Having a Baby.... What do we NEED?
Discussion
Dan_1981 said:
Car - i've got a saab estate and the missus is awaiting delivery of her new 5 door fiesta.
We've got a 3 door Fiesta, and find that the passenger seat has to be so far forward to accommodate the baby seat behind it that it's unusable.Will be fine once the baby can be forward facing, but that's a while off yet, and the Fiesta will be gone by then anyway as it's on a 2 year lease.
eybic said:
Ref nappy bins, we got the Tommee Tippee one with a bagging system, there is practically no smell from it whatsoever and we're still using it nearly 2 years later.
Yep, same, great bit of kit.Microwave steriliser is the one to have for bottles etc, chuck it in for 2 mins, done. You can take them away with you to visit families etc with ease of use!
andy-xr said:
What we actually need when we whittled it down was a car seat (they all seem to be rear facing now for babies?) for the drive home, I'm told they wont let you leave if you dont have a proper seat. Which is pointless spending a load of money on, because after a while you dont want them facing the rear window, you want to be able to see them in the mirror.
Personal choice, but we went rear-facing for even the later stage car-seat. The kid doesn't mind and you get large decorative mirrors that hang off the back seat so you can still see them.andy-xr said:
Halfords do a seat that grows with the kid, I think from around age 2 through to 5, I didnt really look closer at it because it's a way off anyway
We've just a bought a seat that covers every age range, the Graco Milestone. It's rear facing now as she's only 12 weeks old, but converts to front facing so can be used right up until she's 11 years old (or whatever the law says these days).jshell said:
Personal choice, but we went rear-facing for even the later stage car-seat. The kid doesn't mind and you get large decorative mirrors that hang off the back seat so you can still see them.
Likewise. Some Swedish monstrosity of a car seat was our second one. Both have been fine in it, and (research seems to say) it's safer too.Issi said:
Have fun and don't worry about it, just think your Great Granny didn't have a video motion sensing monitor or microwave steam sterilizer kit.
Best post for ages.This whole baby stuff thing is a scam and a pi155ing contest for the mothers. Don't fall for it - you need good quality basic things and then everything else will work itself out
1. Clothes from Sainsbury and Tesco (outfits cost a quid and if they get s
t on them you can bin them - also charity shops in nice areas - quick hot wash and no one is any the wiser that little Johnny's Ralph Lauren jumper cost £3 not £3002. ALDI nappies - just as good and about a quarter of the price
3. BASIC baby monitor (audio)
4. Some ready made baby milk in one shot cartons - life saver
5. Infacol and Calpol for bubba (do not run out ever)
6. All of the local takeaway menus and a decent stash of cold beer and wine
7. A BASICsturdy cot from IKEA
8. A BASIC changing table from IKEA
Things not to scrimp on.
1. The BEST mattress you can afford
2. The BEST car seat you can afford
3. Grobags - incredibly good - get the real ones not the copies
4. A comfy warm changing mat and a sheepskin mattress cover for the moses basket
5. A small aircon unit for the nursery if the weather is warm
6. A Hamleys labrador toy (large) - trust me on this - it will provide hours and hours of quiet comfort
7. A nappy bin which seals up (trust me)
As said above by my new hero - your granny used an open drawer as a cot and terry nappies which she had to boil over an open fire. So don't fall for the bl00dy b0llocks about "ooooooooooooooh it needs an Armani pram and Hermes socks).
Babies need the following and all else s b0ll0cks early on.
1. Milk
2. A clean dry botty
3. Love and attention
4. To feel safe
Good luck
Edited by Soov535 on Tuesday 23 August 10:24
Rather than take-aways, use the time before the baby is born to freeze a load of food. It's always useful to be able to defrost a home made chilli or curry, and buy a few packs of microwaveable rice. Decent food ready in 5 minutes. We've also started using supermarket home deliveries rather than going out and doing a big shop, which saves a good hour or so.
Most things have been covered. But someone bought us a Poddle Pod - https://www.poddlepod.com
Our girl is 8 weeks old and I would say that the Poddle Pod is one of the best things we have. Comfy, easy to use, changeable cover, warm, holds the baby in nicely.
Tommee tippee perfect prep is perhaps no. 1.
Loads of muslin squares required though, as already said.
Our girl is 8 weeks old and I would say that the Poddle Pod is one of the best things we have. Comfy, easy to use, changeable cover, warm, holds the baby in nicely.
Tommee tippee perfect prep is perhaps no. 1.
Loads of muslin squares required though, as already said.
Dr Murdoch said:
andy-xr said:
because after a while you dont want them facing the rear window, you want to be able to see them in the mirror.
You will need a rear facing one as their necks aren't strong enough to withstand a front end collision. You're right that they will grow out of it, but thats the same story with any baby, it grows out of everything (clothes, toys, cots , tits etc). Its just one of those expenses that come with the territory.We swapped from his first car seat (rear facing) to front facing around 1 year old, it's down to how tall they are and how close the top of their head is to the seat top.
Just keep an eye on Mothercare etc for sales, we got two Britax seats for half price.
skilly1 said:
I would add a glider chair and foot stool to feed in - our has been used for 4 years pretty much straight every day (2kids). Very comfortable when you have to feed for a while and it's 3am.
A cheaper alternative to a feeding chair is the Ikea Po-ang and stool, less than £80 all in.Our 20 month old just sits in it himself at milk time now.
Justayellowbadge said:
However much you spend on a 'travel system' it won't take long before you are solely using a car seat and foldable buggy.
Agreed. We had 2 Bugaboo Cameleons at £700 each, one for UK and one for Norway coz she didn't want to travel with one. FFS.If we did it again, it would be the Maclaren that folds down flat from day 1.
Aldi nappies are ok for day use, but Pampers 12hrs are the ones for overnight.
They're permanently on offer, normally 2 big bags for £18 in Asda, which in the smaller sizes gets you around 140 nappies, or the bigger (we're on 5+) at present which is about 120.
Tommee Tippee perfect prep is a really good gadget, wife breastfed for 7 months then switched to bottles, this machine is a god send, perfect temp milk in a minute, no waiting for it to cool or heat up in a bottle warmer.
They're permanently on offer, normally 2 big bags for £18 in Asda, which in the smaller sizes gets you around 140 nappies, or the bigger (we're on 5+) at present which is about 120.
Tommee Tippee perfect prep is a really good gadget, wife breastfed for 7 months then switched to bottles, this machine is a god send, perfect temp milk in a minute, no waiting for it to cool or heat up in a bottle warmer.
Ok everything is relative. The question is what do you want to do?
1. Car seat - we have a Nuna Rebl for two reasons (a) It moves around so you can put baby in easily without smacking their head off the door/roof (b) it does them for years and has an insert for birth to six months. You can get a mirror which affixes to the back of the seat so you can see them anyways and my wife tends to sit in the back with him
2. Pram - we got a bugaboo because it didn't have air filled tyres and can be used to walk over fields and whatnot.
3. Something for them to sleep in - we used a Hammock - worked rather well until he was about 6mths... It is meant to be "natural feeling" for him.
As above, will baby be breast fed? If so, you need bottles and a pump to express the extra which you can then store in bags in the freezer. What you MUST do IMHO is at about two weeks, start trying to get baby onto a bottle AS WELL. It would take ages to explain the ins and outs of this however I am sure your wife will have read it all, you may also have done so.
We also got Yumove (I think) bottles which can heat the milk, however it didn't take him long before he didn't care if it was warm or not and just wanted food now... This depends on if your wife will breast feed in public, if so she may want a "cover".
Nappies. Lots. Muslin cloths, lots. Sleep suits - lots. Bibs, lots.
1. Car seat - we have a Nuna Rebl for two reasons (a) It moves around so you can put baby in easily without smacking their head off the door/roof (b) it does them for years and has an insert for birth to six months. You can get a mirror which affixes to the back of the seat so you can see them anyways and my wife tends to sit in the back with him
2. Pram - we got a bugaboo because it didn't have air filled tyres and can be used to walk over fields and whatnot.
3. Something for them to sleep in - we used a Hammock - worked rather well until he was about 6mths... It is meant to be "natural feeling" for him.
As above, will baby be breast fed? If so, you need bottles and a pump to express the extra which you can then store in bags in the freezer. What you MUST do IMHO is at about two weeks, start trying to get baby onto a bottle AS WELL. It would take ages to explain the ins and outs of this however I am sure your wife will have read it all, you may also have done so.
We also got Yumove (I think) bottles which can heat the milk, however it didn't take him long before he didn't care if it was warm or not and just wanted food now... This depends on if your wife will breast feed in public, if so she may want a "cover".
Nappies. Lots. Muslin cloths, lots. Sleep suits - lots. Bibs, lots.
I'm coming from the other angle, our 2nd is 10 months now, and so far we have:
9 boxes of cheap vests and babygro's that SWMBO insists we will sell on facebook/car boot - So buy cheap, he went throug ha sick phase at about 4 months old (milk allergy) and we ended up buying the cheapest asda clothes and just binning them after they stained
When my first was born, my parents spunked £800 on a travel pram system, which was nice, and the boy used it too for the first 4 months, before SWMBO decided it was massive faff (it was) and bought a £100 buggy and £60 car seat from mothercare. Said £800 pram is unsellable, even in good order with all the paperwork I've failed to get £50 for it on facebook, it's currently up in my mums loft for now...
Your baby will outgrow the moses basket at about 6-7 months, so don't spend st loads. Buy a folding stand for it though
Rocker, a cheap one, but get one that you can take the cover off and wash it! I reckon the boy will have outgrown his in about a month (apparently he nearly twisted out of it the other day). It gets washed every week on average due to sick/food)
Nappies! st loads of nappies, and baby wipes. Asda own brand ones are ace and cheap, you won't just use it for the little ones bum, it'll be hands, face, your hands/face, the floor, toys, car seat etc
We got a prep machine, it's ace!
Be prepared for the little one to not like whatever bottles you buy (if not boob feeding, also, be prepared for them to suddenly not want to breast feed). Neither of ours breast fed, and both were little bds about their bottles, we went through 3 sets before he liked one (and of course SWMBO had to buy the whole fking lot each time, not just 1 bottle to check...)
Our lad prefers chasing plastic ballpit balls around the front room, or empty little plastic water bottles with the lid on rather than use his expensive jumparoo, inflatable sit-up cow thing, many electronic toys, so don't go nuts on those
Door bouncers look great fun, and are for about 3 weeks until they get cocky and start bouncing sideways/smashing their heads off the door frame (what fun that was)
Baby walker, both of ours loved theirs. We bought a £60 one for the first, and again that was unsellable for £10 in the end so we gave it away, I bought the boy a hardly used one for £10 on facebook, and it's taken a bashing, so well worth it! (again, check the cover comes off, high speed vomit is great fun)
A good change bag, you'll need 10 nappes, pack of wipes, 3 bottles, milk powder holder, several clothes, muzzies etc, and have to hang the bd off the pram
And a car you don't care about! We bought a Meriva when our first was due (due to the aformentioned £800 pram not fitting in the car SWMBO had at the time) and it's taking a bashing, mainly from the 4 year old, which is good as it's at the age/mileage that makes it pretty disposable now
9 boxes of cheap vests and babygro's that SWMBO insists we will sell on facebook/car boot - So buy cheap, he went throug ha sick phase at about 4 months old (milk allergy) and we ended up buying the cheapest asda clothes and just binning them after they stained
When my first was born, my parents spunked £800 on a travel pram system, which was nice, and the boy used it too for the first 4 months, before SWMBO decided it was massive faff (it was) and bought a £100 buggy and £60 car seat from mothercare. Said £800 pram is unsellable, even in good order with all the paperwork I've failed to get £50 for it on facebook, it's currently up in my mums loft for now...
Your baby will outgrow the moses basket at about 6-7 months, so don't spend s
t loads. Buy a folding stand for it thoughRocker, a cheap one, but get one that you can take the cover off and wash it! I reckon the boy will have outgrown his in about a month (apparently he nearly twisted out of it the other day). It gets washed every week on average due to sick/food)
Nappies! s
t loads of nappies, and baby wipes. Asda own brand ones are ace and cheap, you won't just use it for the little ones bum, it'll be hands, face, your hands/face, the floor, toys, car seat etcWe got a prep machine, it's ace!
Be prepared for the little one to not like whatever bottles you buy (if not boob feeding, also, be prepared for them to suddenly not want to breast feed). Neither of ours breast fed, and both were little b
ds about their bottles, we went through 3 sets before he liked one (and of course SWMBO had to buy the whole fking lot each time, not just 1 bottle to check...)Our lad prefers chasing plastic ballpit balls around the front room, or empty little plastic water bottles with the lid on rather than use his expensive jumparoo, inflatable sit-up cow thing, many electronic toys, so don't go nuts on those
Door bouncers look great fun, and are for about 3 weeks until they get cocky and start bouncing sideways/smashing their heads off the door frame (what fun that was)
Baby walker, both of ours loved theirs. We bought a £60 one for the first, and again that was unsellable for £10 in the end so we gave it away, I bought the boy a hardly used one for £10 on facebook, and it's taken a bashing, so well worth it! (again, check the cover comes off, high speed vomit is great fun)
A good change bag, you'll need 10 nappes, pack of wipes, 3 bottles, milk powder holder, several clothes, muzzies etc, and have to hang the b
d off the pramAnd a car you don't care about! We bought a Meriva when our first was due (due to the aformentioned £800 pram not fitting in the car SWMBO had at the time) and it's taking a bashing, mainly from the 4 year old, which is good as it's at the age/mileage that makes it pretty disposable now
Oh, join the NCT and facebook baby selling pages. There are baby markets that sell s**tloads of clothes cheaply, go to them, because when you spend £20 on a little outfit and it is puked on within 2 mins of being put on..... But when you've spent £2 on 4 little outfits......
ETA - oh and a hypnobirth course......... Your local hospital may even do them free
ETA - oh and a hypnobirth course......... Your local hospital may even do them free
Ah yes. The Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep machine. As I wasn't usually the one feeding at godknowswhathour, I baulked at the 70 quid asking price. Wife found one on (50 quid) and I was overruled.
Then we bought a second one, for upstairs and downstairs. Ok, so that is excessive, but they hold their value as so sought after. If you don't (or can't) breastfeed, then this is the best labour saving device we feel that we bought. It took about 2 uses of it for me to see the value. Well worth it.
Then we bought a second one, for upstairs and downstairs. Ok, so that is excessive, but they hold their value as so sought after. If you don't (or can't) breastfeed, then this is the best labour saving device we feel that we bought. It took about 2 uses of it for me to see the value. Well worth it.
Jasandjules said:
What you MUST do IMHO is at about two weeks, start trying to get baby onto a bottle AS WELL. It would take ages to explain the ins and outs of this however I am sure your wife will have read it all, you may also have done so.
Why?We went from breast to bottle at 7 months with no issues.
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