nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Essentials to have before babys arrival

Uptheduff

I'm starting to look around for baby items to have ready. Maybe I'm cynical but I suspect there is a huge amount of redundant stuff that is peddled as "essential" to anxious new parents. I don't want to buy a stack of gadgets that don't get used. I'm sure that we will probably get gifts of baby clothes so I don't want to overstock with more than we'el need.

So my question is what should we absolutely make sure we have in terms of clothes & equipment before baby makes three.

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

shesty

Uptheduff wrote: »

Thanks everyone, this is really helpful. Am I naive in thinking the kitchen table is a suitable baby changing spot if we've got a changing mat?

Not at all, it's grand!I guess I am coming from having a couple of kids....our changing table is upstairs, very handy to have it for nappies, drying after baths, morning dressing, storing nappies, wipes and that.But most daytime nappies happen downstairs on a mat on the table, I can't be carting a toddler up and down the stairs all days long either!

CelticRambler

shesty wrote: »

But most daytime nappies happen downstairs on a mat on the table, I can't be carting a toddler up and down the stairs all days long either!

Having no space in the house for any kind of dedicated table, MrsCR put all her effort into finding a good changing bag, which had everything needed and saw us through four sets of dirty bottoms.

Over the years, I think the phrase we used most often when visiting relatives with a nappy in need of replacement was "no, I'm grand here!" On the floor, on the knees, in the boot of the car ... I don't think any of our children lay on a changing station, ever. :pac:

lazygal

I've a completely different list.
Have never used muslins that much.
No bottles or steriliser because breastfeeding is way easier.
No gadgets at all.
Few babygros and vest. Pack of newborn nappies. Snowsuit for leaving hospital.
Got more blankets than we knew what to do with as gifts.
Have used thermometer a grand total of twice for three children. Maybe we're lucky.
Don't buy any unsafe stuff like Perfect Prep machines or walkers.

Join a free cycle baby group on Facebook. We got a swing, changing table, sling and other bits for free. We'll pass on when used and anything we realised we didn't use went back up for someone else to collect. You'd nearly be sorted for free that way. Just today there was a travel system going for free local to us.

lazygal

PhoenixParker wrote: »

I always recommend buying one bottle and a liter of premade formula. It’s cheap, doesn’t take much space and you’re covered in case of emergency then. You can always sterilize in a saucepan of boiling water.

Would be slow to recommend this. It's setting yourself up with the notion that breastfeeding might not "work". Powering through is probably a better approach.

iamwhoiam

lazygal wrote: »

Would be slow to recommend this. It's setting yourself up with the notion that breastfeeding might not "work". Powering through is probably a better approach.

Not everyone can “ power through “ . Of course B/f is best but some quite simply cannot for lots of reason . Everyones choice should be respected

lazygal

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Not everyone can “ power through “ . Of course B/f is best but some quite simply cannot for lots of reason . Everyones choice should be respected

Of course choice should be respected.
You wouldn't fill your fridge with stuff you shouldn't be eating in case your diet wasn't working out though.

suilegorma

We put a change mat on top of a chest of drawers. Kept all baby nappies, wipes, clothes etc in it. Still in use now! Had one upstairs and downstairs.

Re feeding, I'd second getting to a lll or ciudiu meeting. You will meet new & experienced feeders, get details of bf counsellors, and it's great to meet some folks before you have baby in tow. It makes it much easier to reach out for help if you already know some people. I'd also batch cook, make a load of easy to defrost meals and stock up on dry snacks as bf is hungry work!

I have no idea how parents manage without a sling! We used one from 3 weeks until aged 3.5! To me thiswas essential. If you're in Dublin there are sling meets where you can try out different types and borrow. Really useful.

Id recommend a travel system too, also consider if you'll be having other children soon, as you can get ones that double up. Ours was expensive but we used it for 6 years straight and actually sold it on.

Best of luck!

iamwhoiam

lazygal wrote: »

Of course choice should be respected.
You wouldn't fill your fridge with stuff you shouldn't be eating in case your diet wasn't working out though.

No but I always have Calpol and Nurofen for the incase . Hoping I never need them !

Jurgen The German

May have been mentioned but a nose frieda is an essential piece of kit, we still use it and number 1 will be 3 in April

Minier81

PhoenixParker wrote: »

I always recommend buying one bottle and a liter of premade formula. It’s cheap, doesn’t take much space and you’re covered in case of emergency then. You can always sterilize in a saucepan of boiling water.

I would also be very hesitant to recommend "just in case" formula. We did discuss this pre baby and I really felt it was not necessary. One you have a shop or a boots nearby you can get a ready made formula bottle very easily if that's a choice you make. For me I felt it would undermine breastfeeding. I did find those early days and even weeks tough and did not need a temptress in the press :-)

jlm29

Minier81 wrote: »

I would also be very hesitant to recommend "just in case" formula. We did discuss this pre baby and I really felt it was not necessary. One you have a shop or a boots nearby you can get a ready made formula bottle very easily if that's a choice you make. For me I felt it would undermine breastfeeding. I did find those early days and even weeks tough and did not need a temptress in the press :-)

I would third this.

John_Rambo

At least 20 muslins.

Some of the baby cams are a rip off. The cheap wifi cams with an app for your phone are grand.

A good point and shoot thermometer is a must. Ignore anyone that tells you otherwise.

A buggy/pram set up that has ventilation for sleeping overnight in if you're heading off on holiday or are somewhat adventurous.

A good food plan for parent/parents particularly if mum is breastfeeding. Lots of protein, carbs, fruit, nuts, veg etc...

Best of luck and enjoy it all.

pwurple

Just adding a baby monitor mat here.

Was reminded yesterday, as one of my neighbours ended up using it. Their baby (4th child) stopped breathing in their sleep, alarm alerted them and the nurse next door was able to help recussitate when baby went blue. They are fine now thank goodness. Into hospital for checks.

Cakerbaker

Not so much a newborn essential but something I found handy as a new parent ..... a freezer full of food. We did a load of batch cooking for the freezer prior to babies arrival. Meant we had healthy meals with very little work for the first few weeks which helped when going around in a daze as a sleep deprived new parent.

Antares35

pwurple wrote: »

Just adding a baby monitor mat here.

Was reminded yesterday, as one of my neighbours ended up using it. Their baby (4th child) stopped breathing in their sleep, alarm alerted them and the nurse next door was able to help recussitate when baby went blue. They are fine now thank goodness. Into hospital for checks.

Hi can I ask are these different to normal monitors? Due our first in May and this is something I have an anxiety about, like all parents I suppose! Do these ones clip onto the baby and detect movement or something?

Princess Calla

Antares35 wrote: »

Hi can I ask are these different to normal monitors? Due our first in May and this is something I have an anxiety about, like all parents I suppose! Do these ones clip onto the baby and detect movement or something?

We have the angel monitor, it has a sensor pad that goes under the mattress. However you do need a piece of board to go under that.... That was an unwelcome realisation... We weren't very prepared to start with, this didn't help!!

It's not really workable with a moses basket. Though someone might have a work around for this. Admittedly on out first, we put the moses basket into the cot ontop of the mat... I wouldn't be putting too much faith in that! Though until he was 3 the only place he'd sleep was in our bed!!

You can also turn the mat off and just use it as a sound monitor.

shesty

Antares35 wrote: »

Hi can I ask are these different to normal monitors? Due our first in May and this is something I have an anxiety about, like all parents I suppose! Do these ones clip onto the baby and detect movement or something?

The pad has an alarm that goes off if the baby doesn't take a breath within 10seconds lf their last breath (or similar, not 100% sure of the time interval).

We didn't have one ourselves,but a few friends we know did.Seemed fine although there were a lot of complaints about forgetting about the alarm and setting it off in the middle of the night when they lifted the baby out to change them or whatever :-)

Princess Calla

I actually remember someone in work saying they had a clip on monitor... It worked by battery or something.

They said it fell off a fair bit, then when they had their second replacement battery was very expensive so they didn't bother!

No experience with them myself though.

PhoenixParker

We had the angel monitor pad too. We thought it was great until we realised it basically doesn't work.

If your house is in anyway shaky or your floors are in anyway soft it won't go off because it'll pick up footsteps across the floor as being baby breathing. Or for instance if you're using a next to me, movement in the bed will delay the sensor triggering. We realised when we lifted baby out and it took 2 minutes to go off. It did go off straight away sometimes, usually when we forgot to switch it off and least wanted it to. I think it's really only reliable on solid concrete floors.

The owlet sock seems to have superseded it as the breathing monitor of choice. I haven't used one myself so dont know how good or bad it is.

Princess Calla

shesty wrote: »

The pad has an alarm that goes off if the baby doesn't take a breath within 10seconds lf their last breath (or similar, not 100% sure of the time interval).

We didn't have one ourselves,but a few friends we know did.Seemed fine although there were a lot of complaints about forgetting about the alarm and setting it off in the middle of the night when they lifted the baby out to change them or whatever :-)

Yup, many a night we set it off doing that!

Also if you have a squirrel for a baby like I do..... He curls in a tight ball right against the railings, seriously he'll squeeze himself out some night.... The monitor will go off as the baby needs to be somewhat on it/close to the pad.

If does have a night light on it too, which is handy for night feeding.. Though he had it on all night for the first... Not so much on the second

jlm29

Princess Calla wrote: »

I actually remember someone in work saying they had a clip on monitor... It worked by battery or something.

They said it fell off a fair bit, then when they had their second replacement battery was very expensive so they didn't bother!

No experience with them myself though.

Think that one is called a snooza? It monitors the baby and alarms if baby stops breathing, but isn’t like a baby monitor you would hear the baby on from another room.

kastasia

I got one of those angelcare monitors as a present from my friends (they asked me before) but i never used it. We did set it up on the cot when we moved him from moses basket but just never used it and then put it back in the box. Expecting again so maybe we'll use it this time. I had to lie to my friends about it though...

Third_Echelon

We used the Angelcare monitor too for our first and now our second. Gives great peace of mind.

It does give some false positives, but once you set it up correctly with the wooden 'plank' underneath it, I found it worked perfectly. I just tested it every so often to make sure it was working. Always went off within 20 seconds when I tested it.

Antares35

Think we will look into the Angelcare monitor so. Have most of the "big ticket" items now - travel system including car seat, pram and buggy for newborn up to about 3 years I think. We bought a side cot, so obviously coming up to 6 months we will need to get a proper one, but wanted a side cot as planning to breastfeed. Wasn't really sure about clothes. We have a good mix of 0-3 and 3-6 months sleepsuits, vests and then a couple of cute little outfits I couldn't resist. Mostly stuck with the sleepsuits, babygrows and vests. Also have in two weeks supply of nappies and water wipes, as well as about 10 muslin cloths, 2 grobags and several bibs.

Will focus on the hospital bag this weekend and try to get that sorted. Then the usual feeding paraphernalia.

I keep thinking there is something big we are missing!

:pac:

Princess Calla

Antares35 wrote: »

I keep thinking there is something big we are missing! :pac:

The baby!

Sounds like you have everything under control

Maybe look into a steriliser just encase you need to go the bottle route, don't need to buy it now obviously, but have one picked out that if you do need it, it can be bought immediately.

If you are near IKEA they do big freezer bags. I packed vest, babygro and maybe a nappy into a few bags (I had the nappies packed separately too).

That way the dad just had to pull one freezer bag out and the whole outfit was ready to go..... The last thing you need after birth is the dad emptying the bag out looking for stuff and annoying you asking where its packed

I then sent the dirty clothes home with him in the freezer bag, to keep our items around the bed at a minimum.

Antares35

Princess Calla wrote: »

The baby!

Sounds like you have everything under control

Maybe look into a steriliser just encase you need to go the bottle route, don't need to buy it now obviously, but have one picked out that if you do need it, it can be bought immediately.

If you are near IKEA they do big freezer bags. I packed vest, babygro and maybe a nappy into a few bags (I had the nappies packed separately too).

That way the dad just had to pull one freezer bag out and the whole outfit was ready to go..... The last thing you need after birth is the dad emptying the bag out looking for stuff and annoying you asking where its packed

I then sent the dirty clothes home with him in the freezer bag, to keep our items around the bed at a minimum.

Oh yes her!

Amazing how someone so small can create such chaos

That's a great idea about the freezer bags. Someone in work is kindly gifting me their steriliser, though I was tempted to pick up some of those self sterilising bottles you can put in the microwave, especially if we are going to travel (his family are living abroad).

Princess Calla

Antares35 wrote: »

Oh yes her! Amazing how someone so small can create such chaos

That's a great idea about the freezer bags. Someone in work is kindly gifting me their steriliser, though I was tempted to pick up some of those self sterilising bottles you can put in the microwave, especially if we are going to travel (his family are living abroad).

I've no experience of the self sterilising bottles, I think they either came on the market after my first or else I didn't come across them. I had woeful pregnancies so shopping was a nightmare.

I still use the freezer bags for changes of clothes when we are out and about, very handy. I think they are 6L so hold a full outfit.

bee06

Princess Calla wrote: »

I still use the freezer bags for changes of clothes when we are out and about, very handy. I think they are 6L so hold a full outfit.

Great for storing any poonami wreaked closed when you are out as well!

Antares35

bee06 wrote: »

Great for storing any poonami wreaked closed when you are out as well!

I did not think this through :pac::pac:

I saw "wet bags" in TKMaxx but remember thinking, sure you could just use a plastic one. Paying a tenner for a design. (They are cute though!)

jlm29

Antares35 wrote: »

Oh yes her! Amazing how someone so small can create such chaos

That's a great idea about the freezer bags. Someone in work is kindly gifting me their steriliser, though I was tempted to pick up some of those self sterilising bottles you can put in the microwave, especially if we are going to travel (his family are living abroad).

If you plan on beadtfeeding, hold off on buying bottles, or at least more than one of any type. It’s sometimes tricky to get a breastfed baby to take a bottle and sometimes you’ll need to shop around to find one they like