Posted by Sometimes I still wonder where the time goes, my baby is already 6 months! There are so many changes, and surprises every day, which made us cherish every minute with him.
Recently I have been putting away some of the items that no longer fit, to my surprise, there are many items that we use every day, and even more items that we barely use – a waste of money.
So today I am going to share which items are essentials for small babies, and in the next post, I will share which ones are not so useful. Note this is not a list for your shopping for newborns (there are many more), I am only writing the ones that are surprisingly frequently used, and a waste of money 😀 Of course, every baby is different, this post is only about my experience.
- Nursing bra
If you are breastfeeding, this nursing bra I use is great, because it provides great support during pregnancy or breastfeeding, it also has thick cushions to hide those (embarrassing) big nipples :D, and it comes with extensions.
2. Nursing T-shirt
Get yourself some nursing T-shirts, they are so handy! You can even breastfeed in public places (such as in restaurants, café, etc without getting cold ). And moms, please don’t be ashamed of breastfeeding in public, the baby is hungry, and it is natural and should be respected to feed the little one!
And who says you cannot be beautiful while breastfeeding? There are more and more brands offer beautiful nursing dresses, here is just an example:
3. Baby nest
Oh, this baby nest was his favorite! Babies feel safer if they are in a more wrapped sleeping environment. He was not a big fan of sleeping in his cot, so we got him a baby nest and placed it on our bed (it was strictly forbidden to share the bed with the baby, but using Babynest offers protection). Gradually, we moved him with the nest to his cot, and just like that he slept in his cot. It can also be placed on the sofa for a nap, and it saved us when we traveled to the Czech Republic for a wedding when the baby was only 1.5 months old, he didn’t have any issues with sleeping in hotels because he was in the familiar environment, what a luxury but easy solution! I think any baby nest will do!
We made a big mistake with the baby I hope you can avoid it! In the first 2, 3 months, the baby poops up to 8 times a day, we use the wet wipes to clean it. Soon we found that he had rashes in his private area, this is because we forgot to dry his butt using cotton tissues after cleaning it. It sounds so simple, but as new parents, you probably don’t get time to think of it. We now carry the cotton tissue everywhere. However, the one I used is now out of stock, but you can find other brands.
Babies love moving things, and they can amuse themselves for quite some time especially if it comes with movement and music. Get yourself this crib mobile so you can stimulate your little one’s sight and hearing development.
6. Baby Pillow
It is not recommended for babies to sleep with pillows in the beginning. My son likes to sleep on his side, and we found that his head shape looked a bit funny, so by the time he was 3 months old, we got him this pillow so he could sleep on his back to correct the head shape.
7. Ikea LEKA Baby gym, birch/multicolour
This is a great toy for the baby from the moment he can see things! In the first month, he loved to look at the colorful things hanging there, then later he started to punch the little hanging things when he discovered his arms; around 5th month, he started to use his finger precisely so he could grab and study them.
8. A voice control device in the bedroom (Alexia, Google Homepod, or Apple homepod)
We installed one of these in the bedroom so I can ask him to play some relaxing music when breastfeeding, or when the baby needs to go to sleep. Any voice control device should do.
This is the best investment! This stroller is so compact that made our travel with the kid much easier! I also feel comfortable to go out with him alone. When folded, the stroller is just the size of a backpack! It is also quite easy to fold or extend, it saves so much struggle and space!
We got this Xiaomi smart light from Ochama, it is very handy to have a light on the bedside that you can control with your voice. When your baby is crying in the middle of the night, you have to jump to him immediately, but it is messy if you have to first find the light switch.
This light can also change color based on the voice command, it is important to use red light for the night feeding session, so it does not impact the baby’s (and your) sleep.
If you haven’t bought anything on Ochama yet, make sure you use my invitation code “linjiang” to get 15 euro voucher!
That’s more or less what I can think of for now, every baby is different, but the love of parents are unlimited, I hope some of the items here can help you to have a more relaxing baby-caring process. Leave a comment if there are some things you’d like to share!
Check out my other articles about The paid leaves linked to giving birth in Belgium and What benefits can you get for newborns in Belgium?