With a new baby on the way, you’re likely overwhelmed by all the “necessary” supplies and choices you have to make BEFORE they’re even earthside! As a mom of two, I’ve spent many nights trying to find a product out there that would solve each of the new challenges that appeared as I got used to being a new parent which is why I’ve written this blog post that reviews the top 10 things you’ll need for the new baby in your life. This post will hopefully help you implement the helpful tips and tricks I picked up along the way!
In this list of the top 10 items for a new baby, I’ve included all my tips for what you will definitely need, and what you definitely don’t.
This list is not only perfect for soon-to-be parents, but also any of you who have a friend or family member who’s having a new baby. All the items in this post are available bundled and are gender neutral – making them the perfect newborn baby gift for any baby!
Brand new babies learn about their worlds by feeling things. They use their faces, mouths, and tiny little sausage fingers to explore their surroundings.
This is also why they love soft, pliable little toys like the adorable mary meyer bunny lovey. As an added bonus, it doubles as an encouragement tool for when your baby needs some tummy time because guess what?
Newsflash. Babies HATE tummy time. Like, loathe it.
And because tummy time is really the only thing your baby should be doing on a daily basis, you’ll find that giving them soft or texturally interesting things to play with and look at during will make the experience a little more bearable for you – and your baby!
At the very least, toys like the bunny lovey will distract your tiny human for a couple minutes so that you can feel they’ve gotten at least a little of their tummy time in. And that they somewhat enjoyed it, too. Soft toys just like this one work well for those dreaded car journeys too! #IYKYK
A quick primer on swaddles and sleep sacks before getting into the nitty gritty.
Until newborn babies are about 3 months old, they have a startle reflex that literally wakes them up almost constantly if their arms and legs aren’t kept under control.
Without a swaddle or an arms-in sleep sack, you’re likely to be awake a lot of the time which isn’t ideal. This is because your little one jolts themselves awake a million times a night!!
Although this sounds terrifying, there’s a great solution! Enter the swaddle.
When your baby is super young it’s a good idea to swaddle them yourself. That way, you can adjust the swaddle easily and gradually. Now we know that sounds a little old school – like who really swaddles their baby any more?! And isn’t that what sleepsacks are for?
The answer is, sort of.
With a simple swaddle, wrapping your baby up from behind (if they’re on your chest) is much easier than using a sleep sack. Especially during the early stages.
Not only can you use a swaddle for its intended purpose, but it also makes a great baby-wearing drool catcher scarf, spit up cloth, nursing cover up, peek-a-boo blanket, or stroller cover. If you figure out another use, let us know – as we’re sure there’s more out there!
That’s why new families should really have at least 10 of these on hand. And although any swaddle will do, Pehr Swaddles really are the best.
And – they’re so cute! Like just look at those little bundles of cute!!
Because of their constant night (and nap) movements, it’s important to keep your little one’s limbs in control.
This is why a sleep sack, with the option to keep their arms in, for a new baby is a definite ‘must have’ that will start getting lots of use after the first couple weeks of your new baby’s life – if not before.
While the swaddle we discussed in the previous section is great and works well, a zip-up sleep sack is always handy too.
This is particularly true for late at night, as it’s pretty easy to get them in there once you get the hang of it.
Pro-tip: Don’t try and burp a baby when they’re “arms-in” in a sleep sack. It’s always best to get all their burps out before they’re in their sack so you can send them off to dreamland without having to change them (and disrupt them!) again.
Babies don’t need real baths right away.
This is because you’ll have to wait for about a week’s time for their umbilical cord to heal! But in the meantime, you’ll need something to wash their delicate brand new parts. That’s why these fabulously soft bamboobino washcloths make the perfect item for a new baby.
And once they’re able to have a bath, you’ll be happy to discover that babies love water.
This is because being in water is very familiar to them, so a warm washcloth bath is another great way of bonding with your baby early on even if they’re not able to get in the tub quite yet!
When your baby starts eating food, these washcloths will also come in handy. Especially because new babies get their food pretty much everywhere – ears, eyebrows, you name it.
Because babies are used to a really warm, dark, wet, and LOUD environment before they’re born – the more womb-like their life outside of that environment, the easier their transition will be!
Because babies aren’t used to silence, a white noise machine will help stabilize their sleep environment by keeping things consistent – whether they’re at home, or on the go during nap/sleep times.
Available in portable and stationary options, sound machines are the perfect tool to block out household noise that might otherwise disrupt their sleep (and your life!)
Pro Tip: Keep baby’s sound machine at a low volume setting to protect their ears. You can even reduce the sound further after your baby has fallen asleep!
Lots of babies have no hair when they’re born.
And regardless of the season, a bald head can be very shocking when you’ve been snuggled in a warm cocoon! For babies born in cooler months, having protection to help them temperature-regulate is also essential.
This beanie hat is soft and gentle on baby’s skin, and it helps them stay at a regular temperature. And even though it’s washable, I honestly feel like you can’t have enough!!
If you’re anything like me, you’ll inevitably need one in your house, car, diaper bag, mother-in-law’s house – basically everywhere your little one intends on hanging out!
When babies are born, their fingernails are tiny and delicate.
And although the process of cutting a new baby’s nails seems scary at first (or always!), you’d be surprised how fast they grow! This is why it’s common for new parents to bite or rip their babies’ nails – hoping to not hurt their baby in the process.
And to be honest, cutting a baby’s nails with any regularity isn’t really at the top of the priority list as a new parent.
Why might you ask? It’s because you’re about to find out that new parents have got a LOT on their minds. And that’s definitely ok!
So while you work up the courage to perfect your nail cutting expertise, these baby mittens will keep your little one from scratching themselves – both in their sleep, or otherwise.
Yes. It’s true. Your new baby could definitely just use any towel – so having a super cute towel for your baby isn’t something every new parent ‘must have.’
This is especially true if you live in an apartment, or don’t have a lot of space. I’m not going to lie, having a bunch of extra baby towels isn’t something that you need to collect.
But with that being said, baby towels are extra soft on their delicate skin which is why it’s important that their towel goes in your laundry using gentle detergent only.
As an added bonus: When they’re a bit older and starting to move around, the hooded baby towel keeps their head protected as they ‘rock and roll’ and you try to keep them safe (this happened a lot in our household!)
Here’s the most important new baby tip we can give you:
All the expensive baby toys in the world are no match for the TAGS on those expensive baby toys.
Weird. Right?!
We’re definitely glad someone figured this out and made a product that fulfills this obsession- and the Taggies Heather Hedgehog Rattle makes a perfect fit
Babies, starting at around 4 months old (but often sooner!) are just OBSESSED with tags. This is why if you give babies a toy that’s covered with things to teeth on they will always, always, choose the tag.
Thankfully, Taggies Heather Hedgehog Rattle incorporates a babies fascination with tags into their rattles so you don’t have to wonder if it’s really a good idea for your new baby to be chewing on the washing instructions.
Several times a day.
And wondering if you should be doing anything about it!
Last, but not least, in our top 10 gifts for a new baby are books.
New babies are cute and lovely and everything, but you can’t carry on a conversation forever with someone who doesn’t talk. Combined with the fact that the best way for your new baby to learn to talk is to hear words and conversations. And so, a predicament.
Books are a great way to introduce language and sentence structure to your baby without having to come up with your own new material constantly. These baby books have bright, fun pictures – and are entertaining for both babies, and adults!
Building books into your daily routine with your baby will help encourage bonding. And trust us when we say, the books that you read with your babies will be read and referenced for YEARS by you and your kiddo!! You’ll also create beautiful memories of reading your baby their first story that will live in your heart forever.
Whatever the book, make sure there are simple words, bright colours, and extra textures as an added bonus!
There are a few fantastic things you can do for new parents to get them through the first few months with a new baby. You can cook and bring them meals, you can come over and clean or cook or hold the baby while their parents shower, or, you can make sure they have the best quality baby supplies at the ready for when the big day comes!
While the products in this article are not ALL they’ll need, they cover quite a few of the smaller details new parents might not know about as they enter this new stage in their lives, and making sure those little things are taken care of means they’re not only surviving, they’re thriving.
Best of luck to all the soon-to-be and new parents out there – it’s a hard road, but it’s 100% worth every single step along the way. Keep checking our blog for more articles and helpful info as you go 🙂
While having a baby is exciting, it can also be a wee bit stressful. And you’ve likely been so busy
At basic baby co., we know that there is no better feeling than celebrating the arrival of a baby with