OnePoland

So you're having a new baby.

What baby stuff, equipment and baby clothes do you really need for the new baby, as opposed to what books will tell you (and baby shops try to sell you?)

Do your really need that baby cradle, monitor, blankets, sheets etc?

Essential baby equipment

Based on my personal experience, this is the list of essential baby equipment when having a new baby – especially during the credit crunch times. My top tip – save all your baby equipment if you’re planning to have more babies – or even if you don’t – you never know - the cost savings will be invaluable if you can get to reuse your equipment again, as initial outlay for first time mothers is enormous. Baby market for baby stuff is a booming business and there is a lot of stuff being sold that looks fancy and may be good to have (just try, when you’re pregnant or new mother, to flick through those numerous baby magazines and catalogues and not coo “aaah, that’s lovely” at almost every single product) but it’s not essential and you can raise a perfectly happy children without them.

Baby cot bed – forget cribs, mosses baskets, or cots or carry cots. Invest in cot bed – it will last a life time, or at least five years. For first few weeks the baby will sleep with you (if you are lucky enough to have separate room/bed from your partner). You must NOT buy any of those cot beds bumpers and decorative bedding – they may look pretty in baby catalogues, but it’s dangerous for baby to sleep in those.

Baby cot mattress – always new one for each baby, preferably with spring pockets to last for older child, with removable breathable cover that can be washed when newborns are sick. If it’s got one side that’s non-permeable it will be great for older child once you start potty training

Baby cot mobile – the best one is Tiny Love “Symphony in Motion” – anything that plays a good length of soothing classical music – it’s not just for the baby – it’s for you to stay sane and relaxed! From baby points of view anything that moves – the beauty of “Symphony in Motion” range is fantastic colours and the movements are in several directions, making it more interesting than the plain going round in circle ones that play same lullaby over and over. Personally I found those mobiles that display colours/lights/pictures on the ceiling totally useless.

Baby swing – one of those self-rocking ones. Unless you want to hold your baby 24-hours a day with no chance for any housework/work/other stuff you need to do, invest in one. They are absolutely essential and you will not manage without it. Any from Fisher-Price range will do as long as it also comes with lights and music. They are pricey so it may be one of those items you’d need to save up/get others to chip in. Don’t leave the baby in it for too long but a couple of hours day naps will be life savers for you. You will need rechargeable batteries for it as they “eat them up” very quickly.

Baby bouncy chair – they’re great for putting baby down and when they kick about they bounce the chair themselves – brilliant as no batteries are required. Chose one that has adjustable back rest - once they’re bigger but can sit up yet in the high chair you can sit them up for weaning/feeding.

Universal Battery charger and rechargeable batteries –especially the one that can cope with those big C and D batteries, as you will be using them A LOT!

Fitted cot bed sheets –forget flat sheets – you need fitted 100% cotton sheets, at least a couple.

Baby sleeping bag – definitively forget blankets and flat sheets. You need 1 tog baby sleeping bag for the summer and 2.5 tog for winter. You may want to invest in two winter wants, so one can be washed, but in the summer you can wash one in the morning and it will be dry by the evening.

Baby blankets – one cellular blanket for summer for baby’s pram / car seat when going out, one fleece blanket for the winter.

Digital ear thermometer – forget those cute sets of baby personal care kits – you only need one that checks temperature within a couple sec.

Baby nail scissors – special scissors to cut those nails that will be scratching you as you breastfeed. The first time you have to cut your baby’s nails will be really scary, but you’d get the hang of it. Best to do it when they’re half asleep so they don’t wriggle.

Cotton wool – you’d need it for face and eyes cleaning with cool boiled water. Forget using it for nappy changing – use newborn baby wipes – supermarket own brand are as good as others as long as they’re specifically formulated for newborns.

Bath time - You do not need baby bath – you can wash newborn baby in a sink, and once they’re larger form a couple of weeks you can put them in the Baby Bath seat in your normal bath.

Baby Bath Bubbles - you only need all-in-one Tip-to-Toe Johnson’s Baby Bath.

Baby Changing Mat – you do not need any baby changing stations or changing units or cot top changers – a simple plain changing mat – preferably two if you live in a two storey house – one upstairs and one downstairs – with a set of changing essential – nappies –wipes-cream in both rooms will save you a lot of energy (which you won’t have anyway). Line your mats with terra/flannel cloth – it can be put in the wash if soiled during the nappy change. The safest way to change your baby is on the floor. And also, you don’t need any of those cute nappy stackers – unless you want to go mad, you will NOT have time to stack them with nappies.

Baby cream – you’d need Avent Magic Cream – at about 4 weeks baby will get spots / rashes / milk spots that will look unsightly – use cotton wool and cool boiled water every day to wash the baby – and apply the Magic Cream and they’ll be gone soon.

Nappy care cream – You’d probably get lots of sudocream in the trial sizes as part of Bounty or baby clubs promotions, but the only one I’d recommend is Bepanthen nappy care ointment. It really is the best at treating and preventing nappy rash – you only need to put a pea size on so the tube lasts forever.

Baby nappies – don’t buy too many in one size, as babies literally “grow so fast”- you can always buy more. Use the free packs that come with Bounty Packs and baby clubs promotions when the baby is born first. Afterwards, the supermarket own brand are cheaper than those Huggies or Pampers- even with the vouchers off – and they’re just as good.

Baby Travel System – I really hate those designer Bugaboos prams – with babies feet hanging out and no canopies to fully shield them from the wind and you need lots of accessories. They may look fancy but are very heavy, impractical and not baby friendly. Invest in lightweight pushchair – travel cot combination – personally I recommend Graco Travel Systems – but they’re not all the same so search on the web and compare – don’t choose by colour or looks – it’s their weight that is important, as you’ll be folding and unfolding and lifting it a lot over the next 3 years – once you have one of those, you won’t need anything else like strollers – as it will last you till your toddler decides they’re big and don’t need it any more – so around 3 years.  Also invest in cars seat base – they allow you to click on the car seat and save a lot of time on fiddling with car seat belts.

Baby Ring – from about 4-5 months when baby can hold their head but can’t quite sit yet, they will love to sit/lay back in those inflatable baby rings – surround them with safe toys so they can reach and play.

Baby first toys –you’d need a couple of interesting rattles and things to chew on. They don’t really need baby blankets

Baby Clothes – see “what to pack for hospital bag”

Baby Chest of Drawers – forget specialist nursery furniture – they’re cute but impractical – the drawers are often small and you’ll need lots of storage. Invest in long term timeless design that will last into their teens – the best drawers are IKEA MALM check of drawers in several colour range (white’s the best), and with internal drawers dividers/storage boxes, it will help you get all those baby clothes that you will suddenly acquire from your family and friends.

Baby Safety gates- one for top of the stairs and one for bottom stairs. Something you can open with one hand, but baby can’t. Don’t need it until baby starts to crawl and climb.

Blackout blinds – you can change existing blinds/curtains or buy a black out material by a meter and cut it to size, attach a couple of suckers and stick on the window – saves a fortune.

Digital Camera – forget that first baby picture that the Bounty Distributor is trying to sell you, or those “free” baby portrait sessions you’d be bombarded with later – the cost of digital camera is nothing compared to those. You can take thousands of pictures yourself and you’re bound to catch that first smile, that special yawn just as good as professional photographer. My top tip - as your baby grows, each week on the “anniversary” of their birth take a least one picture – up to 52 weeks, with a card saying how many weeks they are – also take one on full moths up to 24 months, and then at each birthday – you will find years later looking back at the pictures you will know how old they were then, instead of trying to work it out from dates!

Baby high chair – don’t need it till baby is about 6-7 months old. Choose one with big tray and as littler grooves nooks and crannies as possible otherwise you’ll spend lifetime cleaning it after every meal.

Things you do NOT need to buy:

Baby monitor – none of those breathing monitors are required, and you will also hear the baby cry regardless of which room you’re in the house! I had both and did not need them in the end – complete waste of money.

Room and bath thermometers - use your elbow to test the bath water – should feel warm but not hot. And you’d probably have central heating room thermostat which shows you temperature in your house anyway.

Nursing rocking chairs – a sofa with footstool/rest, and lots of normal pillows (no need for nursing/breastfeeding pillows) will do just fine.

Baby Gym – forget the smiley photos in the baby catalogues of babies happily laying down and playing in one of those. Most babies hate to lie down on the floor for more than few minutes and you’ve already got the cot mobile that you can lay them under. So it’s a very expensive purchase for what you’ll get out of it.

Baby Walkers  – absolute no-no. Should be banned.

Play Pens  – another absolute no-no. Should be banned.

Cuddly toys – you will be given A LOT.

Baby books – again, you will be given A LOT.

Baby Changing Bag – you will get one for free when you join Boots baby club, as long as you buy the nappies – and don’t forget to use your voucher that comes with the Pampers baby club. Otherwise any big bag will do. Unless you’re going somewhere away that is more than 30 min away from your home, you do not need to haul half of your baby’s equipment with you – you just need one spare nappy  and small packet of wipes, with terra/flannel cloth and foldable changing mat, and spare baby suit.

Nappy sacks or nappy bin systems – why oh why? Complete waste of money and there is no excuse/reason that you need to pack the soiled nappy into extra packaging in order to dispose of it. The nappy goes straight in the bin after you’ve changed the baby, and if you need to carry it around with you (God knows why), use a simple sandwich bag or reuse one of those plastic supermarket bags.

Baby soothers and dummies – unless you want to be there at 6-9 months and more, getting up at night to find that lost dummy for your baby/toddler, don’t even get them started on them. It’s better not to get addicted in the first place then to fight the addiction.