Monday, January 12, 2015

essentials for baby

I'm not one for gadgets or excess baby paraphernalia. In fact, I think many first time parents get sucked in by long lists of must-haves, only to realise that so much of it is unnecessary.

When I was collating this list I asked Daniel what he remembers as being an essential in the first few months of baby. "Things to clean up with," he said. Which just about sums it up. Babies are beautiful but they create a lot of mess, hence a good supply of clothes, burp cloths and wraps are absolutely necessary. I'm also a fan of a neutral colour palette in those first few months; it ensures that everything can be washed together (you'll need to do at least one load a day) and it means that future siblings or friends' babies, regardless of their sex, will use the clothes, too.

As I start to prepare for my little one's arrival, I'm conscious of how often things will be used and where they're going to live. Two boxes of teeny tiny clothes are sitting in the laundry waiting to be washed and I'm proud to say that most of them were purchased or gifted when Che was born (quality stands the test of time and baby vomit).

In my opinion, this is what you need for baby:

1. Booties that stay on the feet (there aren't many on the market). These Nature Baby Cotton Drawstring Booties are a must-have and are, in my opinion, the best sock/shoe for those first few months.

2. I distinctly remember the few hours after Poet was born: I was holding her little hand and realised that her nails were quite sharp. And I'd forgotten to get mittens! It's probably the last thing you would think about but mittens are quite important in the first week or two as your baby's arms will flail about and they very easily scratch themselves. These fog linen mittens are simple and beautiful and come in their own calico bag for easy storage.

3. Nature Baby make a beautiful kimono-style bodysuit which ensures that dressing baby is easy. Sometimes slipping a top over baby's head is a little nerve-wracking, hence the kimono takes the stress out of the experience.

4. An Australian icon, the Bonds wondersuit is a staple from birth-two years. Nothing quite like snuggling your terry-towelling clothed newborn!

5. I recommend a good selection of cotton singlets for baby - these organic ones are my favourite.

6. Babies sleep - a lot, so they need to wear comfortable, soft clothes. Forget about denim or complicated designs and embrace cotton. I love these little stripe pants (and suits) from Gaia, these from Wilson & Frenchy and Nature Baby's striped bodysuits.

7. The Love To Dream Swaddle ensures baby can sleep soundly with its arms up - genius!

8. A hooded towel for bath time will be used from birth till toddlerhood. If you know the sex of your baby, I also love these ones.

9. I used a moses basket for Che and Poet but this time I'm buying a Tetra Organic Snuggle Bed to ensure safe co-sleeping (they can also be placed inside a cot so you don't need to invest in a bassinet). It's also easy to move around the house and comes highly recommended by many, many mothers.

10. Slings and carriers are the best way to settle your baby and keep your hands free. I love the Sakura Bloom linen sling.

11. Classic terry towelling nappies make fabulous burp cloths and will, I promise you, be used for all manner of reasons in your child's life. I still have the 12 that I bought when Che was a baby and they are still going strong.

12. Aden and Anais bamboo muslin swaddles have a bit of a cult following - for good reason. The bamboo range is divine - soft, silky and perfect for swaddling baby or using as a pram or feeding cover. I love these!

13. A soft, lightweight blanket comes in very handy. I recently bought this handmade four-layer cotton gauze blanket and it's ideal for our autumn weather which, at best, is unpredictable. I also love the fact that it's a practical heirloom.

14. My favourite newborn beanie features a quirky top-knot and is very easy to put on.

15. The l'il fraser cotton jersey wrap is one of my favourite baby items. It's so easy to swaddle baby in these and they wash incredibly well.

16. Every household needs a tub of Tui Bee Balm*. This miracle balm cures everything and is the only product you need to consider for nappy change time (it's also great for eczema).

17. My auntie makes the best muslin facewashers (she cuts squares of muslin and overlocks the edges). If you're not handy with a sewing machine, these are a great option for bath time but also make great clean-up cloths (we always have a few in each room of the house).

Whilst I'm sure I have forgotten a few things, I have no doubt that this collection will come in handy for you and your baby. If you have an item that you couldn't live without, please leave a comment below. I'm more than happy for this post to become a collaborative effort!

*an affiliate item that earns me a small commission when purchased.


20 COMMENTS

  1. With baby number 4 coming to our family this winter, I concur that simple, soft neutrals are the easiest way to go. I love love love the Love Me Swaddles and only found them with my last baby, but they are essential for great sleeping. I also always get a fresh pack of the terry towel nappies, because they are a major multi tasker.

    I don't really need to purchase much this time around, but those sweet striped booties will make it onto my list!

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    1. Winter is such a lovely season to welcome a newborn. I hope your pregnancy is going well x

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  2. A metal thermos flask to keep water warm for formula. Nothing worse than baby waking up hungry and you need to warm up milk. This was and is still one of my favourite baby purchases

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    1. I breastfeed so have never had to use formula but thanks so much for sharing, no doubt a few readers will appreciate your advice x

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  3. Lovely list though I must respectfully disagree with mittens being a valuable item. A newborn's hands are vital to orienting itself towards an optimal nursing position, to navigate and balance itself to ensure a good latch. Moreover the opening and closing of a fist is a key hunger cue in very young babies. Mittens inhibit these reflexes. In my opinion trimming nails is a far more breastfeeding friendly approach.
    http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/child-rearing-and-development/bringing-baby-home/cutting-babys-fingernails.

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  4. What a lovely list. I soooo wish I could use it but I know it will be useful for my friends' new babies :).
    It's a pleasure to read you, Jodi and I take this opportunity to wish you and your beautiful family a beautiful new year.

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  5. I adore the Love Me Swaddles. They just make life so much easier (and comfy for little people I'm sure)!

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  6. Lovely blog !! Your font is super hard for me to read though, maybe its just my eyes:)

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    1. Sorry to hear that, Sylvia. I did make the font bigger not that long ago and since then I've had no complaints. Apologies!

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  7. Great list! Thanks for sharing - I'm expecting my second in July and I was one of those mothers that bought things that if we have a boy this time around I wont be able to use. I think finding out we were having a girl and hormones sent me into a pink girly frenzy. This time I'm letting the gender be a surprise and going with neutrals. Love the Sakura sling - had one with my first and used it almost every day until she was a year old.

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    1. ...but if you have a girl, you won't have to buy a thing! x

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  8. Love Sakura Bloom ring slings, such a wonderful optimal carrier for newborns through to toddlers :) The Yoli and Otis however isn't. All stretchy carriers require 3 layers of stretchy fabric to be safe otherwise a child can easily flip out. This is not possible with the Yoli and Otis; the two tube design does not even allow for it. This tells me that very little babywearing research was done before production as does the fact that unsafe and incorrect recommendations are made on the company website. Cradle carry only is recommended in an low, face covered position which is dangerous and does not meet the TICKS guidelines for safe babywearing. Here is some more information on both those things tinyurl.com/uprightpos and http://www.schoolofbabywearing.com/Images/TICKS.pdf
    If you are looking for an Australian made and owned carrier to recommend, try Ankalia; they make optimal carriers and are designed and run by experienced and educated babywearers :)

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Cat x

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    2. We won't enter into this with you again as we have already replied to your emails, but with respect to you and your brand, we also have put a lot of love and research into our carriers, consulted with many experts, and can categorically state that they are safe and ticks approved. As a natural, all organic brand with a design to simplify baby wearing with a more pure and intuitive design we are effectively eliminating any hassle, allowing our mothers to wear confidently and care-free. As with all carriers, the end responsibility lies with the gorgeous mothers carrying their children, and we leave it up to their discretion to do so safely.

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  9. I used the Tetra bed for both my little girls and my sister borrowed it for my niece, I LOVE IT! I wish my girls didn't grow out of it so quickly :)

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  10. I have the snuggle bed if you'd like to borrow it. We actually didn't find it very useful, but others love it. Let me know xx

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  11. I love this list, it's always great to see which products other Mums swear buy. A few items on here made my 'must-have' list as well!

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  12. Hi - love the blog and this list is perfectly timed with my first babe due in a few short months! I'd love your opinion on the need for a baby/nappy bag and if so, what sort of bag works best? Thanks and can't wait to read all about your little one joining us x

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