As a first-time mom, you’d want to prep well with all necessary baby gear before your little one arrives. Ideally, you should start planning and picking out things for yourself and the baby during your third trimester. I suggest you gather everything you need for the entire first year so that you don’t have to go through the hassle of doing all of it while the baby is around.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably due for your first baby soon and are looking for a list of things that would help you out. With a 4-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter, I have the list of baby gear fresh in my mind and stocked in my basement!
So here’s what the baby gear guide looks like:
Cradle/Crib
Putting your baby to sleep is not the easiest task, not after the first few days at least. Holding your newborn close to you and rocking him or her in your arms is probably what you’d want to do but this could get tiring, plus you will have to get some rest yourself post-delivery. Cradles are a safe bet to put your child to sleep after a few minutes of rocking. You can find cradles that you can rock manually or ones that come with electronically enabled motions.
A crib, on the other hand, is a more long-term option which your child can use long after he or she starts walking too. You won’t have to put it away until he or she no longer fits. The crib can be your baby’s bed as well as a play area during the initial months.
Make sure you have comfortable and soft mattresses and blankets for the cradle/crib so that your baby has a nice cushiony bed to doze off in.
Toddler bathtub
You’ll need a small toddler tub that you can bathe your baby in. You can find many options in the market depending on how long you plan to use the tub. Sitters usually don’t need a tub but they’d love to play in the water so I bought a pretty big one so that I can let my kids play in it for a while before I give them a bath.
Diapers
Getting diapers goes without saying but is an important item on your list of baby gear. We often tend to forget about disposable things. When I was prepping for my daughter, Aarna’s arrival, all I had to do was find the things I had bought for my son. The one thing I forgot to stock up on was diapers!
I used the regular disposable diapers/pull-ups/diaper pants (or whatever else you can call it) when I used to take the babies out but used cloth diapers at home. They are soft, safe, don’t cause rashes and are easy to wash.
Nursing pillow
Breastfeeding can cause backaches and arm aches too. With nursing pillows available, you need not go the traditional way of placing your baby on your lap to feed him or her. Get a nursing pillow that will help you hold your baby and give him or her a comfortable place to sleep on while being fed. Most nursing pillows are washable so you don’t have to worry about spills or your baby spitting up.
Infant car seat
Your child’s safety is of utmost importance to you so make sure he or she is safe while travelling too. Infant car seats make sure your baby is comfortably placed and absorbs impact in case there is an accident.
Stroller
My husband loves to run so the stroller was the first thing he had in mind when we were jotting down things to buy for the baby. If you’re planning to get one too, get a compact one that easily fits through doors, is made with soft and cosy material, and has adjustable handles that allow adults of different heights push the stroller.
Carrier
A carrier is a must-have! Get one that has thickly padded straps so that it doesn’t hurt your shoulders and back. Baby carriers are a blessing in disguise but can get really uncomfortable on hot summer days – which is why you should also have a cloth wrap in handy. You can find readymade ones or make one yourself using a long piece of cloth.
High chair
Once your baby starts eating solid foods, you can get him or her on a high chair on which they can enjoy their everyday meals. You can find stand-alone high chairs and ones that you can place on your regular dining chairs. I have a stand-alone chair and it is quite convenient to move around in the house.
The list of baby gear can go on but those I’ve mentioned here are the absolute necessities. What else would you add to the baby gear guide? Let me know in the comments below.
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