The approach to your due date feels like a military-style organisation operation, ensuring everything is ready for whenever your little one decides to make their appearance. There’s so many books and blogs out there that it’s easy to slip into a hole, feeling like you’ll never be prepared enough or know everything you need to, but parenting is 99.9% winging it, taking care of the essentials then riding the wave.
In the late stage, the most important thing is ensuring you have all your newborn essentials then relaxing and enjoying the last weeks of pregnancy. To take some of the stress away, we’ve compiled the ultimate new-born baby essentials list, giving you a checklist for everything a newborn baby will need for feeding, sleeping, bathing and beyond.
Sleeping Essentials
In the early weeks, your baby will do very little but sleep so having the right newborn essentials to ensure they’re safe and comfy is important. The cosier they are, the more chance you have of getting a good couple of hours nap time to re-coop.
The essentials for making thebest newborn bedare:
- A cot, crib or moses basket.
- A newborn mattress and fitted sheet
- Washable mattress pads or a protector
- A mix of light and heavier blankets or swaddles dependant on climate
- A sleeping bag, especially for winter babies
- One-piece pyjamas
- Baby monitor
- Comfort toys or a noise machine
Bathing Essentials
Bath time is a great time to bond with your baby once you get the hang of it. Taking care of the essentials for a safe newborn bath time will help you feel more confident and start settling into a nice routine.
You’ll need:
- A baby bathtub or a bath support
- Gentle baby shampoo and body wash
- Washcloths and soft towels, a hooded towel is always handy
- Baby lotion
Nappy changing Essentials
The dreaded part, having the right essentials will name baby changing run smoother and, hopefully, cut down on the mess.
The must-have newborn diapering essentials are:
- A changing table with a cushion that is washable with a waterproof cover
- A portable changing mat
- Lots and lots of nappies, or a good amount of washable, reusable diapers
- Lots of unscented baby wipes and nappy cream
- A diaper bag
- A nappy bin or disposal unit
Feeding Essentials
Whether you decide to breastfeed or formula feed, there are some newborn essentials that you’ll need to ensure your little one gets used to feedingand gets all the nutrients they need. These include:
- Baby bottles and nipple lids
- A bottle brush, you could also get a bottle steriliser and warmer
- Muslin cloths and bibs
- Breast pump
- Milk storage bags
- A high chair and teething toys when they get a little older.
Clothing Essentials
Now you’re finally able to play dress up, it’s tempting to dive straight in with cute outfits. But make sure you have the newborn baby wardrobe essentials as well. Make sure you’ve got:
- Onesies
- Jackets if they’re a winter baby especially
- Socks
- Mittens
- Hats
- Wearable blankets for winter
- Baby-safe, gentle laundry detergent
Essential Toys
Giving your baby things to interact with or look at from a young age is really important for their development as well as your relationship. It’ll also help keep them entertained while you get stuff done, so having some essential baby toys is a win-win. Somethings that can be helpful are:
- A playmat
- A mobile or baby play gym
- A snuggle toy or soft toy
- A bouncer
- Musical toys
Postnatal Essentials
With a list as long as your arm of essentials for your new-born baby, it’s equally as important to remember postnatal care for Mum. There are some essentials for you too, to help your body recover and give you moments to relax.
- Nipple cream
- Moisturiser or oil for stretch marks
- Soothing bubble bath for me-time
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Written by Lucy Harbron
