Having a baby? Not sure what you need to get?
You’re having a baby – Congratulations! When you find out your pregnant and your expecting your 1st tiny bundle it’s exciting, and can be a little dauting trying to think of everything that you need to get ready for his/her arrival!
So to help you out I have put together a list of essential items! You can download the checklist at the end of this blog but before that it’s worth reading my reasoning behind the items and or any recommendations I’ve added.
Health Essentials
Thermometer – babies can’t tell you if they are feeling unwell so having a thermometer to check their temperature is a must. The best One I have found (I’ve had a few) is Braun Thermoscan – it’s certainly not the cheapest but its super easy to use, well made and it takes the guess work out of what temperature your baby should be – you set the age range and then it will flag up green for good, amber for caution and red for bad – and believe me when you have a crying bad, it’s middle of the night and you are tired it can be tricky to remember what temp they should be and this save the stress and googling to check! See it HERE
Nappies – have you considered cloth nappies? There are many out there to choose from and many cute designs too! They are definitely worth a look at as you only have 1 initial outlay and you don’t have to purchase again (as the sizes are adjustable to grow with baby), it’s a really good way of looking out for the environment too! If you are going the disposable route I recommend the Mamia brand (Aldi’s own).
Wet Wipes – again you could look at reusable – which you can make yourself – all you need are some soft cloths and sealed storage box, wet the cloths pop them in and away you go. Otherwise again I recommend the Mamia sensitive wipes from Aldi.
Nappy Cream – there are many to choose from and it really does depend on your baby and what works for them but a good place to start is Sudocrem or bepanthen.
Baby Bath – saves on water as it’s smaller than filling your own bath – if not you can always use the kitchen sink – and this is a great opportunity to get some super cute photos for memories too!
Bathing wash for delicate skin – babies skin is super delicate so using something that is soft and gentle on their skin is a must. There are a couple I love and these are:
- Forever Livings hand wash – use as a all over wash
- Simple baby all in one
- Sanex sensitive
Baby nail scissors – these have rounded ends to stop the tips accidently stabbing
Cotton wool/balls – handy for cleaning up weeping eyes etc
Delicate moisturiser – babies tend to have a bit of dry skin after being born (totally normal) – my go to absolute must is forever livings propolis creme!
Sun tan lotion – you don’t want their delicate skin to burn – so a high factor and don’t always assume the ‘branded’ ones are best – in many cases the ‘own’ brands such as wilkos or aldi’s have a higher star rating – so check the labels 1st!
Out & About
Car seat – you can not leave the hospital without one and it goes without saying that you want your baby to get home safely. There are so many out there, so if you can visit a shop and try them out first!
Pram – again there is so much choice out there – it is worth going into a shop to look at the styles, check the size and weight and learn how to fold them up!
Waterproof cover for pram – to keep baby dry on those walks or shopping trips!
Nappy changing bag – its surprising how much stuff you end up taking out with you, from nappies to milk to changes of clothes!
Folding changing mat – you will be surprised at the state of some baby changing facilities so it’s a life saver knowing you have something of your own you can put down for baby to change them on!
Blanket – to keep them warm in the pram or car – just be careful in the car that they aren’t getting too hot once your heating warms up!
Car sunshade – nothing worse than sun in your eyes – it’s the same for baby.
Other essential items
Somewhere for baby to sleep – cot / cotbed / Moses basket – You want baby in your room near you, so look at the space you have first.
Baby Monitor – if you are in a different room you want to hear them
Bouncy/rocking chair – although not ‘essential’ I have included this as it’s great to have somewhere to sit baby during the day so they get to see a bit more of the world (than they would if they were lying in their basket) and they are great for soothing with their motion. It also allows your hands to be free for a short while.
Baby grows – if you can get the ones with the little fold on the arm cuff as these fold over the hands to stop baby scratching their face!
Vests – layers are your friend!!
Clothing – go and grab something super cute – but remember you will get given quite a lot in the way of gifts so don’t go overboard! Plus they grow out of them super quickly -there is nothing worse than when you have more clothes than they can wear! (It happens!) Don’t forget to grab some baby socks too!
Sleeping bag- baby sleeping bags are recommended as your baby can not tangle themselves up in them or cover their face with them unlike a blankets.
Mittens- keep their hands warm and stops them scratching their face!
Hats – got to keep that head warm!
Muslins – get quite a few! These are handy for winding baby, catching those dribbles and any sick.
Winter warm suit – obviously not if it’s summertime!
Rattle/Toy – babies love colour and different sounds so find something that has both these and you’re on to a winner!
Photo frame for your very 1st photo to go in! – A picture of all 3 of you is perfect so baby can see how much they are loved!
Bottle Feeding
You may be hoping to breast feed but there are some things that may prevent you from doing so, such as baby wont latch or you don’t produce enough milk – if this happens you may want to consider your back up and have some bottles handy just in case.
Bottles (3 is good – 6 is plenty) – 3 is a nice number but on those days when you are super tired it is nice to know you have a few spare if you haven’t got around to sterilising yet. I recommend the Avent or Tommee Tippee brands
Steriliser – you can use sterilising fluid or tablets or if you are looking to do it the steaming way – look in to the electric sterilisers. Before you go ahead and spend extra money on buying the larger 1 to get 6 bottles in for example – can you look at saving yourself some cash (to go for a coffee with the girls) and get one that does 3 bottles – as long as you have some to use and the others can be in the machine there is no need to panic! See Avent Steriliser HERE
Bottle Brush – get one that has a large end and a small end so you can brush out those teats
Breast pump- if you are expressing
Formula- don’t buy too much – some baby’s don’t agree with certain ones and you may need to change and you don’t want to be wasting money!
A Little Further Down the Track
Play mat – somewhere for baby to go and have some stimulation and learn to control their muscles and co-ordinations
Highchair – somewhere secure to seat and feed from – Aldi, Argos and Ikea are great places to look.
Safety Gates – to stop those accidents on the stairs or anywhere you want to prevent them going! Keep on Aldi’s special buys as they have the Lindam ones come in at great prices!
Safety Cupboard Catches – especially for cupboards that contain sharps, cleaning chemicals etc
Bibs – when teething starts you will go through a lot of bibs as they get wet quickly – but it’s easier to change a bib than a whole outfit from being soaked!
Plastic dinnerware & cutlery – to save breakages and any harm to baby – ikea have a set of 18 knives forks and spoons for just £1.25! See here 6 Bowls for just £1.25 HERE and 6 plates for just £1.25 HERE (prices dec 2019)
Teething remedy / toys – teething can be quite painful so applying something cool can help (you can get toys that can go in the fridge) and sometimes you need a remedy to help take away the pain such as Anbesol liquid
Children’s Paracetamol Oral Suspension – when they are poorly, teething or had their injections will come in very handy and works wonders in about 20minutes! I recommend you look at the none branded ones such as the mypharmacy one (see HERE) – as there is no need to pay for a ‘name’ on something that works the same and save you £ when money is tight!
Don't forget your special memories too...
Your baby will grow VERY quickly and change lots – They are only tiny once and wouldn’t want to forget all their adorable cuteness – so if you are looking to have photos taken now is the time to get it booked (before life gets too hectic!).
We book your due dated noted in my diary for now and once baby has been born then we get a solid date in the diary for a session when baby is around 2-3weeks of age.
Want to download the handy checklist? …
No problem – click the button below!
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