Between preparing the baby's nursery 4 years ago and collecting items for babies and toddlers during my nannying years, we have a good collection of items for when baby Field enters our lives. However as we've been going through the home study process, I have had the need to nest some more. Questions of how much and what is truly necessary for having a newborn living in our house?
I started creating a list on Baby List, and it's been extremely helpful in taking the guesswork out of it. I also purchased "What to Expect the First Year," as another resource for things we need to have on hand. Here is our list of Must-Have baby items:
Cradle:
I won't be breastfeeding, so we can get a simple cradle so that each of us can get up to get baby for early morning feedings for the first few months. But it will be necessary before we transition baby to their crib that is already in their room.
Clothes:
We've picked up a few items here and there, but this one is hard to buy for as we have no idea when baby is due. We read in "What to Expect the First Year" a few ideas of what to have on hand, but we will still wait until we know baby's due date.
Cloth Diapers:
We have tossed and turned over what type of diapering we want to go with. We've landed on a hybrid of sorts. Leaning mostly with cloth diapering but having a few paper diapers on hand for babysitters or overnight use.
Glass Bottles:
I felt strongly about glass bottles, I'm a little old-school but I also have gained an interest in and being more conscious about the environment. I couldn't resist picking up these glass 4 oz bottles from Dr. Bronner's and need some of the 8 oz ones as well.
Swaddles:
I used to work in a Day Care and I loved how well swaddling baby for sleep worked. They have so many cute ones, including Star Wars theme! I also like the sleepers for when they are no longer an infant and can slip their arms through to help roll over, but keep them safe from blankets.
Teething:
I honestly forgot about this one, but I found some cute neutral colored teething rings. I also really like the mesh netted pods that you can put frozen fruit into and just have them gnaw on, it feels good on their gums and there is a sweet treat in it for them as well.
Bath:
Someone donated a baby bath to us for the tub, but we also would love a sink-sized one as well, especially for their first few baths. We will also need to acquire some baby bath towels. We already have some washcloths for baby :)
Grooming Kit:
I registered for a couple, filled with bath soaps, nail trimmers, snot suckers and the like. There are so many little things they will need, so I am grateful for kits like these that can all just be purchased at once.
Boppy Pillow:
This item is great for feedings, or just for holding and snuggling. And as they get older it's also great for when they are learning to sit up on their own.
Car Seat:
We were told, this is one of the last things we need to get, mostly because they expire. I would truly love a car seat that would grow with our child, but price may be a factor in the end.