Newborn Essentials - What do we really need?
This is a list of essentials for you and your newborn, as your baby grows there will be extra things you will need but for now let's just focus on what you will need for the first 8 weeks. Remember that getting things second hand is great! I just don’t recommend getting a secondhand carseat or mattress.
Onesies - I love the bonds wondersuits (size 0000 and size 000 get a mix)
Singlets - Baby’s feel the cold a little more than us grown ups, so its best to have an extra layer on them.
Pants and tops if you like, although the first 8-12 weeks onesies work best!
Socks - Newborn’s don’t have great circulation so they often have cold and blue feet!
1 or 2 newborn beanies are good for winter babies, although Sydney doesn’t get too cold, thankfully.
Swaddles - muslin wraps are nice but I highly recommend getting some jersey cotton swaddles as they are more stretchy and work better for swaddling.
Side Sleeper Bassinet/Sheets (don’t worry about needing a cot just yet)
Bassinet for the living room - always good to have somewhere for baby to sleep close by during the day.
Rocking chair - not essentials but great for night feeds and for settling your little one to sleep while being able to sit!
Wrap Carrier - the wraps are by far the best for newborns you can also use them up to 2yr olds. They seem complicated but after a few tries I promise you will be a pro. I wouldn’t bother with the “pre made wraps or clip together carriers”
Baby bath - a plain, cheap plastic baby bath is all you need, some baths come with a little inbuilt seat, I find these really difficult to bath newborns in, so a flat bath is best until your little one is a bit bigger.
Baby towels with a hood
Face cloths
Change table / Changing pad
Nappy Bin
Nappies / Wipes
Sudo cream / Bepanthen cream
Plain white terry towels for burping
Car seat
Pram (with newborn bassinet setting)
Dummies
Breast feeding pillow
Nipple cream
Nursing pads
Bottles - Don’t forget to get the newborn teats, if you are planning to breast feed then you don’t need to get bottles unless you prefer to have a couple on hand.
Steriliser - I love the UV light sterilisers, requires less cleaning than the original “steam clean” style, although any style works perfectly fine!
Breast Pump - I don’t recommend the “hands free” pumps as I have received a lot of bad feedback from my mammas, they tell me that the suction wears overtime!
