Welcome to the magical world of newborns, where sleep is a myth, nappies are a currency, and caffeine (or chocolate) becomes your best friend. Congratulations, fearless parents! As you embark on the 0-3 month baby odyssey, here’s a guide to the absolute essentials your tiny human requires.
- Nappies, nappies, nappies:
If you haven’t changed nappies before, you’re in for a treat. Especially the first few poos while your baby is clearing the meconium. The meconium is a sticky dark black greenish poop that clears in the first few hours or days after birth. Some say to add baby vaseline on the baby’s bum after birth because getting the tar like substance off is a nightmare. You can also use a natural baby oil like coconut oil.
As for which nappies are best. It depends on different factors. Do you want to go with more environmentally friendly options like a cloth nappy, biodegradable nappies or disposable nappies.
For more information about cloth nappies, you can check out my blog post “Cloth Nappies Unveiled: Types and Top Picks for Aussie Bubs“.
‘Little One’ nappies from woollies and ‘Cub’ by Coles are great affordable options. Some also swear by the Aldi nappies but I didn’t like them as much because they felt a little bit plasticky. I found the Coles and Woolies ones are as good as huggies or other big brands at this age group. When they get to size 2 and over, I find other brands to be best. You can check out my blog post on “Best nappies to buy in Australia”.
- Nappy Change Table, to Buy or Not to Buy:
For your back’s sake, get a nappy change table. If you want to save on space get a chest of drawers with a spot for a nappy mat at the top. You can also buy these portable ones which are great to put in the bathroom if you have the space. They are a bit flimsier than a solid furniture but I find having the option to hose it down with water really useful when baby does a poonami. And yes, most babies have periods where they have massive poonamies so beware!
If you opt-in for furniture you will need a good padded mat. You don’t want it to be too cheap because it will discolour and look really grubby after a few months and some are even hard to clean and disinfectant.
Some brands on the market are great looking and super expensive. Feel free to buy them but just make sure they aren’t too short. They will outgrow these really early on. Here’s a good in-between one.
A portable small changing mat is also something you need. In Australia, there will be a change mat in the baby bag the hospital gives you when you are released. I didn’t like it though so I bought a vegan leather one. Super easy to clean compared to the hospital one.
The hospital also gives a nappy bag. It’s actually a decent bag but I wanted something more compact for my pram so I got this one. It comes in a lot of cute designs.
Don’t go overboard buying new clothes for baby, especially before your baby is born. You need to know your baby’s size before you spend a fortune on cute outfits which may not even fit them (I’m guilty of myself :P). The estimated birth weight wasn’t accurate for me or any of my mum friends but it wasn’t too far off. So it’s a good idea to buy one set of 3 or 5 pack clothes one size smaller than what they say the baby will be and 2 or 3 sets of the same size.
When you are buying long sleeve onesies, make sure the zipper is 2 ways. This means it opens from the top and the bottom. You’ll thank me later when you’re changing his nappy later on. And if it’s winter, buy the ones that have cuff hands and feet. This will allow you to use it when the weather gets warmer throughout the day as well. The coveralls with feet covers are very restricting, especially in Sydney and Melbourne weather where the weather changes by the hour.
For the bodysuites I recommend the organic range in Kmart, Target or Best and Less. They are good quality, affordable and have super cute designs. The first few weeks you won’t feel like going out too much anyway and you won’t even get a chance to put on all the cute name brand outfits you buy for your baby. So stick to basics and only have a handful of cute baby clothes for photos.
For the two way zipper onesies I recommend the Bonds range. Bonds baby clothes are stretchy and will last much longer than anything you buy at the shops I named above. Also the leg part folds nicely in the Bonds brand without looking awkward or shabby.
Oh, last advice about clothes, if you see too many buttons on baby clothes, run and don’t look back, no matter how cute it is. The last thing a sleep deprived parent needs is to fiddle around with buttons while baba is screaming on the nappy change table.
It’s super easy for your tiny baby to slip out of your hands in the shower or an adult bathtub. I used a LOT of products to figure out the easiest way to bathe my baby. I found a baby bathtub with bath stand and an insert was the safest and stress free way to take bub to the bath. There is a portable bath option that doubles up as a nappy change table. But it has shampoo holders in the front which really restricts the space you get for baby and they outgrow it real fast.
If you have the heart for it, buy nail clippers. It’s less time consuming that nail trimmers. I have both and I rarely use my name clippers. My baby is too wiggly and the thought of clipping him brings me anxiety. My friend bought the nail trimmer from Kmart but she said they dull down very quickly. I got this one off Amazon. It has a few extra sets of heads. I had it for 6 months now and the first set hasn’t even dulled yet.
You also need to keep those boogies out of babies cute little button nose. Here’s what I have. I only use it when baby is super congested because of a cold but they aren’t recommended for children under 1. If you can tolerate it, it’s better to use a snot sucker. It’s not for everyone though. For those pesky dry snots I recommend a baby nose tweezer.
- Sound Machine (for Everyone Else):
Babies have a secret society where they convene at 3 AM to discuss the meaning of life. To drown out the nocturnal symposium, invest in a sound machine.
There is new research that suggests white noise for long periods isn’t good for babies development. And rather than playing white noise for your sanity, play nature sounds. Lucky for us, most sound machines these days have a selection of sounds to choose from. My go too sound is rain sound. Momcozy is a good brand that has different styles of sound machines. This Momcozy sound machine is one of their top rated ones with a night light, 34 different sounds, a timer and a remote control app.
Portable ones don’t need to be so fancy. Here’s the portable sound machine I have. It has 4 different sounds, I usually use the wave sound and a very handy timer. It’s not the loudest sound machine on the market but because of its portability you usually leave it next to baby so you don’t need it to be super loud. I use it in the pram or when I’m at a friend’s house.
If you’re an outgoing person, then I’d suggest getting the YogaSleep Go sound machine. It’s portable and super loud so it will drown out your movie night with friends or any loud music playing in the living room.
- Emergency Chocolate Stash:
For those moments when you find yourself covered in mystery fluids, in dire need of a shower, and contemplating whether the baby monitor has a mute button for life. A secret stash of emergency chocolate is your silent partner in crime, offering sweet solace when the going gets tough.
So, there you have it – the whimsical world of baby essentials for the first three months. Remember, amidst the chaos and exhaustion, there’s a unique kind of joy that comes with parenting a newborn. Embrace the mess, laugh at the unpredictable, and savor every moment – because before you know it, you’ll be trading newborn necessities for toddler antics. Cheers to surviving the 0-3 month baby odyssey with humor, caffeine, and a whole lot of love!
