Feeding Bits & Soothers
Tommee Tippee is still the best, and you're likely to use most of the bits that's in the starter kit. It comes with a soother in the pack, but if you want more soothers later then the Philips ones are safe and good — glow in the dark for when you need to find them in the dark ;)
Obviously breast milk rules, but it's good to have a pack of the Hipp Milk handy as well for emergencies.
Breast Pump
If you're not sure you're likely to need it then invest in a basic manual one. Philips is the best for that, but if you need a proper one then go with the Medela Electric Breastpump.
Bathing & Thermometer
Bath thermometer's a must before you dunk the kid in — water should be around 37°C.
Also buy the Braun thermometer as well asap — every house should have one of these. We have one for home, one at parents.
Shampoo here is the best one; we also use a second one that I can't find available online.
Grooming
You'll need the nail cutters and brush from this (helps with cradle cap dry skin); the rest you may find useful, and it's cheaper to get it in a pack.
Nappy Bin
Get a couple. One for baby's room for pee and one to keep in the bathroom for poop! You don't need to buy extra bags — just wrap a black bin bag around the cartridge and stick it in.
Toy Essentials
Lamaze toys are very good. Very well designed and perfect for car or cot bed. The spinny one's handy to hold their attention when they start sitting with you to eat!
You'd be good to have one of these when they're around 9 months. It would encourage them standing up and walking as well as interacting.
Mobile, Monitor & Book for the bed
One of the best mobiles, and handy to hold their attention for a while. Book's a good one for bed time reading even from the age of 3 months.
Monitor's one of the best and it just works; we still use it for night light and it also shows you the temperature in their room, which should be kept close to 19°C. Don't get the video one — you might fry baby's brain with the radio waves ;)
Baby Carrier & Car Seat
Very handy to have. Car seat and ISO fix that we used — you don't need the ISO fix, it just makes life easier. You need a baby car seat to take baby home from hospital, so get one as soon as you can.
Safety
It's gonna start crawling a few months in. Have these in place sooner than later. You need one for upstairs and one for downstairs.
Sun Screen
Might sound strange, but not all sun screens are the same. This is the best one — with the least chemicals and most effective in that range.
Potty
Be ready to start potty training at 2 years.
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