When to start completing a layette - newborn baby essentials?

Some future parents, right after seeing two lines on a pregnancy test, would most likely go to the store to complete a newborn checklist. These sweet clothes, blankets and diapers ... Others wait until the last trimester of pregnancy and only then think about what on the baby essential list. And this is the last moment to start shopping. The last weeks of pregnancy are marked by a rapidly growing belly, loss of strength, increasing fatigue and stress before childbirth. It is worth having a complete baby list prepared in advance, to save yourself extra nerves and be ready for the situation when the baby decides to be born before the planned date.

What to buy from the list of baby things for first time mum? 

How to even start completing a babylist items - this question is asked by all first-time parents.  The first baby is a big unknown - what to buy, what are the essentials for a newborn baby, what should baby hospital bag list include, what will you need at home? The selection in stores for newborns is so enormous that inexperienced expectant mothers can get lost. So, let's prepare a list of what you need for a baby and use it when buying things needed for a newborn at home and in the hospital. This will certainly help you avoid unnecessary purchases and make it easier to pack your hospital bag. This is our proposal for baby hospital bag list:

New baby essentials – hospital list:

• baby clothes
• clothes for mom
• baby care items
• changing diaper articles
• a blanket
• nappies
• bottle and teat
• cosmetics for mom

Essentials for new baby - home:

• changing table
• Baby cocoon
• Swaddle
• Baby horn
• Cot bedding

Baby cosmetics

Before the baby comes home for the first time, he/she will spend a few days in the hospital and it is for these first days that we must be especially prepared. Baby cosmetics will certainly be amongst the baby list items. Among them, first of all, body oil, body lotion or body cream - of course, suitable for the sensitive skin of a newborn. A shampoo will also be useful for the first baths. Cosmetics must be certified and safe from the first days of life.

You also need a delicate comb and scissors or a nail clipper. The baby has thin, but sharp nails and may scratch the delicate face skin.

Changing articles

From the first days of the baby's life, it is necessary to take care of baby’s bottom delicate skin. It is very delicate and sensitive, so it is easy to chafe. How to take care of the delicate skin there? The most important thing is to make sure that your newborn is being changed regularly. When changing the baby, it is worth washing the baby's bottom each time with warm water or wet wipes - preferably with as much water as possible. Apply a diaper cream or ointment on baby’s bottom skin.

Finally, what is most important – diapers – crucial on baby essentials first 3 months. During the first months, a toddler uses up to a dozen diapers a day, so it is worth considering which diapers you want to choose. Whether the most popular, disposable or more and more fashionable among moms in recent years, reusable diapers. Each choice has its advantages and disadvantages, but the most important thing is that the diapers are safe for the newborn - tested and certified.

In addition to changing diapers, textile diapers are a must-have. Bamboo nappies are perfect - they are airy, light, soft and pleasant to the touch. They will be useful for wiping or as a light covering for hot days.

It is also worth considering the changing table. Various options are available here - large, integrated changing tables on cabinets, plastic changing tables that can be rearranged – eg. from a bed to the bathroom or light inflatable changing tables. Which works best depends primarily on your housing conditions.

Baby clothes - how many do you need to have in your baby layette?

Shopping for clothes is by far the most enjoyable part of completing a babylist checklist. The hardest part is ... to limit yourself in quantity. The truth is that babies grow very quickly and it is not worth accumulating too many clothes of the same size.

When choosing clothes for a newborn baby, we recommend that you pay attention primarily to comfort. During the first weeks, the baby eats and sleeps, and in the meantime, we change his/her clothes and nappies. The clothes must be easy to unfasten, put on and take off and not restrict baby's movements. Cotton clowns and bodysuits work best here. We need several of them - a dozen or so pieces in one size to keep small stocks.

Feeding articles

If a young mother succeeds in breastfeeding her newborn baby, she will not need any feeding products for the first few months. Mother's milk is enough for the baby. But breastfeeding is not always the possibility and you need formula and a bottle. Therefore, it is worth stocking up on one small bottle before the birth, so that you have it already if you need to feed your baby. The choice of modified milk is very large - it is worth asking the doctor or a midwife what kind of formula was given to your baby in the hospital and if he/she responded well to it, continue giving the same one.

Baby layette for a walk

After the first days at home, your newborn baby can take its first short walk. What will you need? The list of layettes for a child will certainly include baby blankets. Each toddler will need at least a few. Thicker for a winter walk, or as a changing mat, a lighter one for nap time at home or on hot days. For a toddler born in autumn or winter, a sleeping bag will also be perfect - it is a very practical solution for walks on cold days.

A layette not only for the newborn, but also for the mother

The expectant mother must not only take care of the layette for her baby, but also prepare her own birth bag. It is worth checking if the hospital where you plan to give birth has a list of layette items for the newborn and for the mother on its website. Many institutions publish these lists to avoid confusion and make it easier for expectant mothers to pack. The list will definitely include a birth gown and an additional one for after childbirth, a light bathrobe, socks, postpartum pants and cosmetics (postpartum pads, bath cosmetics, etc.). The stores also offer natural perineal care products that will definitely be of a relief after birth.