New born essentials - IndoUSMOMS

newborn essentials

Hello everyone. Congratulations to all who are expecting their first kid and for people expecting your second read this post Sweet Sibling .For all who have read my post on Am I pregnant , in addition to all the emotional feeling of having a baby the biggest one is getting overwhelmed on what all you need for your newborn.I have been asked this question “What all do I need for my newborn?”several times and I have made a list that I share with my friends. So I thought I would post it here so all new parents can benefit from it. Kids stuff is a billion dollar market and all companies will make you believe that you need all the items in the baby registry. Think well before you buy anything. I am pretty sure you will make several trips to Babies R us or Buy Buy Baby after the baby is born you can get them even then.

When you are nearing your third trimester make sure you have a registry at Shop Amazon – Create an Amazon Baby Registry .Usually they give you a discount on all items in your registry and also additional discount on not purchased items in your registry. Amazon lets you choose from any other store as well. They have extended return periods. So you get a 10% off your crib directly.Also try to browse through some magazines that you see in your doctors office some of them might have coupons also dont forget to check and compare prices before you buy major items like crib,swing,car seat.One common rule is buy neutral colors on all products so you can re use it if you happen to have 2 kids (a boy and a girl)

Now coming to major essentials:
*Crib:Having a crib will help you put your baby in a safe place to sleep. But sometimes if you dont have enough space for it you can try a bassinet or a play pen .Dont buy fancy sheets as they cant be used much later and are very expensive.I have a twin bed sheet for my crib and it works fine.This is the crib we bough click here

* Car seat (you cannot get your baby out of the hospital if you dont have one) & stroller :See if you can get a 3-in-1 convertible seat, which will hold up to 65 pounds so you are good until your kid turns 4-5 years.If you are not getting a convertible one dont invest too much money on rear facing car seats as you will have to change to a front facing car seat when you kid is around a year old or weighing 20 pounds.We got a normal Graco rear facing one and then got a Britax front facing .This is the Graco set and Britax car seat Also get a nice stroller so you can take your baby for a walk when he/she is ready.

*Diapers and wipes :Get a box of new born diapers and baby wipes,I bought pampers for my first kid as I knew they provided pampers at the hospital , but pampers are expensive compared to Huggies so I switched to Huggies for my daughter .Also get wipes from Costco if you are a Costco member. Newborns go through at least 12-13 diapers a day and initially you are also learning on how to put diaper on a baby.So do buy at least one box before hand so you have some when you come home.Also get a diaper bag which you might need when you visit the doctor on the 2nd day and also get some bibs,1 or 2 pairs of socks.

*Few clothes and receiving blankets: My advice on clothes is that dont buy too many before your kid is born.For my son I got too many and he out grew all of them very soon and some I never used as I forgot I had them. Get the max of 10-15 onesies and also one or two nice outfits. Also get 4-5 receiving blankets for swaddling.Also get some wash clothes ,you will need these to wipe of anything spit by the baby while burping .Get Dreft brand washing liquid for kids clothes.
*Bottles and Formula:If you plan on breastfeeding ,try your best to breast feed your baby in the hospital. Dont pump milk in the hospital unless you have some issues and you have to.Try to nurse your baby as much as possible and your body will set things right.By all means try to avoid formula in first 6-8 weeks if you are planning to breast feed. If you are a working mom and you would like to nurse your baby buy a breast pump read my post on Dont miss this as you or your company pays for it to know about how to save money on a breast pump.Get some nursing bras , they are very useful and comfortable to wear them in the hospital and also some breast pads.
If at all you have to give formula for some reasons then get a 3 bottle pack Vent Air Bottles as it helps prevents gas in the stomach (colic) and also some slow nipples. Try to get some formula samples from the hospital. Later you can see what formula suits your kid and buy them if needed. Buy get a bottle brush to clean the bottles and a microwave sterilizer Microwave sterilizer and a drying rack if you plan to formula feed.
*Baby grooming kit : Usually the baby grooming kit has a nail cutter,a thermometer(usually rectal)-get a nice digital thermometer from Costco we have this one Digital thermometer , bulb syringe(get a bulb syringe from hospital they have good ones),baby comb.
Looks like I will need one more post to cover rest of the things.Please share it with people whom you think it might be useful.Stay tuned 🙂