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Essentials For New Baby

There’s a lot of baby things in the shops but some of it ends up on Ebay never used. This list sorts the essentials and nice to haves and then you can decide after that what other things wouldbe helpful

Furniture/Equipment

Pram / Buggy – usually can get a full travel system including….Car seat (rear facing is safest)Cot – conforms to BS EN 716. If inheriting an old heirloom cot make sure bars are less than 6.5cm apart and there’s no peeling paint.Mattress - if buying separately make sure there are no gaps.Moses basket* Moses baskets are not essential but give baby a place to sleep downstairs if needed. Some people may also buy a crib but bear in mind baby will grow out of both quite soon.Swinging chair – these are invaluable when you are in the shower etc. Especially useful are ones with lights and sounds. Some babies don’t like it much but in a poll swinging chairs proved more popular than bouncy chairs or vibrating ones.Change mats – one upstairs and one downstairs. Having a change mat and basket downstairs is very helpful for first few months when baby needs changing regularly and Mum may be weak or recovering with stitches. Not needing to go upstairs for every change can make a huge difference.Baby carrier or slings are not essential but very useful for just popping in and out of shops and not wanting to carry a car seat.Baby baths or top and tail bowls are not essential as baby can usually be bathed in the sink. Some babies love the new baby bucket baths. Once baby is too big for sink or baby bath then you can get a baby seat to put in the bath which lets you have two hands free.Monitors - usually these double up with a thermometer so you can see if the room is getting too hot.

Feeding Gear

Bottles (teat no. 1 to start with).Steriliser – microwave ones are fast but not always as effective as electric ones.Bottle brush**All above used if breastfeeding too as will need for expressed milk**Breast pump – if expressing. Most people like electric ones but some can get away with hand pumps just as easy.Storage bags/cups if expressing and food labels to put date frozen on.Breast pads – even if not feeding there will be leaks! Look out for thin ones so they don’t show through on clothes.Lansinoh/Kamillosan for breastfeeding. Those first few feeds are likely to make for sore nipples and these can be a godsend.Possibly a feeding pillow. Maternity pillows can double up as feeding pillows. Although a good arrangement of normal pillows works just as well.Formula powder if bottle feeding. Unfortunately it’s not possible to say which brand will work best for your baby. **Take some pre-prepared cartons to hospital if your hospital doesn’t provide feeds**Bottle warmers are good to have about although rules now are that each feed is made up fresh so may not need.Cooler bags for keeping expressed milk chilled until using while out and about.

Clothes/Bedding/Etc

At least 7 Babygros these are the all in ones like onesies that are in shops for adults now. Much easier if they have poppers on front. They get “sicked on” quite often so get plenty if you can so you don’t need to worry too much about washing. If its winter can get ones with feet built in for extra warmth.Vests – long sleeved for winter babies, short sleeved for summer babies. Poppers at bottom easiest for dealing with nappies.3 or 4 hats, a couple for in hospital and out and about, though don’t use too much indoors as babies regulate temperatures through their heads.Scratch mitts – buying little separate ones is often futile as babies just seem to get them pulled off very easily. Watch out for Babygros that have fold over sleeves at the bottom which are built in scratch mitts but also good for keeping little hands warm in winter.Outfits – A couple of newborn is enough as you can get more once baby is out and you can get right size, often babies need smaller or go straight to 0-3 months so newborn outfits don’t last too long.Coat – Good for going out – buy a coat suitable for the season. But bear in mind that baby’s wearing thick padded coats are not as protected in their car seats because the coat provides some “give” in the event of a crash. Also cars warm up quite quickly so maybe a light coat for longer car journeys.

Bedding - Baby will probably spit up on sheets several times so for the elasticated cot and moses basket sheets it is handy to have enough to be able to have one in wash, one drying and one on (at least!) When baby is slightly bigger a sleeping bag is a good investment as blankets can be kicked off/about and sleeping bags will keep baby covered no matter how much rolling there is. Some newborn sleeping bags are available – be sure that these are not too big as babies can slip down in them and have material over their mouths if too big.**Cot quilts, pillows and bumpers are not recommended until baby is 6 months old.**

Towels - Towels with built in hoods are essential so that you can keep baby’s head warm. How many will depend on how often you plan to bathe baby. Some parents use bathing as part of night time routine so would need more than others.

Blankets – don’t need to be a specific type as such. Cellular blankets are often recommended but any type is helpful to either provide extra cover on top of sheets for cold nights, cover for inside pram on journeys, when sleeping in moses basket or to cover baby in car while it warms up. They can be used through toddlerhood for various reasons so have a good selection.

Muslin cloths – useful for over your shoulder while winding to catch any sick, for putting under potentially runny baby bums if changing somewhere other than a mat. One or two usually is enough for early days.

Lotions etc. – Baby products are not recommended for use in first 6 weeks as baby has been in water for so long that the skin needs to adjust to being exposed to air. In most cases babies are fine if products are used but occasionally it can lead to irritation. If you want to get them in ready:Baby gentle washBaby shampooWipes

Also you will need:

Cotton wool balls or pleat for washing, cleaning bum etcZinc cream such as Sudocreme for sore bumsOlive oil – great for moisturising and cradle cap in early days

Nappies

Real nappies – sometimes wise to get a trial kit for baby before making a full investment, parents occasionally give up early and wish they hadn’t spent so much. Make sure you get nappies, inlays, liners, covers etc enough to cover up to 6 changes a day.Disposable nappies. It may be tempting to stock up on deals but quite often parents find that the brand they have bought does not fit their baby well and need to switch. Supermarket brand disposables are catching up the big brands in softness and absorbability. Nappy sacks are good for disguising odours if the nappies may be hanging around a while before putting in bin (eg out shopping etc).

Playing

Newborns don’t really need a lot of toys, they have never seen colour, much light or sounds so just general life is entertaining for them. They love faces and high contrast so board books with mirrors in or black and white shapes is interesting for them.As they get older a mobile on the cot is good for keeping baby entertained but not so good for sleeping (too much stimulation for some and makes them overtired), a play mat with things to crunch, bat, rattle etc is usually a good starter.

Miscellaneous

Dummies if you want to use them. Infant paracetamol – can’t be used in early days but at 2 months old.Thermometer – digital underarm ones are most accurateBath thermometer – although your elbow is a faster gauge.Nail scissors – clippers are also available but very easy to catch baby’s finger ends in them so scissors are slightly better

If there is anything at all missing from this list - or you would suggest taking off let us know - we know current Mums have the best info.

For other great info sheets look up [http://www.bumpbuddies.co.uk/blog/cat/33/information-sheet](http://www.bumpbuddies.co.uk/blog/cat/33/information-sheet“ target=)

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Louise Turnbull .