Placing your first few steps in the world of Motherhood is just as scary as it is beautiful and surreal. The baby you had been fostering and caring for in your body is now in your arms, and irrespective of the knowledge you have gained by reading dozens of pregnancy books and blogs, the reality is way too different and you can never be too prepared for it.
In every step of the way, you need to make the tough decision of selecting the most favorable option from a plethora of opinions.
In this article, we plan to save you a few tough choices by giving you a crisp list of the 5 must-haves that you need for your little one. While the range and varieties of products are never ending, these 5 products are those that you just can’t survive without in the first few months.
{Baby Clothes}
As obvious as it may sound, knowing how many and what type of clothes you require is not that easy. Baby clothes should be durable, soft and airy so that they don’t hinder the movements of your little one. The materials should be able to hold up well despite repeated washes (because you will need to wash it multiple times a day as your baby will spit-up, drool or grime it up).
For the first three months, you’ll primarily require these articles:
- Single-piece Outfits (around 5 to 7): useful for both sleeping and playing. But the ones that are zipped up all the way in the front so that you may easily change its clothes or diaper.
- Shirts & Bodysuits (around 5 to 7): Chose one with a wider neckline.
- Stretchy Pants (around 5 to 7): Try buying one with an elastic waist band so that it can stretch as your baby grows.
- Outer Layer (around 5): Jackets or Zip-Sweaters. Try buying a larger size so your baby can be comfortable.
- Mittens & Hats: A Sun hat for summers and a woolen hat for winters that are able to cover their ears.
- Socks & Shoes: Keep lots of socks for indoor usage and leather slippers for outdoors.
We suggest you opting for organic baby clothes that are made without using severe dyes or unsafe chemicals. They are usually more expensive, but then, who can place a price tag on the comfort of your baby right?
Ergo, you should try firstcry, the online baby care store, where you’ll find the best and most comfortable clothes for you baby. Moreover, one can use firstcry coupons to avail discount on your shopping orders with flat 30% off on your first order. Do check out these little treats for your little angels.
{Diapers}
These are literally the saviors for every new born mother. You no longer need to repeatedly change the nappy for your baby what seems like a million times a day. Simply use disposable diapers to save you all that trouble. A new born needs around 10-12 diaper changes a day, so you need to keep your stock updated accordingly.
Try choosing ones with essential oils to keep your baby’s skin happy and irritation free. Wash the baby with a clean cloth dipped in warm water. Also, try designating one particular place where you will change your baby’s diapers and clean it clean and sanitized at all times.
{Baby Gear}
Keeping your new born inside the house at all times is pretty much impossible. You need to take it out once in a while to meet new people, see and explore the world it’s new to, and also to help build its immunity and acclimatize it to the outside environment. For all these, baby gears are inevitable. Generally, it’s a good decision to have two types of baby gears:
- Stroller: Using a stroller is an efficient solution for taking you baby around the neighborhood. Try buying one with some extra space so that you may easily shop with your little one. Also, a reclining seat will be more comfortable for your baby to lie or nap. If you need to climb stairs, chose the one that is lightweight or equipped for that.
- Car Seat: This is a mandatory product in today’s world. Try buying a car seat designed according to the latest safety regulations instead of an old, used one. Also, do not forget or neglect checking the expiration date of the seat.
Inside the home, you need to provide the baby with a comfortable bed to sleep in, hence indoor baby gears are equally important:
- Crib & Mattress: For the cribs as well, chose the one that is aligned with all the latest safety features. The crib should also be very sturdy with slats that are not too far from each other. Also, DO NOT buy drop-side cribs with have been reported to cause many baby deaths. Try opting for comfortable and waterproof bedding.
{Feeding Accessories}
Feeding accessories include everything that makes the process of breastfeeding your child more comfortable and safe for the two of you. Don’t neglect the things you need, as if you are not well, you won’t be able to care for your baby either. These are some of the feeding accessories we though are useful:
- At any chemist, you will find ointments that help relieve sore nipples. Use them for your comfort. Cold or warm gel packs inside the bra can also help reduce the swelling in your breasts. Also, do invest in breast pads to keep your clothes dry and clean because it is inevitable for your breasts to leak in the nursing period.
- Burp Clothes (Around 6-12): These are used to catch baby fluids or spit ups while feeding.
- Bottles (Around 6-12): Infants begin generally with the 4ounce size, however, as you baby grows, you will need to shift to the 8 ounce size. Try avoiding plastic bottles as much as possible, stainless steel bottles are a more favorable option.
- Breast Pump: It is not possible for you to be with your baby 24*7. For moments that you are not around, a breast pump will prove to be magical. The electric models are faster as help in pumping from both the breasts simultaneously. Otherwise, you may also chose the basic hand pump option.
- Breast Milk Bags: After pumping your breast milk, instead of storing them in bottles, you can instead store them in these specially designed bags for storing breast milk. These take less space in the freezer and can also be defrosted quite easily.
- Food: Can’t rally neglect the food, can you? As a newbie mom, sometimes you’ll have to suppress your temptations for your favorite food and stick to a recommended diet for the initial few months, for the best health of your child and you yourself.
{Safety}
Nothing is more essential than the safety of your baby, so never neglect that. Childproof your entire house as soon as your baby begins to roll and crawl and you have no idea how helpful this is.
Image Credit: By Binatoneglobal (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Baby Monitors are equally important gadgets as they help you keep a track of your baby even when you are not in the same room. You may choose between an advanced video model that lets you see your baby, or a basic audio model as per your convenience.
With this, we come to the end of our list. If you have these 5 must-have essentials, you are pretty much equipped to share your house with the little one. While we understand that a mother may never stop worrying about her child, we hope that with this list, your worry will at the very least, go down a notch. Embrace this journey with love, guidance, tough choices and a lot of beautiful memories.
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