10 things you really do need for baby

There are a lot of products available for you to buy for your baby, a great deal of them you just don’t need.

Some things are essential and some are not. Here is our list of 10 things you really do need for baby:

1) Safe sleeping place for baby

Babies need a safe place to sleep. Even if you’re planning on co-sleeping you’ll need to have your bed set up for a baby to sleep safely with you.

Some parents opt to hire a hospital bassinet or perhaps a baby hammock?

Babies can go straight into their own cot. Make the cot up so that baby is at the foot of the cot and can’t slip down under the covers.

SIDS guidelines recommend babies sleep in their own bed in the same room as an adult caregiver for the first 6 to 12 months of their life.

2) Infant restraint for the car

If you have a car or use Go-Get or other car share program, you’ll need a rear facing infant restraint for at least the first 6 months. You can choose to hire or buy a baby capsule or you may prefer a convertible carseat that rear faces till baby reaches the first height marker then turns around at between 6 and 12 months and faces forward till about 4 years.

3) Pram

Even if you plan on babywearing, having a pram for walks, and getting out and about with your baby is a must.

There’s a very wide range of prams available on the market, priced from the affordable right through to the ridiculous.

Some prams will take a baby capsule on the top so you can have what’s called a travel system which is very handy indeed.

4) Nappies

Whether you go eco-friendly cloth or disposable, you’ll find you will be using quite a few of these in the first 6 weeks so stock up before baby arrives.

5) Easy to wear cotton clothes

Babies don’t need a huge range of clothes as newborns, just some vests, grosuits and a “nice” outfit or two for going out will be fine.

6) Good quality nappy bag

You’ll be using this bad boy quite a bit so go with something you’ll love, that has lots of storage space, matches all your ensembles and will last the distance.

A little bit extra spent here should save you buying 3 in 3 years.

7) Change pad or table

If your bed is high enough for you to comfortably change on it or you don’t have a lot of room, you don’t need a change table. I bought a few padded mats that worked fine.

8) Bouncer or rocker

These are just somewhere safe to pop your awake baby so you have your hands free to do whatever else you need to do. Many babies love the motion and there are different types: musical bouncers and swinging swings and rocking rockers – a huge range.

9) Swaddles

Many newborns love to be wrapped firmly, and having a few blankets made just for this purpose can make your life much easier.

Summer babies would be best wrapped in muslin or other light cloth, and winter babies can go in something a little thicker.

There are many swaddles purpose made for wrapping babies to sleep, with flaps that fold over your baby’s arms and secure with velcro.

10) Digital thermometer

Keep this in your baby’s room. It’s sometimes hard to tell if baby is just warm or its actually a temp so having a digital thermometer is a must.

Can you think of anything you couldn’t be without that isn’t on this list? Please share in the comments below.

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28 Comments

- - mom70876 said
  - 22 Nov 2016
    5:27 pm
A good list though not comprehensive. Definitely don’t need all the bells and whistles. Need a washng machine… you wash a lot with a baby!

- - ella12 said
  - 13 Sep 2016
    4:30 pm
Sudocrem lol! for a variety of uses.

- - rachelvk said
  - 24 Dec 2015
    2:28 pm
Great list. The only thing I would add is nappy cream.

- - Nas01 said
  - 09 Dec 2015
    11:25 pm
Totally agree. All items are useful and needed for little one.

- - mum888 said
  - 07 Dec 2015
    9:24 am
I was fortunate to have a lot of hand me downs and you would not believe my mother kept clothes from when we were growing up and kept them in great condition. I was lucky to pass them onto my own daughter .

- - mom107723 said
  - 01 Dec 2015
    11:08 am
There is becoming alot of opposition for the swaddling method.

- - mom160421 said
  - 24 Nov 2015
    6:35 pm
Along with nappies, you’ll use a lot of wipes.

- - mom93821 said
  - 14 Nov 2015
    7:33 pm
Safe sleeping space/spot for bub is definitely no 1 on any list – so important! Pleased to see it on the top of this list.

- - paulah2 said
  - 13 Nov 2015
    2:34 pm
I’m a huge fan of baby wearing and highly recommend the Ergobaby to add to the list

- - sonja_holness said
  - 04 Nov 2015
    9:31 pm
I would add a baby carrier to that list. Babywearing has really saved my life this time around.

- - mom126075 said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    10:23 pm
I spent so much money buying swaddled and my bubba hated being wrapped. Such a waste.
- mom93821 replied
  
  15 Nov 2015 , 6:41 am
  I hear you – some bubs do not like swaddling!
  - mom94125 replied
    
    03 Dec 2015 , 6:35 pm
    
    if you ever need to, try those love to dream wraps, you can buy the swaddle transistion ones where the baby will have one arm free so they resist it less
- - mom74640 said
  - 03 Nov 2015
    10:14 am
Like ng

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 02 Nov 2015
    11:15 pm
I would agree with that list. There are a couple of things that I wish I had never bought, as they were either rarely used or impractical.

- - taynik46 said
  - 02 Nov 2015
    11:48 am
I agree with everything in the list.

The only thing I would add is a baby monitor – for a few reasons 1. sids being the most obvious one, 2 if your a heavy sleeper and the baby’s room is not directly near by it can help you out, also they are great for peace of mind if you are outside gardening or relaxing in the sun and bub’s is inside sleeping – you can hear everything

- - mom74640 said
  - 02 Nov 2015
    10:27 am
Like bs

- - Carolineb said
  - 02 Nov 2015
    9:15 am
Great article for mums. I loved our bouncer it was great, especially in the early months, ours vibrated.
With the clothes, try to get zips as in the middle of the night you don’t want to be matching multiple press studs up.

- - mum4107 said
  - 02 Nov 2015
    5:26 am
A baby monitor. I still use ours

- - mom107723 said
  - 02 Nov 2015
    4:58 am
very sensible article, a must read for all mums.

- - mom153507 said
  - 01 Nov 2015
    11:34 pm
For once you have moved baby to their own room I suggest baby monitor.
Not only for safety reasons but it is very reassuring for Mummy.
We have a video baby monitor & I use it for nap time, bed time & when the kids are just playing in their room. It is so reassuring to be able to see them at all times!

- - Dee said
  - 01 Nov 2015
    9:34 pm
Babt wearing is not for everyone but for me I couldn’t be without my baby carrier. Newborns don’t need one, but a high chair or bumbo would be on my list too.