Ok, so I know it seems a bit early for this, but I also know you love to shop (or at least window shop, browse, and plan). I've got a couple installments of this kind of post, but here is the first one (for those very, very early days with a newborn).
There is so much stuff out the for babies. And it's all so cute! So what do you buy? One of the things I found really helpful was having someone to talk to about what's actually useful with a new baby and what's really just more stuff. Here's a few of my top picks for the newborn days:
A baby carrier: I have my wrap, and it's been invaluable to me. There are so many options out there, it's hard to know what to pick. Just find one you like and that lets you use both your hands when the baby is in it. When Jack was brand new (and even now) it was the one thing that could always settle him down. Plus, being able to wear Jack made it easier to accomplish things that had to get done at home.
Burp pads: As a newborn, Jack didn't spit up much. But when it came time to nurse him, I always had at least one (but often 2 or 3) burp pads near by. They were super useful for when he would let milk dribble down his cheek (and onto me) and to catch excess milk in general. In the first weeks (or maybe months...) I would also usually tuck one in my bra on the side he wasn't nursing on. Helped with leakage.
Little cloths: a new baby's skin is so sensitive, I was a bit worried about using wipes on him. Instead, we had lots (lots and lots and lots) of really thin little cloths we used to wash him when changing his diaper.
A place to put the baby down: ok, so you know that this didn't really happen much with my baby when he was really tiny, but the times I could put him down, I was really glad to have somewhere to put him. Whether it's a swing, a little bouncy chair, or a bassinet, it's good to have somewhere safe (and somewhat portable) to put the baby. Even if the baby only lets you put it down for five minutes every couple of days (like a certain boy I know...)
Pacifiers: If you don't choose to use them, that's totally fine and up to you. I don't think I gave one to Jack until he was a couple of weeks old, but it's been an ongoing love affair since then. I always figured I preferred to give him a soother instead of having him suck his thumb, since I can throw a soother away when the time comes. I think I gave you a couple we got as a gift that Jack would absolutely NOT use. The ones he loves are made by Nuk. For me, giving Jack a pacifier felt like giving him a coping strategy -- you could literally watch his stress melt away, and it was so helpful to have something that could calm him so quickly.
A stroller: especially one you can put the car seat in. Ok, so again this wasn't actually useful at my house until later, since Jack hated being in his car seat in the stroller (see: baby carrier). BUT if you have a baby who will let you stroller him/her around, it's wonderful. Especially with a baby born in the winter -- it's nice to be able to go on little outings just to get out of the house.
Lots of diapers: don't worry -- the baby won't always go through as many diapers as it does in the first few weeks. Newborns seem to have the uncanny ability to wait to poop until you've put them in a clean diaper. Ridiculous. You go through lots of diapers in the early days, but it gets better after that.
Onesies: I know this one seems obvious, but I thought I would include it anyway. The books always say the baby needs to wear a onesie and then pyjamas. I thought that was crazy, but it turns out it's for real (newborns can't make their own body heat. True story.). My favourite ones were from Carter's. They were kind of skinny, so they were nice and close to Jack's skin and didn't bunch up under his pyjamas.
So there's a first list. You really don't need that much to get started (the baby would most likely be happy to just to spend all day cuddled up against your skin inside your bathrobe). But I know I felt a bit lost trying to decide what we needed -- how do you plan for something you've never done before? Hopefully this helps a bit!
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