must haves for the new baby!!
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Category: Pregnant
Forum Name: Pregnancy
Forum Description: Pregnant! Wanting to chat to other mums-to-be (or dads-to-be)? Share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas... This is that place!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=39083
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Topic: must haves for the new baby!!
Posted By: CJsays
Subject: must haves for the new baby!!
Date Posted: 08 May 2011 at 8:59pm
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Just to help you all out, below is a wee list of essential items we have found for our wee bub, which may help you out with buying:
1. Merino gogo sleeping bag - so handy to feed baby then put straight to bed not needing to worry about prewarming the sheets in winter. also no need to worry about lots of plankets for bassinette or cot as just use a sheet over. 2. BFing chair - gotta have a comfy rocking chair with low arm rests, is so awesome. even if you doing formula, burping and rocking baby afterwards it is a must have. 3. An easy to use baby bath - eithe rone with change table or one that is quite portable. we have a jolly jumper bath, but are buying a tummy tub cuz they look easier to move around as we bath on our dining table so we dont break our backs (not so heavy n dont use so much water). 4. A baby play mat with dangly toys and a bouncinette - very essential when baby gets to about 8 weeks. gives you some breathing space to do some stuff you need to do! 5. I know other mums would recommend a front carrier pack, for those babies that just want to be stuck to mum in the beginning! We have one but didn't use much - but was handy to have 2 hands free when baby was in a clingy day. I hope this helps some of you, i know we were not sure on essentials in the beginning apart from clothes and the usual! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: fairy1
Date Posted: 08 May 2011 at 11:34pm
Don't mean to criticize but I don't think any of these items would be categorised as essentials. I know different people think different things but these are all items you can easily live without and have only come about recently as they try to make money of pregnant women as often we are easily market. 1. We didn't use a sleeping bag until about 4 months when DS started sticking his legs outside of the cot, and a gogo bag is definately not an essential, you can get merino sleeping bags <100 off trademe, or from baby stores. 2. We don't have a bf chair and I actually prefer the couch and know a lot of other mothers that agree. A tri pillow has been fantastic for me. 3.Baby bath, don't have and don't need. We use the shower, or sink and had a small bowl/bucket when he was first born. A proper baby bath is heavy to carry when full and quite expenisve for the use you get out of it overtime. 4. Playgym/boucinette, although we have these we definately would be fine without them. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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CJsays wrote:Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 7:45am
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I wouldn't bother with a sleeping bag for a newborn you're better off getting a decent wrap we were desperate for one of these after DD had been home for 3 days and not slept.
I would recommend a tummytub if you don't have a bath. We got one as our house only has a shower and are still using it. It's been nice to full it up and bath her in the lounge where its warmer. A U feeding pillow has been the best $30 I spent so much more comfortable for both of us. playgym/bouncinette - are a great gift for keen relatives to buy. Old fashioned cloth nappies you can not have too many of these I've got a dozen and I still run out of them. They are used for everything burp clothes, on the change table, in the nappy bag, under them for nappy off time. Same with muslins invaluable if you want to protect your carpet and sofa. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: Emmi_
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 8:55am
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Isnt it so funny at what different people need?
I agree with the bath, we bathed DD in the baby bath (sitting up once she was able to sit) till a couple of months ago, way easier than the big bath! Loved having one of those ramp things that go in it to lay baby on, very handy! And we also LOVE our Manduca!! We havnt used our pram for about 10 months?? The Moby was great for the first 5ish months and the Manduca is just awesome now, and will last for a long time to come! We didnt use the playmat or bouncer much at all, Ive sold ours and wont get one for number 2. The BFing chair never got used either, DD has always been a fast feeder so only being up for 10 mins at a time during the night, I never made it out of bed! The GoGo bag has only been used since we moved her out of the bassinet (at about 6months old), its good, but not 'necessary' IMO. Oohh and I agree with C&J, old school flat nappies are awesome!! We have about 15 and they would be one of the most used items we have! I think its totally individual what you find amazing and what you dont, with number 2 we are going to stick wit the basics and go from there if we need to... ------------- 
+1 May 09 Angel 
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Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 9:16am
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Yeah Emmi I think it's funny how everyones "needs" are so different...
For me I would never use a BFing chair, I have a couch and bed... infact I just feed her wherever I happen to be when she gets hungry... I don't see a baby bath as a need either, although we have one I find it a pain in the bum and would rather use a bucket or sink, or have her in the shower or bath with one of us. I never used sleeping bags with my other two, just wrapped them. I do have a merino sleeping bag for number three but I wrap her arms over top. I don't think they're essential but I do really like it :) I also think those special wrap things are a bit of a waste of money when you can wrap baby in a normal blanket or sheet... My total must have this baby has been my Moby and Mei Tai - total lifesavers, esp with older ones around. I was planning on buying the double for my P&Ts stroller and I'm not gonna bother now cos I love the carriers so much! ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 9:23am
baahaa only if you don't have a houdini baby like mine that kept escaping. The only one she couldn't escape from was the one with a zip.  ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: sarasal
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 9:24am
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It is interesting what different people find essential. Depends so much on your baby's temperament and on your parenting style ... and as someone mentioned, your bank balance!
I'd agree all those things on the original list, except the sleeping bag and bouncinette, were useful for me. Certainly a comfy place to breastfeed, be it chair or couch or in bed with a tri-pillow. My son hated his baby bath at first so we didn't push it, just had showers with him. When he was about 5 months, he started enjoying lying in a little inflatable pool - much softer and more room to kick. Now he's 2.5, we use the baby bath all the time - I just put it in the kitchen and he sits in it and plays while I cook dinner. My son absolutely hated being left strapped in to anything so we found the following 'essentials' totally useless and actually quite easy to live without: bouncinette, jolly jumper, pram, high chair, cot. I'd definitely agree with the carrier - I used a moby wrap for the early months and then a soft jersey cotton pouch sling up until toddler years. So handy - you can fold it up and fit it easily in your hand-bag and so much easier for shopping than a pram. If anyone wants to make their own, it's super-easy - search for pouch sling on insructables.com. |
Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 9:48am
haha! what one's have zips?? I haven't seen them... I just have blankets with a bit of stretch and wrap her pretty tight, then a blanket over the top... ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 9:59am
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We found our essentials were old fashioned flat cloth nappies - we have about 40 of them. Used them as spill cloths, burp cloths, window shades in the car......the best ever!!
Never used a sleeping bag ever. We loved the baby bath although it was cumbersome - we put it on the kitchen bench and just pulled the plug and it drained straight into the kitchen sink. Not expensive either - $5 second hand. By using it on the kitchen sink it also meant saving our backs, as we didn't have to bend down (bear in mind, we did two babies one after the other). Muslin wraps - the girls were wrapped for ages, and now that they aren't wrapped, they are their "snugglies" and they take them to bed with them. Bouncinette was essential for me - I would put one baby in the bouncinette and bounce them gently while I was feeding the other (they were bottle fed). |
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 10:12am
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Yea, Jacob got out of a plain blanket like no-ones business; and that was with people like the staff at the Parents Centre wrapping him, they must have lots of practice. Miracle blankets did it for us, I had three!
There are only a few actual essentials... everything else just makes life easier. But boy, they sure CAN make life easier! I never cease to appreciate those extra things that I don't really need but that I use daily. Our manduca would be one - so easy for wearing round the house. Jacob's just getting to an age where he can play by himself for a while awake time, but before that he'd get scratchy and need to be held... or popped in the manduca and I could keep working. (Also good for taking a load of washing to the laundromat in the pram... no longer any room for the baby there, so I wear him  )
A jolly jumper was a good buy for us... meant I didn't have to use precious baby-asleep time in the shower, I could pop him in the bathroom doorway and have a shower while chatting to him. We bought a couple of second-hand armchairs (we really needed a new lounge suite anyway, ours was actually falling apart) - I've got one in his room and one in the lounge, and I love them. Our montain buggy was another great buy - I was thinking it was so extravagant to buy it when I could get a cheaper one, but those wheels make walking so nice and easy, I use it every day so it's had great use-per-dollar (I must be weird, everyone else seems to get a manduca and say they never use their stroller again... I still use mine heaps but use the manduca a lot too, how does that work?) -------------   
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 10:12am
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I think you learn what you need as you go tbh! We didn't have any baby gyms/toys like that - you can quite easily improvise and make your own too...
Baby bath we used for first three months but after that she just bathed with either dp or me in the big bath. Sleeping bag we used at four months but would recommend one plus a decent large/stretchy wrap. Never had a BFing chair, we bought a decent couch a couple of months before she was born and it was perfect for BFing etc. We had a rocker but DD hated it. Bibs, I could not get enough of them! I agree with the carrier. I LOVED having the capsule and was sad she outgrew it by six months! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Emmi_
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 10:27am
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Hehehe bibs, I dont use any! DD isnt/wasnt a dribbler, and when it comes to food, well BLW she gets food everywhere anyway, so we have 3 'food tops' (tops that have been stained by food already) and she wears those when she eats, then gets changed afterwards! -------------
+1 May 09 Angel
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Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 10:47am
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Haha much to my grandmother's disgust I've never really used bibs either... ------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 11:27am
| I had so many bibs it was ridiculous LOL A lot of plastic backed ones too - the girls were drool monsters and also spilled a lot, so the usual bibs were pointless - they just got wet through and defeated the prupose of wearing one - cos I still ended up needing to change clothes all the time anyway!! I still have a heap of bibs now and use them. |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 11:29am
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Emma - yup we do the same with food tops! If she's having water her new trick is to dribble it back out as she likes watching her clothes get wet... So we're back using bibs otherwise I'm not too fussed with them anymore. They were a life saver for the first 6 months though because my boobs leaked so much and let down was so forceful DD wore most of my milk rather than drank it!
Also I loved bodysuits and onsies! I hate having a cold back so hated it when DD wore something and it rode up her back and left her exposed! Hated it! It's a shame they don't make them for her size now but oh well! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: freckle
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 11:40am
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Nic - they do? well DD wore them up until about two and a half - they were size 2 1/2 and quite big on her then...
------------- mum to 3 lovely girls :D |
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 12:05pm
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I got given heaps of bibs, and for the first few months hardly used them - even though he's always been a very spilly baby, he'd projectile-vomit, and bibs didn't often do a lot. For a while I thought I'd never use them. Now, they're all nearly falling to pieces, he's never without one. I have never met a baby who dribbles so much - if he doesn't wear a bib, I have to change his top at least every hour. -------------
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Posted By: fairy1
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 12:31pm
DS is the same, very very dribbly baby, I haven't seen another baby who dribbles as much as he does. I now tend to tell people get more bibs than you think you will need. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 1:19pm
I'll have to keep looking then! Every time I go to Farmers, Baby Factory, Baby City, etc they've only got the smaller sizes or up to size 1! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 2:04pm
Every time I put DD into an AIO for bed I keep wishing they'd make them in adult sizes she look so comfy. 
The Mum2mum dream swaddle is made with a 2 way zip, was fantastic for my summer newborn baby as I was able to wrap her arms and unzip the bottom to let her feet out so she didn't overheat. I like onesie singlets especially under dresses I don't like her back getting cold either and for me peace of mind that she's got something warm against her skin. I love the Mum2Mum bibs for their size however am getting some with an elastic neck that pull on like a jumper as food always gets down her neck. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: Jacobsmumma
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 2:30pm
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Actually, there are adult sized AIO's around, I'm just not sure exactly which shops stock them but a few of my mates have them and they have zips in the crotch area for wee's etc ------------- 
(9lbs 6ozs) 
(11lbs 4ozs) |
Posted By: CrazyCass
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 2:45pm
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I know you can get some from the warehouse - they are in bright colours, and only $35 each... my 14 &16yo sisters live in theirs ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 7:39pm
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Crazy all the different essentials!
Mine: #1 old school flat cloth naps, i had 12 when i brought bubs home and within a few days ran out and brought another 2 doz. They're amazing for everything! I still use multiple a day. #2 manduca (or any other baby wearing device). AMAZING or else i would be couch bound. Really helpful to get burps out too. (being upright and jiggled) #3 capsule. I know that sounds obvious, but i didnt have one (my seatbelts were too short to go around them) and its such a pain to get your NB in and out of a big carseat around teather straps! #4 saggy stretchy tops to get a boob in and out of easily if you're breastfeeding. Screw the b/feeding chair, i too just feed in bed or on the couch or wherever. #5 Rocker/bouncer DS spends a heap of time in his while i shower in the morning. Also handy to strap him in while i cook lunch or run to the mailbox. In summer i'd take him to the clothsline and he'd sit and watch me hang out washing. |
Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 8:12pm
Yea, we didn't start off with one; after a while we borrowed an ooooold one off Mum. That worked fine (and would have sold for about $1 on TradeMe, I'm sure you could find one there). Then I caved and bought a more expensive one second hand, because it had a light (and as a baby he was crazy about lights). That was great, and I'd buy it again, but he could have made do with the other one as well. -------------
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Posted By: Babykatnz
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 10:22pm
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I bought a playgym from baby factory for $30 and Jae loved it, but so far with D I've been using the bottom rung of the clothes horse instead, with bouncer underneath! Strung a pram rattle chain thingy across just within his reach, and popped his foldout book along the bottom piece so he can whack the rattles, and look at his book. He loves it!
My 'essential' was a pump. Apart from the fact I NEED it cos he cant/wont feed from me with his tongue-tie, it was great for when he was fussing or mucking around with feeding early on, I could express some off and bottle feed him EBM, no need to resort to formula (well, until midwife set paeds at hospital on me, but thats another story!) and it would help break the snack feeding, not sleeping, getting overtired vicious circle! I dont use cloth naps for burp cloths etc, I use facecloths! Absorb much more than the old school nappies ------------- Brandon - 05/12/2003  
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Posted By: snugglebug
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 10:34pm
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removed ------------- Me 28, DH 29 DS born 20 Nov 2010 (4 years old) #2 due October 7 http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 09 May 2011 at 11:41pm
| Nic - the Warehouse has 3 packs of the onesies for around $15 from memory. They go up to size 2 1/2. |
Posted By: Emmi_
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 7:46am
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Oh yes Lisa, I too had a pump on my list! I was so glad that I had bought one JIC when i was PG, it became my closest friend!
Oh Nic, you might have to look in the toddler section rather than the babysection? I have some in size 12-18m if they wil fit Lily if you want to borrow them? I like the patterns but havnt used them since she was about 6m old and she started going on the potty -------------
+1 May 09 Angel
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 10 May 2011 at 4:50pm
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Thanks Em, she'd probably ruin them so we won't borrow any!
Cool, may have to try a bigger Warehouse as ours only goes up to 1 1/2 ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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