Newborn Baby Essentials
It’s that special and unique time when you are nearing the end of your pregnancy journey and know you have a new life awaiting. You’re feeling all the emotions; excited to meet your new baby yet apprehensive about what your new life will be like and on top of this is the overwhelming feeling that you need to buy a lot of ‘stuff’ for your baby. Here Tinies & Co helps to relieve some of that anxiety with our Newborn Baby Essentials edit. Some you will buy, some may be gifted and some may be handed down from friends and family but here is our is our list of recommendations to get you started.
Travel
The perfect lightweight travel stroller with bassinet so you can use it from newborn. Great for city living and travelling abroad as when folded it is below the IATA approved cabin luggage allowance.
Silver Cross Wave 2023 Edition Pushchair, Onyx
£1,095
Designed for growing families, the Silver Cross wave is a flexible travel system that is suitable from birth ( with carrycot) to four years ( 22kg)
Everything you need to get out and about with your baby, a bassinet (from newborn to approx 6months which is when you’ll need to replace with a seat attachment) , car seat with isofix base which safely and quickly fixes the seat into your car and adaptors to attach it to your buggy wheels making it easy to transfer if baby is sleeping.
Changing bag
Your changing bag isn’t just a nappy bag, it will become your everyday handbag and deciding which one to buy is very much a personal preference. There are some really stylish ones on the market at a variety of price points, ones you’ll want to use well past your baby days!
Tiba + Marl Nova Eco Compact Quilted Changing Bag - Oyster
£75
Finnson Selby Eco Changing Bag with Changing Mat - Camel
£150
Sleeping
The Lullaby Trust recommend that a newborn baby should sleep in the same room as you for the first six months. A bedside crib is designed to fit next to your bed, this one from Snuz will be a stylish addition to your bedroom as well as having zip down sides for easy access during the night.
Along with the crib, you will need a mattress, and as you will be changing the sheets a lot in the early days we recommend at least three changes of sheets and a couple of mattress protectors.
Snuzpod4 - natural crib mattress
£34.95
Duvets and pillows shouldnt be used for newborns; instead blankets or swaddles are often used. Cellular blankets are great for temperature control as they allow for air to circulate through their small holes. This one from The White company comes in several different colours.
Swaddles are great for cocooning your baby to make them feel safe and also swaddling helps prevent them flinging their arms around and scratching themselves.
Aden + Anais Organic Cotton Muslin Swaddle Blanket, Pack of 4, Animal Kingdom
£34.99
Baby carrier
A sleep aid can be helpful to calm your baby and soothe them to help them settle to sleep. There are quite a few on the market but here are a couple of favourites:
Accessories
It is important to keep your baby’s room at a comfortable temperature ( Lullaby Trust recommend between 16 - 20 degrees). A digital thermometer can help to monitor this for you.
The award winning Owlet is increasingly becoming popular amongst new parents with its unique smart sock which tracks baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels to give you peace of mind when your baby is resting.
Feeding
Its a personal choice whether you want to breastfeed or bottle, whatever makes you and your baby happy. Either way there are a few things that can help you on your journey.
Breast pumps
Expressing your milk is a great way to involve your partner in feeding your baby as well as giving you a well deserved break. There are several breastpumps on the market, a manual pump is a economical way to express either to try it out or do occasionally but if you are planning to express a lot then electric will be your best option. Medela are a popular choice with either a single or double option ( Double is great for saving time if you can afford to pay the higher price).
A great invention that helps save time when expressing your milk is a bra that holds the bottles so that you can carry on your day to day activities.
Many mums find that a feeding pillow helps make feeding more comfortable and prevents them from experiencing aches and pains. It’s worth trying your pregnancy pillow first ( as many such as the bbhugme double up as both) but if that doesn’t work for you then there are some specific feeding pillows shown here:
Feeding accessories
In order to prevent leakages its a good idea for peace of mind to buy some breast pads. Nipple cream and shields can also help prevent soreness as you adapt to feeding in the early days.
Bottle feeding
If you decide upon bottle feeding you will need multiple bottles (approx 6 if exclusively bottle feeding) and may be a case of trial and error to which ones your baby prefers. If your baby is a newborn teat 1 is recommended, moving up to a faster flowing teat number 2 when they are approx 3 months old. There are several available on the market but here is a selection of the most popular:
If you decide upon bottle feeding, we recommend you buy a steriliser. The NHS recommends sterilising all baby feeding equipment including all baby bottles for the first 12 months. There’s a variety of options available such as using the microwave, electric plug in, to the most premium option from Tommee Tippee which is a super fast option that dries as well as sterilises.
To help with formula preparation, the Perfect Prep Day & Night machine is regarded as a lifesaver for new parents especially during the night as it prepares the bottle for you at the right temperature.
In those first few months you will need plenty of muslins which have a multitude of uses including wiping up after burping your baby.
Muslins
Willa & the Bear Bow Muslins
£20.00
Clothing
During the early days when you’re getting the hang of dressing your newborn, it’s important to choose clothing that’s easy to get on and off. In the first few weeks your baby will mainly live in sleepsuits (and vests depending on the time of year), look for ones with scratch mittens and feet so you don’t have to worry about socks which easily fall off. It’s economical to buy in multipacks like the ones below but it is also nice to buy some design-led individual ones (or give hints to any gift givers!).
M&S 3pk Pure Cotton sleepsuits
£14.50
Bibs
Bibs will come in handy right from newborn stage when your baby spits up milk through to those teething dribbles so it’s worth buying a few from the start.
Bathing
When it comes to bathing your newborn a stand alone bath or bath seat will help them to be supported and keep safe at bathtime.
The bath water should be warm not hot. Check it with your wrist and elbow to make sure there arent any warm patches or for peace of mind you can buy a bath thermometer.
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Thermometer
£19.99
Pottery Barn animal hooded towel
£19.95-34.00
After the first couple of weeks of giving your baby a top and tail wash ( head hands and bottom) with just warm water and cotton wool, you may want to use a gentle baby wash designed especially for their delicate skin
Belle Enfant Bain Moussant + Gel Lavant set
£48.00
Original Sprout Baby Body Wash + Shampoo
£16.99
Health and wellbeing
There will be many cases during your early years journey where you will want to check your baby’s temperature. This easy to use comfortable thermometer has an age precision feature that identifies a fever with its colour coded display.
This nappy bin is a eco friendly hygenic way of disposing of nappies
Tommee Tippee Twist and Click Advanced Nappy Bin
£26.99
A children’s first aid kit is a must for any family, this one is ideal for at home and also compact enough to take on holiday.
Baby rockers
A rocker is something that is really useful in the early days as it allows you to put your baby down safely and securely.
Disclaimer - all prices are subject to change by the retailer