best buys for baby

in no particular order

• john lewis anyday muslins
get at least two of the bigger packs. used and abused daily, they wash and tumble very well.


• love to dream swaddle ups
was glad do have received this recommendation. much easier than normal swaddling especially as they get bigger. my advice is to only buy a couple of the newborn size (close to your due date if buying new -- though i'd recommemd getting at least one of them secondhand in case your baby is big) and then max 3 of the next size up (depending on season, we had 2 milds +1 moderate). then if your baby is too big for newborn, you can return (or sell on, as resale for secondhand is decently stable).


• sleepsuits/one-pieces with foldable hands
trust me, scratch mittens do not stay on for any considerable length of time. if you couldn't flap hand, we didn't use it, unless it was just for a bit of daytime play. john lewis own brand is great for this, as is bonds wondersuit (we preferred the towelling material of the latter)

bonus don't bother list:

• fancy nappy bin -- just use nappy sacks and empty your normal bin regularly
• too many newborn-sized clothes -- they grow so quick and sometimes don't even fit into them when born. you also get gifted this size a lot