What do you really need to buy for your baby?
There are a plethora of baby sites dedicated to all the things you “need” for your newborn, but the reality is that as long as your baby is fed, clean and loved with a roof over his head then anything else is just a bonus.
That being said, there are some things which can make that first year a heck of a lot easier, so what do you really need to buy for your baby? I’ve compiled a list of things I absolutely loved and have used countless times. Obviously my list won’t necessarily be for you but I hope it can at least give you some good tips.
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links
The first two are for if you are bottle/formula feeding your baby, or doing any kind of mixed feeding.
1. Steriliser for baby bottles
This can be either a microwave or electric steriliser. Since we were using Dr Brown’s bottles we went with the electric Dr Brown’s steriliser, which can hold 6 bottles plus some dummies. The whole cycle takes about 15m and is such a time saver!
The Doctor Brown’s Electric sterilizer is about £58.00 on amazon. Make sure you follow the cleaning guidelines closely so you don’t end up with a broken machine, like we did the first time around!
There’s also the Avent Microwave Steriliser which deserves a shout out. Usually you can get these as cheap as £15.00 if you wait for some sales, or if you have local NCT nearly new sales then you can get them second hand for about £2.50 which is what we did. This is a great backup to take with you when travelling.
If you have the Tommee Tippee bottles then it might be worth getting the Tommee Tippee electric steriliser, or the microwave steriliser, but most of them are interchangeable.
2. Prep machine for preparing formula milk
Honestly I can’t praise it enough. Definitely worth a try and though it’s usually around the £125.00 mark I found that amazon usually has it on for about £50! Well worth the splash.
(You can also get it in white for £59.99)
It is worth mentioning here that there has been some recent reporting of the machines internal filters being found with mould in them. It’s definitely worth checking on purchase that you have nice clean pipes and probably checking again after some use. I wouldn’t let that put you off as these machines are absolutely amazing and we haven’t had any issue with mould in ours, but we changed the filters regularly. There is some debate as to whether the mould issue only happens if you buy cheap filters.
3. Bounc
y chair for baby’s chill out and wind down time
There’s no wrong bouncy chair you can buy. We went for the Fisher-Price Woodsy Friends Comfy Time Bouncer purely because it was given to us by a friend. However I know other mums who have various types and they are all excellent for giving us tired mums a little time to have our arms free and our little ones a little time to be rocked gently whilst looking around the room or trying to reach up and play with the little toys some have hanging overhead.
This is currently available from amazon at £34.99
4. Jumperoo to burn off energy and strengthen baby’s legs
The Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo is a big toy. If you’re keen on saving space then this isn’t for you. The reason I’ve listed it here on my baby essentials list is because we had a baby with colic.
We got this when our daughter was about four and a half months old and it was a complete life saver for me. It was basically the first time I could not only put her down, but also see that she was really happy at last!
I only used it for very short bursts to begin with, since she was so little at the time, but extended the time she spent in there as she got older. I can’t tell you enough how much she loved jumping around and playing with all the toys and chewing on whatever was in reach.
Well worth the money spent, but also worth waiting for Amazon to do their sale as my sister got hers for £76.00, though when I got mine from amazon (about six months before her) it was £99.99.
A word of caution here that if your baby does one of its poos whilst in said Jumperoo, it will almost definitely fly up their little backs and onto their clothes. Parents – be warned!
5. Change table
That is only doable for so long if you want a functioning back! Considering nappy changes happen every few hours, sometimes more, then investing in something which is going to make that as comfortable as possible was for me a must.
We got the East Coast Clara Dresser in white, which was £61.00 on amazon (again, keep an eye out for the sales).
We also got these very cute white wicker storage baskets to go on the shelves beneath.
However, there are loads of really cool options you can get so have a look around at what suits you best!
6. Hand wash
I should also add to this list some hand cream too. Constantly changing a baby means constantly washing your hands. My husband and I have never been prone to dry skin but even our hands were getting a little rough from the constant washing. Go for one with a moisturiser in it if you can. Well worth stocking up on these.
7. Buggy
I have a buggy problem. I love buggies and I own three!
- Joie Chrome Pushchair
- Cosatto Supa Stroller in Bow How
- iCandy Peach Pushchair – Olive/Space Grey
I will do a separate post on buggy reviews however – let me just say that there is absolutely no reason to spend a small fortune on a buggy. I spent £200 on my first buggy and £750 on my iCandy. Both work perfectly fine and it is absolutely down to whatever you can afford and want to spend.
8. Car seat
9. Cordless Hoover
It’s really more of something you might want to invest in when you have a toddler who likes to throw food or snacks across the room!
10. Fisher-Price Rainforest Gym
This wasn’t used a huge amount, but we used this when Isabelle was about 3 weeks old.
She had just left the quiet sleeping-jaundice-baby phase and was in full colic swing! This gym was brilliant for keeping her entertained and giving us just a little hands free time, though it took her a little time to warm up to it.
Honourable mentions
So, that ends my own personal list of baby (and toddler) essentials. I hope you’ve found it helpful and if you have any questions then please feel free to give me a shout or comment below!
I wanted to include a couple of honourable mentions:
- Musical Nightlight – £14.99
This is a really relaxing way to help send your baby off to sleep. My husband is convinced that it was the only thing that got our daughter to sleep for a few months. There are lots of different settings for sound/lights so there is a choice to find whatever works for your baby. We would recommend avoid anything that spins round as it might make you feel dizzy.
If you’re on a budget then Youtube some baby lullabies. This one works a treat for my toddler and my sisters little one:
- Muslins – pretty obvious right, but babies leak a lot of fluid so keeping a stack of these around is definitely a must!
Let me know what you find essential in the comments if there’s anything you think I’ve missed!
