After 9 long months of labor and perhaps a few years of waiting, you’re finally a mom; congratulations! Especially if it’s your first child, no feeling is more fulfilling than finally becoming a parent. However, parenting is a long journey, and the best way to ensure you become a good parent is to prepare for a good start. If you have or are expecting a newborn, it is important to have a checklist of items you’ll need to make sure your baby gets the best care he or she deserves. Well, parenthood won’t change you, but it will definitely make you. Shopping for a newborn can be quite overwhelming, especially if you are a new parent.
Here are some baby essentials every new parent needs.
Baby Nursery
There is just too much beautiful, colorful, and attractive stuff to choose from for a newborn. Regardless, it’s best to buy the most essential stuff for the baby nursery before birth. This is because, for things like the bed, you may have to order and wait for delivery, especially if you need a specific color or design. The baby nursery needs to be adorable, colorful, warm, and welcoming. You may also need some furniture like the glider, which helps you swivel and soothe the baby to sleep while also allowing you to move around easily to reach items like the burping cloths without having to stand up.
For those times when you’re busy in the house, and the baby needs to sleep, a baby lounger comes in handy. It allows you to supervise the baby as they sleep, ensuring their safety. As seen on https://sleepauthorities.com/dockatot-review/, a good baby lounger also helps to enhance your baby’s motor skills and neck strength as they play in there while awake. Since your baby will be safe and supervised while sleeping in the lounger, you can carry on with your household chores without much worry. It eliminates the need to put your baby in the nursery or on household furniture where they can fall while turning during sleep. Other important nursery items may include:
- A crib
- Cradle
- Soft mattress and bedding
- A baby monitor
- A diaper changing table with a pad,
- Rocking chair
Baby Clothing
When it comes to preparing for the arrival of a newborn baby, it’s always thrilling, and it involves tons of preparation like buying some must-haves even before the baby arrives. As you go shopping for clothes for your newborn, however, you may not require an extensive wardrobe. Because the baby will outgrow the clothes in the first few weeks, it’s best to buy small quantities and vary the sizes. Simply pick the items you can’t go without, don’t stress! Always ensure you buy your newborn some comfy and restful clothes to keep him/her as warm as possible. Baby clothing may include rompers, pants, shirts, sweaters, pajamas, jackets, socks or booties, soft caps, mittens, and some baby blankets.
Baby Bathing Essentials
Some people have this credence that they can only start shopping for a baby once it’s born. This can be very tricky, confusing, and overwhelming since you have a lot of items to buy. It will, therefore, be wise to start shopping as early as possible, before you welcome the little buddy to the family. On this note, bath time is a fun time for most babies. Apart from keeping your baby clean, a bath helps them to relax, and it lulls them to sleep easily. The list for a newborn can never be exhausted, so just stick to the basics. Some essentials items for bath time may include bathtub or basin, towels, body wash, soft face cloth, and some oils. Don’t forget diapers, wet wipes, and some diaper cream.
Feeding Essentials
Every parent longs for that moment when they usher in their tiny, little human being into the world. The best part of it comes when the baby starts feeding. However, it’s always a good idea to consult the pediatrician about your baby’s nutrition, and whether there are specific foods you should feed your baby. Even if you are breastfeeding, you will need to feed him after the first few months. Some feeding items to get may include feeding bottles, a brush for cleaning, nipples, nursing pads, bibs, burp cloths, breast pumps (if breastfeeding), milk storage bags, and feeding pillows, among others.
Baby Health Essentials
The arrival of a new baby brings about a totally new life experience. It requires much more responsibility on your part as a parent. Ensure your baby is well taken care of with much comfort and care. The health of your baby is one of the topmost priorities and cannot be overlooked. It will be a long road with twists and turns, joy, and tears. Therefore, you need to be prepared for the unforeseen by ensuring you have some emergency essentials at hand in case your baby falls sick. Some of them include a baby thermometer, paracetamol (mostly recommended by the pediatrician) first aid kit, baby nail clippers, cradle cap brush, and some pacifiers.
Being the newest parent in town is a great experience. However, it is also a huge responsibility and can get overwhelming if you’re not well prepared. With the few essentials above ready, ushering in your newborn can be less stressful.