Here are the things I’ve bought for me and baby in the last few months. I’m not saying these are all necessary, nor that they are the best things to buy, but they are all things I’ve seen recommended by friends or that I’ve found from trawling magazines and the internet. Seeing it all written down makes me do a little bit of sick in my mouth at how much I’ve spent (and The Chef is yet to understand the extent of it all) but I told you the nesting instinct was strong. Here goes:
Nursery basics
- John Lewis Lasko cotbed with coir spring mattress, and matching chest of drawers
- Tutti Bambini nursery shelf
- Dutailier glider chair (I bought one from Gumtree for £20!)
- We borrowed a Mamas & Papas Moses Basket and bedding from a friend – or I’ve heard great things about the bed nest which attaches to your bed – NCT rents them for £99 for 6 months
- Mothercare Loved So Much wall stickers
- Mothercare Loved So Much rug
- Mothercare Loved So Much cot bumper
- Mothercare Loved So Much knitted blanket
- Mamas & Papas Elfie & Mop musical mobile (reduced to £15)
- Rabbit night light
- Grobag egg room thermometer and night light
- Tommee Tippee baby monitor (bought from NCT nearly new sale for £8)
- Next blue storage tubs and Little Bear neutral storage tubs
- Next A Star Is Born Keepsake Box
Sleeping
- For me – the Dreamgenii pillow
- John Lewis cot bedding (fitted sheets, flat sheets, cellular blankets)
- M&S 1.1 tog sleeping bag
- JoJo Maman bebe 2.5 Tog rainbow sleeping bag
- Kiddopotamus Swaddle me fleece
- Sleep Sheep
Travelling
- Bugaboo Bee pram (bought second hand with rain cover, sunshade and footmuff for around £240. Borrowed Maxi Cosi car seat adaptors and bought coffee cup holder – apparently an essential!)
- We borrowed a sheepskin rug for the pram from a friend and got John Lewis cellular pram blankets
- Baby Bjorn baby carrier (bought for a fiver at the NCT nearly new sale post)
- A babasling (more recommended in comments below – I bought off ebay for around £15)
Changing and feeding
- Luckily, some lovely friends have given me a steriliser, Mendela mini-electric breast pump, bottles (Dr Brown and Tommee Tippee), and breast milk storage bags. All I need to do was to buy was a bottle and teat brush from Boots, and to bribe them with wine to come round and show me what on earth I need to do with it all
- Skip Hop changing bag
- John Lewis wedge changing matt
- John Lewis birdy breastfeeding pillow
- John Lewis muslin squares
- M&S assorted muslins
- I may buy a mamascarf
- I got a second hand bumbo from the NCT nearly new sale
Medical, bathtime and grooming
- I didn’t buy it in the end as I bought separate items, but I like the look of the Tommee Tipee healthcare kit which has brush, comb, thermometer, nasal mucus sucker-up thing, nail clippers and file
- I also did a big shop at Boots for: Arnica pills, paracetamol, baby flannel and sponge, baby nailfile scissors and clippers, Pampers newborn nappies, cotton wool, baby wipes, nasal aspirator thingie, dummies, antibac hand wash, Sudocream, Infacol, breast pads and nipple shields, nipple cream
- John Lewis baby step (I thought I could sit on it while baby is in the bath)
- John Lewis baby bath box to hold all the many baby bits and bobs in the bathroom
- ELC bathtime baby ducks
- A Cuddlemoo cowprint towel apron from Cuddledry
- John Lewis baby hairbrush
- John Lewis dino cuddle robe
- I borrowed a baby bath from a friend and bought a baby support from the NCT nearly new sale for £1
- Philips Advent Digital Thermometer Set
- Advent bath thermometer
Clothes
- John Lewis baby hangers
- Mamas and Papas welcome to the world knitted cardigan
- M&S Matinee cardigan
- Mamas and Papas 6 piece clothes set in brights
- M&S bodysuits
- Mothercare Horse Sleepsuits
- M&S 10 piece newborn starter clothes set
- John Lewis baby elephant set
- John Lewis baby sleepsuits
- Mamas and Papas pramsuit
- Mamas and Papas Zeddy and Parsnip matching suit and hat
Toys and playtime
- Sophie the giraffe teething toy
- Freddie the Firefly
- Stripey horse soft toy
- I bought a baby gym from the NCT nearly new sale for £10 and am borrowing another from a friend
- I have borrowed 2 baby bouncers from friends, and am borrowing a door bouncer
- I bought various rattles, toys and books from the NCT nearly new sale and have inherited lots from friends, as well as getting some lovely toys as pressies
Hospital Bag
- Mine currently has: lavender oil & hanky, nipple cream, arnica pills & paracetamol, throw away pants, maternity pads, slippers, camera, iPhone speakers, snacks, nappies, wipes, cotton wool, newborn outfits x 3. I’m still to get some lipsalve, eye masks and ear plugs, a towel, and cheapie nighties, pants, vests and trackie bums from Primark
- I also love the Hospital Bag checklist from Mums Make Lists and am waiting for the Hospital bag list from The Pregnant Beauty Guide
The Happy Baby Project 
December 9, 2015 at 8:44 am
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March 19, 2014 at 1:02 pm
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March 4, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Hi am a new-commer to your blog, I am checking out your ‘feeding & changing list’ and wonder if you would like me to send you a Rumina Cape breastfeeding cover? http://www.tamarillolondon.com let me know what color is you. General stuff as labour is rocking up recommend reading anything by sheila kitzinger, using pain positively etc all good for getting in the zone, good luck xxx
December 5, 2012 at 2:20 pm
I have number 18 and am about to sell it, if you’re interested? My little girl loved it, but has now got to the crawling stage and cannot be contained…
Re #7: I got a decent wool maternity coat last year from JoJoMamanBebe. It’s a knee-length wool number. Nice and warm.
Re #6: I recommend the fabric-type slings – basically, anything that holds baby in a froggy position (watch out for baby bjorns and other crotch danglers, they’re not brilliant for baby’s hips or spine, and they get very heavy in that position very quickly). I got and loved a Hanababy wrap http://www.hanababy.co.uk/ but I also got an Ergo (buy from authorised retailer, not ebay, lots of fakes around) which is amazing – you barely feel like you’re carrying anything because the weight is properly distributed, and baby clings on like a koala instead of dangling. My husband uses it frequently, too.
Re #5 & #8: in case it helps at all here’s some photos of my daughter’s nursery, which I decorated with lots of things found on etsy and the like. The sources are listed on each photo http://pinterest.com/megmakes/erin-s-nursery/
I’d add a few other must-haves to your list as well…
19: A bouncy chair with vibrate mode and/or
20: a portable baby swing like this one: http://www.babycity.co.uk/bouncers-rockers-swings-seats-swings/bright-starts/bright-starts-cotton-tale-portable-swing-pd-4388.html
21: a decent nursing chair. Lots of people like the rocking-type ones, but I had (have!) a Kensington upright chair which is fantastic for the back (and didn’t take up so much space). http://www.mumstuff.co.uk/acatalog/The-Kensington-Breastfeeding-Chair-Standard-Fabric.html
22: a baby bath with stand if possible (saves your back!)
Hope that helps a bit! Good luck on the next phase….
PS I have a bunch of essential stuff I’m selling due to lack of space – some baby clothes, bedding, toys/furniture/breast pump etc. Do holler if you’re interested and I’ll send you a list.)
December 19, 2012 at 11:45 am
Super helpful thank you!!! Will take a look at all of these.. x
December 5, 2012 at 1:33 pm
I’d recommend oysterbaby.co.uk for the sling xx amazing and made of softest bamboo fabric and custom designed 🙂
October 9, 2012 at 9:53 pm
Ah I also decided on the Bee, glad you are having the same thoughts. Some other good ideas here too 🙂 x
October 13, 2012 at 10:13 am
I haven’t a clue really, just what we thought looked nice in the 20 minutes I managed to persuade The Chef to come to Kingston John Lewis baby section! x