Disclaimer: This post is simply what I’ve seen and heard for the last 18 years and I am in no way saying you should follow anything I have said, you do what’s best for you and your baby and I’m sure when I have my own child some of these things may change my perception too.

I’ll start with the absolute needs to keep baby happy and healthy

1: Food in their belly, either breastmilk or formula whatever is your preference or you are able to provide, if formula you will obviously need bottles also.

2: Nappies/Diapers and wipes, the cheapest alternative for this is cloth nappy terry squares and washable wipes, however if you can’t be bothered with that you will have to opt for the more expensive option of disposable nappies and wipes or you could go the cheapest route possible and try and train your baby to pee and poop on command, for me I think this is something beyond my skills.

3: A roof over their head

4: Lots and lots of LOVE!!!!!

I’m not going to get into medical needs for baby or mum as that of course is a MUST HAVE if you have those needs they should be treated carefully and with guidance from your health care professional.

However things like nipple cream or nappy rash cream etc can be dealt with using more natural and usually cheaper options, simply google it for more info, coconut oil works wonders for most issues.

The next few items are what most people consider to be absolute must haves but technically are NOT if you are on a really tight budget or in a bad financial situation.

1: A pram/stroller, baby can be carried if need be.

2: A car seat, if you plan to take baby in a car YOU MUST have one but if you don’t use a car then it’s not needed.

3: A bed, be that a cot/cradle/co sleeper or the like, you can co sleep with your baby on your bed however there are a lot of people that do not want to do this for fear of hurting their child while they sleep which is a very real fear and I am not suggesting you do this, but merely saying it has and can be done successfully.

The next list are things that are nice to have but not NEEDS or can be substituted for a much lower cost version.

1: bedside co sleeper

2: electric or microwave steriliser and warmer

3: disposable nappies and wipes

4: baby toiletries

5: baby towels and washcloths

6: nappy bag

7: baby sling

8: nose sucker

9: rocking chair

10: breast pump

11: nursery decor or a nursery for that matter

12: bibs and burp cloths and wraps

13: cute clothes

14: a baby bath

15: portable cot

16: rock and play

16: swing

17: shoes especially under 12 months old

18: toys and books

19: white noise maker

20: baby monitor

21: pregnancy pillow

22: wipe warmer

23: change table

24: walker

There is so much more I could list, I could go on for days but I think you get where I am going with this, nowadays the media hypes up these things so much so consumers spend more and more on things they really don’t need and WORST of all they sometimes use SCARE tactics to get you to buy for eg it has been said in the media that you must have a brand new cot mattress as it can lead to SIDS if you don’t, however this has yet to be proven. One thing I would agree with to buy new is a car seat as you never know if it has been in a car accident and if the integrity has been compromised.

Hope you have a wonderful day

Seeya GAM