often say are useless were a godsend for me, e.g. a changing unit, as I have post partum aching joints quite badly so its easier for me to stand to change nappies or clothes.
A baby bath - I have one that sits over the bath), again saves your joints from having to sit on the floor to bathe baby, i just pull up a folding stool and bathe baby sitting down
A sling is really useful for the first few month esp when baby just wants to be in arms all the time and there arent enough hours in the day to get stuff done in the house!

Btw we were given the expensive bjorn bouncer and my baby hates it! Total waste for us, im hoping the next baby likes it at least Also my baby isnt really very sicky so I dont really use muslins much

Id recommend buying secondhand baby bundles of clothes for different stages, and also a sleeping bag for when baby starts kicking the covers off as being cold in the night wakes them, and you really dont want that!!

BAGGY

I didnt buy a single muslin. I used t-towels from Ikea. They were about 20p each at the time and were cream, really thin and used for everything. Get yourself a large, cheap as you can, fleece blanket. Cut it into flannel shapes for face and triangles for bums. Much softer than towelling. (a couple of piecs are still doing the rounds here 5 yrs later. I take them on days out, damp, in a ziplock bag. Better for the environment on no perfume that attracts the wasps). I had twins. I was bought a changing mat but changed to a deep sided one and we changed the boys on the draining board in the utility room. All bottles etc came from asda. Loads of stuff was handed down from friends. Clothes galore! I did buy a brilliant double buggy that was suitable from birth and they slept in that downstairs, or a laundry basket with a piece of quilt in a pillowcase as a matress. (we were hard up and clueless, and in twin shock).
I never used slings, door bouncers, cot beds(straight into single beds from cots), muslins, mobiles, baby toys other than cuddlies (tupperware pots were their 1st toys to gum), play mats (blanket with cd's etc just out of reach for tummy time), moses baskets. I must've saved a heap. I did formular feed though as b/f-ing didn't work for me too well and I also used disposable nappies as OH has a poo phobia. Oh, you can use the fleece wipes dipped in chamomile tea for bum wipes too. Keep them damp in an ice cream container. Hope that helps and I haven't come across as a tight wad. It was fun saving the pennies.

rosiek63

My essentials list would be:
white babygrows for their first 3 months
muslin squares - use as bibs, sheets etc
change mat
bouncy chair - lets baby sit and see you whilst you are doing stuff around the house.
travel system pushchair with car seat. I had one that did both my kids and then I freecycled it afterwards as it still had some life left in it.
Why not use a box as a moses basket - that's what they do in Scandinavia - didn't they gift one of those boxes to Wills and Kate for their baby? My brother apparently slept in an empty drawer for the first month. I am just hoping it was on the floor and not in the drawer unit!!

AnnieO1234

Not so much essentials but things like wipes, buy a selection rather than 6 packs of same type. My DS now 22 months has only had two cases of nappy rash and both times it was when we'd changed wipes.

Waitrose baby bottom butter is a godsend, for dry nipples and sore bums! (Tmi sorry!)

All I will say is every baby and every mom is different - buy the minimum to get home but then it's just trial and error with what your comfortable with and what works for your baby. Doesn't mean it's wrong whatever you decide.

X

applecrumble24

Agree about not stockpiling nappies/wipes etc, we had about 300 pampers to get through and the bloomn thing left awful marks on hus legs. as it turns out, there are always offers somewhere on nappies and wipes so its never as big a bargain as you think it will be!

lilly81

I would say:
*ask on freecycle
*ask friends for their old stuff
*make a wish list for family and friends
*buy secondhand (gumtree/carboot/facebook)

I have got for free travel system, moses basket (then a friend bought me a new matress as was on my list), clothes, blankets, travel cot
I bought a baby bath for 50p from a car boot, and bought 2 clothing bundles costing £12 in total from facebook and have more than baby will need, plan to sell these on after baby has grown out of them. :T
lilly x