Five of the best: second baby purchases ‘P

retty much as soon as you find out you’re expecting again, you’re reminded of the endless lists of things you ‘need’” says Mumsnet editor Sarah Crown.

“The best advice from our users for the Duchess of Cambridge and other expectant mothers is to hold fire: learn from all the things you never used with your first child, and talk to other parents to find out what you really need when you’re attempting to tackle two. Unsurprisingly, the list is far shorter than shops would have you believe.”

Here are five purchases that Mumsnet users rate as indispensable.

1 Grobags

Anorak Kissing Rabbits Grobag, £32.99, gro-store.co.uk

Babies, once the newborn stage is over, are wrigglier than eels: go into their rooms a few hours after bedtime and chances are you’ll find that not only have they performed a full-180, they’ve also relocated from one end of the cot to the other. So spare a thought for parents of the pre-Grobag era, whose children would end up either tangled and sweating in a knot of blankets, or coverless, frozen and wailing. Grobags are, literally, bedclothes in the form of bags – pop your baby in feet-first, fasten them up over the shoulders, and hey presto – tucked up safe all night.

2 Metanium nappy rash ointment

£3 for 30g, boots.com

Metanium is the nappy rash ointment that leaves all others standing. Consistently voted a Mumsnet Best, this “magic cream” is the subject of eulogies among grateful parents, with words such as “brilliant” and “miracle” being regularly bandied about. In the words of one grateful user: “Do not be without this cream.”

3 Fisher-Price Newborn-to-Toddler Rocker Now £51.99, mothercare.com

The great thing about having a second baby when your first is still at home is that child number one provides ontap distraction for child number two. Bouncy chairs are brilliant anyway for soothing a fractious child; factor in the entertainment value of a bustling toddler, and hey presto: tea break for you.

4 Caboo NCT Close Parent Carrier

£44.50, johnlewis.com

Wearing sleeping babies rather than holding them can save hugely on faff; while your youngest sleeps, you still have the option to go about your day or play with your older child, without making a mission out of every tiny task that requires both hands. The machine-washable Close Caboo can take babies from birth (2.27kg) up to approximately 15kg and its design means they are held high, the best position for developing spines.

5 Phil & Teds Navigator 2 buggy From £449, philandteds.com

For transporting two children of buggy age, both Mumsnetters and Telegraph parents rate the three-wheel Phil & Teds Navigator 2 buggy very highly. Its inflatable tyres mean it is lightweight to push even with a double load and, thanks to the positioning of toddler above baby rather than side by side, it “will still fit through any door”.