When it comes to having a baby, there is just so much stuff involved. Having had two little ones now, I can firmly separate that never-ending list of stuff into two categories: Items I literally could not do without, and Nonsense that the internet told me I needed and are basically just taking up space in my already-cluttered home. I strongly believe that these lists are pretty personal (after all, some people have told me they literally always change their baby on the changing table, whereas I am very much a ‘whenever wherever’ kinda mum) but they are a great starting place if you’re looking at what you might need for you baby.
*This is not a sponsored post, but some of the links will be affiliate links which means I will earn a small kickback if you do purchase anything through these.
Sling or carrier
I am a huge fan of babywearing. In the fourth trimester, you baby will likely not want to be put down much, and so if you want to get literally anything done, a sling or carrier will be your best friend. Especially if you are on baby number two or more. With my first, Ruben, I could spend days contact napping and watching Teen Mom UK. However, now I have a newborn and a toddler, I still have to do all the usual mum things such as soft play, food shopping and cooking dinner, but with a snuggly newborn too. The best thing I’ve found for us all is to strap Indiana to me in the sling and have my hands free for the rest of it all. It helps when he’s feeling clingy, but means I can still play with Ruben as much as ever. It has also been great because we didn’t get a double buggy and instead I put Ruben in the stroller and have Indie in the carrier if I need to head out with them both. (As you can see above, I even rocked a ring sling at a recent wedding – meaning I had a hand free for champagne!)
Would recommend doing a bit of research and visiting your local sling library for a consultation so you know you’re using your sling or carrier correctly, for baby’s health and your comfort, but once you’ve got the hang of it, it’s a dream. We even have a toddler carrier which my husband uses with our almost-3-year-old regularly and they both love it.
Medicine dummy
This is such an amazing invention and I will shout about it until the cows come home, and when the cows come home, I’ll tell them about it too! When babies are tiny, it’s a nightmare to get them to take medicine and they often just let it dribble out of their mouth and you both get sticky and gross. This is a godsend. You pour the measured amount of Calpol/Gripewater etc in the dummy, pop the dummy in the baby’s mouth, and gently push down the plunger. They’ll automatically start sucking and it’s an easy and clean way to make sure they get their medicine without getting covered in it.
Cheap bouncer
I love a bouncer or a swing, and we have a gorgeous Nuna Leaf downstairs for daily use. However, I would hugely recommend getting a cheap and cheerful (perhaps even secondhand, ours was from Marketplace) bouncer to keep in the bathroom and pull out when you need a shower (or a poo!). It’s so hard to shower with a baby, and this is the best way I’ve found. With Ruben, I used the bouncer until he outgrew it, and then I used this chair for a while which he happily sat and played in. Now he’s a toddler I sit him in the bath (with no water of course) with toys or books so that we can see each other while I take the quickest shower known to man.
Muslins
This is a divisive one. Some people say they never used muslins and honestly I have no idea how! They’re used constantly here. Not only for catching baby vomit, but for wiping trolleys, as a light blanket, to put on a public changing mat, mop up spills, and even as enormous hankies when someone has a cold. I have some beautiful ones that I tend to use for playtime, or as photo backdrops, and then smaller ones that are for the messy jobs. When Indie was in hospital at 2 weeks old, he was often swaddled in a massive muslin that smelt of me, which I think was really comforting for him.
Sterimar Breathe Easy
This is such a lifesaver right now, I can’t even tell you! Both boys get such blocked noses and can’t blow them yet. For Indiana, it can stop him from being able to feed properly, and it’s a nightmare. Thankfully this spray is safe from birth and is just a saline solution. Just pop it in the nose and give a quick spray. They hate it at first but within 10 seconds they are calm and happy and able to breathe through their noses again.
Love to Dream Swaddle
Okay, hear me out with this one. I was very much against swaddling with Ruben. I was petrified. However, in the hospital with Indie when he was poorly at 2 weeks old, the nurses swaddled him and he loved it. So when we got home, I purchased this. I didn’t trust myself enough to do it with a blanket and it to be right, so this was the next best thing. Yes, it’s pricey. But it was totally worth it! He loved it, and looked like a little flying squirrel! They’re supposed to stop being swaddled at 3 months, or when they can roll over (when we move to these https://tidd.ly/3GNF2Ot) but for us it was absolutely worth it for that amount of time.
Angelcare breathing monitor
We were lucky enough to be given one of these when Ruben was first born. As an incredibly anxious person, I didn’t get any sleep those first few weeks as I kept waking up to check he was breathing. This monitor goes under the cot and sets off an alarm if baby stops breathing at all. This version also has a camera so you can use it as a monitor, and we continued to use this until January this year when Ruben was 2 and moved into his big boy bed. Worth it for the peace of mind it gave an anxious new mum in those first few months.
So these are just my 0-3 month essentials. As Indiana grows, I want to add to this series – so it’s helpful to other Mums and also myself if we decide to go for baby 3 (sorry Steven!)
I’d love to know what your newborn baby essentials are in the comments!