*This is a collaborative post
If you are busy preparing for your new arrival then you might be busy making lists of everything you need. One thing that is essential is making sure that your hospital bag is packed with everything you could possibly need. If your friends and family are wanting to buy you and your baby things then make sure they are necessary and not a total waste of time and money. Take a look below to find out which items you will need and which you won’t.
What You Will Need
Travel System
Every baby will need a travel system to ensure they are safe and comfy. There are many to choose from varying in price. Your best bet is to take a look online or head to a baby store to find the best fit for you. To save money, most companies will have a travel bundle you can buy. Thi will include a carry cot, a car seat, a seat unit, and the buggy chassis. It may seem expensive but it will be worth it and saves buying everything separately.
Nursery Furniture
Similar to the travel system, a lot of people offer nursery bundles. Rather than buying a cot, wardrobe, and changing station separately, you can get it all together and it will match. This will make any nursery look amazing and very fancy. When it comes to the cot it will work out much better if you invest in a cot bed that will fit your child until they are five. The sides will come off and it will look like a normal bed.
Mattress
When it comes to your child’s mattress this is something that should be bought brand new. The risk of cot death increases if you use a second-hand mattress. Mattresses come in two sizes, one is for a standard cot, and the other is for the cot bed size. Be sure to get the right size for the cot your child will be sleeping in. You might find it useful to add a waterproof mattress protector to your child’s mattress, this will protect it from any vomit or nappy leaks.
Baby Monitor
Something else that is essential when you have a baby, especially if you live in a house, is a baby monitor. This will give you peace of mind at night when you want to be sticking your head in on your sleeping baby all night. You can get video monitors as well as normal ones, this is much easier to see if your baby is awake or asleep.
Clothing
When you have a newborn baby you will realise how many clothes they go through in a single day. It will constantly seem like all you do is the washing. Babies are prone to be sick after their milk and can do explosive poos in their nappies. It is a good idea to have many clothes available for emergencies.
Nappies
This is essential, nappies will always be needed. Your baby can go through as many as 2,500 nappies in their first year, that is a lot of nappies! If you are wanting to be environmentally friendly and kind to the planet then you could look into eco friendly nappy options. These will save you not only a lot of money but also you contributing to the nappies in landfill sites. It is all about finding the nappies that work for you and your baby.
Bottles
Even if you are planning on breastfeeding, it is a good idea to invest in some bottles. Babies can be quite fussy taking a bottle so maybe buy a few different brands so you have one they will take. Having bottles to hand means that if you are planning a night out and hiring a babysitter then they can feed your baby.
Steriliser
A steriliser isn’t necessarily a needed item but it is one of those items that will save you a lot of time and worry. You may panic, especially if you are a first-time parent that the baby’s equipment isn’t clean. If you get a steriliser, you can put everything in there. This includes bottles, dummies, and breast pump parts.
Breast Pump
If you are planning on breastfeeding your baby then you may get quite engorged in the beginning stages of breastfeeding. This can be dangerous if you don’t express it as it can lead to painful mastitis. A good quality breast pump will help you get rid of excess milk that you can then store in the fridge or freezer until needed. You don’t have to get a manual one either, there are great electric ones that do all the work for you.
Thermometer
This is something that everyone should have when they have babies in their homes. Babies are unable to regulate their temperatures and can become quite poorly really fast. Having a good quality thermometer ready to use will save all the worry and panic of wondering if they have a temperature.
What You Won’t Need
Nappy Bin
A nappy bin is one of those parental luxuries that soon becomes a burden. A nappy bin will only hold so many nappes, you then have to empty them. They smell really bad and with all the nappies being in there for days or weeks it isn’t a pretty smell. Simply change your baby’s nappy, wrap it up, put it in a nappy bag, and put it in the main bin or the outside bin.
Wipe Warmer
Baby wipes are cold things for tiny, newborn baby bums. However, the wipe warmer is something that is just not worth it. As you can imagine, there are a couple of major issues that can arise from owning a wipe warmer. The first one is that if it is switched on all the time then the wipes will dry out very quickly. The other problem will be your electricity bill, the wipes warmer needs to be switched on all the time to keep the wipes warm.
Bumbo
A bumbo is a small baby seat that can be used from around 3 months to aid with your baby sitting up. They come with a small tray and a lot of parents thought they were great when they first came out. However, there have been many comments that bumbo seats are not great for a baby’s development. They are also not needed, a pillow or sofa will hold your baby up, or the safest place is on your knee.
Baby Towel
This is something that has an increase in price simply due to being solely for a baby to use. A baby towel is a small towel with a hood. They are super cute but also an unnecessary item as you can just use a normal towel. If you use the right washing powder then the towel can be kept soft.
Bumpers
You may have heard about the dangers of using cot bumpers. There have been many news articles regarding them, however, they are still being sold. It is down to personal preference whether or not you use them but they are definitely an item that isn’t totally needed. If you are worried about your child getting their hands or legs stuck in the cot bars then you can get hold of breathable mesh bumpers.
Tub
A baby bathtub is a small bath that you fill with water, bathe your baby, and then drain it using the drainage system. It is not an item that is essential when shopping for your baby as you can just bathe them in the normal bath in your house. The only reason you would need a baby bath is if you only have a shower.
Bouncer
A bouncer is something that your baby may not get much use out of. It is somewhere you put your child to get five minutes of peace while you use the toilet or cook dinner. There are better items out there that will keep your baby more entertained than a bouncer. Think about if you really need one or if you could put the money towards something better.
Moses Basket
A Moses basket may seem like a practical thing that you should own when it comes to buying stuff for your baby. This is not the case, you might find that your baby grows out of their Moses basket rather quickly. You can use your baby’s carrycot from the buggy for naps during the day or you can put them in their crib.
Changing Bag
A changing bag is a glorified handbag or rucksack. They are usually overpriced specifically due to the fact that they are used for a baby. However, there are much cheaper ways to transport all of your baby paraphernalia. You can use a bog-standard large handbag or a rucksack that will save you a fortune.
Baby Shoes
Finally, something that is so cute but so pointless is baby shoes. They can be very uncomfortable for your baby and can be easily lost if your baby wriggles out of them. You can get soft sole leather shoes when your child starts toddling around the furniture but they don’t need shoes when they are a baby.
