Preparing for the arrival of your newborn is thrilling itself. However, once you walk yourself into the aisles of baby products, it could momentarily turn into a horror story. There’s hundreds of adorable clothes and accessories, minus the necessities, that you would want to bring home and use to your kid. The problem? You wouldn’t need all of them!
So, what do you need?
Parents should know that buying your newborn’s things requires some weighing down: there’s the yay and there’s the nay. To aid you in your mission, here’s a list you can scheme through to guide you on your baby products shopping escapade!
There are two ways to feed your baby: either you use a formula which you can talk about with your healthcare provider or opt for breastfeeding. Even before your baby arrives, it’s important to make a decision on what would better help the baby grow healthily. Once you do, stock up on these baby products to support your baby’s growth seamlessly.
Among the basics when breastfeeding are the following:
- Breast pump. Pumps help mothers, especially new ones, produce milk to feed their babies. You can always choose a kind that would help you do the task, while making sure you’re comfortable with it: either it’s a hand pump or the electronic version that you can easily find in stores.
- Milk storage bags. This has been a go-to for mothers since it doesn’t take up much space in the refrigerator, unlike bottles. You can easily pump milk into it and then store it once done, and save it for use. You can opt to begin buying a box of it, and then more should you run out of these milk storage bags.
If you also decide to use formula at times, you can stock up on:
- Milk bottles. The bottles should either be made out of glass or BPA-free plastic, with secure lids to avoid leakage. Basically, newborns need at least the 4 oz. size for the first few months, and then the 8 oz. once the said size isn’t enough to quench the thirst.
- Nipples. Along with the bottles, you will need as many nipples as possible given that your child may ruin it at any time. Moreover, it’s important that you choose to change them not too long after buying it to make sure feeding your newborn is clean and safe.
- Bottle brush. Products such as baby bottles need to be washed regularly to keep contamination out of the window. One way to ensure a thorough wash is to use a bottle brush. These are handy when scrubbing small areas and corners wherein leftover particles may reside, both in bottles and nipples.
- Bottle sterilizer. Aside from washing your baby’s bottles, it’s also important to keep them sterilized at all times to get rid of left-over particles from residing within the item.
- Burp cloths. Burp cloths are mainly for parents, to keep the spit-up and wipe up of the babies mouth in place when they carry them.
- Feeding pillow. This type of pillow helps support the baby during feeding, and more so, with the parents to avoid neck or shoulder strains. This is specially designed to keep babies in position compared to regular pillows.
When buying bottles, it’s important that parents seek for a label that specifically implies that the bottle is BPA-free or clear bottles that do not include the letters “PC”. Plastic bottles have had concerns regarding materials before, which fortunately changed over the course of years to produce quality and toxic-free products for babies.
Before you get excited about bathing your newborn, remember to hold your horses off until the baby’s umbilical cord falls off and the said part heals. Whilst not, you may opt for sponge baths to clean your baby. Moreover, you should purchase the following bathing baby products:
- Plastic bath tub or bathinette. While your kitchen sink or bathtub may work as a bathing area, it’s still significant for babies to have their own fitting bath tubs to prevent them from drowning. Also, it’s best to keep an eye on bath tubs that are durable for another baby’s use.
- Washcloths. Washcloths could cater to a lot of purposes: it can either be to wipe off the smudges on her face or to keep her from sliding around the tub while bathing.
- Hooded towel. While regular bath towels may work to keep your newborn dry, these could be pretty big for them. Hence, it’s best to keep a stock of cotton, hooded towels in her things to wrap her up perfectly after a good bath.
- No-tears formula shampoo. For shampoos, go for no-tears formula types of shampoo to avoid irritation on your baby’s eyes and skin. This also contributes to a good bath that your baby will love and not fear of.
- Mild baby soap. For soaps, you have to bear in mind that a baby’s skin is sensitive. Thus, a regular soap will not work for your newborn. To avoid rashes or other skin irritations, you can opt for mild soaps that are specifically formulated for babies.
- Plastic cup. Of course, you also have to rinse your baby after bathing her. You may need a plastic cup to rinse her off the suds of soap and the shampoo.
Regarding your baby’s soap and shampoo, it’s better to take baby products that do not include fragrance amongst its ingredients to avoid phthalates. Phthalates are chemicals used to soften plastics and make the fragrance last longer; the same component that may cause harm to your newborn.
Parents are free to choose whether they would use cloth or disposable diapers for diapering. Either way, you always have the options to keep your baby’s skin from rashes with quality baby products. To help you on what essentials to buy, here’s a list you can go by:
- Diapers. As mentioned above, it depends on how you would like to approach diapering for your newborn. Though mostly, babies need 10-12 diapers a day during the first few days or months so it’s best to stock on it accordingly. While stocking up on diapers, it’s also important to note that you aren’t particular about the material that would work best for your child yet, so keep a few packs from a different brand as well.
- Diaper bag. A diaper bag is essential especially if you plan on taking your baby to your parents’ house or a picnic outside.
- Diaper pail. Keeping your place clean as much as possible can be tough when you have the baby to attend to. Thus, it would be best to plan ahead and include a diaper pail to throw your baby’s dirty diapers on.
- Baby wipes. Baby wipes are handy when cleaning your baby off the dirt when changing her diaper. Though, you can still opt to make your own or use a washcloth that is wet with warm water to help do the task.
- Diaper cream. Diaper rash can be inevitable in the first few weeks of your newborn, so it’s best to keep a diaper cream to soothe those irritating rashes on her bum when the time comes.
- Changing pad or paper liner. You don’t need to necessarily buy a specific changing table to change your baby’s diaper, but you can choose to designate an area or a mock-up table where you both can find ease during diaper changes.
- A separate bag for dirty diapers. When you’re out of your house, it’s best to keep a separate bag for dirty diapers to keep things in place.
- Extra clothing for changing. It would also be helpful to include a few extra clothes when you’re out with your child to keep her from being untidy.
Your diaper kit is among the essentials that you’ll often use. With that in mind, it’s important that you stock up the listed items to keep the diapering hassle-free. Doing so will also help avoid circumstances where your child will throw tantrums while you’re outside due to an unchanged diaper.
Clothing is also an important consideration when shopping for a newborn’s essentials. However, parents should note that your wee one’s going to grow faster than you think, thus, it’s not recommended that you don’t buy a lot. Learning the size chart for baby clothes should also help you out in buying these baby products.
Furthermore, the material of the cloth is also an important matter. Clothes for babies should be comfortable and soft, so as to keep your child at ease at all times. It should also fit him so he wouldn’t have any problem moving and exploring your place. Also, keeping an eye on toxic materials should also be made a practice so as not to irritate your child’s skin.
For the basics, here is a few clothing that your child will need in his or her first few months:
- Onesies. Onesies are necessary for sleeping and playing. This kind of clothing help babies move conveniently and avoid tripping. Moreover, babies at this stage tend to take naps more frequently, thus, the convenience of the said clothes. Just note to look for those that have zips or snap down at the crotch to easily change the diapers or clothes.
- Bodysuits and shirts. When buying a newborn’s clothes, one of the most important factors that you should consider is the ease of changing her clothes. It would be better to go for shirts or bodysuits that has snaps at the neck area so it’s easier for you to slip the clothes over your child’s head.
- Leggings or stretchable pants. Leggings and other sorts of stretchable pants are your best option should you want to dress up your baby. They are comfortable to wear and would not wore out in a short span of time.
- Hats. Hats make a vital role in keeping your baby away from the heat of the sun and the chills of the cold season.
- Mittens. Mittens, on the other hand, will take care of your baby’s little hands at night when she sleeps or during the cold season.
- Socks. Considering how vulnerable newborns are, it’s important to stock up on socks for indoor purposes and during strolls.
- Shoes. Newborns do not necessarily need hard-soled shoes during the first year, since they aren’t strong walkers at this stage. Thus, you can opt for booties that have nonskid bottom for her to use instead.
- External layers. Sweatshirts and zip-up sweaters are handy during the cold season. Plus, it’s easy to wear and take off so buying a couple of it wouldn’t too much.
Also, it would be nice to observe your laundry practices and keep them baby friendly to make sure your baby’s skin doesn’t irritate.
So, you’ll be decorating your own baby’s crib – what now? According to WebMD, parents should realize that cribs shouldn’t be stuffy, and instead should be “as bare as possible.” This is no matter how adorable items are, especially the pink and blue ones. Additional things such as toys, pillows, or blankets may cut through a healthy sleep, and prevent their breathing. Instead, you may opt for a few things such as:
- A crib or a bassinet. Parents do not need cribs for the newborn since it’s important to keep an eye on the baby during the first few months or years. With that said, you can opt for a bassinet which can serve as her bed next to yours. Then later on, you can choose to put her on a different room since wee ones tend to grow faster than you expected. Remember to also look for a sturdy crib, wherein the slats aren’t distanced as much, and avoid a drop-side crib to prevent unlikely accidents.
- Firm mattress. Once you decided to switch her on a crib, look for a firm mattress that will fit snugly in the crib.
As recommended by experts, babies should always sleep on their backs to prevent unfortunate circumstances and help them sleep soundly and comfortably.
At some point, parents will also need to keep their hands off their babies. Hence, things such as the following baby products should also be stocked up on your baby’s room:
- Stroller. Strolling your baby around at morning is important for her to accumulate the necessary nutrients she needs. Plus, you also need one to simply stroll her around at home or when you’re out at the grocery store.
- Pacifier. Most newborns love pacifiers as it soothes them during the teething phase. Thus, you may need to stuck up in this for some time.
- Baby carrier or sling. In buying a baby carrier, ensure that all necessary straps and harnesses will support your baby effectively. Also, keep in mind that the item is easy to wash to keep it as neat as possible.
Where can you find these must-haves?
If you’re looking for a convenient online baby store in the Philippines to support you in your parental needs, visit us now! We are a proud retailer of the best international baby brands such as Philips Avent, Medela, Lansinoh, Melissa and Doug, Fisherprice, Munchkin, and many more. You can rely on us in making your parent life easier and keeping the quality of your baby’s items in check at all times. Plus, we offer great deals to every modern mom and dad out there to help you effectively in the process.
Should you have inquiries, please feel free to contact us here. We’ll be glad to address your concerns accordingly!