Before your new baby arrives, it’s important to make sure you have everything you need to start your new life as a parent. When you bring your little one home for the first time, you?re going to be busy getting to grips with your new lifestyle, so make sure you have all of the essential items to keep your stress levels to a minimum. To help with your shopping list, here are 10 essential items for new parents:
1. Disposable Wipes
One of the first things you?ll realize when you bring your newborn home is that, for such a tiny person, they?re capable of generating an extremely large amount of mess! Make sure you stock up on disposable wipes to take care of these spillages and accidents ? it will make your life much easier if you have them constantly on hand! You?ll have less time for cleaning, as you try to care for your infant whilst getting as much sleep as possible, and having disposable wipes on hand will help you to clean as you go.
2. A Comfortable and Safe Baby Crib
Your baby will spend much of the first few months asleep, so it’s important to provide your baby with a comfortable and sleep safe environment. The crib, and the mattress, is the most important factor.
There are many styles of crib available on the market, each designed to make your life as a new parent as easy as possible. Shop around to find the most suitable option, and always check to make sure it meets the necessary safety regulations.
3. A Large Changing Bag
When your baby arrives, leaving the house will become a military operation. Whenever you head out of the door, you need to make sure you have everything with you to keep your newborn comfortable and happy.
If you can find the right changing bag, it will make leaving the house less stressful, whilst ensuring you never leave any important items behind. It’s a good idea to keep the changing bag topped up with the necessary equipment, so you can grab it when you need to leave the house in a hurry.
4. Lots of Baby Hats
When choosing your baby’s wardrobe, hats are something that often get overlooked. During the first few months, it’s important to keep your baby warm, especially when you leave the house. Hats are essential, as most of the heat is lost through your baby’s head. Make sure you have a large supply of hats to keep your infant warm and comfortable.
5. A Baby Bath Tub
Some parents make the mistake of thinking a baby bathtub is a non-essential item, but it provides a convenient and safe place for you to bathe your new child.
6. A Nightlight for the Nursery
As your baby is unlikely to sleep through the night to begin with, a nightlight can be a great way to minimize your sleep disruption, ensuring your baby only wakes you when they can?t soothe themselves back to sleep. As well as comforting your baby, then can also help guide you through the nursery during the night, without turning on the bright lights that will keep you awake.
7. A Breast Pump
To start with, you may think you don?t need help to feed your baby. However, if you decide to breast feed, a breast pump is invaluable items that will help you share the load with your partner. This is great if you need to leave the house without your baby, or if you?re desperate for a few hours of interrupted sleep.
8. A Baby Bouncer
Entertaining your baby can be exhausting. Although they spend much of their time asleep, they demand a great deal of your attention. It’s important to make time to relax yourself, and a baby bouncer can help you do this. Keep your baby happy whilst you catch up with your favorite TV shows!
9. Lots of Storage
It’s easy to underestimate the amount of storage space you?ll need when your baby arrives. Prepare yourself to be inundated with clothes, toys and accessories ? and make sure you have more storage than you think is necessary!
10. A friend!
Bringing a baby into the world is hard work, especially when one of you returns to work. Make sure you have a good support network in place, to keep you company during this exciting, but sometimes lonely, time.
