Parents-if you had to choose 1 item...

bestpud

Grobag sleeping bag - brilliant - used for my third baby and wished I'd had them for the other two.

Sudocrem - clears a red bum overnight - babys anyway, don't know about mums. lol

Muslin cloths or terry squares to put on your shoulder - unless you fancy a permanent white streak on your back!

I tried loads of front carriers and the only one that was comfy for more than 5 mins was the wilkinet one - bit fiddly to start with but the best by far.

Changing station - just to add my twopenneth worth - I didn't have one for my first two but dh rigged up a chest of drawers for third and I would definitely recommend one - I had a c section for all of them and it made a huge difference in the early days. I didn't use after the first couple of months though.

Good luck with new arrival

Helen

Sofa_Sogood

Spendless wrote:

Strange one mine- cos I used it all time with eldest and only on one occassion with youngest-a travel cot.

With eldest we went on holidays several times and used it. Had it up as a playpen and somewhere for baby to sleep during day. lived at opposite end of town to our family and friends so if we went to visit especially when we attended family bbqs put baby to bed in travel cot.

Thing didn't use -baby bath, too heavy for me to lift when full of water and found baby too slippy!! Either put baby in bath with me or used a baby sized sponge that lay in bath.

Hi

I was just about to post that the most useless thing we bought (but my memory's not that good ) was a moses basket/travel cot - or whatever the equivalent was so many years ago). But after thinking about it ... great for travelling with

It's the only thing that sprang to mind, but only because when mine went into hospital at 4 weeks, she was put straight into a cot. Something I'd never have done at home. But she went straight into a cot when she left hospital ... so whatever we bought (moses basket type thingy) lasted 4 weeks

Have to agree about the bath though .... bathing was ok, but emptying it was a nightmare at times. Come to think of it, it was a nightmare filling it too ... we didn't have running hot water then and relied on a 'geyser' thing (What happened to those? lol).

And a must is anything that helps in the war against colic. That's a nightmare topic.

Good luck to the OP by the way

one-non-blonde

When my two had colic and cried continuously between 5pm and 11pm every night for several months, subtitles transformed my life.

Also, my Tomy Ride'n'Glide Car seat was so fantastic that I've held onto it for 10 years 'just in case'...

ravenlooney

Not 1 item, but a few ive always needed ..... lavender essential oil - for in the bath for the 1st week or so to help your aching body (and sore bum!) also useful to soothe a restless baby at 3 in the morning! Cabbage leafs, Kamilosan and a good fitting nursing bra. Ashton and Parsons teething powders, they are actually cammomile and help soooo much. Em, good friends and a sense of humor help loads too!!

While im here typing this, I just need to do this IM PREGNANT!!!
Sorry for shouting, but im sooo happy. Ive only just found out, and we're not announcing it publicly yet but I can do it anonymously here (and you lot wont spread it will you??) My big family is almost complete YAY!!

beadysam

CONGRATULATIONS! :T _party_ :j :j :j :T _party_

Jay-Jay_4

ravenlooney wrote:

IM PREGNANT!!!

:j :j :j :j :j :j

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!

beadysam

Just a quick note for you to think about. The creams that you use on your boobs are wonderful and work really well, however, many of them contain arachis (sp?) oil. This is derived from peanuts. There is a lot of research out there that questions the use of these creams and suggests that they MAY be a possible cause of the huge increase in life threatening peanut allergies. The earlier a baby is exposed to nuts, or other potential allergens such as cows milk, the higher the chances of allergies developing in later life. I'm sorry that I can't lay my hands on any research to back this up but, when I did my nurse training a collegue of mine did an in-depth study on this subject. It was very interesting to me as I was heavinly pregnant at the time.

SAM xx

harpo1

The washing line - for all the usual reasons. But also because I used to put the babies out in the garden beside the line & they were fashinated by the clothes blowing in the breeze. Honest it was better than a mobile.

frostyspice

I love newborns!!!
Invaluable were:

- Bouncy chair
- Boobs
- Kamillosan
- Muslin squares
- Baby Bjorn sling - worn by baby's Daddy on trips out everywhere!!! Baby & Daddy love it, everyone holds doors open for them and oohs and aahs, and Mummy gets to wander around hands-free and browse properly in shops (doesn't happen much after that! Toddlers and shopping don't mix)
- Has anyone mentioned the disposable paper knickers for the first few weeks - buy loads - you won't be sorry. Definitely worth spending the money on.

Congrats to the pregnant posters!

BrokeBrokeBroke

Paper Knickers (I though I'd buy some 25p old lady ones from Ethel Austin but they were just far too grim to even contimplate washing! So, paper ones everytime. (Who has a 'spare' leftover one in their knicker drawer? My friends and I were talking and we were all like, wow yeah, I've got one loitering around too!!)
But by far THE BEST! thing was the towelling bathrest from Mothercare. My mum had one for me and told me I'd love it and I did. It meant baby was tilted up so I could wash him all over and his hair and everything using two hands rather than trying to hold him and the babywash etc. Also, because it was on a 'frame' it just got put over the shower rail to dry out (so it didn't go smelly) then every 2 days I whacked it in the washing machine with his towels. Super Duper. It made bathtime soooooo much easier/less stressful!