chickencam Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Congratulations A good changing bag will become your handbag of choice for a few years, even when mine were older I used to have a change of clothes each in there and it was always in the car, it is amazing how often children have to be changed. Baby wipes are useful and can even be used to clean up accidents from carpets, they seem to get anything off anything We called Sudocrem magic cream in this house, it was used for many years for sore chaffed skin, I still keep a pot in the house. (very soothing for botties after a tummy upset) I worked in Boots pharmacy when I was expecting my first and I bought loads of baby shampoo, lotion, oil and talc, I still had most of it after 3 babies. Warm water and a little baby bath is all they really need. Looking ahead, a mini food processor or stick blender is very useful when they start on solid food as are lots and lots and lots of nice towelling bibs, not the horrible plastic backed ones, they have a tendency to go mouldy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireG Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I can't add much to the excellent advice already given. Just wanted to add my congratulations My 3 all loved bouncy chairs. I agree that all in ones and the body type vests are the best for the first few months. If you know anyone who knits, i found little knitted cardis very useful to. I would also recommend that you either buy yourself some paper knickers or some cheapo ones that you won't mind binning. Lavender oil is also great to add to your bath to help mend sore bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 One thing I thought of, I bought nursing bras from the outset. After the birth your boobs get huge but then they settle down again, so I figured there was no point spending money on ones for maternity only. The bra fitter (find a good one and quiz them about their training especially if you have big boobs!) was about to have her third and said she'd done exactly the same thing - she recommends it! I'll second the paper knickers - I bought mine the other day, and will add that you will want big thick 'wodgy' pads especially at the beginning. I do not recommend the 'always' types as they're not very comfortable and do not provide you any padding to sit down on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty e Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 All good advice, so I won't add any, except to remind you to take arnica after the birth and take a box of paracetemol to hospital (if you have a hospital delivery) as it can take hours to get any from the midwives! I have a 9 month old and a 25 month old, and a lot of the 'stuff' you end up with is the result of trial and error, so buy stuff second hand, or beg, borrow or steal it! You can always buy a lovely new one if you find something you really like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Congrats, you lucky thing! I've gone all broody just reading thro the thread! Muslins...loads and loads !!! They are fantastic! A good sling is great if you want to carry (and its much easier than faffing with a buggy, esp in and out of the car etc, when they are very small! ) Lavender oil reccommended too - for both of you (I put one single drop in the bath for both mine when they were small BUT just one drop!) I tried all nappies going with my first and settled on Boots basic but, by the time no 2 arrived, they must have changed how they were made as they were not so good so YS has had Tesco own. Looking ahead, I have LOVED the portapotty when potty training both. It folds down so small and has plastic bags to line it which you dispose of as nappies . Try your local NCT sale; these are held twice a year (I think) and are a great source of quality secondhand stuff (and very useful for selling it all on again when finished with!) E bay is fab for 'bundles' of baby clothes (which, lets face it, baby will only be in for 5 mins anyway! ) Just don't feel that you have to buy everything going or that it needs to be new; you don't and it doesnt! Keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bantambabe Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 SUDACREM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Marvelllous stuff. I still have some and my kids are 16, 13 and 10. "Cures" or at least soothes anything - nappy rash of course, but also spots, shaving nicks, haemorrhoids , a friend of mine mixed it with aloe vera cream recently to soothe a nasty scald on his arm/hand from a cup of tea with great success Congratulations though - and good luck on the wonderful journey ahead of you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Sudacrem gets used by all of us in this house too! I hate paper knickers, ghastly things! I used supermarket £5 for 5 pairs of black 'short' style knickers. Far more comfy. I remember buying maternity pads before Bogwoppit the first was born and being horrified about how thick they were. I was certainly pleased about the additional cushioning after he arrived though! I did some product testing on different baby products earlier this year (sleeping bags, toiletries, high chairs, weaning products) which was great fun. I'm probably not allowed to name brands but it really did show that most expensive / fashionable is not always the most practical or value for money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Congratulations! Disposable knickers were fantastic, the ones I had were a soft non woven fabric rather than paper. Also I took into hospital a small new plastic measuring jug. If you have stitches it is gentler to pour warm water over yourself after going to the loo than use toilet paper. Also I found I wanted to wash myself often and that was helpful, sort of like having a bidet on hand. Mine loved bouncy chairs, I would also have a changing mat of the waterproof padded variety, but didnt bother with a changing station. I sat on the floor to change them - neither they nor I could fall off... Loads of muslins and enough breast pads to change them ten times a day if you are breastfeeding - you may need to at times! Nursing bras are fantastic but do get them properly fitted; I bought some called Bravado that were stretchy so the cups expanded when I did, they were both maternity and feeding bras and lasted me all the way through pregnancy and feeding. Very comfy too, more like a crop top than a bra. Baby sleeping bags were a godsend with both my boys, who slept soundly in them as soon as they were big enough - no kicked off covers. I would also have a dummy or two just in case, and a couple of bottles even if you plan to breastfeed; OH like many other new dads did a midnight dash to the supermarket when I had a hungry baby and no milk, it allowed my milk supply to catch up with his appetite while baby slept with a full tummy for a few hours. I didnt really use a sling, but when mine were a little older they both loved outings in the baby backpack/rucksack; like many have said get as much as you can second-hand or on loan from friends. You can spend a fortune on things you don't really use - borrow things to try out before you invest in an expensive item that your baby may never use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I never ever bought muslins! Sleeping bags are amazing. The little horrors kick their blankets off then whinge that they're cold Sleeping bags eliminated that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddie Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 Sudacrem is great stuff! we still have pots of it here and there for all sorts, even the dog! When I had DS(16 yrs ago) we were not flush , and I got pretty much everything 2nd hand. People do offer once you start to show the bump!! I used a few muslins , but a lot of OH hankies, as they were a lot smaller, easier to wash and dry, and I hated the icky smell once baby had belched up onto the muslin, so smaller was good for me. get on the net, and sign up for all the free samples you can lay yr hands on . Boots, asda, tesco etc etc all do a baby goodie bag! We bought (well, were pretty much given ) a cot, which I painted winnie the pooh onto, with sample pots from B and q , and we bought a new cot mattress for it. the biggest investment we made was a really decent stroller for when they get too big for a parm, with decent back support for them, 5 way harness and 3 settings of steepness(not very techy description!!) parm was 2nd hand, you only use iot for a few months, and they are pretty much unused in a lot of cases. Ours had a carry cot you could unclip, so we used to put it, with sleeping baby, into the main cot, resting on 4 placemats, so as not to dent the cot mattress!! the biggest thing your baby will require, is You X X X X X. rest up, enjoy your pregnancy, and try not to worry about any of it. They all come out in the end, and I cant believe how the time flies by, I wish I d have given both mine so much more time, the most valuable commodity.; but I imagine lots would say that....... they change your whole world!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 We also still have sudacrem here too, great for chickens sore combs too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 (edited) Sudocrem's great stuff - but not if you slather it on every nappy change - it destroys the absorbancy of disposable nappies (obviously a different story with cloth ones where you may find you NEED a barrier cream). Basically it's a great treatment, but not so much as a preventative. Edited December 7, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Congratulations on the news of your baby. How exctiting. Baby nail clippers were one of the best things I was given. I found them so useful and bought them as presents for any friends that are going to have babies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 ooo I nipped the end off my eldest's finger with a pair of those, only really the skin but it did draw blood, I got my OH to cut their nails after that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 ooo I nipped the end off my eldest's finger with a pair of those, only really the skin but it did draw blood, I got my OH to cut their nails after that ooer, I always found they were so much better than scissors though. Mind you, one little tip, I always cut them when they were asleep on my lap - or someone elses lap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 I have always recommended filing them (there are many injuries from clippers/scissors/biting) and was gratified to see it's now being advised in the baby books. It's easy to 'manicure' them when they are asleep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Maybe I'm just gross but I used to nibble my babies nails rather than try to get anything else near them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 Im glad you said that Griffin, i did the same but wasnt going to admit to it! Not first anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 A lot of parents do nibble them - unfortunately i've seen a few nasty infections as a result so am going with the filing option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
