Must have big ticket baby items

I now have two babies under two. Rosie is 15 months old and Katie is 7 weeks old. We also have a six year old, Jamie. We kept a few big items from when Jamie was a baby as we knew we wanted another at some point and then when Katie came along we still had everything from when Rosie was born so there wasn't much we needed to buy new. 

There are some things as a first time parent that you think you need but now that I'm an old hand at this I've realised that you definitely do not need as much as you think. So here is a list of items that I have found very helpful:

The Pram 

When Jamie was born my dad offered to buy us the pram and so after going around the shops to try out a lot of different models, we settled on the Silver cross wayfarer travel system. This was a great pram as you can change the wheels to swivel or lock them into forward position. It was easy to fold up and down and lightweight enough for me to be able to fit it into the car. The link to buy the new 2020 Wayfarer is here Silver Cross Wayfarer 

image credit: Silver Cross

We used the Wayfarer when Rosie was a new-born, right up until the last trimester of my pregnancy with Katie. The wayfarer wouldn't fit two babies and so I had to look at tandem prams. I wanted something with a carrycot for Katie but also a big seat for Rosie and so tandem prams seemed a better option than a double. I eventually found the babylo duo x2.

image credit: Smyth Toys

Again we got the travel system. This has been perfect for us as it fits both babies. Its lightweight and the basket underneath is a good size, even with Rosie in it. The wheels are swivel or lockable and the adaptors mean you can lift the carrycot up that bit higher to give the child at the bottom more room. Here is the link for Babylo duo x2

The swing seat

We were gifted our swing seat when Jamie was a baby and we loved it that much that we kept it. All three children have used it. I found it very handy for when they were tired as they would have a feed and then I could put them in the swing to help them go over. This worked really well once they had outgrown their Moses basket. I can't remember where ours was from so I will link to one as similar as possible. Bright starts baby swing

image credit: Smyth's Toys

The crib

It is recommended that babies sleep in their parents room until they are at least 6 months old. This is to help prevent sudden infant death syndrome. the crib we chose was the babylo snug sleeper. It was compact enough to fit beside the bed without it being to crammed, ideal for those of us with smaller rooms. I like how it is height adjustable as well and can be folded for storage. Katie really likes this we kept it from when Rosie was an infant. For Jamie we had a swing crib that was gifted from a family member. 

image credit: Smyth's Toys

The cot

We didn't keep Jamie's cot as he used it as a cot bed and then broke a slat by jumping on it. We found a new one the baby elegance Elle cot in grey is similar to ours but we chose white. Again you can adjust the height of the mattress and there is teething rails which is great as Rosie is currently teething. 

image credit: Smyth's Toys

The highchair

The highchair we use has been with us since Jamie was a baby and so I will link to something similar. the babylo Hi Lo Safari Highchair . This is height adjustable and the tray easily slides on and off. The tray also has a double layer to make cleaning easier and it also has a five point harness. It can also recline but please do not recline your child while they have food in their mouths or are eating as this is a choking hazard. 

image credit: Smyth's Toys

The Travel cot

We have a travel cot and use it as a playpen rather than for any baby to sleep in. This has been handy for when I need to leave the room. I put Rosie in the travel cot with her toys and I can set Katie in the swing seat. This means I can run to the toilet without worrying that Rosie is going to sit on Katie. Graco compact Travel Cot

image credit: Smyth's Toys

These items have been durable enough to be passed down from baby to baby and so they are ideal if you plan on having more than one child. My favourite is the tandem pram as it is a life saver when out and about. 

Every family is different so please don't feel like you need every item on this list. These are just the larger things that I have found useful with my children.