Before you knew you were expecting a baby, you probably paid little or no attention to the world of baby products. You have no idea what awaits you.
Take pushchairs, for example: you’ll be amazed at the huge variation in price of a seat on wheels. You can spend £40 or £600, and researching the right type for you is like buying a car. Dads' Space will be running a Top Gear-style pushchair review show in the coming months, so stay tuned for that.
If you’re having a hospital birth, you’ll probably have been told already that you must have a car seat in order to take your baby home. This is apparently the case whether or not you want to take your baby home in a car, or whether or not you have a car at all.
Still, if you do have a car they are of course essential, and even if you don’t it’s good to have one around, as you'll probably find that you'll still travel in cars with the baby now and then.
A moses basket is a good starter bed for a baby, but you can start them off in a cot if you like. If you buy either second-hand, it’s advisable to get a fresh mattress because lice can breed in them.
You’ll need sheets for the mattress, and sleeping bags which they can wear like a bodysuit are good because they can’t smother themselves or throw them off in the night.
For their first clothes, some basic white sleepsuits and vests are good, plus a warm cardigan, a coat or blanket and a hat for going outdoors (especially for winter births).
A baby changing mat is essential, a changing table useful. Also get stocks of various items that you’ll need regular supplies of: nappies, wipes, tissues, cotton wool, nappy rash cream.
If you’re bottle-feeding, you’ll need bottles and milk. You'll also need a steriliser, to make sure everything the baby uses is clean and free from germs.
One thing you might want to not bother with is a baby bath. You can bathe them in shallow water in your proper bath. But get them their own towel.
The most important thing to note about all this is that you needn't spend a fortune. Babies grow out of these supplies incredibly quickly, and people are always offering these items in the newspaper classifieds at a very low cost. You might also want to see if there's a Freecycle scheme in your local area, as you can effectively kit yourself out for free.
Don't be proud about accepting clothes and items from other friends either - the baby won't appreciate expensive clothes, and they'll only be wearing them for a few months at best anyway;.