Baby Stuff - What do we really need???

There are tons of baby products, equipment and accessories on the market to choose from and even before baby is born we are told we'll need this and that and are bombarded with long lists of baby "necessities."

BUT what do we really NEED? Here's what I think:

Nappies, nappies and more nappies. (You can never have enough - well thats if you're using disposables.) I was kinda exposed to Modern cloth nappies a little late...when my daughter was already over a year old and I'd like to start potty training from 2 years so I dont think the cloth nappies are a good investment at this stage. However if I had known about these sooner, I def would have bought a few as I have only heard good things and they're super cute too!

Baby skin/bath/toiletry and medical products:

Okay so basically our monthly buys consists of the awesome Bennetts Bum Creme (I have used this on my daughter since birth and she has NEVER suffered with any kind of nappy rash EVER.)

We also make use of the Bennetts Sunblock as well as the Mozzie Stick, which is a real life-saver.

The wipes I love the most has to be Pampers Sensitive.

We love using the Pure Beginnings range like the Baby Wash and Shampoo, Bubbles and Teething Gel.

And lastly a definate must is the Purity and Elizabeth Anne's Aqueous Cream.

Be sure to invest in a really good therMOMeter - as you well know, us moms are so paranoid and it's really awesome to have a good quality thermometer to check baba's temp quickly and easily to make sure he/she is alright.

A First-Aid kit is a definite must-have, be sure to stock it with some sort of suitable pain reliever (I used panado infant syrup and always kept Empaped suppositories), Sudocream antiseptic healing cream (works wonders I tell you), something like Re-Hydrate is always good to have, Burnshield is also great to have just incase and of course you'll need the general stuff like plaster and bandages.

Safety Products:

I would never have been able to sleep without our monitors! We bought an Angelcare Movement and Sound Monitor as well as a Snuza Go Monitor which we could use when out and about.

Outlet covers are super important and were being used as soon as my little one could crawl. I have never actually made use of cupboard/drawer latches, although I wish I did as Harper LOVES throwing out her clothing cupboard and re-arranging the kitchen cupboards too lol

Safety gates seem like a great buy, although I have not used them personally.

Clothing Items:

Hats/Beanies are great if your little one would actually wear it, Harper hates anything on her head... She does have a super cute afro which I think keeps her head pretty warm.

Mittens - a complete waste of money in my case as Harper also hated these.

Shoes - okay so baby shoes are amazingly cute but not really neccessary until they can actually walk, I absolutely love Shoo Shoos - so cute and comfortable!

Vests are quite important so its great to stock up on these too. Sometimes Harper would use 3 or 4 in one day! (Thanks to Reflux!)

Baby Gear:

Harper is a fatty. I CANNOT carry her for long periods of time so a stroller was a real necessity for me...its almost always in the boot cause you never know when you may need it.

A baby carrier/sling is great as it lets baby be close to you and allows your hands to be free and you are then able to get LOTS more done.

Feeding chair - I bought one of those clip on chairs that attach to the table, we have been using this for months now - Harper loves sitting in her chair at the dinner table.

Cot - At first I never planned on co-sleeping, it just kinda happened and still is. We do have a cot for Harper which she naps in during the day, so i guess its not a total waste?

Toys:

Playmats/gyms are wonderful when they are really young, Harper loved tummy time on her playmat.

Being the first grandchild on both sides - Harper is very spoilt. She has way to many toys (I am also to blame for this). She would play with a plastic bowl and wooden spoon over her toys any day....

Walking Rings are okay in moderation and definitaly not a necessity. (Just be sure that your little one is able to crawl before allowing him/her to use a walking ring.)

Dont feel pressured into buying your little one all the gadgets, products and equipment under the sun- believe me you will NOT need all of it.

The baby product market has grown tremendously over the last few years so be sure to do proper research on the items you are interested in for your little one so as to be sure you really are buying the best you can.