# What should we buy for a 9mth old baby????



## everhopeful (Feb 19, 2004)

Hi all  

To all those who've adopted (or had) a 9mth old baby, what do we need to get??

We already have..... cot, highchair, stairgates,........... oh! and a brand new activity/bounce chair that we couldn't resist buying!!!!!!

But really not sure of the other essentials that we'll have to get before placement (apart from clothes and toys)............

I assume I will still need a sterilizer for the bottles? Not sure what to do about car seats yet. Our dd's "old" carseat is suitable from 9mths..... but new baby might not be quite 9mths when we start intros........ is there an alternative to us buying a new baby seat (which might only be needed for 2-3weeks)??

Any other ideas gladly received!!! We've seen these "bumbo" seats.... and have been told they can be handy for baby to sit down when at other places as they are very portable and light. But then again, alot of people are selling them so wondering if it wouldnt get used much?

Also travel cots to use as playpen on occasions?? Worth getting or not??

 Bit confused, but very excited expectant mum!!


----------



## Fluffs (Aug 31, 2004)

Hiya

You can get carseats that go from 0-4years if you think you may need a new one.... It is mainly on weight so 9mths is an approximation - do you know if the baby is big? If so then you can probably use your seat but if not it may be worth investing... I wouldn't bother with a bumbo at 9mths as by then my DS was starting to think about crawling and wouldn't sit in his anymore - it was great when he was 4mths but by the time he could sit on his own he wanted his independence.

Re the travel cot, again it all depends... They can be a great safety device to keep a small child restrained and out of danger etc but my DS didn't like being in his  If you need a travel cot anyway then get one that you can use for both purposes as it won't do any harm. If not then have a look at the moveable playpen/safety barrier (Baby Dan I think) as these can be used to divide rooms or section off dangerous areas.

A lot of it depends on how advanced baby is as some are pulling themsleves up by 9mths whereas others are only just sitting and thinking about crawling. I would say just get the basics and you can always buy as you need things. It's a funny age as they are wanting to be off so don't like to be restrained etc. Maybe a vtech walker or similar with a panel that comes off so they can play on the floor initially would be a good buy? We have one of these (below) for DS and it has been a really good buy as from 6mths he was using the detachable pad and now he is just starting to be able to walk the bike along whilst sat on it...

http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B000JFBM4O/sr=1-9/qid=1204313521/ref=sr_1_9/203-2768421-3363130?ie=UTF8&mcb=core

Again with the bottles you will need to sterilise but don't go mad as by 12mths they go on to cow's milk and the advice is to generally try to get them off bottles and on to beakers then which can just be dishwashed.

I hope this has helped, waffling is my favourite subject!    

Best of luck with your 'new' arrival  

Fluffs xxx

This post contains an unconfirmed link/information and readers are reminded that FertilityFriends.co.UK or its owners are not responsible for the content of external internet sites


----------



## sundog (Jun 21, 2007)

Hi Ever, we are just a little passt the 9 months now and I am wracking my brains to come up with some good suggestions, but I think you have all the main stuff covered. A lot of it comes down to your own personal lifestyle and the baby's stage of development. We have a travel cot that we use for going to grandparents as they don't live near us. It is a plain one, not one with an activity thing as I like to be able separate bedtime and play time. We have never used it as a play pen, but that option is always there if we need to.

We have a back carrier which is wonderful as we dog walk everyday and get to places no buggy could possibly reach!

Some kind of walker is a good idea, but I have heard that the wheely sit-in ones are not good, something about interferring with their natural development. LB has a little ride on thing which was given to us and he has endless fun sitting standing, pushing and playing with the wheels.

'Touch and feel' books are great at this age - Usbourne do some great ones. Don't be surprised if LO is not bothered about most books yet. This is how LB was and I was most disappointed, but now he is coming into his own - all in his own time. He loves all the ones which you can touch, stroke, squish etc. Not bothered about lift the flap books yet, but I expect that will be next.

Oh! just thought of a very important thing - anything that LO can chew as it will be teething city for you more than likely! Teethers are ok, but just about any chewable toy will do too. LB took to a little plastic toy cup as his number one teething aid. Move all paper and magazines far away as they taste great apparently! Oh - look out for those 'fire retardent' tags you get on anything with fabric/upholstering - LB nearly ate a whole one before I realised - it was attached to his chair! Luckily it was all stuffed in his cheeks like a hamster's pouches so I did manage to retrieve it. 

Little pots for food are great - if you prepare your own you will need loads and ice cubes are really too small and fiddly by this stage, BUT, I would wait until after intros before you buy a lot of kitchen stuff so you can see what FC uses - they may even pass some on to you. A hand blender is a must for zipping up just about everything.

As Fluffs said, best bet is to get the essentials and then add to it as you need to going along. The tendency is to always over-prepare and you simply won't need all the stuff that the shops and ads make you feel you will need. Also, don't underestimate how much stuff you will be bought/given - hey who am I telling you! You've been there before so you know what I mean!

Can't think of anything else right now, but will think on and get back to you if I do.

Enjoy - this is the fun part!

sundog
x


----------



## sundog (Jun 21, 2007)

Gosh - just thought of LOADS more things:

Muslin squares - once washed for the first time they are lovely and soft, and by far the best way I have found of wiping up snot, dribbles and tears.

Bibs - at 9 months you won't need to bother with the soft stage 1 ones. The ones with waterproof backing are great and you will need loads - can never have too many bibs! It will be fingerfood time too so those ones that cover the arms too are great for getting stuck in.

Syringe - don't panic   I mean the sort that help you give medicine to the baby. Even if the baby doesn't mind taking it from a spoon, it is far easier and less messy. They have them behind the counter at Boots etc. Medicine-wise, we use Medised at night as it helps clear breathing and helps the baby sleep. Calpol or Baby Neurofen in the day, though we have just found that Neurofen can have a laxative effect, and it certainly did with LB (not pleasant!) so that is permanently off our list now.

Baby monitors - we use these all the time still. Especially when you have a new addition it is very reassuring to be able to hear what is going on when they are in bed.

Grobag - now this is personal preference of course and best to not make any changes to bedding etc. when LO first comes home, but Grobags are brilliant! A 9 month old is very wriggly and blankets either come off them leaving them too cold, or they get all tangled up in them. Wearing a grobag means that they say snug and untangled no matter how wriggly!

I'll keep thinking - hope this is not giving you a headache!

sundog
x


----------



## sundog (Jun 21, 2007)

Only me! Sorry if I seem a little overenthused. Thinking about your planning for your little one is bringing it all back for me and I am feeling rather excited on your behalf!

Nappy cream (everyone has a favourite, but...) Weleda Calendular Nappy Change cream is absolutely magic. I don't think you can get it in the shops but look online. Can't recommend it highly enough. A small tube goes a very long way and it smells lovely too. 

The other thing that occurred to me is, have you considered using washable nappies rather than disposable ones? We absolutely love them - they are so soft and no hassle once you get used to them. At 9 months your LO would be into size 2 which would do him/her until potty training. We use Totsbots Bamboozles and bought a full set of 15 nappies and 4 wraps for £155. That is pretty much all you will ever need so very economical when you look at how much would be spend over 2 years ish on disposables! We did buy a couple more wraps and of course you need to get liners which are disposable but these are very cheap. We do use a disposable at night as they hold more wet and keep it away from the skin - saved us doing a night change. There are lots of schemes where you can try ones out from a selection it you are interested. I don't think I am the only one on here using them and you will always find real nappy users are very keen to impart their knowledge and experience if you are interested in finding out more.

sundog
x


----------

