Buying for a new baby: What you DO and DON’T need.
Buying for a new baby: What you DO and DON’T need.
What you will need
For Sleeping
Crib/Moses basket/Cot/Cotbed.
Cribs and moses baskets only last a few months and aren’t essential but you should always do what you feel most comfortable with. our 6 month baby sleeps in her cot at night and her big moses basket in the same room as me during the day, simply because this is how I feel most comfortable. it is recommended that baby sleeps in with you for a minimum of 6 months. Don’t forget to measure the space you have available to see what will fit!
A Baby Monitor (audio, video or movement)
3-4 Fitted Sheets for baby’s bed.
2-3 Sleeping bags to suit temperature
Depending on the climate that you live in baby may not need any extra bedding at all.
Because of sleep safety we do not use any loose bedding or blankets in our baby’s cot. with our baby girl we used the Groswaddle 2-in-1, It comes in 2 different togs (cozy & light) and can be used as a swaddle or the poppers can be opened so baby can sleep with their arms out, we then moved on to the GRObags
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For going out
Pram
OR
Baby Carrier
Car seat
Pram and Car seat rain Covers
Pram blankets
Sunscreen
Window shades for the car
A Bag for carrying spare clothes, nappies etc..
Bags designed specifically for baby changing are handy but not necessary
Portable nappy mat
For bathing
A baby bath or bath seat
Changing mat
2 Flannels/wash cloths
2 towels
*newborn babies do not need soaps and shampoos. plain water is best for babies skin for at least the first month
For Dressing baby
Nappies
6-8 short sleeved or sleeveless vests
3-5 long sleeved vests
6-8 sleep suits
3-5 Day outfits
1-3 pairs of scratch mittens
2-3 hats, either sun hats or cotton hats
3 Jumpers or cardigans
6-8 Pairs of socks
For Feeding
2-3 Nursing bras
2-3 Nursing tops
Breast Milk storage bags
Nipple Cream
6 Bottles
Formula dispenser
Bottle brush
Bottle Steriliser
3-5 muslin cloths OR
3-5 Bibs
Health
A digital Thermometer
Nail clippers or Scissor
A Baby hairbrush
(for removing cradle cap)
Nappy Cream
Cotton wool balls
(it recommended that you use cotton wool balls and water to change baby’s nappy for the first couple of weeks before transitioning to wet wipes)
Wet wipes
Nasal Aspirator
Things that you may wish to buy
A breast pump.
Dresser
Play mat
Bouncer
Dummies
Nursing Pillow
Nursing cover
Humidifier
Room thermometer
(to give you an idea of what baby needs to wear to bed)
First aid supplies
Night light
Things you don’t need to buy
Bottle warmer
We were give a bottle warmer with out first and it was a nightmare, it was unreliable and took ages to heat the bottles. if you have a standard bottle with no valves or vents in the bottom you can simply heat your bottle in a jug of warm water, this saves you money and is simple and easy.
Wet wipe warmer.
how is this even a thing? if you want to warm the wet wipes you can simply hold them in your hands for a few seconds.
Cot bumpers/teddies/loose blankets or sheets/ pillows/quilts
These are REALLY not necessary, they pose a risk to baby and go against all codes of safe sleep. A baby’s crib should contain nothing but a mattress and a tight fitted sheet.
If you do want to use blankets, cellular blankets are the safest alternative and can easily be layered. Again, The NHS website offers excellent advice for sleep safety.
Changing table
They can be expensive and really aren’t necessary, it can be a huge pain having to walk upstairs to baby’s table every time they need changing, especially if you have other children. We bought a nappy mat for around £5 that we store behind our sofa and a wicker basket for £3 which we’ve filled with nappies, wipes and creams, this lives in our front room and is so easy and convenient. We also have a smaller basket of nappies and wipes in the bedroom for late night changes.
Cot mobile
Cot mobiles are good for entertaining baby if you need to pop them down for five but they can actually over stimulate baby and interfere with their sleep.
Baby shoes
We were given so many shoes and baby literally never wore them, they outgrow them so fast, you don’t want to restrict baby’s feet and honestly, its not like theyre going to be up and walking about within a week!
Everything new
Some things you definitely should buy new such as a car seat, a mattress and feeding equipment for example. However, There are somethings however that you can buy second hand and save yourself some money. Clothes for example, for the first year baby will be outgrowing their clothes in the blink of an eye. You can save a small fortune by buying second hand clothes, all you need to do is make sure that they are in excellent condition and give them a good wash in your chosen detergent. bouncers and play mats can also be bought second hand, we only but second hand items if they are in good, safe condition and totally washable/cleanable but it really can save you money.
Things you can buy later.
High chair and weaning equipment
The recommendation is that baby should be weaned at 6 months but no earlier than 4. This gives you a couple of months to purchase any feeding related equipment. its also worth looking into which products to buy, you can get great products for a small price tag. here is our guide to our favourite weaning products.
