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Pinkybar 
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Joined: 18 September 2009
Location: lower hutt
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 Topic: Baby items you can’t live without
Posted: 03 October 2009 at 2:36pm |
There is just soooo much stuff out there for babies and I'm sure that a lot of it must be totally unnecessary. So in the interest of not wasting money...
What baby item/s can't you live without?
Thanks! 
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HoneybunsMa
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 3:17pm |
This has been done a few times
Try this link
and this one
Edited by oOElleOo
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Pinkybar
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 5:03pm |
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ok, I thought it might have been and I did try searching for something similar but didn't find anything.
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X
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Joined: 20 August 2009
Location: Auckland, NZ
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 5:37pm |
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Couldn't live without
-merino gogo bag
-feeding pillow
-medela breast pump (allowed me to express beforehand so I could have a glass of wine or a girls nights out)
-merino reusable breast pads
-bouncer (I had just a very basic one)
-exersaucer
-portacot
-snap&go wheels for my capsule (I just got a cheap one off trade me but it was great for transporting a sleeping baby in a capsule. Capsules are heavy to lug around!)
-mountain buggy
Things I had but never really used:
-sleeping wedge
-safety sleep
-too many polar fleece blankets
-sangenic nappy disposal (I did use it but the refills were expensive & it starts to smell once your baby is a bit older & poos become more toxic!)
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HoneybunsMa
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Location: NZ
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 6:06pm |
But things I couldn't do without
sleep suits - super easy to change a newborn in the middle of the night.
Bouncer super simple one here
Avent breastpump
AIOs
Cariboo bassinet - simply clips into the cot so super easy.
Mobile (wish we had a battery operated one as it doesn't give me enough time to have a shower)
Body suits - great for under the sleep sacks
We didn't go all out buying things as we were on a limited income so don't really have things that we don't use.
We have a baby bath but don't use it as DD got too big for it quickly so she now either comes into the shower with me or we bought a big storage container from the warehouse that we bath her in double use of being used afterwards.
My advise stock up on wipes, I would say nappies but you don't know how big baby is going to get and we put DD in infants as of 2weeks as the cut fit her better.
Don't go all out buying toys, simply things like feathers and scarves that are brightly coloured are good when they start getting interactive and older. At 11weeks we still don't get alot of play time she gets tired quickly.
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SMoody
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 6:43pm |
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For me a cot was almost useless.
Bodysuits and vests.
A carry cot
playmat
bouncer
And then a sling or front pack. (very valuable when baby is grizzly and you need to do vacuuming or get on with stuff. I find it easier with a baby in a sling or pouch instead of a pram while doing shopping. Your hands is totally free.)
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kebakat
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Location: Palmy North
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 6:59pm |
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I don't really remember what I couldnt do without. But instead of stocking up on loads of wipes, nappies, lotions etc just get grocery vouchers. This is such a brilliant idea I've seen on here because you don't know if your bubs will need lotions and creams, mine certainly didnt, I haven't even used a sample pot of nappy cream let alone a normal sized pot. You don't know how big bubs will be so you don't wanna stock up on nappies of the wrong size if going with sposies and you don't know what skin type your bubs will have if you get wipes, some babies skins don't like various types of wipes. At least with vouchers you can buy as you need.
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MrsMojo
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 7:43pm |
The trouble is that some of the things I couldn't live without with #1 I've barely used with #2 (my front pack for eg).
There are a few things tho:
- flat cloth nappies (use on change mats, as burp cloths, to clean up TT misses later)
- nighties for sleeping in (sure beats trying to figure out the domes on their AIOs at 3am)
- A good wrap (and instruction on how to wrap well if you're not going for a fitted wrap)
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mummyofprinces
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 7:46pm |
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I second that kebakat, vouchers instead of buying stuff. I have only used one thing of the creams I bought and only started using it recently. NB skin is so sensitive... we have only started using wipes in the past couple of weeks at home, before that we just used cotton wool squares of baby face cloths.
I couldnt live without sleep sacks for the first 3 months when changing at night it is so much easier (DH referred to it as his boys nighty LOL).
Stretchy swaddles, GR8X i think is the brand from babycity. I was crap at swaddling and these saved my life.
Musical mobile,splurge on the battery operated one. That 15 minutes was my saving grace on the days when he just wouldnt sleep.
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minik8e
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 8:07pm |
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Things we can't live without...
Bouncinettes - just basic ones, but more because there's two of them and I feed them while they're in there if they both wake for a feed at the same time and I'm alone
Cloth nappies - the flat ones, like MrsMojo said
Wraps - we have merino ones and we love them, the girls are wrapped for bed
Reusable breast pads - I'm not a big leaker so they're great!!
Woollen singlets and cardigans - although this will depend on when your bubs is born.
All in ones - we go through a LOT
Cotton/wool blankets - breathable fabric for the bassinet/cot and buggy
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hannibal
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 8:24pm |
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I 2nd the musical battery operated mobile - 18 minutes as opposed to going every 2-3 minutes. I got mine on special at Farmers it was the Fisher Price Aquarium also come with a remote so you can restart outside the room.
Sterilising kit (for bottle feeding)
Sleep T
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angel4
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 8:50pm |
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im another one for flat cloth nappies - cant ever have enough of them. they are great for spills, changing baby on when out, giving them nappy free time on and much much more. We still use ours daily and he's one now. I would like to get another 2dz before this one arrives.
Baby carrier (sling, wrap whatever) great for being able to get things done and really good if you have a refluxy baby who needs to be kept upright. I use our sling all the time still to carry Henry for quick trips into shops etc and im 29wks pregnant. Its easier than carrying him in my arms.
Oh and gowns for newborns. Id only 'dress' him if we were going out lol. So easy to change nappies. The ones with the drawstring at the bottom are a personal favourite
Bibs was one for me but that was cuz of reflux so i wouldnt buy heaps until you've had baby as i know people who hardly needed them at all. I had 30+ bibs and still ran out regularly.
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mamanee
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 9:01pm |
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I second the stretchy wraps from Babycity, mine were called Bunny Rugs and they were the best wraps I ever used.
Old cloth nappies! Great for everything
And the sleep suits with the drawstring at the bottom are great too!
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WestiesGirl
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 9:07pm |
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Im thankful so far with everything we've bought we have used and have been pleased we purchased.
We love:
- Bath/Change table combo (my best friend) although some people say they never used theirs but we love ours
- I definitely second the flat cloth nappies (or cotton and muslin wraps are just as good)
- Electric Avenit breast pump
- Fragrance free wet wipes
- Digital Thermometer (good for taking baby's temp and bath water temp)
- Rocking chair. I use it for both night feeds and for soothing Jackson
- Angel care monitor
- Front pack (we didnt bother about a sling but I wish we did now cos we have just bought one)
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minik8e
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Posted: 03 October 2009 at 9:20pm |
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Ohhhh definitely a change table - we swear by it. Have never used the bath in it though, we have another one we put on the kitchen bench.
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Joscia
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Posted: 04 October 2009 at 10:02am |
Things we couldn't do without:
- Change table
- Tri pillow
- Moby wrap (though I just made one myself - 5m x 50cm of T shirt fabric from spotlight)
- merino vests / body suits for wearing underneath - though again, depends on the time of year
- All in ones for night
- miracle wrap! (AWESOME!)
- bibs
- muslin wipes - i just sewed a whole bunch (maybe about 30) into squares - about 4 layers thick. I just keep a bowl of water next to the change table to wet them. Then they just get washed with the nappies. Cheap & easy!
-disposable breast pads - but that's just cos I always seem to soak through the reusable ones in about 10 mins 
Things that were really useful (though not essential)
- Tummy tub - great for bathing DS by myself when DH is not home
- removable change pad from the change table - so I could get DS undressed on the table for his bath
- bath / room thermometer - useful when we were nervous winter newborn parents 
- hammock - so easy for night time- we have it next to our bed and it's a one-finger bounce to get DS back to sleep
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minik8e
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Posted: 04 October 2009 at 12:22pm |
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One thing I have found I don't have enough of is cotton/wool blankets for the bassinets/cots and putting over them in the carseats/buggy etc. They recommend not using polar fleece, but most of the blankets we have are polar fleece...so I had to go and buy a whole heap of woolen and cotton blankets (natural breathable fibres).
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kellie
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Posted: 04 October 2009 at 12:26pm |
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Apart from the obvious basics, some things I really loved/used all the time were:
Miracle Blanket ( Baby slept so much better in this, not to mention I was useless at wrapping)
Bath support (the one with the rack and towelling)
Bouncer
Breast pump (I had a Medala manual and it certainly did the trick in the early days)
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freckle
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Posted: 04 October 2009 at 12:35pm |
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I remember with DD1 I had sooooo much stuff and didn't use heaps of it! So we just bought stuff as it was necessary with DD2... the things I found most useful were
1. breastfeeding pillow
2. wraps
3. tiny love mobile - she loved it and it goes for 15 mins...
4. breastpump
5. sling
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mum to 3 lovely girls :D
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MrsMojo
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Posted: 04 October 2009 at 1:08pm |
Both my kids have loved the tiny love mobile and you'd be surprised what I can get done in 15 mins while it plays. I also second a good comfy rocking chair, there are nights where I wouldn't have had any sleep if it weren't for my chair.
I agree with Kellie too, I love our miracle blankets and will be buying one for all future baby shower presents.
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Baby items you can’t live without
