My Newborn Equipment Essentials (and what to avoid)

Are you expecting a little bundle of joy?

No, this isn’t one of those announcements from me – those days are gone now, however there seems to be a real baby boom with my friends at the moment and as a mother of six they have been busy asking me what my newborn equipment essentials were, as well as what to avoid.

1. A Moses Basket – they are only in them for the first 2 or 3 months but I found that as tiny babies they wouldn’t settle in the cot as there was too much space. I have to admit I went for the basic version but I adore this Clair de Lune moses basket set.
2. Car Seat – Essential for transporting babies in and out of the car.  They have improved ten-fold since I had my first baby with units that can be sat on your buggy so you don’t have to disturb the baby when moving them in and out of the car.
3. Pram / Pushchair – There are literally hundreds to choose from these days and it can be a minefield. My advice is to check the size and weight of the unit as you will have to lift it in and out of cars. Also check it is compatible with your car seat and has the features you require for where you live. We are fairly rural so I wanted one that was good off-road.
4. Baby Monitor – I swore by my Angel Care baby monitor which not only let me listen into baby, but also had a movement sensor for my peace of mind. That gentle beep was very reassuring and stopped me checking on baby quite as frequently as I would have without it.
5. Sterilising equipment –  even if you exclusively breastfeed like I did, a steriliser comes in very handy if they have colic or it is a hot day and you want to give them water. You should also sterilise all feeding equipment and dummies until baby is 6 months old

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Of course there are also a lot of “nice to have” items too. When I had an emergency c-section with Sebastian, the Snugglebundl lifting wrap was a real godsend and Ewan the Dreamsheep was surprisingly effective at helping him sleep.

So what are my avoid items?

1. Dedicated Nappy Bins – I fell into the trap and bought one once, but it is far cheaper buying a pack of nappy sacks and popping the soiled nappy straight in the outside bin. The cartridges are extortionate!
2. Heated Baby Wipe Holder – Keep the wipes near the radiator but not directly on top of it and it has the same effect
3. Special Baby Towels with a hood in the corner – they are too small, too thin, not absorbent enough and not warm and snuggly!
4. Bottle Warmer – Ok, so I breastfed but having used one with a friends baby they take far too long to warm up. Use a kettle and a jug of boiling water!
5. Plastic Changing mat – they are freezing all times of the year, they split and you end up using a towel underneath anyway. If you want a changing mat then get a cosyplay as they are covered in a soft washable fabric and made with memory foam for comfort.

This post was written in collaboration with Online4Baby, the UK’s leading suppliers of baby and toddler products with a wide-ranging catalogue from buggies to baby monitors