If you're expecting your first baby, you're probably wondering what to buy for your baby. It can be very overwhelming, after all you've never done this before AND a lot of companies would have you believe you need a lot of stuff. So, what do you really need? Here you go: A mom-recommended list compiled by myself and a couple of my mom friends.
Big Ticket Items
Car Seat: The car seat will be one of the first used of your new baby items. If you have your baby in a hospital, you'll need a car seat to bring the baby home. You have your choice: Infant car seats that can be easily carried into the house but the little one will out-grow by 20 lbs, or a larger car seat that can't be easily carried around, but can grow with your little one past their first birthday. Extra car seat bases are nice if you have more than car, but definitely not necessary as the bases can be easily moved and the car seat can be strapped in without the base, too. Some strollers have attachments for use with infant car seats, also.
Tip: You can take your car seat to the highway patrol for tips and help on correct installation in your car.
Sleeping place for the little one: Co-sleeper, bassinet, cradle, crib, etc. I don't know anyone who's used one, but the Amby Baby Motion Bed looks like a comfortable, swinging alternative to having the baby with you in bed. And even if you do plan to co-sleep with your baby, think about where the baby will nap safely. Bed rails and a baby monitor can help you rest easy while your baby naps on your bed in the afternoon without you, especially when your little one becomes more mobile.If you're not into a crib, a crib mattress on the floor with some pillows around can make a nice napping nest, too, for your older (rolling, crawling!) baby.
Breast Pump: There are a lot of different types of breast pumps on the market (manual, electric, single, double, hands-free...). I strongly recommend purchasing the top of the line: A fully electric, double breast pump such as the Medela Pump in Style. The reason is, you need a pump with a suction that mimics your baby's in order to keep your supply up while you pump, and you don't want to have to pump for a long time each time either.
A nursing friend of mine offers this great suggestion: A hand pump (also Medela) is nice to have for quick
pumps where hauling the big one out is a pain (ie car rides).
Tip: If you get a used breast pump, replace the tubes, shields and containers. You may also want to have the suction tested to be sure it hasn't declined with use, or that it won't give out after you begin using it. Pumping can be frustrating, so make sure your equipment is up to snuff. If you're in the Santa Cruz area, the Lactation Center at Sutter Hospital can test your pump's suction, sell you any tubes/supplies you need (including very comfortable nursing bras), and also provide consulting help with breastfeeding and pumping.
Note: If you'll be storing your breast milk, you'll need supplies for this too. Great information is available on milk storage how-tos at La Leche League
A Note on Bottles: Different babies have different preferences for bottles. Get and try a few. Be sure to get the proper nipple size for your baby.
Soft Baby Carrier: This is a must! Your baby will be most content being worn whether by you, dad or a caregiver. Watching you do housework is way more interesting than lying on her back, watching the ceiling. Plus babies love going for outdoor walks, and in a soft carrier they can nurse and nap comfortably, meaning you can go further and further from home. Even when you go out for a stroller walk, you'll want to throw your carrier in, too, just in case your baby isn't into staying in the stroller the whole way (pushing a stroller and carrying a fussy baby in your arms without the help of a carrier is hard work!).
Carriers I've used and liked: Pretty Mama Ring Sling, Moby Wrap, and Eden Mei Tai. Many of my friends have used the Ergo and like it, too. Dads seem to prefer the Snuglee and Baby Bjorn-type carriers to the slings and wraps, but then they don't need to nurse & walk! Having carriers that your both comfortable with will be useful.
Tip: You'll most likely end up with a few carriers. Try each new carrier around the house a few times before you head out into the world. I have found that each carrier requires a getting-used-to period for both my baby and I.
Tip #2 from another mother: If you go with the Baby Bjorn, make sure to get the one
with back support. This is a great thing to watch for at consignment stores,
but it is good to have a nice one that you will use, so may be a good thing to
put on the registry.
Swing, Bouncy Seat, Both: You can find these used pretty easily since they are only useful in the early months. Some moms swear by their baby swings. They say their baby's sleep great in them. For us, the bouncy seat was the thing we couldn't do without. Use it on the kitchen counter while you cook & at the kitchen table while you eat or do other projects. It is easy to move from room to room.
Tip: Inevitably you'll have to go to the bathroom / take a shower when no one is around to hold / watch your baby. Your bouncy seat will come in handy in the bathroom.
Stroller: While not totally necessary, strollers are very nice to have -- especially for carrying your gear to the park, or home again from the grocery store! When getting your stroller, consider what you'll do with it. Does it need to collapse easily to fit in your trunk? Will you be jogging? Does it need to carry more than one child?
Tip: If you get a jogging stroller, you'll need an attachment so you can set your infant car seat in the stroller. I decided not to do this with my jogging stroller. Instead I bought this product and waited a bit longer before going out with my baby in the stroller. I found the soft carriers worked fine in the early months. Later when we started going to the park, I needed the stroller to carry the blanket, magazine, toys, snacks, etc.
Smaller Necessities
Swaddling Blankets: The key here is that they are big enough to actually swaddle your baby. Turns out most baby blankets ("receiving blankets") are not big enough. Look for 1 meter x 1 meter. I like Swaddle Designs' Ultimate Swaddling Blanket. Three is a good number. You can also buy Velcro swaddlers, like Kiddopotamus' Swaddle Me. The nice thing about the Kiddopotamus is that it creates a pouch for your little one's legs so they can be swaddled but move their legs (essential for hip development). There is also the Miracle Blanket. Tip: Watch the video on the website for help wrapping your baby in this blanket.
Tip: Swaddling takes practice. Practice on your happy baby so that when she is fussy (and it is the middle of the night) you'll already know how to do it.
Yoga Ball: Babies need movement to feel content (it reminds them of their cozy womb time), and some babies need movement to not only fall asleep, but also to stay asleep. A yoga ball can help you keep moving when your body is tired.
Tip: Great nap combo for a newborn -- put your baby in a carrier, walk/rock/bounce them to sleep, then keep them asleep by bouncing/swaying on a yoga ball while you watch a movie. (My husband substituted video games for the movie.) You and your little one will both feel refreshed, even if you don't always "nap when the baby naps."
White Noise Machine: Babies enjoy white noise. It helps to calm them, and often times helps them to sleep (another womb-time reminder). You can create your own tape of white noise to play (record running water, the vaccumn, your hair dryer, etc), or buy a machine like Homedics. I like the white noise machine, too, because it does a great job of neutralizing house noises while my daughter naps. And with the machine, it just stays on as long as needed whereas your tape recording might run out.
Mobile: I suggest getting two: One for over the baby's sleep area, and another over the changing table. Remember that the mobiles should look interesting from the bottom-looking-up.
Infant Bathing Seat: Whether you bath your little one in the family bathtub or the kitchen sink, an infant bath seat can make it a lot easier to handle a slippery little one.
Breastfeeding Pillow: Breastfeeding requires lots of pillows and bolsters in the beginning -- to keep you comfortable, and to align your baby properly to your breast. You can make due with pillows from your bed, but a specially-designed breastfeeding pillow, like the Boppy, can be a big help. Also, the Boppy will get a second life when your child is a couple months older and learning to sit.
Diaper bag: Any bag will work, even a backpack. You just need a bag in which you can store: A clean diaper or two, wipes, diaper cream (optional), a dirty diaper or two (if you are doing cloth), a change of clothes for your baby, a couple of toys, extra breast pads for you (and maybe a spare shirt). The diaper bag that I prefer is a bag / changing pad combo by Ticklebug Baby.
Tip: If you are doing cloth diapers or cloth wipes, a specially-designed wet bag might be useful. You can also simply use Ziploc bags.
Total Luxuries
Baby Lamb Skin: Awesome for naked time & for sleeping on.
Tip: A mother I know put the sheep skin in her son's crib between the mattress and the sheet and had much better luck lying him down to sleep after he fell asleep in her arms because the sheep skin prevented any noise from the mattress.
Tip #2: Take the lamb skin with you when you travel so your baby has something familiar to snuggle up against thus hopefully falling asleep more easily.
Baby Nose Blow: Way easier to use (and clean!) than the bulb syringe they use in the hospital. Baby Nose Blow
Kimono-Style Onsies & Leg Warmers: Onsies that don't have to go over your baby's head will make changes easier on both of you. And leg warmers make diaper changes a snap, and also are easy to put on for extra layers of warmth. My favorites of each: onsies and leg warmers.
Large Fluffy, Hooded Bath Towel: Speaks for itself
Baby Bath Herbs: Each night my little one takes a bath containing lavendar oil and a little sachel of Angel Baby Earth Mama's Baby Bath Blossoms. Seems to always soothe both of us.
Misc. Essentials
A Good, Comprehensive Baby Care Book: I recommend the Sears' guide, The Baby Book. People joke that babies don't come with manuals, but this book is just that. You'll find everything from how to trim your baby's fingernails, to chord care, to sleep questions, to growth charts & developmental milestones. There are other books out there on this subject, but this is the best I've seen in terms of giving you the tools to care for your baby with confidence and kindness.
Happiest Baby on the Block: Book or DVD series. Learn how to soothe your newborn.
The Skinny on Diapers, written by a cloth-diapering friend of mine
The good news is, you have a lot of diapering options. The bad news is, you have a lot of diapering options. Going cloth isn't as hard as some people think and a few months of a diapering service is a great gift to ask for!
That said, here is what I do:
We use gDiapers,
hybrid non-disposables with a flushable liner for trips.
Cloth: My favorites are bum genius and fuzzibuns: one-size,
all-in-ones (they have snaps that make them adjustable).
Check here for prefold info. The best outer wrap for prefolds I've found is the bummis whisper wrap. You
can also get a few of the less expensive outer covers (ie. prowraps) from
consignment stores.
To simplify cloth diapers, this is my recommendation (you
will need to wash every other day; increase the numbers to wash less):
10 bum genius or fuzzibuns 1 size,
all-in-ones (some day cares are ok with these because they are as easy as
disposable)- I use these for nighttime (double stuffed with a trifold) and when we go out. Maybe order a
couple of each to try.
12 trifold cloth newborn size (can
be used to double up for older babes)
12 trifold regular size
2 small and 2 medium whisper wrap
covers (you put these over the trifold and usually only wash them after
several changes)
2 snappis (what we use these days instead of safety pins)
I ordered the “try-it kit" and then some extra trifolds. I
like the Indian cotton.
Tip: The really cheapy ones (ie gerber brand) are meant to
be burp clothes not diapers!
Tip #2: Check the consignment stores and craigslist for cloth
diapers in good shape, a lot of people give up on them early! Also, when you do
the math cloth works out, so don’t be shocked when you have
to shell out a few hundred dollars to get going on cloth. This is a great thing
to put on a registry and people feel good supporting it.
Tip #3: For the first week of your newborn's life, you may just want to use disposible diapers. The reason is because your baby's first bowel movements, called mechonium, will ressemble tar. The substance is blackish and very sticky. To make cleaning the mechonium off your baby's booty a bit easier, apply olive oil to your baby's clean bum before putting on each diaper.
Cloth Washcloths: If your new baby is a girl, it is a good idea to use cloth wipes with water only at least for the first couple of weeks. The additives in the disposable wipes can be irritating to her tender parts. More info on cloth wipes.
Tip: Consider keeping a coffee dispenser of warm water by the changing table for applying to the cloth wipes.This way you won't need to run your kitchen or bath tap each time you do a diaper change.
Health & Hygiene
Baby Nail Clippers: Babies' nails grow ridiculously fast and you'll need to clip them every other day or so for the first few months.
Tip: Some moms just use their teeth.
Digital Thermometer: These come in all types nowadays. We like the ear one. Good gift registry item.
Baby Tylenol, Hyland's Teething Tablets, Gripe Water
Baby Shampoo & Bodywash
Diaper Rash Ointment: We have three by our changing table: Weleda's Calendula Diaper Cream for nighttime and other times when she needs long-term wetness protection; Angel Baby Earth Mama's Baby Bottom Balm is an olive oil-based ointment that keeps baby's skin soft and healthy; Benedictine Childrens' Product's Diaper Rash Oil with plaintain oil for actual diaper rash flare ups.
Tip: Plaintain oil works very well for curing a diaper rash; zinc oxide-based creams, like Weleda's and Butt Paste, work well to protect against wetness irritation.
Note: If you decide to use gDiapers and compost your wet diapers, remember that what ever diaper cream you use will end up in your compost, too.
Pacifiers: Just go ahead and get a few. You can decide later if you're really going to use them or not. Leashes are helpful, too. And if you don't use your pacifiers, the leashes make great toy & teething ring tethers.
Mama Wellness: Stuff for you right after the birth
Thick Maxi Pads
Postpartum Bath Herbs: I liked Angel Baby Earth Mama's
Breast pads: I prefer Lansinoh brand
Nipple cream: I like two brands: Lansinoh lanolin and Angel Baby Earth Mama Nipple Butter (lanolin free)
Tylenol
Food Tree: Encourage your well-meaning friends and family who want to visit and help you after the baby arrives to cook meals for you. Ask your most organized friend to to put this together for you. I had dinners for a whole month coming every other day and it was the greatest gift I could have recieved. My husband and I were free to concentrate on getting to know our little one and breastfeeding without needing to worry about cooking. And each meal was a delicious reminder of our community. It was wonderful having our visitors spaced out, too, and I knew who to expect each day. I strongly recommend this for every postpartum family.
Prenatal Vitamins: Some women don't realize this, but as long as you breastfeed you should continue to take your prenatal vitamins and DHA fish oil. Also, consider adding a supplemental calcium and vitamin B complex (shown effective in combating postpartum depression).
Nursing Tea
A Final Note
Your friends and family will most likely give you clothes. Few can resist the tiny outfits when they are shopping for baby gifts. Try to get some of them to give you 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 month sizes so you don't end up with only newborn clothes. Hats and socks are sometimes overlooked by gift-givers.
Another mother's tip: I won't go into all the clothes your baby needs except to say you really don't need as much as you'll get. Babies love to be skin-to-skin with mom and dad best, so snuggle up under a cozy blanket! (Or bundle your bare baby onto your bare chest with a Moby Wrap.) Plead with gift-givers to get mostly 6-12 month clothes or other things that you need (like meals in the freezer).
Another good resource for what to buy: The Berkeley Parents Network
