Have I covered everything we'll need?

[lady_neon]

Next weekend DH & I will be shopping to get the big things we need for baby's arrival. I think I've covered everything that we'll need to start off, but I'd appreciate if you could point out if I've missed anything essential.

Bassinet (scored for free in perfect condition from BF)
Cot (buying second hand off cousin)
Drawers with change table (buying second hand off cousin)
Have plenty of clothes that have been handed down
Mum is generously buying all the cloth nappies & wipes etc

So the big things we need to look at/lay by
New mattress/mats for cot, bassinet and change table
Mattress protector/linen
Rocking chair
Wrap
Pram
Car capsule

And things that I'll probably get at baby shower/can buy whenever
Express pump & bottles
Squirter for dunny (for cloth nappies)
Dummies/bibs etc
More clothes
Toys/decorations/unnecessary pretty things

There is just so much :|

Thanks

[chody47]

Sounds like you have most things covered. On your babyshower/anytime list id probably add some cotton blankets (for wrapping bubs) and maybe some chuck rags (but then I may be slightly skewed in my thinking here - DD had reflux).

If you're going to express/feed bottles then you'll also need a sterilizer. Also, not sure if bubs will be in your room, but a baby monitor is good too (although we only used ours from 6 months when DD went into her own room).

EDIT - oh and various lotions and potions are good too, but again, you may be given these.

EDIT (again) - oh and where are you planning on bathing bubs? You may need a baby bath and towels/flannels. Also a nappy bucket if you're using cloth nappies

[lady_neon]

Ah yes bathing equipment! Thank you!

I am thinking the smaller things we will be given and we'll buy as it comes closer. I just want to get all the big stuff with the end of financial year sales!

We plan on having baby in our room in the bassinet, everything else in the room next to ours - with both doors open once baby moves into his/her room I'm sure we'll hear.

[chody47]

You shouldn't need a monitor then in our house the main bedroom is away from all the other rooms so we needed one.

[buffy1]

Nice list, looks like you have it covered! With clothing, get a buttload of onesies. So much easier for changing, you'll get through a ton.

I second the steriliser, we have an Avent microwave one that does bottles, dummies and pump parts in four minutes. They're often on special at Target, KMart etc.

Muslin wraps are great, you can never have too many; I use them as spew rags, to put over the pram for shade, lay bub on if we're at a park etc. We never used them as swaddles though, we had a little houdini. See how your baby goes; if he/she turns out to be a wriggler, I recommend swaddles with velcro or those ones where they can have their arms up.

You might also need a nappy bag. Most come with a change mat for when you're out and about.

Happy shopping!

[onthefly]

You don't need a steriliser with expressed breast milk
I would absolutely invest in a baby wrap/sling/carrier - I believe they are essential. (In fact I'd suggest getting 2 or 3, but that's me)
A bin with a flip lid will do for the nappies.
baby baths last about 3 weeks before they grow out of them - we never bought one. You can just use the big bath or a sink.
terry cloth nappies are handy for spew rags and mop ups, etc

[chody47]

You don't need a steriliser with expressed breast milk

Really??? I didn't know that! I was constantly sterilizing my expressor and bottles. You learn something new every day

[onthefly]

yeah, I know! I did the same thing when I expressed with DS before giving it all up as too hard.
The sterilising of feeding equipment with formula is because formula is a lovely breeding ground for bacteria and sterilising helps to ensure there are no remaining bits after cleaning. Breastmilk actually has anti-infective properties!

[Amy_jellybean]

Subbing so I can write down the ideas on my list when I get home

[Novella]

Have you got a slow cooker? In the early days I found it a life saver, I dont think we would have eaten a cooked meal for the first few months without one lol

Clothes airers are also not really nursery items but would be handy in winter especially if you are using cloth

I second investing in a good wrap or sling

Not a big thing but a thermometer is really handy with little ones

The main things I use EVERY day are our close carrier, the cot and linen, change table, clothes, nappies, wipes and the car seat . We could survive without the rest

[lady_neon]

Cheers ladies. That's great about the breastmilke MadB, so you just wash the utensils normally?

And Sararose I have 2 slow cookers. LOVE them!

Got the clothes airer.

Hmm thought triggered by thermometres - should we have a little baby first aid kit & if so what to put in?

[peanutter]

we have found that a rocker/glider has been invaluable.

DS1 would go in there after a feed, and sleep for - literally - 2 hours.

DS2 also does well in it - not as well, but will sleep gently in the glider for an hour, or lay there watching the mobile for 5-30 minutes, which lets you go to the bathroom/have a shower/ do some housework / watch a little telly / do emails / pay bills / whatever you do when your hands are free!!

a bucket for dry pailing.

airers to dry nappies inside overnight.

breast milk bags for freezing, if you're making a stock pile.

we have also found a bottle warmer to be a good investment - much quicker than warming milk in hot water, and you don't have to keep replacing the water (microwaving breastmilk is a big no no as it kills lots of the good bits of the milk)

playmat

we borrowed a cloth bassinet which has come in handy a lot - not sure whether we would have bought one, if we weren't lent it though ... ?

cloth wipes

if you have extra cash, a deep freezer (for breastmilk and for pre-cooking meals, to make healthy meals a more manageable enterprise)

and I borrowed lots (and I mean lots) of DVDs from people, so I always had something to watch during those late night and early morning feeds.

[lady_neon]

The things you learn!

What is a rocker/glider?

Has anyone used those car capsules that click into the pram? Is the pram usable for toddlers or do you need to buy more bits once baby grows out of the capsule?

[peanutter]

first aid kit

we got baby panadol, nappy rash cream and a digital thermometer in advance, but other things we've picked up a bit here and a bit there.

we looked at what commercial first aid kids had, and lots of that was stuff we had at home anyway (tweezers, little scissors, normal bandages, band aids) or things which we don't think we're likely to need - or we can made do (triangle bandage, distilled water, etc).

with a 2 year old, the only other things which have been added to the stash are redipret (a liquid steroid for croup and other things) and baby neurofen. I'm glad we saved our money

[peanutter]

A rocker/glider is a thing like a bouncer, which rocks/glides the baby gently back and forth, and often plays gentle music too. It basically rocks the baby to sleep! And they're either electric or battery operated. Some of them have little mobiles too. They're awesome!

Re the car capsules, I haven't used one.

[Amaunet]

Has anyone used those car capsules that click into the pram? Is the pram usable for toddlers or do you need to buy more bits once baby grows out of the capsule?

These are usually called "travel systems" and lots of prams have adapters to suit capsules. All prams I've seen convert back to a regular pram when you are not using the capsule any more. I have used a travel system with both my babies and found them wonderful! Unfortunately I have big fat babies who grow very quickly so I only use the capsule for about 4 months, but was totally worth it for me.

I a bit of a pram addict (I call myself a pram whore ), what type/model of pram were you thinking of? I'm sure someone on here will have one and can tell you if you can use a capsule with it

[k4t]

Another thing to add to the list of small bits and pieces would be breast pads.

Sounds like you have the big stuff well covered