What are your must have baby items?

A baby item checklist for a new mum

I'm often asked which things are essentials to buy from friends and family, especially those who are expecting children. Whilst sorting out baby items in an attempt to sort out my house to get it on the market to sell (I need a bigger house for these boys to destroy!) I thought I'd make a list of essential items for new mums and those that aren't essential at all!

When we had Noah, I had an afternoon in Mothercare where it became a little like Supermarket sweep and I bought so many items (some unnecessarily!) Much to my husband's annoyance, some of these items were never used!

Firstly, essential items:

Car seat. Second time round, we bought a Maxi Cosi pebble car seat. Some said it was a bit pricier than others (once you've bought the base too) however, it's perfect and hands down, is the best infant car seat. The head hugger is a perfect fit and adjustable straps are ideal. Baby is always comfortable, safe and happy and the built in hood is a welcome feature to shield from the elements. It's also compatible with a travel system, although we've never used in this way. Friends who use it as part of a travel system seem to really like it too!

Baby slings have been my saviour. Being a mum of a baby and toddler, I often need to be 'hands free' to deal with toddler tantrums and when he decides to sprint like Linford Christie off in the opposite direction! When Isaac was born, we used a Close Caboo and he loved it. Easy to use (you put it on a bit like a t shirt and adjust!) and it was perfect for bonding and snuggles when he was unsettled in the early days. When he was a little older, we changed to a Connecta sling and we love ours and use it almost daily. Perfect and easy to use (with pretty patterns too!) ours has an African animal print, called Zoology! We love it! We're waiting on a Solarweave one for forthcoming holidays, as it has built in UV protection. Both Close Caboos and Connectas are priced at around £60. 

A breast pump. Breast pumps are not made equally! After expressing for Noah for 14 months, I've built up a huge repertoire of breast pumps and breastfeeding paraphernalia. The best one on the market is Medela's Freestyle double electric. It comes with accessories and a bag for storage and is invaluable. Priced at around £300, it's the high end of the price ladder, but there's no comparison to this and the others if tried out. It's in a league of its own!

For little babies, clothing from Next, Debenhams and M&S with built in mits are a necessity. I don't know if it's just my boys, but I ended up with a random assortment of odd mits as they tended to lose them at every opportunity!

Muslin cloths were my go to item with a reflux baby! I've bought so many of them, but my favourites are from M&S and Asda. Both reasonably priced and essential! Either plain or a funky pattern, they're fab and so absorbent!

Gro bags from Gro Company are amazing! Warm, snuggly and safe, with the added feature that you can undo from the bottom for a fuss free nappy change (even in the dark!) I bought a few of these and they wash well too. I think I paid between £20-30 for ours. Worth their weight in gold! 

Lansinoh nipple cream. A wonder product with so many uses. Perfect for sore nipples in the early days and great as a lip balm, for dry skin and as a nappy cream too. Priced at around £10 for a 40ml tube, it's my go to product!

When you're a tired mum and feeling tired from all of your duties as a mum, products to save time such as dry shampoo are a godsend! Batiste dry shampoo is my staple product, ideal for a quick freshen up. I usually buy when it's on offer and stock up!

Estée Lauder double wear foundation is amazing! Even when my skin is looking dull and tired, it conceals what lies beneath. At around £30, a little goes a long way and in the summer, I mix with moisturiser for a lighter look.

Things that I didn't need;

A baby bath! Completely unnecessary, I used a bath seat and inserted that into our big bath. First time round, I used it around 3 times, then it just took up loft space!

When pregnant with Noah, I bought a multitude of baby shoes. Spent a fortune on cute shoes, high tops etc and we'd be lucky if they'd stay on his feet! Little ones don't need shoes at all, buy some funky socks instead! 

Baby mits (see above!) we never managed to keep them on, so use the built in ones in baby gros. 

Cot bumpers. Not only can these be dangerous (as a suffocation hazard) they're just not necessary. I spent a fortune on a matching Winnie the Pooh set (including a bumper, curtains, nappy stacker, blanket, quilt etc) I'll not say how much I spent, otherwise I fear I may be divorced now! 

I wasted a lot of money in those early days of buying products I didn't find useful. What's your favourite and essential item and what did you find unnecessary?