What do I need for my newborn?
Is something I’ve been asked a lot since I had Frankie. In the lead up to having her I have to admit I ended up with loads of stuff – friends lent us so many things and I also did a few massive online orders. But you know what? Newborns are more simple than you think, and we’ve not used as much as I thought we would. Which is great! Because the last thing you want to do is fill your space with things you don’t actually need… So without further ado, here’s a complete list of the things we’ve actually been using these last three months.
Before I get into the list, what I hear from so many people is that all babies are different and you really don’t know what they will or won’t like until you try it. Thankfully we had a few friends that lent us lots of things, which helped us to test things with her. So if you have anyone you can borrow various baby items off to test, definitely do that!
My Newborn Essentials List
Sleeping
We LOVE the Grobag, try as we might we couldn’t master the swaddle and this stops the startle reflex and puts Frankie into a deep sleep.
Frankie slept in the Sleepyhead from day one and is about to get a bit too big for it. Once she does she’ll be in her moses basket or rattan basinet (places for here to sleep is one area we over catered)
Eventually she’ll be in this Stokke crib my friend just lent us. I also love this one from West Elm!
Feeding
For bras I use this one at home, this one for going out and this one for exercising.
From day one I used Silverettes and also put hydrogels in the fridge and used them to soothe inflammation (I tried out the cabbage but I didn’t find it particularly useful).
I bought this pump which I use now everyday. In case you’re wondering, I don’t have an electric one but may get one down the track.
I often use a feeding pillow to bring Frankie closer to me and give me free hands.
We also love the Como Tomo bottles (she took to them straight away, I just had Ben do that to start with because who wants a bottle when the nipple is right in front of you?).
Wearing
Ok so I have so many lovely outfits for Frankie, but the truth is to start with most of the time I just had her in soft onesies, either long or short sleeved depending on the temperature, with socks because she likes to be snug. This is because I feel like you spend all day getting her in and out of things, changing nappies, changing outfits when there’s some sort of mishap. The thought of anything complicated is a bit of a headache! I like Seed (they have the best fabrics), H&M and Bonds. Now that she’s older I feel like she doesn’t mind being dressed up in cute outfits… Yay!
Playing
The Baby Bjorn bouncer is great – I just bounce it with my foot when I need to do emails!
Frankie loves her sheepskin – at first I got a basic one from Ikea but then I was given a really nice, super soft one by friends and I have to say it’s worth the extra it would have cost!
We put the Ikea baby gym over the top of it and she loves it.
Bathing
Everyone loves a clean baby, and this soft cotton towel keeps Frankie snug after the bath.
Thank you baby products (although we don’t use much on her).
I love brushing her hair with these soft hair brushes.
We just started using the Angel care bath support in the bath after graduating from just holding her in the bathroom sink.
Changing
I love the rattan baby changing basket I got from a friend.
We got this Ubbi nappy bin, I didn’t think it was that necessary but has turned out to be great for locking in smells.
I’m all about the water wipes.
I found that baskets are ideal for storing things in, so definitely grab lots of them!
Out and about
Controversially I don’t use a nappy bag, I just have a mesh zippered pouch that has nappies, wipes, a changing mat and a fresh outfit. I throw it into any bag I am taking with me along with a muslin cloth for covering me during feeding.
I love the Baby Bjorn Omni 360 (no need for a new born insert).
My brother and his wife gave us their Doona Stroller when they moved from NYC to Australia, it’s fantastic! It’s small and folds up into a car seat (approved in most countries except Australia). Only thing is that it doesn’t have much storage.
Man I didn’t realise how many muslin clothes you need, but I am such a convert. I love these West Elm x Pottery and Aiden & Anais. I also bought some muslin and made some for us too!
Frankie is obsessed with this blanket, as soon as I wrap her in it on the sofa she falls asleep straight away.
A few last thoughts…
I bought lots of nipple guards, lotions, a breastmilk storage stand, bottle brushes, etc etc but truly, we haven’t needed them. And yes there are a million products to make your life easier and people always swear by something specific, but we found that Frankie was pretty chilled and we didn’t need to go crazy with stuff. Now that she’s getting more alert I’m sure we’ll start buying more toys, play mats, rattles, books etc. Im sure the house will start filling with stuff!
