TUBS - The Ultimate Baby Shower
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Essential Items

Buying for a new baby is an exciting but also very daunting experience. There are numerous “essential” items that many companies claim you cannot do without during those first few months. To avoid breaking the bank it is important to determine what products you really will need and those that are just masquerading as necessities.

We have taken this list of "essential items" and spoken to numerous recent mums and dads about their true value. We’ve added comments alongside each item, based on the feedback from our mums and dads, so that you can determine whether you consider them essential too.

Once you have decided on your essential items why not take a look at our gift list. You can choose all the items you’d like to receive at your baby shower or select products you’d simply like to purchase yourself.

Preparing for the Arrival of Your Baby:

Feeding


 

Bibs

Bibs come in a huge range of materials and styles. Small, basic cloth bibs are all your baby needs to begin with, but you may find that you need something more substantial as he or she gets older. Some of our mums bought bibs, others opted for teacloths or muslin squares to mop up baby instead.
 

Bottle teats

These come in various "flow" sizes, in different types of material - latex or silicone - and different shapes, including standard and "natural", which mimic the shape of a nipple. Silicone is a little less flexible than latex but more durable. You can also buy anti-colic teats that aim to reduce the amount of air your baby takes in while feeding. Generally, you should start with slow flow for newborn babies until they get used to bottle-feeding, then switch to a medium flow. All teats deteriorate with use and should be checked regularly for damage. A damaged teat is a potential choking hazard. If you use boiling to sterilise your babys bottles and teats, be aware that it makes teats sticky and unusable quicker than other methods of sterilisation.
 

Bottle warmer

Some of our mums swore by them and others didn’t use them at all. Those that used them found them to be easy to use and saved them boiling the kettle and having hot water standing around.
 

Bottlebrush

a very useful item and recommended d by all our mums
 

Breast pads

Reusable or disposable brands are available. Our mums recommend finding a brand that is kind to the skin, absorbs milk easily, stay in place and are as slim-line as possible to avoid enlarging the breast size or showing through clothes. Lasinoh disposables were a brand that many of our mums preferred.
 

Breast pump

Most mums recommend waiting before baby is born and seeing how breast feeding goes before investing in a breast pump. It is difficult to know what your needs will be before then. Some suited manual, some suited electric and some hand-expressed. Electric pumps are usually more speedy and efficient at extracting the milk than manual pumps but they can be noisy and you have less control over the strength of the suction, so they are not always ideal for sore nipples. Motors in breast pumps can burn out; if you plan to use one every day, it pays to invest in a good-quality one so that you dont have to worry about overusing it. If you only plan to express once or twice a week, a hand pump will probably do just as well. The manual pump can be quite fiddly to assemble, but it is usually quiet and you can more easily control the speed and suction, so they’re useful if your breasts are engorged or on bruised or chapped nipples which are too sore to feed from. They are a popular choice if you think youll only want to express occasionally. Other things to consider are ease of assembly; ease of use; cleaning; noise; power source and portability.
 

Milk bags for freezing

Some mums found these invaluable whereas others didn’t use them at all. It is entirely down to preference and how you manage feeding.
 

Newborn feeding bottles

These are necessary if you won’t be breastfeeding 100% of the time. Many of our mums bought and used these bottles, which come in various sizes.
 

Nursing bra

It is very important that your bra fits you properly. A good nursing bra needs to be comfortable and adjustable, give good support and be easy to get in and out of for feeding. It is well worth being fitted for one after you have reached 36 weeks of pregnancy. Some mums bought 2 or 3 at this stage, others waited to see how they managed with breastfeeding before buying multiple bras. Check that the straps are wide enough to support your breasts without digging in and that nothing is rubbing against your breasts. A high cotton content will help ensure that the bra remains comfortable even when your breasts are full and hot. A good nursing bra needs to be flexible, allowing extra room for when the milk comes in and when your breasts reduce in size (usually after 12 weeks or so). The cups should open and close easily, preferably using only one hand. The opening should allow plenty of room for your baby to feed and never constrict or squeeze your breast as this can lead to blocked ducts or mastitis. When one cup is open for feeding, the other should continue to provide comfortable support. Getting a sleep bra is also a good idea because your breasts leak milk at night as well as in the day and you may also feel more comfortable having your breasts supported at night.
 

Nursing chair

some mums bought a top of the range chair for feeding baby, others used comfy chairs they already owned. We found a wide variety of opinion regarding this
 

Steriliser

Your baby won’t have as strong an immune system as yours, so it is important to sterilise the feeding equipment. Harmful bacteria grow quickly in milk and it is recommended that you sterilise bottles, teats, soothers, breast pumps and other feeding accessories until your baby is one year old. When you start introducing solids, you will also want to sterilise your babys bowls and spoons. There are three types of steriliser: microwave, coldwater and electric steam. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Most of our mums preferred microwave or electric steam sterilisers as they found the coldwater variety left a strange taste on the teats etc.

Health


 

Baby bath

Used by most of our mums after the top and tail phase. Some mums didn’t use a baby bath at all because they found it too bulky and a pain to keep filling with jugs of water. These mums found a bath support in an adult bath to be more helpful or better still they handed baby over to their partner to bath together. It is important though to make sure bath water is at the right temperature for baby.
 

Baby sponge

Many mums found sponges were too rough on their babies skin and used their hands instead.
 

Baby thermometer

A useful item that all mums used at various times.
 

Bath support

Not a definite must-have but did help the majority of mums to handle slippery newborns in the bath.
 

Brush and / or comb

Very soft bristles are recommended although they are not generally needed for newborns unless they have a lot of hair.
 

Nail clippers / scissors

Many mums used one or the other, it’s down to preference. It is important to be careful, many mums recommend using a nail file / emery board for the first few weeks as babies nails are so soft. It is very easy to catch the skin by mistake when using clippers or scissors and cause bleeding.
 

Slip mat

– A definite must for the large bath one baby is a little older and can sit down.
 

Thermometer

Most used but some didn’t. Dipping your elbow into the water is an alternative way of telling you whether the water is too hot.
 

Top and tail bowl

Most mums bought this but some said it would have been as easy to use a large plastic bowl.
 

Towel with hood

Most mums used these and found them very cute but ordinary adult towels work too.
 

Vaseline

Many mums recommend putting this on baby’s bottom to prevent nappy rash.

Sleeping


 

Baby monitor

All our mums bought and used these. A baby monitor lets parents listen to their baby when they're in a different room. It can give them the peace of mind to be able to hear every gurgle, splutter or cry. There’s a huge range of features to look out for when choosing a baby monitor. Sound-only models do the basic job, and can be analogue or digital to give better sound quality. Some come with an under-mattress sensor which sets off an alarm if your baby stops breathing. Vision monitors mean you can watch your baby from another room. Other features include a nightlight, intercom function and thermometer. Baby monitors tend to vary from model to model, but all have a minimum of two units - one to transmit your baby's sounds and one which stays in the room where you are to enable you to monitor your baby. The amount you think you will use your monitor may well affect how many features are essential and also how much you want to spend.
 

Black-out linings

Some mums needed these and found them invaluable when their baby moved to his / her own room. Others found their babies didn’t mind the light.
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Blankets

Our mums recommend the cellular blankets as they are more airy and breathable. Some mums found the fleece blankets to be too hot.