List of what you need for baby

Cadyboo

So this is baby no. 1 for me, am due next April. I know of a basic things that I will need, cot, pram, nappies etc, but I know there are probably a million things that are needed or must haves so I am hoping that someone will be able to help me make a list? In my head I think if I have a list I can pick up bits and pieces in sales and not be stuck getting things heavily preggers at the last minute.:o
Any help will be very much apppreciated. Thanks.

annamcmahon

Hi Cadyboo. Congratulations on baba. I'm due my second in April too. I can suggest something we got but to be honest one person's essentials is another's unnecessary.

Cot - we got a cotbed which will do my daughter until she about 4. Plan to do the same for this one.
Moses basket, mattress and stand - only because cot won't fit beside our bed and I was breastfeeding. Meant I only had to lift her out of the basket at night rather than get out of bed. Did her for 3 1/2months.
Sheets for moses basket - pillowcases fit the mattress perfectly and are much cheaper than sheets.
Nappies - I went with reusables. Not a good idea to stock up on any one brand of disposables in advance because they might not suit your baby. Besides they are sale every month around child's allowance day and the different own brands are generally as good as the more expensive brands.
Plastic bowl to wash baby - we got a baby bath but didn't use it for about 2months because baby hated it. Just wiped her with a face cloth every morning and washed her hair over the sink once a week.
Sterilliser - not needed immediately if breastfeeding. We got one after a month when we started to give expressed milk in bottles.
Monitor - only got a radio one when baby was 4 months and she started to take naps upstairs. We've a small house so heard her if she cried in the evening. Got a really basic two radio one because I didn't worry about needing to hear her breathing. Lots of people swear by the fancier ones though.
Nappy wrapping bin - We were given a present of one. To be honest I used it for the first couple of weeks because baba was born in January and I didn't want to go outside every time I changed her. I see why it would be good if you were in an apartment but in a house I think they are a bit of a waste. Now I use it for the reusables only because I had it anyway.
Changing mat - Initially used it on kitchen table then moved it onto the sitting room floor. We didn't get a changing table or unit because it wouldn't fit in our small sitting room and didn't want to go upstairs every 2 hours.
Bouncer - we borrowed a light up musical one and to be honest baba was that interested in the lights or music. Going to get a baby bjorn one this time. They are expensive but fold flat so can be brought places.
Travel system/pram/carseat/buggy
Basic clothes - vests, babygrows. Neighbours lent us loads and people bought us lots of other stuff.
Swaddle blankets - Used for first 2 months for swaddling. Now I use them in the buggy or if it's cold at night.
Sleepbags - great once baby didn't want to be swaddled. I've used some from Pennys, Tesco's, Mothercare, M&S, Lidl and Grobags. Don't see much difference between the brands other than price.

That's all I think are essentials for the first few months at least. Like I said others will think differently.

SarahC11

what i found i needed most at the start was long sleeved vests and tights, i had my baby in june and they were hard to get at the time, so stock up now! also i wouldnt buy too many dresses if its a girl! for two reasons you'l get loads of clothes as presents and while the dresses are unbelievably cute i found i didnt put them on her much she looked uncomfortable in them when she was a newborn and grew out of most of the clothes i bought, most never even worn

Cadyboo

Thanks for your replies, I have copied them onto word so I wont lose them. Anyone else want to share what they think are most needed for newborns?:D

dublinlady

Cadyboo wrote: »

Thanks for your replies, I have copied them onto word so I wont lose them. Anyone else want to share what they think are most needed for newborns?:D

Muslin squares x many!!!

yoda2001

Here are a few things that I found useful:

Steam steriliser for microwave - cheap and unbreakable
2 changing mats - one for up/downstairs
2 moses baskets/cots/cribs - one for up/downstairs
footmuff for buggy - handy even in the summer
Even if you are planning to breastfeed, have a look at bottle systems and formula - you may have to resort to formula at short notice.
baby towels with a hood are nice to have.
Lots of babygros - I liked the velour ones

annamcmahon

I should have included muslins as well. I got muslin teatowels rather than ones marked baby cloths. They are exactly the same and a fraction of the price. I was shocked at the difference in the price of somethings simply because someone had labelled them as a baby product.

Quins5

Where did you get those muslins Anna?

annamcmahon

Ikea homeware section. They were 25c each last year. When we went to get more a few months ago I was shocked that the price had tripled to 75c. :rolleyes: Only difference was they had a blue strip not a red one.

Lantus

surprisingly little.

moses basket x2 (up and down)
top and tail bath (only used mine twice before going into plastic baby bath.) @12 weeks and now is in big bath!

changing mat for down but use a lite one from your changing bg for upstairs. We mainly just use the bed for changes at night. A changing table is a huge waste of money.

a few v basic clothes. You'll get lots and lots of these from friends and family. mostly newborn or 0-3 months which will all be over in the blink of an eye. (be prepared to swap some for 3-6.)

a few creams, cotton wool balls. wipes with plastic lids (v.useful) cheap thermometer, baby sponge. Dont worry about all those creams and lotions. Expensive and we have used a few drops from the 20+ bottles we have. water is all they really need.

a sterilizer you wil need at some point. if you can be looking now you can save big time. A pump if your intending to breast feed can also be obtained much cheaper in deals or TK max sometimes have them. (We had to buys ours at 2am in the morning which wasn't cheap.)

basically just buy what you need WHEN you need it. most stuff is just expensive window dressing. The first few months is sleepless nights, changing and feeding.

caprilicious

I know a lot of people say a changing table is a waste of money, I would've agreed 100% myself prior to having my daughter.
However my sister very kindly picked me up one for her on sale & I find it brilliant as it saves your back.
I found it really handy to keep all her stuff in one place.

For the likes of the buggy/car seat etc, these can be really expensive to buy brand new. It might be worth your while checking out the ads on the likes od adverts.ie or donedeal.ie for people selling them.
I bought one with the pram/car seat that would've been €700+ new & got it for €350 I think.
It had only been used once, because the girl had received a gift of another pram for her mother in law and had to use that one instead.

I also opted for a cot bed, as at least it'll last her til she's 4+.

I found Michael Guineys great for cot sheets, cellular blankets, muslin clothes etc, much cheaper than anywhere else at the time.

MaxCharlie

I second that for michael guineys - can't be beaten in terms of quality and price.

wmpdd3

I also got a cot bed and have had a 4 year old sleep in it recently, so I know she will still fit in it at 4.

Nearly everything I had was 2nd hand or friends gave to me.

A graco pack and play, its a travel cot with a basinette and a changing space , like this:
http://www.toys.ie/Babylo-sleepy-travel-cot-!108000-prd.aspx

I got a high chair in Ikea, for €16 and I love it, you can take the legs off and make it portable, great for when you are invited over for dinner.

I second that about dresses, they are just for a few hours on newborns, my little one lived in tunics and legging as I didnt have to undress her when she was due to nap.

sillysocks

There were some small things we never thought of getting that we had to go and get when baby was born.

A Thermometer - we ended up getting a digital one that takes the temp in a couple of seconds and it was expensive but I reckoned somehting like that you'll have for years so it was worth it.
A hairbrush - our little one had a full head of hair when she was born and hadn't even thought of something like a hairbrush (not essential but still!)
A baby nail clippers - their nails grow ridiculously fast

Other things we used all the time:
Bouncer - got the BabyBjorn one, it was expensive but a close relation wanted to get us a 'big' present so she got that for us, its brilliant and I still use it all the time 11 months down the line. It was great for when I was home on my own with the baby and needed to do something

Clothes - dont' buy too many, just get vests and babygros really. The wraparound vest are brill for a newborn because you don't have to pul them over the head but can be hard to get - Tesco sometimes have them. Our little one lived in babygros the first month or two to be honest.

I found the Clevamamma towel that clips around your neck to be great - means you have your hands free and don't get your clothes all wet after a bath.

Bibs that fasten to the side rather than the back were much handier to take off if the baby fell asleep during a feed and you needed to take the bib off.

If you're bottle feeding (or even getting bottles as backup) don't buy too many of one brand. I had bought Avent before baby was born but those and Tommee Tippee didn't suit her so ended up on Dr Browns but have a press full of bottles we don't use now. So only get a few until you know which ones you'll use.

We didn't bother with a changing table and glad we didn't. Upstairs we put a changing mat on a chest of drawers which we only used for a few weeks when she was getting changed during the middle of the night feeds. Downstairs we happened to have an Ikea footstool which when covered with a disposable changing mat made a perfect changing 'table'. It is small, and the perfect height for changing while sitting on the couch and can be used as a footstool when she's gone to bed!

The sleeping bags are great, just try get ones that have poppers on the shoulders and a zip around the bottom because otherwise they can be a bit akward to put on, esp if baby is already asleep. M&S do good ones, so do TK Maxx.

anticonno16

Sperm and an ovum should do it.

highly1111

Arnica tablets are great to help bruising post labour. Get large pairs of black knickers - much better than disposals (cotton!) some dark towels and lots of sanitary towels - can also vouch for the always heavy duty night time ones. Nipple cream and breast pads and good nursing bras if BF. Bring a few trackers or cereal bars for nibbles and even though you'll be knackered your mind could be racing so bring a gossip mag to help you sleep. I brought a book - not a hope - need something much more mindnumbing. Finally lip salves are a must. Maternity hospitals are roasting and my lips were in bits!!

I'm just making my list now for number 2 and these are the main things which made number 1 easier! I was so stupid the first time - brought my ghd would you believe!! Although I did use a small bit of make up - just helped me feel a little better the second day. Purely psychological but did help me freshen up after my shower as I had a very tough labour and I just wanted to feel a little bit more like me. Hope that makes sense and I don't sound like some idiot!!

Lantus

Heres for a more definitive list: -


Getting mobile and car travel
1/ Car seat, pram, buggy.

You can get great deals on websites. Of everything we got this new because my wife and I decided on a very specific model where the pram handel was down (graco symbio.) It was also very light. A 3 in one seemed like a good deal. We dont really ever use the car seat in the frame as we prefer the pram unit. The chair should do him up to 3 years when he gets older (some only do up to 1 or 2yrs.)

2/ Changing bag
Simple and cheap. we got one from asda up north for 3.99 and it's brill. came with a changing mat and small clear bag with zip for misc suff. enough space for 3 nappies, half a bag of wipes (swap your 1/3 to half full wipes into the changing bag at reg intervals) change of clothes, some creams, and most importantly my wife's purse.

3/ A blanket or 2 for the car.

4/ One of those mirrors for the rear headrest so you can see him/her when driving. Online v cheap. halfords sell them as well.


House - Downstairs stuff

1/ Changing mat on existing table. We just use our kitchen table. The jungle family mat is great as is the top and toe bath from mothercare and it's good value.

2/ Box for the changing stuff. Again we got a jungle family tool box. Stores loads of nappies, wipes and creams on top. Things for your box: -

a)wipes (ones with plastic lids are good, we are most dissapointed with huggies, they are quite tough and for really young babies I didn't rate them at all.) generally tesco own brand are good. asda own brand are way too light though. buy in advance and stockpile bigtime.
b) nappies. we have tried loads of makes and can't see much difference with any. huggies were quite 'stiff' and again for just new born we didn't like them. pampers were softer. tesco own brand were a bit more 'plasticy' but when young the rate of change of nappies is high and the cost benefit greater. We use huggies more now as he's older and pampers combined. If you se offers on stockpile a few big boxes of various sizes as they dont go off (until used) Dont buy too many of any one size though. Left over nappies have very little resale value and they grow sooo fast.
c) nappy bags. get them whenever you can. Those bins are a waste I think but its your choice.
d)scissors, nail clippers. They come out with nails but they soon toughen up and grow like a pervasive weed. My little lad could catch mice with his if I didn't hack them off every few days.
e) vit D drops. every morning.
f) cotton wool balls for face and eyes.
g) calpol and nuerofen for later.
h)some sudocream for nappy rash (we hardly used any)
i) hairbrush, wife can see a difference........I dont.
j) dont bother with all that johnsons stuff, we still have 30 bottles unused that we got in a massive pack. Unless your keeping them in water they wont use anything more than a really small bottle in the first 3+ months. that imolient cream I think? comes in a tub is good.
k)thermometer just in case.

3/ Baby bath. we just used the kitchen table which worked fine (as a base! we didn't try filling the table with water.), also near a tap and sink. This plastic frames they sit in are great for later on when they progress to the big bath.

4/ Towelx2. the cleva mam ones are good but I never use the thing as it's meant to be as there are 2 of us.


Feeding
1/ bottles, we (she..) breast fed, but we still needed bottles for emergencies, going out etc. a few smaller ones. we just got avent as it matched the pump. there are other choices.

2/ sterilizer, we got a plug in one as it holds loads, handy for later or if your bottle feeding. It also came in handy for strelizing my jam jars.

3/ Breast pump. there is only one choice. electric, search around as you can get for 40 for an advent (tk maxx) but you can easily spend 140 in tesco like we (read I) did at 2am.) sadists get manual.

4/ Some formula just in case. get a big box plus some liquid cartons. Stick a liquid carton in the changing bag and break open in case of emergency.

5/ nursing cushion. You can get cheap ones if you look around, we got an L shaped one which is great. pillow cases online (2.99) as the shop ones can be 25-30 quid each.



Living room
- moses basket and a few blankets
- a VIBRATING chair for later on (really good)
- play mat. dont go wild to begin with, just something really simple.
- a few simple toys. No need to buy a nintendo 3ds just yet.

Bedroom
- another moses basket. get new mattresses een if you get given ones.
- light changing mat, some nappies and wipes in a bag for late night changes.
- blankets initially to swadle.
- sleep bag. These things are awesome, zips are a bit better.
- a really low light for night feeding and changing, most standard lamps are just too bright and will wake up jnr. Glow worm is quite good.


free stuff
- order the free new baby kit from the pampers website. the baby show at the RDS was a great for freebies.

clothes
1/ a pack or 2 of vests and sleep suits. the newborn is fleeting.
2/ bibs. we hardly used them at all for the first 2 months. get loads tho.
3/ blankets
4/ for outfits (the bit all women dream of) this is purely optional. shoes, socks, novelty outfits etc are costly and you will get somewhere between 1 and 6 wears from them on average. socks and shoes dont really fit properly on a babys foot and often come off (typically into a full nappy of s**t where its then flicked across the room.) i still loath them but my wife goes 'arrrrrrrrrrrrr' and thats all that matters.

People will typically get you outfits rather than packs of vests we found so see what you get.

5/hats, mitts, booties. two of each should suffice. mitts are handy for night because those nails will just grow and one day they will wake up and it will look like racoons savaged their poor face. handy for keeping them warm as well.


Basically feed them, change them, hopefully sleep and the occasional wash.

You wont be going anywhere for 2 weeks as you'll be wrecked. Take it easy and enjoy.

stockpile some food in the freezer.

any male counterpart will always benefit from a nice bottle of brandy/whisky etc...

everything else is a bonus....

ONLY BUY IT WHEN YOU NEED IT!!!!

I would recommend a support group as my wife found it very useful to meet other mums at a breastfeding group and she still does.


I hate to say it but buying up north for a lot of stuff is a lot cheaper so if you get to newry avail of the pound shops and other cheap outlets.

caprilicious

lol great post Lantus!! Love the bit about manual pumps, very true!

Lantus

caprilicious wrote: »

lol great post Lantus!! Love the bit about manual pumps, very true!

she tried the manual section we got with it and I just couldn't believe anyone could be expected to use it for more than 3 minutes without damaging their wrists permanently.

You have this idea in your head that pumping is like ordering a pint and only takes a really short amount of time but's just soooo time consuming. Even holding the electric one is tiring enough as she had sore wrists and hands.

You read those forums of mainly american women who after only 4 weeks have managed to fill a family sized 3 litre milk carton to stash in the freezer for later 'just in case'..... yeah right!

I think this is formula companies trying to make real breast feeding women feel like s**t so they give up and swap to formula.

liliq

I came across this last night! It will free up the hands for the baby/ remote control/ book when pumping! I haven't tried it yet, so not sure if it will work but it's a clever idea

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/hands-free-pumping.html

I'd definitely second having a stock of food in the freezer- things like lasagne freeze really well and are easy to freeze in portions to take out when you need.


If you plan on bottle feeding but want to have some premade handy in case of emergencies or just for convenience if the first few days and weeks... the bottles in the hospital shops cost a fortune, works out at about €1.50/ bottle if I can remember... you can buy a carton in tesco for 69 cent.

If you're going to be driving to the hospital, keep plenty of change in the car for parking.

I bought a few different size nappies, not just newborn size 1, especially if I saw them on offer.
Same with baby gros and vests, we bought a couple of different sizes in case newborn/ up to 1 month were too small.

rtron

Heres a tip if bottle feeding - buy a second Kettle. You'll be amazed how caught out you get. Boiling the kettle for your tea and then there is only boiling water for you baby's feed.
(babys cry while waiting for the water to cool down)
A second kettle

Lantus

good advice on the money for parking re hospital visits. it's a money making racket and you just need to take the pain.

Another bit of advice is get ready to ship loads of stuff back and forth from the hospital (depending on long she is in for) and be calm and smile when she asks for an endless list of 'stuff'. heat packs (the ones you can nuke.) magazines (which are passed on to new recruits.)

Also, for men.....make sure you prepare a good solid packed lunch. labour is the most time consuming process you will ever have to endure except for watching re runs of sex in the city. it's not like the movies where it only takes a few minutes. The day of the birth I partook of two breakfasts so as to prepare myself before I went in and I had meats and nuts to hand to keep me going.

Hospitals are not my friend as I was 'born warm' and so the ambient 28 degrees of most labour wards instantly makes me drowsy and sleepy, which she interprets as boredom and gets me a black mark against my name.