What couldn't you live without!!

Good morning ladies :)

I've been doing some reading and thinking lately on what i need for the first month after i take the baby home, I'm 39 weeks and this is my first baby.
I think i have the important things but I'm not sure... I just wanted to ask all the mothers here what helped them/ what couldn't YOU live without in the first months of having your newborn at home.
Even if its just advise or stuff that would help me. My partner cant stay home with me for long either only 3 days after baby is home, due to work. Also we have only bought the essentials of what we think we will need due to our finances, but now I'm beginning to worry that we don't have enough or the right things as we where just guessing when we did our shopping.:doh:

Any advise would be go wonderful!
Thanks ladies!! oxoxo

hey hun no advice here but i was thinking the same thing :) my sister has told me to def have a swing or bouncer. We bought the swing with vouchers we got from our baby shower. Goodluck chickie. Not long now :)

I am not pregnant, but after my two DD's I loved my benefibre, and flushable wipes :)
Good luck.

Swing and or bouncer are god sends!!! swing was the best thing we bought!!!!!!

Easy to grab snack foods that can be eaten with one hand while feeding can help also.


Good luck

Swing has been the best thing we've bought!
and our close carrier, for when she's really fighting sleep and those quick trips to the shops.

Hey ladies.. thanks heaps for your thoughts... so a swing seems to be the way to go...
I have a bouncer that was given to me... i'll look into getting a swing and a sling to carry baby aswell.

Thanks again for your help :)

Definitely a sling for baby! Get one that you can use for ages, stay away from Baby Bjorns as they are yucky but a Tyion sling, Hug-a-bub or Close Carrier style are wonderful and last you ages. My bub is 8 months and its still my most essential bit of kit!

Good luck with your beautiful upcoming birth. Relax and enjoy it! You'll have your baby in your arms very soon! :cheer:

Yep Close Carrier. Infact I would say TWO of them!!!

My bubba moe sling... DD is 3.5months and we still use it most days. We got a swing about a month ago but wish we had got it at 3 wks when I tried her in one at the baby shop. Big expensive items like swing i would try your baby in first as a couple of friends babies don't like them where DD is in heaven with hers.

I also suggest something like infants friend, a medicine dropper and thermometer as you generally need something in the middle of the night when shops are closed.

All the best for the birth of your precious bundle.

A breast feeding pillow (they're a boomerang shape). It made it so much easier to feed in those early days when they're tiny.

I also love our swing but TBH it's only been the last few weeks that it has been a life saver. The first couple of months DS hated it. I also got a baby bjorn, which I thought I would use all the time, but only used it 3 or 4 times when he was really little. Mind you my DS is a big chucker so it's not very practical for us... HTH

these are just my suggestions..

Nice bath wash. It makes you feel human
A baby bath support. it works in the big bath or a baby bath
some magazines :lol: for when baby is feeding and nothing is on tv

For baby
A high chair with wheels and reclinable. I know you won't need one for many months but I found this great for wheeling baby around the house with me while I did dishes or just general cleaning and they just wanted to see me.

also make sure you have plenty of general items in your house.. like toilet paper and toothpaste so you don't really need to go out..

not sure if thats what you were after but was just thinking back to my time with a newborn

~ Bassinet on wheels so you can just move it around while bubs is sleeping :)
~ swing was a def for my DS but DD hated it lol

a swing has been our god send.
and def a bassinet on wheels, or one that is easily moved around.

You guys rock!
My partner now believes me when i say these items are a wonderful investment!
Before he thought i was being silly, but after reading all your posts the "seed as been planted" so to speak!
The swings you guys are talking about are they the ones that rock themselves and run of batteries and play music? Or the swings that you hang in the door ways and the babys bounce around on there own?

cheers Sash x

Definitely a sling. We had a pouch style and he just loved it. We had a swing, but he could take it or leave it.

A really good swaddling wrap. We used the miracle blanket. When he was tiny the normal wraps were fine but after about a week or two they just stopped being quite big enough, or DS became more squirmy and could get himself out too easily. The miracle blanket solved this for us and lasted us ages.

The other essential we found is a mirror for the car. It means you can see baby in the back seat and they can see you. It stops you worrying so much, and no you won't find yourself looking in it every five seconds, because you can tell when they really need your attention.

And on the opposite end of the scale the things I found were a waste of money for us were:

A cot. We had every intention of him sleeping in the cot in his own room, but when we got him home it just felt wrong somehow and we have co-slept ever since and loved it ever since!! We found out it certainly isn't an essential.

Baby bath - luckily we only borrowed one, but we found it awkward to find a good height for it and so from 2 weeks onwards we took him in the shower with us. And he just loves the shower.

Swing we had was a battery operated one with 5 speeds! Hmm think it is Fisher price take a long swing.

yes definately a swing was a life saver in our house :) as we were new parents we were struggling with what to do when he just wouldn't settle for anything, but then, a miracle called a swing came into the picture and we never looked back lol :)

another must is a sling, I bought 2 of them. DS is 2 in dec and I still use the slings when he wants to be cuddled while we are out and about. He loves it and its so easy to carry him around too.

a swaddle wrap, very dull nightlight and a carrier for around the home (bub can go from room to room with you easily, i even used to put dd outside the shower in it when she was awake), and a dummy just in case (i was still in the hospital when the mw told me that dd was no bf she was comfort sucking)

Hi

cloth nappies. We don't use them for nappies but for mopping up spew and using on the change table. Can't have enough of these!

bouncer, we could actually live without! but they are great to but bub in if you need your hands free for 5 mins. we also have a swing but its still in its box!!! we may get it out soon, but have found the bouncer good enough for now.

also things we could easily live without

baby bath. we just put dd in the bath with us

wondersuits. lots of people like them, but I find the collars on them seemed to annoy dd. Also if you buy these get bigger sizes, they are smaller than other baby clothes (dd never fitted into 0000, shes 4 weeks now and fits into 00. though she was 9lb 3 oz when born), also the cuffs where tight on her in the 000 size. I prefer the other sleeps suits that you can get in target, kmart etc, the ones that aren't terry towelling.

0000 and smaller clothes: due to dd size at birth she didnt fit into 0000 (target/kmart etc) for long. She only wore 0000 for 2 weeks, so I could of had less of these sizes. But its depends what size baby you have.

sling. lots of people love them! it must depend on the sling you have. DD hates the sling we have. I always thought I would use ours everyday... but no.


:)