Gimicks or useful baby stuff?

I used a normal tri pillow and it was fine. I had to use nipple cream after I had Andrew and used the palmers stuff and it was fine - did the job I was after.

What about baby monitors - the breathing alarm type thingy's - are they pretty important and do most people use them...?

sangenic nappy bins - i thought about getting one of those but found that those cheap smelly nappy bags and a pedal bin worked just as well. and it didnt cost a fortune to get refill bags...i think most $2 shops have the nappy bags as well as online disposable nappy stores.

baby wipes - you dont really need them. flannels work just as well and you know what goes on them - water. i got bad exczema when gabriel was first born and it went when i stopped using wipes.

i didnt need a breastfeeding pillow cause of the shape of me and my breasts... however i did find a rolled up nappy under my breasts worked a treat when i first started.    

I had a monitor with Maya and never used it as her room was always close to mine. It's finally getting some use now - even tho she is 3 her room is at the back of the house and I can hear her just in case. Won't bother with one for the twins as their room is next to ours.

I have bought breathing alarms tho. I didn't have one with Maya, but a friend lost her little boy to cot death in February and with the twins likely to be prem and small they are at increased risk so decided that even tho they are expensive I just can't put a price on my babies lives. I had a Safety Sleep with Maya, and have them for the twins as well.

Never used a proper feeding pillow, just used a $10 extra fluffy pillow from the good old Red Shed. Might try one this time tho coz you can get ones designed to make feeding twins easier.

Purelan was great after I had Maya, this time round have had dry nipples and am using up all my free samples. So far liking the Avent the best.

I've never used flannels for bums so I'd say go with wipes unless your baby has an allergy to them, you'll find out soon enough. Wipes come in handy for everything.

Normal washing powder is fine too (we use Dynamo liquid).. you'll find out if bubs is allergic then you can make the switch.

Brand name baby things - like wipes, nappies etc.. I find Pams wipes and nappies awesome, the same as Treasures giggles. If not better! You could get an ultra variety for night time if you have a big wetter.

Cloth nappies - you don't need special burp rags. You can use these for everything, we take them in the car on long trips, I used to put one over the top of Ella's capsule to keep the light out.. I use them under her sheets to help protect the mattress too. Lots of other uses.

I agree, a tri pillow does a great job and I used to lay Ella on a normal pillow and feed her in our bed.. she fit on the pillow until I gave up breastfeeding at 13.5 months hehe

Thats all I can think of at the moment.

I have a feeding pillow its full of beans got it from trademe and its awesome u can sit bubs in it to and use it as a back pillow for yourself when not feeding!

I have an angelcare monitor and i swear by it. Its been off a couple of times im presuming ellas reflux, she has a bad habit of holding her breath for a bit. Costly but if u can afford it and want it go for it.

Edited by Jezsika

safety sleep - we swore by for Paris - made me feel better. Ayja decided she hated it straight off, so we didn't use it til she learnt to try and climb out of bed!

we used a tri-pillow - was just as good... Ayja still uses it now to lie on to have her bottles, and we used to put it behind the girls when they were first learning to sit.

we got by with a bed, baby bath, bouncer, playgym, buggy and carseat.

We got $2 shop change mats - with plastic backing they are polar fleece - nice and cheap folded up to put in nappy bags.. chucked in wash easily.. never used change table - baby can't fall off the floor..

Didn't have a monitor.. dunno if i would want one - both girls slept in our room till about 7 months old, (due to small flat) i mean you can check on them anyway, but yeah babies do tend to hold their breath sometimes - but i'm sure they do that more when they monitors - lol sitting there thinking "i wonder how fast i can make mum and dad come running?!" lolol Just kidding.

It can be done without all the bells and whistles... it fact Paris's fav thing when she was little was not even playing with the bought toys.. we got the cereal and tissue boxes and she had a basket of boxes.. and she played with them and stacked them... she was a pretty basic kid.. still is.

One of those washing line things... the clothes airers... they are great substitutes for the expensive baby gyms! We did the same thing as Kat... clipped different dangly things on it all the time and Han used to lie under there for hours!
Turned around from my OhBaby trawling every so often to find little munchkin had fallen sleep under there. heheh so cute. (Ah the neglect )

I had a change table and it was the best thing I was given. I had a really sore bck due to the extra weight I had gained from pre eclampsia so not having to get down on the floor to change Andrew was great. And when my MW came around she loved him being at a decent height for her to get at him, not having to get down on the floor as she not that little.

I really want to get a hammock for this baby, what do people thing of them??? If they are good i'm going to convince the out-laws to get one for us. As they are on special at Farmers for $99.

When I was b/f the tri pillow was great, but you can use ordinary pillows too. Fortunately though, I never had any issues with cracked or dry nipples, so can't help there !

We have a monitor, but it only gets used if we are out in the lounge watching TV, otherwise it stays switched off because her room is right next to ours as well. As for the breathing alarm things, it would personally do my head in I think, it was hard enough for me to switch off to all the snorts and grunts and sniffles she makes in her sleep anyway... without an alarm going off in the first place, but that's just me. For some people I know they are very useful !

A special nappy bin isn't critical, we actually have a 'backup' bin that is just a regular bin with a scented liner... and that does the job well enough too.

With change tables, I love mine, as even though I don't have back problems... I find bending over to pick her up off the floor a bit strenuous, and I do make sure never to leave her unattended on it, just in case !