Baby 'Essential' Recommendations

emweaver

i also suggest more bibs, my dd needed a clean 1 after every feed and they feed every 2 hoursish at newborn!

bebebelle

I have to share this gang.I was thrown a suprise baby shower at work, American Company:)
Considering most of my colleagues are men, they did a smashing job.I got loads of cute stuf that wont last two minutes like newborn Levis Denim Jacket, but I cant moan, as the thought was just lovely.
I also got 1 X Baby Dior bottle with case.
1 x Tiffany silver rattle.
1 x Baby Dior white blanket
Would I be wrong to sell them on ebay, to put towards a bugaboo pram

Hell_Dans_Un_Handcart

I would second the lack of need for toiletries. When you start weaning - or the poo gets really rough(!) - you need a gentle baby bath like Halos and Horns. Otherwise you just want olive oil for moisturising and nappy cream (although your nipple cream will work well for this too).

A baby carrier is a great buy. A hell of a lot easier to chuck in the car than a buggy and you can get up and do things without putting baby down. I'd wait until after baby is born though - you may get a child who likes to be put down (especially common after shelling out on an expensive sling :P).

I wouldn't shell out on too much bedding until baby arrives; our moses basket was never used once and she ended up coming in with us (which also aids breastfeeding). For advice on how to sleep with baby worry free, have a look at the UNICEF guidelines: http://www.babyfriendly.org.uk/pdfs/bedsharingpolicy.pdf (you'll need adobe acrobat to read this one).

Our baby monitor is still in the packet at 11 months. SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome) guidelines state that baby should sleep in the same room as you - for all sleeps - for at least the first six months. This is so your breathing can regulate theirs, and so you disturb them enough to keep them out of a very deep sleep. A pain sometimes, but it's the safest way to be.

As for getting your baby to sleep by themselves...well, they aren't designed that way. If you're still having to help get them to sleep when they're 1, 2 or 3 years old...they are only children, and that's quite normal.

Lunar_Eclipse

savagelyric wrote: »

See - this is just the kind of comment I needed - obvious to some but I thought 0-3 mths meant it included newborn! Thanks for the suggestion!

My experience was totally different.

Neither had any newborn sized clothing (8 lb 7 and 9lb 1oz born) and only lasted 4 weeks max in 0-3 months. You are right that 0-3 is from newborn, for average weight babies - thus 7lbs 7ozs. Newborn size is intended for smaller babies. And really large long babies might skip 0-3 all together. I would say though that it is more determined by length than weight. Thus a long 8lb baby will outgrow clothes before an average length 9lb baby, aka my own experience with long babies. We are 5'8 and 6'2 so knew what we were most likely in for.

Nothing worse than babies squashed into babygrows and you see their feet really pressing on the ends. Makes me really angry for some reason (money issues aside!) Quite irrational I know.

Lunar_Eclipse

emweaver wrote: »

The muslin cloths I dont think these are essential.

Oh my goodness, we went through several on a daily basis! In themselves they aren't essential (eg old towels would suffice), but for most babies some sort of burbing cloth is needed.

My eldest had reflux, hence we went through loads.:D

I would say a really comfy snuggly (fleece?) blanket is a must. One that you love the sight of too since you see it often! I never used sleepsuits though, but most people seem to.

tsstss7

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

My experience was totally different.

Neither had any newborn sized clothing (8 lb 7 and 9lb 1oz born) and only lasted 4 weeks max in 0-3 months. You are right that 0-3 is from newborn, for average weight babies - thus 7lbs 7ozs. Newborn size is intended for smaller babies. And really large long babies might skip 0-3 all together. I would say though that it is more determined by length than weight. Thus a long 8lb baby will outgrow clothes before an average length 9lb baby, aka my own experience with long babies. We are 5'8 and 6'2 so knew what we were most likely in for.

Nothing worse than babies squashed into babygrows and you see their feet really pressing on the ends. Makes me really angry for some reason (money issues aside!) Quite irrational I know.

the moneysaving way here is to cut the feet off the babygro's ....it makes them fit for a few weeks longer and is more comfortable in warmer months anyhow.......

re: baby baths. I've just started using a largish round washing up bowl now lo is a bit bigger saves money on hot water too...

Rachie_B

Janepig wrote: »

PS: I'm obviously the only one on here who used wipes exclusively from day one (non-perfumed sensitive ones).

Nope i did too ,on both of mine

hate traditional baby baths, but loved the Supa bath on my youngest

It's in the garage still,having been used for my nephew now 4 and niece 2 lol

muslins ! fabbity fab ,can be used for so many different uses and wash / dry really well

also totally agree with whoever said ,from day 1 encourage baby to sleep / settle himself

yes its tempting to cwtch them all day every day , lol especially when they are little

but it's all too easy for them to get used to that, and expect it

I am a Nanny / Maternity nurse now, and all too often see parents tearing their hair out as baby has never been taught to settle himself

and resorting to driving round / pushing in buggy to put them to sleep ! even at age 2

galvanizersbaby

emweaver wrote: »

The muslin cloths I dont think these are essential. I might suggest a baby monitor, when my lo was a baby i used to check every 10 mins she was breathing as it always looked like she wasnt so i bought one of those angelcare monitors. worth every penny for the reassurance it gives, ok its not necesary but id recommend it

Oh dear I used this Angelcare breathing monitor with my first baby and it kept going off and panicking the life out of me - perhaps I had a faulty one - from memory it was really expensive too.
I think unless you have a massive house a baby monitor is not always necessary - when I had my 2nd child I realised that going in the bedroom to check each time she made the slightest sound on the monitor was exactly disturbing her sleep - if she ever did need me she let me know it also she seemed better at settling herself if she did rouse a bit without me flying up the stairs and disturbing her!

savagelyric

I'm well chuffed with purchases today - 2 packs of 6 face flannels for 99p each to be used as baby wipes and 2 packs of 2 pillowcases for £1 each to be used as moses basket sheets...

I'm in danger of actually being organised here!

angelfairy

well done!!!!

ttc at the moment so hopefully some of these bargins around when it is my time