10 things you need when having a baby

My Top 10 Must Have Baby Items for First Time Moms

What are the must have baby items for first time moms?

When I became a mummy for the first time I bought everything and I mean everything!  I don’t regret it as I had so much fun buying those baby essentials and preparing for my baby that I had waited for, but I know that second time round many of the baby must haves were actually don’t needs!   I have bought countless ‘wonder’ products, quick fixes as newborn essentials but most are gathering dust or worse still were thrown away.  I know I have wasted  a good bit of money buying baby items I just didn’t need.  To help you avoid wasting your cash here are my top 10 must have baby items for first time moms. POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS

Why must have baby items just for first time moms?

I say for first time moms because it is the first time round that they get you! As new moms we become a marketers dream don’t you think?  We are tired, we are overwhelmed and probably a bit scared of breaking the baby so no wonder we will buy any must have baby items  that we see on a first baby checklist.  I hope that this newborn essentials list is a bit different as these are all things that I have not only used with my first baby, but that I have used again and again with all four of my children. 

These are things you need for a baby and genuine newborn necessities.  These are actual must have baby items not the fluffy stuff, but  things that I could not have done without.  I have tried to explain why each item is such an essential baby product so I really hope this helps. 

THings you need when having a baby

    1. Moses basket – they really do sleep well in a cosy space and these are much easier to have by the bed or move them round the house with you than a cot
    2. Changing mats one for at home and one for when you go out.  For being out and about I recommend the Skip Hop Pronto I love this clever little roll as not only does it hold nappies, wipes and roll out to be a changing mat, but it also has enough space for a change of clothes.  I used this instead of an expensive changing bag or at least I did with my singletons.  It was not big enough to cope with the demands of twins!  However, I have used it with the twins during potty training just to carry about wipes and a change of clothing.  I was actually sad when it came to say goodbye to this product – I know that is a bit odd!
    3. Play Mat/ Activity centre – it doesn’t have to be an all singing and dancing version, but when they are little and not able to roll these really do keep them happy and occupied.  I have been know to set this up in the bathroom so that I could shower
    4. Bouncy baby chair – A must if you ever want to have a shower or go to the loo again!  If you get one with vibrate it can also be great for calming them down when they are screaming the place down
    5. Thermometer – Unfortunately they will have a temperature at some point. I think you need a decent one as you want to know when/ if it is getting too high. I recommend the braun ear thermometers. They are a bit pricey, but they are used by the GPs and at children’s hospitals so if it’s good enough for them…
    6. Bottles and steriliser – even if you plan to breastfeed I would have one or two bottles and a steriliser as you never know what might happen. It’s good to be prepared.  I now use the sterliser for jars when I am making jam so it is still a useful thing to have!  Personally I would also have a dummy handy.  You may never use it and may be determined not to, but try getting one when you child will not stop screaming and only wants to comfort on your breast and you just HAVE to sleep….  
    7. Breast Pump –  I expressed milk a lot with my twins so had a Medela pump, but if you don’t need something quite so industrial strength then the Philips Avent ones are great too.
    8. Baby Carrier or sling – My preferred one is the baby bjorn, but that’s just me. There are sling libraries in many areas where you can try them out until you find out which one suits you.  I really did find these useful especially when my baby was colicky and would not be put down.  As they get a bit bigger the Ergo Baby is just amazing.  You genuinely can carry them around in it up to 3 years old without breaking your back.
    9. Buggy and compatible car seat – I found it really helpful to not have to transfer a sleeping baby out of their car seat into a waiting buggy.  There are loads available and in many ways I think it comes down to personal preference, but I would recommend thinking about whether you can lift it in and out of the car, how easy it is to put up and down and how easy it is to attach/ detach the car seat.  Remember you will be doing all of this with a baby in tow.
    10. Tommee Tippee Perfect Prep –  If you breast feed exclusively until your child no longer needs milk this won’t be useful for you, but if you ever need to prepare formula this machine will save your sanity.  No messing around with trying to get milk the right temperature whilst your baby screams their head off.  With this you will have the milk at the perfect temperature in just a couple of minutes.

So that’s my top 10 must have baby items, but there are other newborn items and general baby items that I found really useful to have organised and bought prior to baby’s arrival. 

10 Must Have Baby Items
The things you actually need!

If anyone asks you what gift you might like for your baby I would pick something practical from this list.

USEFUL PRACTICAL BABY PRODUCTS TO BUY PRE BABY

      • Enough nappies for the first week at least
      • Enough pre prepared meals frozen so you don’t have to cook. I prepared stuff like Bolognese, chilli con carne etc…, but you could buy ready meals if cooking isn’t your thing
      • Healthy snacks for the middle of the night when breastfeeding and starving. Trust me the two go together!
      • At least 10 baby sleep suits, 10 body suits and 5 cardys… I don’t think you need any other clothes right at the beginning, but of course I know you will be buying loads 😉
      • 2 baby sleeping bags. I like the Gro Bags.
      • Cotton wool for those initial nappy changes
      • Baby wipes for wiping sick off you! At the start you won’t use them to clean baby, but very soon they will become an essential
      • Really comfy loose trackie bottoms for those first few days when everything feels tender or for 6 weeks if you end up with a Csection like me
      • One carton of formula (ready prepared) just in case there is any issue with milk coming in. We had this issue with our eldest and 11pm is not the easiest time to find emergency milk. Hopefully you will never need it and breastfeeding will be straightforward, but if not you know it is there.
      • A box set of DVDs of your favourite shows or movies you haven’t seen for those middle of the night feeds. It makes it seem so much better if you are feasting your eyes on Dr McDreamy…

For those of you who already have babies I know you will probably have other things you think are totally essential so I would love to add to this list with your comments.

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