25 USEFUL THINGS YOU WILL NEED FOR YOUR FIRSTBORN

In the world of baby care, everything has already been invented and commercialised. There is so much choice, it is easy to get lost. How can you know what you really need for your baby?

When I was pregnant with my baby girl, I spend hours and hours on the internet looking for useful things. Things we were actually going to need.
And once I found them, I read hundreds of reviews as to know which brand or model to take. Let’s say I need a baby carrier, ok. But there are thousands of different ways how to carry a baby, which one is the best for ME?

You might also want to have a conversation about this with the daddy-to-be.

Why?

I was opting for a scarf to carry our baby. Once I showed my boyfriend how it has to be worn, he told me right away: “if you want me to carry our baby, I’d gladly do so! But please find something really easy to wear, otherwise, I’ll lose my patience and never use it”.

Same goes with diapers.

I was thinking about re-usable washable diapers. I read like so many reviews and studies about what is better for the environment.
Finally, I thought let’s try this.
And when I spoke to my boyfriend about it, he said: “I think we will have so much laundry to do and you will have your hands full, looking after the baby, let’s try the eco-friendly disposable variant first”.

And he was so right!

What is it that you need for your first-born?

SLEEPING and BABYS ROOM

• A baby bed: I’d recommend a “co-sleeper”, it’s a baby crib that attaches to the side of the parent’s bed. If you have enough space in your bedroom, take one that has already the size of a normal baby crib. Like this, you won’t have to buy a new one after 6 months. You’ll also need to buy bedsheets only once.
  You won’t need a duvet and pillow right away. Only a mattress and its cover and a zippered sleeper for your baby.
• A wardrobe or a chest of drawers: to store all those cute tiny clothes.
  It can be helpful to have one level or drawer just for clothes baby has already outgrown or that she doesn’t fit in yet.
• A diaper changing table with a changing pad and a washable cover: I found one with a hook-and-loop fastener. This is really practical as long as the baby is small and doesn’t move too much.
  You can for example quickly fasten it to bend down to throw the diaper into the bin.
  Of course, you should never leave your baby unattended on the changing table.
• You might also need ointment for a diaper rash, a pump with water, a snot sucker, scissors for baby fingernails, a baby hairbrush, body wash and cotton pads (disposable or reusable).
• A diaper dispenser (e.g. Korbell): you could buy just a common bin that you place next to the diaper changing table. However, if you are sensitive to smell like me, you should invest in an odour neutralizing bin which closes after each use.
• A travel cot: this is something you won’t need from day one but it will come in handy once you start to travel or you go visit some family or friends.
  We always keep the foldable mattress in the car. So when we are staying at a friend’s place longer than expected, we can put our baby girl to bed. She doesn’t move a lot during her sleep this is why we didn’t bring the cot.

FEEDING

• Several muslin cloths: you can use them to hide your breast while breastfeeding in public, to wipe off baby’s burp or to put it in baby’s bed under her head so you won’t have to change the bedsheets three times a day.
  You can also use them to swaddle your new-born.
• Burp cloths: smaller size than the muslin cloth. Just the size of a handkerchief, just to wipe off the burps from baby’s mouth. Or to stop the milk flow when your baby spits out the nipple while you are having a strong milk ejection reflex.
• A breastfeeding pillow: this can help you find a comfortable sleeping position at the end of your pregnancy. Unfortunately, this never worked for me. I had to buy the Dream Belt from Babymoov to be able to get some rest. And then, it’s a really great essential for breastfeeding.
• A breast pump: I’m not a fan of asking daddy to give a bottle with breastmilk just to have him participate. But sooner or later you will need some time for yourself, to treat yourself, to get an (alcohol-free) drink with friends or to go to that long-scheduled doctor’s appointment.
  You can rent them for free with your health insurance (Sécurité Sociale) in a specialized pharmacy or on a website like www.suckle.fr. I hear that Medela Symphony is a great breast pump, I’ll tell you more once I’ve tried it.

BABY STUFF

• A diaper bag: to carry change and fresh diapers with you at all times.
• Diapers: washable or eco-responsible diapers preferably. I’m going to write a post about the different brands I’ve tested.
• A bathtub: I’d recommend a tummy tub. It’s basically like a big bucket but your baby will love the confined space that reminds her of her time in mommy’s belly. Bathtubs, where your baby has to lie on her back, are less enjoyable for babies as they are only slightly covered in water.
• Baby clothes: you won’t need a lot for size 0-3 and 3-6 months since you will get a lot of clothes presents for your baby’s birth.
• A thermometer: to see if the baby has a fever.
  I bought a soft one for the common use (butt) and one for the front which is way more comfortable for you and your baby.

TOYS & GEAR

• A high chair: you won’t need this one straight away but when your baby is about 6 months old.
  It’s always useful to buy a chair that grows with the baby. So, if you want one with a small table, make sure you’ll be able to remove it when the time comes.
• A bouncer: your arms will become heavy and at some point, you will want to lay your baby down for a bit. Mine is rather light and has handles so I can take my baby with me to the next room.
• A car seat/stroller combo: here in France it is very usual to buy a 3-in-1. A stroller frame with a bassinet for new-borns, a car seat and a chair for older babies.
  In my experience, you need the bassinet for about 6 months until the baby can sit. So it is necessary but you can definitely buy a car seat that has nothing to do with your stroller.
  Once your baby can upright you will be happy to have a very light stroller.
  Don’t make the mistake to buy the Ferrari of strollers that weighs 15kg. You will have to carry it up the stairs at some point.
  Honestly, I have a great stroller with all 3 parts but I was so happy once our baby had outgrown her car seat and we could buy a different one (she hated the safety belt). And for our vacation in Italy, we bought a really cheap but light stroller – still 7kg. This stroller cost us 32€. It was the cheapest we could find and we thought, well if someone wants to steal it so be it. And if it breaks down after our vacation, that’s fine. But… We have had it for 2 years now!
• A baby carrier: yes, yes and yes! Your baby will love it. Being close to mommy or daddy is the best feeling ever. My baby girl hated being in the stroller, probably because of gastric reflux. But she was always calm and happy when I carried her.
  You can buy very good carriers to carry your baby on your belly and your back. You can also buy a Sling for times when you just want to cook lunch and need free hands to do so.
• A baby phone: if your house or apartment is too big to hear your baby cry in another room. Personally, I prefer the old-fashioned ones without a camera. Because the super baby phones with 100 functions are most times connected to the internet. First of all that adds internet frequencies to your babies’ room and secondly you never know who else might be watching.
• A tumble dryer: well, if you don’t have one and you have money to spare, do yourself a favour and get one. You’ll soon understand why, unless you already live in a hot area where everything dries quickly.

FOR MOMMY

• Breastfeeding clothes: I find maternity and nursing tanks with a built-in bra very practical. Also, a nightgown that you can easily push aside can be very practical
• Nursing pads: if you have a strong milk flow you are going to need good protection so your shirt won’t get wet when you hear a baby cry or while nursing.
  I had to test several brands until I found the ones I like best and surprisingly they are from a cheap private label brand (Leclercq).
  A completely new product is the Curve nursing pads. They are the best if you have a strong milk flow!
• Nipple cream: you are definitely going to need this for the first weeks of breastfeeding. It should be either pure lanolin (it’s grease from sheep) or contain oils or honey. I made the mistake of buying one with perfume, my baby didn’t like it at all.
• A night light: I have one I just need to hit so it switches on or off, this is very practical to change or breastfeed your baby at night.

This is a long list of things I needed and I think are useful. I hope you find my suggestions useful and that I helped you feel less overwhelmed by knowing what you may want and need.

As mentioned above, there is much more choice and you need to make the right one for YOUR needs.

What are your favourite products? Please share them with me and other moms-to-be so they can use them as a resource.

If you have any questions about the list or a specific product please leave a comment below so I can share my personal experience with you and help you find what you need.