Congratulations! Shopping for your new baby can be fun. The key is to get organized before you shop online or browse your local shops.
A great way to prepare for a new baby’s arrival is to create a baby checklist of items you will need inside and out of the baby nursery.
Babies grow and change quite a bit in the first year, but there are some basic baby gear and baby room items you will use throughout the year.
How to Buy for the Baby’s First Year
from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Steps
- Set up your baby’s nursery.
- You may want your baby to sleep bedside in a cradle or bassinet for the first month or two, but when the baby gets bigger, you’ll want to have a crib prepared.
- Be sure your crib meets all safety standards and that there is no more than 2 3/8 inches (6 cm) between the slats along the sides.
- Pick out a crib mattress that also meets all safety standards, which can be found on the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission website.
- A musical mobile is optional.
- You will need a chest or dresser for the baby’s clothes.
- A changing table or area should include a pad for changing diapers.
- A rocking chair isn’t a necessity, but can be used for feedings or rocking a child to sleep.
- Prepare your baby’s sleeping area.
- You will need a mattress pad, several fitted crib sheets and several sheets for your bed-side bassinet.
- Purchase at least 2 light-weight blankets.
- Ready your diaper changing items.
- Plan for about 70 to 90 diaper changes each week for the first 6 weeks, and then about 50 per week.
- You will need disposable diaper wipes and rash ointment or cream.
- Use rubbing alcohol applied to cotton swabs to clean the base of the umbilical cord.
- Keep a diaper pail on hand for disposal of dirty diapers.
- Purchase clothing with fast growth in mind.
- It is a good idea to have at least five or six undershirts, commonly called “onesies,” on hand. You may want to move past 0 to 3 month sizes and purchase 3 to 6 month and 6 to 9 month sizes instead.
- Infant gowns are convenient for newborns who are going to have a lot of diaper changes. Purchase several.
- Purchase several booties or socks to keep the baby’s feet warm, and a hat to keep his or her head warm.
- Mittens may be helpful to keep the baby from scratching himself or herself.
- Keep several soft clothes available to catch spit up, and a few blankets to be used for warmth and any privacy needs for nursing.
- Prepare for baths.
- You will need a baby bathtub, which will be a sloping shape with a foam pad that the baby will lie upon.
- You will need several bath towels and washcloths.
- Purchase tearless shampoo and soap.
- A baby brush and nail scissors will be needed for grooming.
- When teeth begin coming in, you’ll need a soft baby toothbrush and baby toothpaste. Before teeth break through the surface, you can use a finger brush to softly clean gums.
- Bath time is often a good time to use a bulb syringe nasal aspirator to suction any excess mucus from the baby’s nose.
- Ready feeding items.
- Buy 10 to 12 bottles with nipples and covers, even if you are breastfeeding. You can still use the bottles for pumped breast milk.
- Have several burp cloths on hand.
- Have a bottle and nipple brush on hand for cleaning the supplies.
- Purchase several bibs.
- At about 5 months, you may begin introducing solids into your baby’s diet. So you may wish to purchase baby spoons, bowls and sippy cups as well.
- Purchase a diaper bag.
- Prepare the bag with several diapers, disposable wipes, rash cream, a changing pad, plastic bags (for dirty diapers), a change of clothes for the baby, a blanket, burp cloth and several diapers in the bag. Optional items include a pacifier and powdered formula if you’re bottle feeding.
- Wash baby clothes and other items using a baby-safe laundry detergent, such as Dreft.
- Purchase items needed for travel.
- You will need an infant car seat, which can also be used as a baby carrier.
- You will be required to have an infant car seat secured into your car to leave the hospital with your baby after birth.
- Purchase a stroller. Be sure the infant car seat you purchase is able to snap onto your stroller frame.
- Have medications and other health care items ready.
- Purchase a thermometer and teething rings.
- Stock your medicine cabinet with acetaminophen infant drops, or infant ibuprofen for teething inflammation.
- Small bandages, hydrogen peroxide and wound cream can be used to treat small wounds. Medications with neomycin shouldn’t be used on babies less than 6 months old.
Tips
- A nightlight can provide lighting for late-night feedings or diaper changes.
- A CD player with lullaby tunes may make putting a baby down for a nap or for the night an easier task.
- Talk to your pediatrician before giving your baby any medications.
Warnings
- Never take your eyes off your baby while changing him or her on the changing table.
- Stuffed animals and pillow aren’t recommended in a crib due to the dangers of suffocation.
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Buy for the Baby’s First Year. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
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