Having a Baby.... What do we NEED?
Discussion
Soov535 said:
5. Infacol and Calpol for bubba (do not run out ever)
This, I covered 30 miles one sunday evening after 6.30 to find a small, expensive bottle of calpol in a petrol station... By the time I got back the child had cried herself to sleep and SWMBO was pissed off because of course it was my fault I didnt tell her we needed some when she went shopping 2 days ago...Asda and tesco sell massive bottles of calpol, buy 2 at a time...
beko1987 said:
Soov535 said:
5. Infacol and Calpol for bubba (do not run out ever)
This, I covered 30 miles one sunday evening after 6.30 to find a small, expensive bottle of calpol in a petrol station... By the time I got back the child had cried herself to sleep and SWMBO was pissed off because of course it was my fault I didnt tell her we needed some when she went shopping 2 days ago...Asda and tesco sell massive bottles of calpol, buy 2 at a time...
Tonsko said:
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.
Had exactly the same here. I said it was a waste of money but the wife found a 2nd hand one for £40. As soon as you start using it the time saving benefits over boiling water and waiting for it to cool are huge. It certainly better than spending 15 minutes trying to calm a hungry baby whilst desperately waiting for the bottle to cool down!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.
Tonsko said:
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.
Ours was £20 from a facebook selling site, although from someone SWMBO new quite well, we just bought a new filter and job jobbed!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.
Will hopefully be worth £20 still when we get rid, just fill the water up as soon as it needs as it takes ages to filter through enough to make a bottle (great when you need it NOW, I have never just lifted the filter out, poured it straight in and pushed the button at 3am...)
beko1987 said:
Soov535 said:
5. Infacol and Calpol for bubba (do not run out ever)
This, I covered 30 miles one sunday evening after 6.30 to find a small, expensive bottle of calpol in a petrol station... By the time I got back the child had cried herself to sleep and SWMBO was pissed off because of course it was my fault I didnt tell her we needed some when she went shopping 2 days ago...Asda and tesco sell massive bottles of calpol, buy 2 at a time...
FFS we've all been there.....!!
Matt_N said:
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.
Dan_1981 said:
So far we've got a list that contains the following.....
pram / pushchair type thing
Isofix base & car seat (if we choose to go for isofix)
Nursery furniture - cot etc including bedding & mattress
Baby monitor - undecided on video, sound, motion sensing etc etc
A bouncy chair swing type thing
a steriliser for the bottles - again i have no idea about these - microwave, plug in, water, steam who knows???
clothes
nappies / wipes that end of things
Good list to start. You want things that make your life easier, so I'd add:pram / pushchair type thing
Isofix base & car seat (if we choose to go for isofix)
Nursery furniture - cot etc including bedding & mattress
Baby monitor - undecided on video, sound, motion sensing etc etc
A bouncy chair swing type thing
a steriliser for the bottles - again i have no idea about these - microwave, plug in, water, steam who knows???
clothes
nappies / wipes that end of things
Moses basket before cot bed, get one.
Muslins (amazing soak-up-ability for puke) - get lots.
Bibs - s
tloads of bibs.Nappy bin - very handy in the nursery, keeps smells isolated.
Sock ons (google them).
Changing mat, prefereably a folding one with storage for nappies and cleaning stuff.
Sudocrem - for nappy rash/redness.
Also, we use water and cotton pads rather than wipes when they're really young.
Step 1
Stop worrying - the shops are open 24 hours mostly!
Step 2
Listen to all the advice and then do it your way!
Step 3
Take parenting in turns.
Step 4
Get a routine and stick to it - whatever works for you (Gina Ford / Bed Times / Bath Times)
Step 5
Have a plan about how you want YOUR child raising and do it YOUR way (being both of you)
Step 6
Sit back light your pipe and enjoy, it's easy, they're hard to kill and amazingly, if you stick at ANYTHING (bed time / nap time / feeding / bottles / breast etc. etc. etc) the baby will go with it and it'll soon become just what they do!
Stop worrying - the shops are open 24 hours mostly!
Step 2
Listen to all the advice and then do it your way!
Step 3
Take parenting in turns.
Step 4
Get a routine and stick to it - whatever works for you (Gina Ford / Bed Times / Bath Times)
Step 5
Have a plan about how you want YOUR child raising and do it YOUR way (being both of you)
Step 6
Sit back light your pipe and enjoy, it's easy, they're hard to kill and amazingly, if you stick at ANYTHING (bed time / nap time / feeding / bottles / breast etc. etc. etc) the baby will go with it and it'll soon become just what they do!
IMHO what you need is...a sense of perspective.
But that's really, really difficult with a firstborn. You're on parade and everyone will be dropping by to rate your performance/wish you well. You'll panic over every hiccup or sneeze or spot, is baby sleeping too much/too little? Eating enough? Is the nappy filled with the right consistency/colour?
And on and on it goes.
If you're really lucky you'll be chilled and take it all in your stride.
If you're normal you'll look back on this time and wonder how you ever coped.
But it's simultaneously the best and worst of times, and we've all been there (from one end or the other). Try to enjoy it, like any hobby you can never have enough stuff, and one day you'll laugh over all those learning experiences. One day.
But that's really, really difficult with a firstborn. You're on parade and everyone will be dropping by to rate your performance/wish you well. You'll panic over every hiccup or sneeze or spot, is baby sleeping too much/too little? Eating enough? Is the nappy filled with the right consistency/colour?
And on and on it goes.
If you're really lucky you'll be chilled and take it all in your stride.
If you're normal you'll look back on this time and wonder how you ever coped.
But it's simultaneously the best and worst of times, and we've all been there (from one end or the other). Try to enjoy it, like any hobby you can never have enough stuff, and one day you'll laugh over all those learning experiences. One day.
I'm in exactly the same boat OP except the better half wants EVERYTHING! and it has to be new. 
FFS.
I'm just asking anyone and everyone for advise and taking little bits from everyone and formulating my own plan just for it allto go out the window as soon as he arrives!
Hope everything goes swimmingly for you on all accounts and best of luck!
FFS.I'm just asking anyone and everyone for advise and taking little bits from everyone and formulating my own plan just for it allto go out the window as soon as he arrives!
Hope everything goes swimmingly for you on all accounts and best of luck!
Tonsko said:
£20 and £40 for a Perfect Prep are both steals. It's worth far more than £20, unless you want to pass your saving forward 
I'll only ask for the £20 back, means it was free and doesn't get added to the pile of crap in the loft with all the other outgrown, worthless crap we have (swinging crib, static crib, wide cot, moses basket, moses basket stand, bath hammock, bath seat etc)The sterlizer will be hard to swallow, that cost £80 for it, bottles (long given away), bottle warmer, warm bags etc), be lucky to get £15 for it when it goes
I'd suggest:
Good car seat, ISOFix base with removable seat as getting them in and out of a fixed seat in the back of the car is a PITA.
Nappy bin, work a treat and mean you don't have to empty any other type of bin 4 times a day to get rid of the smell.
Bouncy (vibrating) chair. Our daughter loved being in hers until the day she tried to get out of it whilst strapped in and ended up laughing, upside down hanging in the air. We decided she'd outgrown it at that point!
Baby monitor with video (bought with pressure matt but never actually used it). Handy to see them because our daughter moves around a lot in her sleep and can wake up in the middle of the night if she is uncomfortable so we can move her around whilst still asleep to avoid this.
Steriliser, can't believe somebody suggested soap and water! I'm led to believe by a GP friend of ours that after a few months sterilising is unnecessary but for the first few months it is. We have a plug in one and a microwave one to take on holiday but most microwaves are too small to fit it in so watch out.
Changing table, do you want to bend over on the ground 8 times a day or do it a reasonable height?
We also resorted to Dr Browns fancy bottles to try and alleviate colic symptoms but I'm not convinced they work.
We also moved to a bigger house and replaced both of our cars but this might be tad unnecessary (3 door cars are a nuisance with baby seats though).
Calpol? - Over rated
Cheap nappies? Over rated, Tescos always have Pampers on offer
Good car seat, ISOFix base with removable seat as getting them in and out of a fixed seat in the back of the car is a PITA.
Nappy bin, work a treat and mean you don't have to empty any other type of bin 4 times a day to get rid of the smell.
Bouncy (vibrating) chair. Our daughter loved being in hers until the day she tried to get out of it whilst strapped in and ended up laughing, upside down hanging in the air. We decided she'd outgrown it at that point!
Baby monitor with video (bought with pressure matt but never actually used it). Handy to see them because our daughter moves around a lot in her sleep and can wake up in the middle of the night if she is uncomfortable so we can move her around whilst still asleep to avoid this.
Steriliser, can't believe somebody suggested soap and water! I'm led to believe by a GP friend of ours that after a few months sterilising is unnecessary but for the first few months it is. We have a plug in one and a microwave one to take on holiday but most microwaves are too small to fit it in so watch out.
Changing table, do you want to bend over on the ground 8 times a day or do it a reasonable height?
We also resorted to Dr Browns fancy bottles to try and alleviate colic symptoms but I'm not convinced they work.
We also moved to a bigger house and replaced both of our cars but this might be tad unnecessary (3 door cars are a nuisance with baby seats though).
Calpol? - Over rated
Cheap nappies? Over rated, Tescos always have Pampers on offer
Jim AK said:
A Volvo V70!
Congrats btw.
You laugh but when my little'un was 11 months I changed from my 3008 to a V70, one of my better car decisions, if a little dull it most certainly performs the task it is designed for.Congrats btw.
Everyone says bouncy rocker chair but we ended up buying 2, the first was a rather luxurious Chico one, then we bought a dirt cheap one with a vibration device on it, bet you can guess which was used more.
Found it actually shocking that you can stockpile sleep, in the last 2 weeks of freedom get as much sleep as you can and you will find it easier to keep bouncing through your paternity leave, then, hammock under your desk at work :-)
Coming up to five months now of baby no. 2. Make sure you have:
1) At least 10 packs of Tesco Value Nappy Sacks. Dirt cheap and you'll get through them.
2) Wipe clean changing mats for their normal changing room and at least one other room in the house. Fiver each and job done.
3) Cheap large swing bin for the changing room, don't spend more than a tenner.
4) As many cotton pad squares as you can get your hands on. Superdrug sometimes do them on 3 for 2 etc deals. We were going through these at a rate of 3-4 packs of day in the early days with our son who had really bad nappy rash and we had to forgo baby wipes for water + cotton pad wipes as poo gets into all of the cracks around the ball sack. Cotton wool balls are crap in comparison.
5) An ebay account for buying big bundles of second hand clothes. There are many great bargains to be had for newborn and 0-3 months sleepsuits and body suits. Forget the cute and pretty expensive things, you need many, many cheap and boring plain whites as possible.
6) Kitchen towel, especially if you have a boy. The number of times you'll just finish patting them dry ready to seal the nappy and then the cannon fires all over the changing mat, surrounds etc....
7) Someone else to hand them to other than the mother. Seriously, anyone who can just peel the poo limpet off the exhausted mother whilst you're not there so that she may get to have a crap and a shower in peace.
8) Lots of cheap t-shirts and clothes for mum and dad. No matter how many muslins are used, your little one WILL find a way of launching a volley of warm cottage cheese all over you.
9) Huge boxes of washing powder and softener. See 8 - you will be doing a LOT of washing of sick covered clothes.
10) Baby bjorn type carrier - between 5-10 pounds off second buying groups. Freedom of movement-ish.
1) At least 10 packs of Tesco Value Nappy Sacks. Dirt cheap and you'll get through them.
2) Wipe clean changing mats for their normal changing room and at least one other room in the house. Fiver each and job done.
3) Cheap large swing bin for the changing room, don't spend more than a tenner.
4) As many cotton pad squares as you can get your hands on. Superdrug sometimes do them on 3 for 2 etc deals. We were going through these at a rate of 3-4 packs of day in the early days with our son who had really bad nappy rash and we had to forgo baby wipes for water + cotton pad wipes as poo gets into all of the cracks around the ball sack. Cotton wool balls are crap in comparison.
5) An ebay account for buying big bundles of second hand clothes. There are many great bargains to be had for newborn and 0-3 months sleepsuits and body suits. Forget the cute and pretty expensive things, you need many, many cheap and boring plain whites as possible.
6) Kitchen towel, especially if you have a boy. The number of times you'll just finish patting them dry ready to seal the nappy and then the cannon fires all over the changing mat, surrounds etc....
7) Someone else to hand them to other than the mother. Seriously, anyone who can just peel the poo limpet off the exhausted mother whilst you're not there so that she may get to have a crap and a shower in peace.
8) Lots of cheap t-shirts and clothes for mum and dad. No matter how many muslins are used, your little one WILL find a way of launching a volley of warm cottage cheese all over you.
9) Huge boxes of washing powder and softener. See 8 - you will be doing a LOT of washing of sick covered clothes.
10) Baby bjorn type carrier - between 5-10 pounds off second buying groups. Freedom of movement-ish.
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