Having a Baby.... What do we NEED?
Discussion
Do not, under any circumstances, allow your O/H to buy a video monitor. A sound only one is bad enough for inducing paranoia. Put your foot down, shout, scream, bawl, withold sexual favours, threaten divorce, whatever, do not lose the fight on this. Now my eldest daughter (almost 5) is going to school my wife has just about realised that she doesn't need a sound monitor for her. If we'd had a video one, there's no chance that would have happened. Women are strange like that.
Otherwise, as others have said - lots of muslin cloths and bibs, baby wipes are the way forward, don't bother with washable nappies - my wife wasted a couple of hundred quid on those, lasted 6 months before we went back to tesco disposables. Ignore the NCT, don't worry if the baby doesn't take to breast feeding, bottles are absolutely fine. My wife beat herself up about it when my eldest didn't take to the boob, my son was ok but if you look at a playground full of 5 year olds you won't be able to tell which ones were bottle fed and vice versa. Also, don't expect to have a clean and tidy house for a while/ever and expect to have not enough sleep for several years. Ebay is your friend for clothes. We budgeted £1 per item for baby clothing bundles, £2 at the most if they were expensive brand names.
Oh, and +1 on the Volvo V70!!
Edit - remember that you can double dip calpol and ibuprofen when things/teething gets really bad. Also bonjela is sometimes really good.
Edit 2 - steriliser - don't agree with all these expensive proposals, we used a milton cold water steriliser - basically a bucket of water with some additive solution and that was fine. Also useful for when you need to sterilise toys etc after toddler s
ts in the bath (it will happen).
Otherwise, as others have said - lots of muslin cloths and bibs, baby wipes are the way forward, don't bother with washable nappies - my wife wasted a couple of hundred quid on those, lasted 6 months before we went back to tesco disposables. Ignore the NCT, don't worry if the baby doesn't take to breast feeding, bottles are absolutely fine. My wife beat herself up about it when my eldest didn't take to the boob, my son was ok but if you look at a playground full of 5 year olds you won't be able to tell which ones were bottle fed and vice versa. Also, don't expect to have a clean and tidy house for a while/ever and expect to have not enough sleep for several years. Ebay is your friend for clothes. We budgeted £1 per item for baby clothing bundles, £2 at the most if they were expensive brand names.
Oh, and +1 on the Volvo V70!!
Edit - remember that you can double dip calpol and ibuprofen when things/teething gets really bad. Also bonjela is sometimes really good.
Edit 2 - steriliser - don't agree with all these expensive proposals, we used a milton cold water steriliser - basically a bucket of water with some additive solution and that was fine. Also useful for when you need to sterilise toys etc after toddler s
ts in the bath (it will happen). Edited by gashead1105 on Tuesday 23 August 12:10
Edited by gashead1105 on Tuesday 23 August 12:14
gashead1105 said:
Edit - remember that you can double dip calpol and ibuprofen when things/teething gets really bad. Also bonjela is sometimes really good.
Ignore my username, i'm not a doctor however....Edited by gashead1105 on Tuesday 23 August 12:10
Our doctor said you can give them a shot of one. then the other with a two hour break in between (1pm ibuprofen, 3pm calpol, 5pm ibuprofen etc etc)
Not both at the same time and ONLY if agreed by the doctor.
You do not need toys
You do not need loads of clothing
For the first month they are as interactive as a brick.
You'll need bottles for milk plus a steriliser. We had 12 bottles as it allowed enough for the full day plus we could sterilise them in 6bottle batches (Tomee Tipee)
ALWAYS have a spare tub of powdered milk if the mother is not boob feeding, it is surprising how quickly that bloody stuff disappears and you think "fk, I hope Tesco is open at 3am". Oh and we pre-measured all of the powder so that rather than counting the scoops at 3am, we could just dump it into the bottle (you'll be surprised at how easily you forget if you have counted four or five scoops and have to restart 
)
Have a few bibs as it will save your baby grows when they spit the milk out, dribble or puke.
Don't buy too many baby grows to start with, you don't know what size the baby will be until it pops out. Our first born was 5lbs and needed premature size. We had loads of newborn clothing that didn't fit until he was 3momths old. We also had a few hats and mits to keep him warm but they rarely stayed on for more than two minutes.
Don't bother with a Moses basket. They look cute but they'll grow out of it within a week. We used a travel cot and kept it in the bedroom for the first few months and then transferred him to his own 'proper cot'. Travel cot still came in handy for a few years.
For bedding we had three blankets for swaddling (look up swaddling and practise, it is much easier for when you have to do it whilst half asleep then) and a 'mattress' protector beneath the top sheet of the cot.
For the bath we bought a sponge which had a baby shaped recess and cleaned him in that rather than. Using a dedicated baby tub. Again they will outgrow it quickly and it takes up a lot of space.
For the car seat we bought a recaro young sport and the isofix base. We found it easier just to transport him from there to the pram/pushchair than faffing about with a matching set which is often bulky. For the pram/pushchair we used an out n about nipper.
I think that is about it really for a newborn.
You do not need loads of clothing
For the first month they are as interactive as a brick.
You'll need bottles for milk plus a steriliser. We had 12 bottles as it allowed enough for the full day plus we could sterilise them in 6bottle batches (Tomee Tipee)
ALWAYS have a spare tub of powdered milk if the mother is not boob feeding, it is surprising how quickly that bloody stuff disappears and you think "f
k, I hope Tesco is open at 3am". Oh and we pre-measured all of the powder so that rather than counting the scoops at 3am, we could just dump it into the bottle (you'll be surprised at how easily you forget if you have counted four or five scoops and have to restart )Have a few bibs as it will save your baby grows when they spit the milk out, dribble or puke.
Don't buy too many baby grows to start with, you don't know what size the baby will be until it pops out. Our first born was 5lbs and needed premature size. We had loads of newborn clothing that didn't fit until he was 3momths old. We also had a few hats and mits to keep him warm but they rarely stayed on for more than two minutes.
Don't bother with a Moses basket. They look cute but they'll grow out of it within a week. We used a travel cot and kept it in the bedroom for the first few months and then transferred him to his own 'proper cot'. Travel cot still came in handy for a few years.
For bedding we had three blankets for swaddling (look up swaddling and practise, it is much easier for when you have to do it whilst half asleep then) and a 'mattress' protector beneath the top sheet of the cot.
For the bath we bought a sponge which had a baby shaped recess and cleaned him in that rather than. Using a dedicated baby tub. Again they will outgrow it quickly and it takes up a lot of space.
For the car seat we bought a recaro young sport and the isofix base. We found it easier just to transport him from there to the pram/pushchair than faffing about with a matching set which is often bulky. For the pram/pushchair we used an out n about nipper.
I think that is about it really for a newborn.
Edited by Wobbegong on Tuesday 23 August 12:20
Do not bother with the £1000 flashy buggy. You will use it for a few months and it will become a large expensive ornament in your garage.
You need a Maclaren buggy with the seat that folds flat and nothing else. The only big of advice our NCT instructor gave that actually turned out to be quite right.
You need a Maclaren buggy with the seat that folds flat and nothing else. The only big of advice our NCT instructor gave that actually turned out to be quite right.
Dr Murdoch said:
Ignore my username, i'm not a doctor however....
Our doctor said you can give them a shot of one. then the other with a two hour break in between (1pm ibuprofen, 3pm calpol, 5pm ibuprofen etc etc)
Not both at the same time and ONLY if agreed by the doctor.
That's what I mean by "double-dip". Our doctor said you can give them a shot of one. then the other with a two hour break in between (1pm ibuprofen, 3pm calpol, 5pm ibuprofen etc etc)
Not both at the same time and ONLY if agreed by the doctor.
Although the iburprofen part never seems to do much for ours, calpol on the other hand is a life saver.
Soov535 said:
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
Top tip for the changing table (patent pending): fit B&Q pipe-lagging to the vertical sides because our little 6 month old loves thrashing her legs about while being changed and I was terrified she'd hurt herself on the edges.
Dr Murdoch said:
Ignore my username, i'm not a doctor however....
Our doctor said you can give them a shot of one. then the other with a two hour break in between (1pm ibuprofen, 3pm calpol, 5pm ibuprofen etc etc)
Not both at the same time and ONLY if agreed by the doctor.
That sounds strange - would work if there's 4 hours between each dosage and drug, but Ibuprofen says 6 hour gap on the box, and then there's the maximum dosage in a 24 hour period that you would hit very quickly with that regime.Our doctor said you can give them a shot of one. then the other with a two hour break in between (1pm ibuprofen, 3pm calpol, 5pm ibuprofen etc etc)
Not both at the same time and ONLY if agreed by the doctor.
Sheepshanks said:
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.
That's true - instead she had combined neo-natal and infant mortality rates of 30%.Your statement is a gross misrepresentation, there are clearly many, many reasons for the decrease in infant mortality. The vast array of tech available to parents is not the the main reason or anywhere near it. I do understand your sentiment to an extent, because we clearly have made improvements in parenting but much of this new equipment is simply about making parents spend money in order to feel safe rather than making any particular improvements. Most people have a kettle and a bowl for example - who needs a sterilising unit? Baby monitors - I have ears! Heart monitors - they often go off accidentally thus giving the poor parents a bloody heart attack themselves!
Edited - no idea what happened to my spelling of accidentally?!
Edited by yellowtang on Tuesday 23 August 13:17
Tonsko said:
That sounds strange - would work if there's 4 hours between each dosage and drug, but Ibuprofen says 6 hour gap on the box, and then there's the maximum dosage in a 24 hour period that you would hit very quickly with that regime.
Calpol - 2 hours - ibuprofen (- 2 hours - calpol) Got us through the night and that's all that mattered. You can space it out more during the day. To be honest, my kids were normally asleep after one round of calpol/ibuprofen but they are the longest 2 hours of screaming imaginable while you are dealing with it. Thankfully my youngest has all his teeth and is sleeping through now (most of the time).
Tonsko said:
jshell said:
Make your own choice, but Calpol is banned in many countries including the US, France, Norway etc..
Interesting. We don't use it as a rule, only as a last resort.@ss' time instead.
new born babies shouldn't be given paracetamol - only from 3 months/5kg
if you are buying it though, generic liquid paracetamol is much cheaper than calpol, supermarket's own brand
I avoid using it as much as possible, a slight fever won't harm a baby, too much paracetamol will
(also for adults, liver transplants are no fun)
if you are buying it though, generic liquid paracetamol is much cheaper than calpol, supermarket's own brand
I avoid using it as much as possible, a slight fever won't harm a baby, too much paracetamol will
(also for adults, liver transplants are no fun)
Hugo a Gogo said:
new born babies shouldn't be given paracetamol - only from 3 months/5kg
if you are buying it though, generic liquid paracetamol is much cheaper than calpol, supermarket's own brand
I avoid using it as much as possible, a slight fever won't harm a baby, too much paracetamol will
(also for adults, liver transplants are no fun)
But calpol tastes nice if you are buying it though, generic liquid paracetamol is much cheaper than calpol, supermarket's own brand
I avoid using it as much as possible, a slight fever won't harm a baby, too much paracetamol will
(also for adults, liver transplants are no fun)
Loads of stuff on this thread that you'll need later on but certainly don't need straight off.
eg.
Calpol - you can't give it until they're 2 months old at earliest
Cot - they'll be in something smaller for the first couple of months - moses basket, etc. Or we just used the pram part of our pushchair on a (borrowed) base.
Chairs etc - nope.
Routine - hahahahaha. Not with a newborn, no.
Monitors - they won't be out of earshot in the first couple of months so pointless really. Get them once they move to a cot.
To be honest, if you have a 24 hour supermarket within reasonable range then most things can just be picked up when you need. When our first was born we were in a small flat and months away from moving into our house. Kept baby stuff to an absolute minimum and didn't really feel like we were missing anything.
If you have friends a few months or years further on then you'll probably be inundated with secondhand newborn clothes, we hardly bought any. They grow so quickly that clothes will still be perfect even after being used by several kids.
Make your own decisions about pushchairs, etc. We spent a fair bit on an Uppababy and got plenty of use out of the pram bit (only used a travel cot when she outgrew it). We walk a lot (when she was young I'd walk for hours just to get some fresh air and she'd sleep and give my wife a break) and it's much more comfortable for parent and occupant than a Maclaren, plus there's proper space underneath for change bag, shopping, etc. We have one of those too and it's only really used for travel or when we're not planning to use it but chuck it in the car just in case. I can only imagine the Maclaren advocates drive everywhere and walk on glass-smooth surfaces.
eg.
Calpol - you can't give it until they're 2 months old at earliest
Cot - they'll be in something smaller for the first couple of months - moses basket, etc. Or we just used the pram part of our pushchair on a (borrowed) base.
Chairs etc - nope.
Routine - hahahahaha. Not with a newborn, no.
Monitors - they won't be out of earshot in the first couple of months so pointless really. Get them once they move to a cot.
To be honest, if you have a 24 hour supermarket within reasonable range then most things can just be picked up when you need. When our first was born we were in a small flat and months away from moving into our house. Kept baby stuff to an absolute minimum and didn't really feel like we were missing anything.
If you have friends a few months or years further on then you'll probably be inundated with secondhand newborn clothes, we hardly bought any. They grow so quickly that clothes will still be perfect even after being used by several kids.
Make your own decisions about pushchairs, etc. We spent a fair bit on an Uppababy and got plenty of use out of the pram bit (only used a travel cot when she outgrew it). We walk a lot (when she was young I'd walk for hours just to get some fresh air and she'd sleep and give my wife a break) and it's much more comfortable for parent and occupant than a Maclaren, plus there's proper space underneath for change bag, shopping, etc. We have one of those too and it's only really used for travel or when we're not planning to use it but chuck it in the car just in case. I can only imagine the Maclaren advocates drive everywhere and walk on glass-smooth surfaces.
Matt_N said:
Why?
We went from breast to bottle at 7 months with no issues.
Then you, like us, are lucky. There are many, many people who have a baby who won't take a bottle (a friend of ours was one, they left it four weeks and baby just said no) because of the timing. Too soon and it puts them off, too late and they get used to a boob and don't want the bottle.. Then you also have the too much bottle feeding and they might not want a boob as it is a lot more effort..........We went from breast to bottle at 7 months with no issues.
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