I mean how many things can a newborn possibly need, right? The thing that nobody really tells you is that every parent and therefore every baby is different. What works for one baby might not work for another. Thus we must take our shopping spree one step at a time. There are however some crucial items that will make you and the little addition to the family's life easier.
I have come up with a "minimalist" list that contains the essential and depending on where you live, your budget and lifestyle you can check, cross out or even narrow down to what's really necessary.
NURSERY
- Don't worry about the crib just yet, you'll be able to get one once your little one is more or less 4 months of age.
- During those early months when you'll have to frequently wake up to do nighttime feedings you might want your baby closer by so consider a bassinet or Moses basket in your bedroom. A co-sleeper is another great option if you want to cuddle up with your baby while still keeping him safe in your bed.
- We opted for this gorgeous modern contemporary crib from Bloom that was practical not only because of it's compact size but it actually folded up for easy storage.
Bedding
- This includes a waterproof mattress cover, sheets, blankets and swaddling blankets.
- I find that ZARA HOME has the cutest bedding.
Changing table
- Depending on how much space you have, we just got a changing pad and placed it on a dresser like SO.
- When it comes to this big-ticket item, I recommend going to a local baby store and giving them a test drive. We did our research and we chose the Mamma's & Pappa's Armadillo Stroller that we later came to find out that leaned far too much for our baby (but that's another story). It did do it's job with the infant car seat adapter for the first couple of months though.
- If you have a little more to spend I highly recommend trying out the Bugaboo and the Stokke strollers.
Infant car seat
- There's stroller sets that have that included and there are some strollers that were designed in order to fasten the car seats to them with additional adapters. We found the Maxi-Cosi infant carseat that was compatible with our Armadillo Stroller.
Diaper bag
- It's completely subjective. There's all kinds of diaper bags, it all depends on what you'll feel more comfortable with.
- I chose the Skip Hop bag which i continue to love.
Baby carrier
- The Ergo Carrier seems to get high marks from every mama which is why I also opted for this baby carrier. It's been a life saver, especially when traveling with our little one!
Play mat
- A play mat is something I personally thought wouldn't be essential at first. Soon i discovered that they're actually quite useful in a baby's development. We found the Skip Hop Activity mat to be just perfect.
- I did my research and the Bobby Pillow seemed to be all the rage and oh, was everyone right. I used this pillow quite a bit.
- You can find these anywhere. I opted for a couple of simple Burt's Bees Burp Cloths.
- Depending on wether or not you want to breastfeed this item will vary. I breastfed and picked out this Medela Calma bottle not only because it fit perfectly with my breast pump bottles but because it is said to mimic natural feeding behavior (meaning the baby can drink, pause and breathe).
Breast pump
- As recommended by my other mommy friends do check with your insurance to see if you qualify for a free breastpump.
- Since we knew we would be traveling a lot I chose a small portable breast pump from Medela.
Pacifiers (if you decide to use them)
- As I said before, every baby is different. A couple of days after my milk supply came in I got mastitis. The reason being was because Lorenzo wouldn't stop sucking. In my agony I asked the nurse to give him a pacifier which, after signing some paperwork saying that I requested such pacifier, she did. I found this Phillips pacifier ideal. It is hollow therefore you can stick your finger in and the baby latches on to it better.
- For all these baby essentials I turned to Babyganics and The Honest Company. Using gentle, natural products is important to me and both of these brands are ones you can count on in that respect.
Baby tub
- Having a rather small and tub-less apartment we needed a tub that wouldn't take up too much space. Stokke made an amazing foldable tub that we use to this day (Lorenzo is a year and a half!). The infant insert comes separately but i have to say that it was worth every cent.
- At the beginning, the doctors often recommended a rectal thermometer because they give the most accurate results, which is vital for newborns. They are found in any grocery or drugstore and are very inexpensive. However, they may require a bit of waiting, which can make a sick baby cranky.
- Therefore after 6 months we opted for a tympanic thermometer (which i suggest you put on your baby registry) because they're generally quick, safe, and not at all uncomfortable.
White Noise Machine
- For us this was a must. Nothing calmed our baby down more than white noise (a loud fan to be exact). My husband discovered it by chance and I actually came to find out through The Happiest Baby on the Block (a book i highly recommend to first time parents) that it's been scientifically proven to help newborns calm down.
Baby safe laundry detergent
- We used The Honest Company detergent.
Nightlight
CLOTHING
- As far as clothes go, that's the funnest part that you and your close ones will be delighted to pick out.
- Do double check that you have the items on the list above.
Congratulations! You've read through yet another hopefully not excruciatingly long list. Remember that above all the material things this new miracle of yours will most definitely want all the love from YOU.
Have a wonderful week.
Balbina
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