I wouldn't stockpile on baby toiletries until you know what you like and what suits your baby best. Remember too in the early days to keep it simple as their skins are very delicate. You are also advised not to use wipes on a newborns skin.
My 2 cents worth....
Must haves
A carry cot, don't worry with moses baskets etc as baby can sleep in a carry cot and then move straight to a cot....
Lots of receiving blankets
LOTS AND LOTS of wet wipes (my saving grace LOL)
I didn't have any fancy sterilizing equipment with any of my 3, just Milton and a bucket did me fine....
A changing table...we used to call them compactums in SA, came with baby bath(which is a must have) and changing table, draws etc..Fantastic as all your toiletries and bathtime goeders are all in one place and you won't kill your back bending over......
I never had the need for a baby monitor, but I should imagine that in a double story house it would be VERY handy...
If your baby uses a dummy, a dummy chain is a must have...
A CAR SEAT!!!!!!!!!
A baby seat to carry them around in
A pushcair
Toiletries to start stocking up on now is soap, shampoo and nappy creams..as those are the things you will go through the most..........(and of course wet wipes and nappies)
Hmmm will think of more............
For some unknown reason receiving blankets are quite difficult to get hold of here but they are very useful. That said some midwives are also very against swaddling so that may be why they are difficult to find.
I never used a baby bath as we had a lovely big basin, and then I bought a baby ring. Now I have seen some very clever baby seats that fit in the bath.
I would go for this carseat that can double as a carrycot
http://www.twoleftfeet.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh0...3a162#a162
Quote:Originally posted by Jemlet
[B]. That said some midwives are also very against swaddling so that may be why they are difficult to find.
I wonder why that is??? I was encouraged will all 3 of mine to swaddle them
And it seems quite logical really...Oh well...But receiving blankets are great anyway..I used them as cot sheets too (didn't by cot sheets)
Quote:Originally posted by sue w
I wonder why that is??? I was encouraged will all 3 of mine to swaddle them And it seems quite logical really...Oh well...But receiving blankets are great anyway..I used them as cot sheets too (didn't by cot sheets)
Swaddling works a treat but overheating can cause cot death. Some midwives get worried that a swaddled baby will overheat.
I got into such trouble one day as I had been out for a walk and had put the baby in a snowsuit as it was a cold winters day. When I got back to our flat the baby was sleeping so I unzipped the snowsuit but I didn't remove it. We lived in a single glazed old fashioned storage heating flat that was anything but warm, and if I had removed the snowsuit the baby would have woken up and had to be wrapped up in a blanket and the halogen heater turned on. The lecture I got from the health visitor was such that you would have sworn I put my child in a snow suit in mid summer.
I'd only buy one stairgate (to put at the top) unless you have uncarpetted stairs, as by the time they learn to climb stairs, you can teach them to go back down safely (backwards).
Both our children were competent at stair climbling both up and down by 18 months, and now it is quite funny watching the 20 month old slide down the stairs on his tummy backwards using his feet occasionally to slow himself down.
Quote:Originally posted by Jemlet
For some unknown reason receiving blankets are quite difficult to get hold of here but they are very useful. That said some midwives are also very against swaddling so that may be why they are difficult to find.
I never used a baby bath as we had a lovely big basin, and then I bought a baby ring. Now I have seen some very clever baby seats that fit in the bath.
I was given a few flannel sheets which did the same job as a receiving blanket... I would agree with sue and jemlet - the receiving blanket is cotton, and while it does warm your baby, your baby won't overheat. So you would wrap your baby in the receiving blanket/flannel sheet, and then you can lay an extra acrylic blanket loosely over the top for added warmth.
i'd also be careful on stockpiling bottles and dummies. before my first was born we bought about 15 bottles, the steam steriliser, dummies etc..........
she wouldn't touch a dummy and breastfed for 21 months, so had no need for bottles ever. my second one has gone exactly the same route, so all these bottles etc have gone to waste!!
i have also found a baby monitor invaluable... our house seems to hide sounds well, so when i am downstairs i can't hear him upstairs... especially if the telly is on. use the monitor all the time!!
A huge thank you to all! This information is invaluable!
At least I know where I will be wasting money and where not.
One thing... about terry towel nappies, do you get them in this country? I have had a look at Mother-world and babies r us and didn't see them there....
Quote:Originally posted by Bean of Love
A huge thank you to all! This information is invaluable!
At least I know where I will be wasting money and where not.
One thing... about terry towel nappies, do you get them in this country? I have had a look at Mother-world and babies r us and didn't see them there....
i have not seen them either....i used them for burping and my son is very much attached to his terry nappies - much like a blanky..but he sleeps with it....a huge comforter when he had his ops....:thumbs: