Shopping for baby number 2

Because we didn't find out the sex with Reuben and haven't this time either we don't really need to buy anything for the new baby. All our newborn clothes and most of the 0-3 are neutral (the basics at least). We have our silver cross pioneer travel system, cot bed, play mats, highchair and a baby swing which means all the big items are taken care of. Because of this we've decided to invest in a few little "luxuries" that will hopefully make life with two a little easier. On my baby number 2 shopping list are...

Car seat

We decided to buy a new car seat as we previously used the silver cross infant carrier which we didn't love plus their recommended product life is 3 years which we will hit when baby is only 3 months old. We have gone for a maxi cosi pebble pro as this will still attach to the pram if needed and is their latest model with latest safety/comfort features. We also got it from John Lewis on price match.

Bedside crib

With Reuben we had a traditional style gliding crib, it was quite narrow and Reuben hated it. We had to move the cot bed into our room at 10 weeks which wasn't ideal. This time we've invested in the Chicco next 2 me dream. We managed to get a really good deal from John Lewis which was discounted plus 2 sheets free. We went for the next 2 me over Snuzpod as its wider and really well ventilated which is a bonus as baby will be in it through summer.

Love to dream swaddle up

We didn't swaddle Reuben because he liked his arms up but I think he would have benefited from it. I cant wait to try these clever little swaddles this time, they look great and I'm sure baby will really love them . Hopefully it will help them to sleep a little better than their big brother did!

Baby bath

We never had a baby bath with Reuben we just put him in the main bath but in the early days our plan is to bath baby downstairs once Reuben has gone to bed. It will also be handy in the garden through summer.

Sling

I have my ergo 360 carrier which I love and will use again but I've purchased a Close Caboo sling for those early days. I intend to wear baby a lot around the house etc so I can still do things with Reuben and get jobs done. I picked this up in tkmaxx for a really good price!

Nappies and wipes

I'm planning to use rascal and friends nappies in the early days because they have no latex, fragrance, lotions and use water-based inks. We will eventually do a mixture of cloth and disposable once baby is big enough. In terms of wipes we will continue to use our cheeky wipes at home and the Jackson Reece wipes out and about. I 100% recommended Jackson Reece, they're fully compostable/biodegradable and work really well!

We will purchase a few new outfits for baby but don't need much at all.

The main expense will be changing the car but we knew it was coming and we've had ours a long time so are ready for an upgrade. The plan is to buy one outright and part exchange ours to keep our monthly outgoings low. We will also have our new car a long time so it's an investment.

I'd love to hear any items you couldn't live without?!