newborn baby checklist: our suggestions for things you need.

08/10/2020

Baby due any week now? Then you’ve probably already given plenty of thought to ‘big ticket’ items such as buggies, car seats, highchairs and Moses baskets/cots. But how about the smaller items? The not-so-costly but important things that will help make those tricky first few days and weeks at home that much easier.

If you’ve not had chance to make a ‘what I need for newborn baby checklist’ yet (and we appreciate that you’ve got a lot on your mind), let us help you. With the aid of anecdotes from real parents, we’ve put together a list of suggestions that will help take away the stress of those early days and allow you to enjoy them to the fullest.

My what I need for newborn baby checklist

Checklist Item #1: WATERWIPES AND MUSLINS

Top of our list for a reason. In fact, you’re going to wonder how you ever managed without them.

“Let me be clear, you can never have too many baby wipes or muslins during those first few weeks. Babies dribble, drool and spit up almost constantly. And don’t get me started on the many, many explosive nappy incidents,” says Sian, mum to Cara 3, and Sophie, 1. “However many you think you need of each, buy two times that. At least.”

Checklist Item #2: BABY GROWS, CLOTHES AND BIBS

Whether it’s spitting up after a feed or a leaky nappy, babies go through an extraordinary amount of clothes every day – so make sure you have an abundance of baby grows and bibs available. Smarter outfits are less important as they outgrow them so quickly but depending on the time of year you will also need at least one coat/jacket, as well as things like mittens, hats and booties.

Checklist Item #3: NAPPIES AND CHANGING MATS

A newborn baby will go through up 12 nappies per day, so make sure you buy accordingly during those first few weeks (and have lots of nappy rash cream as well). We also recommend having more than one changing mat, one for the nursery and one that moves around the house with you. A fold-up one for when you venture outside is a good idea too.

“We had a lovely changing station set up in the nursery, complete with nappies, baby wipes, cotton wool and creams. But sometimes, if the nappy was particularly full or Gruff was particularly cranky, it just wasn’t practical to move him from where he was, so we had a second changing mat that used to come around the house with us,” says Angelina, mum to Gruff, 2.

Visit our Parenting Hub for eight great nappy changing tips and lots more nappy changing FAQs.

Checklist Item #4: FEEDING UTENSILS

Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding, make sure you have everything you need to feed baby, as they’re going to be hungry. For breastfeeding mums, nursing bras, nursing pads and nipple cream are absolute musts, while a breast pump, breastmilk storage bags, nursing tops and breast shields are also recommended. Bottle feeding mums, meanwhile, should make sure they have several baby bottles with teats and bottle covers, a bottle warmer, a bottle steriliser, bottle and teat brushes and plenty of formula.

Checklist Item #5: COMFORTABLE CLOTHES FOR YOU (AND SOME TREATS TOO)

As brilliant as this part is, it’s also tough going, as life as you knew it gets turned on its head. Just remember to be kind to yourself as well as baby. Comfortable clothes like jogging bottoms and loose-flowing tops are great at this time, and we also recommend having a cupboard full of snacks (both healthy and otherwise) that you can raid whenever you need an energy/morale boost.

“I lived in my maternity jeans for those first few months and was so sad when my husband gently suggested I say goodbye to them… two years later,” says Efa, mum to Esme, 4. “I still wistfully think of them sometimes.”

Ready to write your birth plan but unsure where to start? Our helpful article breaks down the key things to consider. You’ll also find lots more hints, tips and suggestions on pregnancy and birth and the first few days and months with baby in our Parenting Hub.