The nine months from the time you find out you are pregnant till you give birth are packed with things to do. From figuring out a name for your baby to getting your house ready for his or her arrival to planning your future which will now be very, very different. And then of course, there is all the baby shopping to do – the cot, the pram, the clothes, the toys, the nappies etc.
But in the excitement and with so many options and things available, we often buy things that we don’t really need. So I’ve put together a list of the essential baby buys for those first few months.
Where will my baby sleep?
Moses basket or cot or cot bed? The eternal question on every first-time parents’ mind. None of these come cheap, so it makes sense to think what works best within your budget and space. Moses baskets are ideal given their small size and ability to rock baby to sleep; however, keep in mind that your baby will outgrow it pretty soon.
A cot is a wise decision, if you have the space as your baby will use it for a longer period of time. Some people prefer to buy a cot bed (a cot which can then be transformed into a toddler bed) so they are sorted for the next couple of years. While this is a practical and sensible decision costwise, keep in mind it is going to be a rather big space for your newborn and will also take a considerable amount of space in your room.
What kind of pushchair do I buy?
Another all-important question because you will be out and about with your baby and will need a suitable and practical pushchair. But with so many options out there, this too can be a daunting decision. Baby travel systems are a good option as they transform from a carrycot to a pushchair to a car seat, making it a more compact, all-in-one option. Moreso, they are ideal for the newborn stage right through to the toddler stage.
Clothes
This is an area where most new parents make blunders. Agree, baby clothes look amazingly cute, and let’s face it, you are very excited at the prospect of dressing your little one in these clothes, but the reality is that newborns mostly live in onesies and baby grows. And you will be surprised how quickly babies outgrow their clothes! So, as tempted as you are to buy that dress or those dungarees, make sure you don’t go overboard with expensive, fancy clothes for your baby. Especially if you don’t want to see them ruined as there will be a lot of spit-ups, pee and poo accidents and milk stains in those first few months!
Toys
You hear the word baby and immediately think of toys, but you’ll be surprised to find out that babies don’t play with toys up until they are a few months old. Certain things like rattles, picture books and moving musical objects to put atop their cot or play gym are all they really need in the beginning. Once they start to sit up and have better hand-eye coordination, you can invest in some building blocks and moving toys.
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