Must have's for newborns

And here the list of things that you should get in preparation for your new family member :)

For self

1. 2 x Nursing Bra (if you plan on breastfeeding)
2. Nipple cream (if you plan on breastfeeding)
3. Maternity Pads
4. Nursing Pads
5. Sleep sense book - Meg Faure (I found this wonderful to learn about sleep patterns, cycles and how to ensure baby gets the rest that is needed)

         

For baby

Nursery

1. Baby Crib
2. Compactum (not a must but really nice to have)
3. Mattress with ventilation holes (in case baby does sleep on face to avoid suffocation)
4. 2 x fitted sheet
5. Comfy chair for feeding
6. Baby monitor (recommended Angel Care - I would recommend with video function)
7. Changing Sponge
8. Mobile
9. Nightlight (more for you to see when you go into room in the middle of night)
10. Mosquito net (we found our little one is allergic for mosquito's !!!) 
11. Camping cot/ portable crib (I had baby with me for the first few months and then sleep in our room until he was about 9 months) 
12. 5 x Blankets 
13. Memory box (this is really nice where you can keep all scan pictures, memento's etc)
14. Toy box (to create order in the chaos)

Keyan's portable crib

         


Bath time

1. Bath thermometer (important in beginning to learn the feeling for right temperature)
2. Baby Shampoo 
3. Liquid soap (here you get some with calming oils that aid sleep)
4. 2 x Hooded towels
5. Bath toys (will be great for once they can sit on their own and start playing; here ducks, water buckets, squirting toys are all great)
6. Non-slip bath mat (definitely for when they start walking ;))
7. 7 x Bibs (I did not use these for eating, only during teething when they drool so much, however know most people do)
8. Bath sponge

Medication/ Health/ General Care

1. Digital thermometer (best the one that measures temperature in ear)
2. Bulb syringe
3. Baby lotion (here you get some with calming oils that aid sleep)
4. Baby brush
5. First aid kit
6. Baby nail clipper
7. Panado/ Pain and Fever Meds 
8. Neurofen for Infants
9. Teething medication for gums (Teejel or Prodol)
10. A rub for coughing (Carvol in South Africa)
11. Coughing syrup (Prospan)
12. Saline drops for nasal congestion (Salex)
13. Sunscreen for babies (should include UVB and UVA protection) 
14. Vitamins (if you breastfeed you will need this from 4 months to boost the Iron intake)
15. Ear Buds
16. 4 x Pacifiers
17. 2 x Pacifier holder
18. 2 x Pacifier  
19. Surgical Spirit (for the cleaning of belly button/ umbilical cord)
20. Cotton wool pads
    

 
Breastfeeding/ Eating

Keyan in his bumbo chair

1. 6 bottles for rotation (I did not need more than 150ml bottles as Keyan never drank more than 130ml at a time)
2. Breast pump (if you plan on exclusively breastfeeding which is recommended by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) and WHO (World Health Organisation)
   
3. Bottle Sterilizer (I used one for the microwave which work wonderful)
4. 6 x Baby spoons
5. 2 x Baby bowel (plastic)
6. 2 x Baby plate (plastic)
7. 2 x Sippy cups
8. Steamer (this is a nice to have, I never had one, but will definitely buy one with out next angel) 
9. Blender/ Blender stick (I have a stick and this is sufficient, just make sure it can reduce to soup level then stick is enough)
10. 7 Washcloths (once they start with solids this is simplest way to clean up the mess)
11. Bumbo chair (great for feeding before they can sit)
12. Bumbo playtray 
13. Highchair 
14. 7 x Burping cloths
    

Product wise I am a big fan of Medela pumps and NUK bottles, sterilizer and pacifiers. If you do research the different brands, you will soon find pro's and con's for each. Medela is a Swiss brand and NUK a German one. I am adding links below for both websites for you to review.

Medela



NUK South Africa 




Toys

Meet "Dr Snuggles", Keyan's comfort toy

1. Baby gym
2. Bouncy Seat
3. Teethers
4. Rattles
5. Card board books
6. Stuffed animals
7. Choose a comfort toy (usually stuffed animal that he will have for his toddler hood too and buy this x 2) 
   

Nappies/ Diapers

1. 2 x size 1 nappies (Keyan was born 4.320 kg so we hardly used the number 1 nappies)
2. 4 x size 2 nappies
3. 4 x size 3 nappies
4. Wipes (many, many packets :))
5. Bum cream (also as many as you can get)
6. Diaper rash cream (I found Sudocrem the best)
7. Waterproof pad in case you want to change baby on your bed
8. Nappy bag for traveling (a bag where all can fit in, bum cream, nappies, wipes and nappy bags) 



Keyan playing with the baby gym

9. Nappy bags (to throw away nappies in - this is very efficient, no need to get an extra bin) 

Out and about  

1. Stroller (a fancy one is not needed)
2. Car seat rear facing
3. Baby carrier/ wrap (Mei Tei or other, not a must but a nice to have)
4. Car window shades

Safety/ Baby proofing

1. Cabinet Locks
2. Power point plugs
3. Toilet locks

Clothes

1. 4 x Pajama with feet
2. 7 x Onesies
3. 1 x Hat that covers ears
4. 7 x Socks
5. 5 x Jackets/ Jerseys/ Zip up top
6. 5 x T-shirts
7. 4 x Leggins
8. 5 x Sweatpants (especially for when they start crawling)
9. 5 x Long sleeve thin tops
10. 1 x Sunhat

In South Africa, depending on which hospital you have your birth, you will receive a welcome bag with most essentials. Give the hospital a call before the time and find out if any essentials are provided and what is in the bag. We had to bring clothes to the hospital, extra blankets and the nappies that were provided did not last. Babies pee and poop a lot in the beginning. ;)

Please do remember that although this is an extensive list, there are grandparents, godparents and a baby shower that could possibly assist you in preparing for this. A new thing that I was never aware of and that I wish I had known about is the "Dadchelor Party". Here all male friends would get together to braai, as you call it in South Africa, (grill or barbeque) and each friend would bring one packet of nappies/ diapers. Don't forget to send out an invite to the friends specifying which size and brand you still need. 

That's all on this topic. Happy shopping, and remember, the list is extensive and once pregnant you will get tired and exhausted quickly, so plan enough time to find all the above.

Blog Photo Attribution: By Sean MacEntee
Blog Photo 2 Attribution: By Its Absolutely Jenny