Six weeks have passed and I have taken the time to reflect on all that we have accomplished this far. The on and off sleep patterns, pacing around trying to get winds out and the tons and tons of dirty nappies. I remember doing A LOT of research into what I needed for my baby to begin with. However all the articles left me even more unsure. You would think that because this is my second child I would have it somewhat figure out, but no, it didn’t work that way for me.

I tried to stock up anyway on the two things I knew I would definitely use the most. Nappies and wipes. I encourage you to do this. You can always exchange the nappies at various stores once Baby is here if you need a bigger size or baby prefers a specific brand. We seem to be very lucky with both our kids that the brand did not bother them so I’m free to use whatever I have at that point.

Its important to remember that every baby is different and every parents preferences can also differ so I’m going to share what I’ve used over the last month and I hope it will help you prepare.

The biggies:

Try buying these in advance

• A cot/co-sleeper (unless you plan for baby to sleep in your bed) Remember that you also need to get a mattress and some linen for which ever option you choose. This comes down to preference so do some research. I read up on co-sleeping and it’s benefits. It keeps me sane having Alex so close by so I can react quickly in the evening if she begins to fuss, she goes back to sleep much faster this way
• A pram and car seat. We decided to purchase a Doona pram because it serves as a pram and car seat. Also it’s super cute. Our main reason was so that we wouldn’t have to fill up the entire boot with a fold up pram like we had to do with Jayme. Two kids, two car seats, it just made more sense for us.

For the bathroom

• A Baby bath
• 2 x baby soap or baby wash
• Baby shampoo
• Lotion / Massage oil – We went old school and used Lennons, Rooilavental and olive oil mixed and heated over a cup of boiling water for the first month. Alex has beautiful soft skin now.
• Baby powder
• 2 x face cloths
• cotton balls – to clean babies eyes
• 2 hooded towels

Clothing/linen/blankets:

I recommend a minimum of 5 of each item

• long sleeve newborn vests
• newborn growers
• newborn leggings
• newborn socks – this can double as mittens so baby doesn’t scratch herself
• newborn beanie

Alex wore tiny baby clothing for the first week and a half. I’m very grateful that my mother bought some. I thought it would be a waste as Jayme hardly wore newborn. I suggest getting at least 1 set of tiny baby just as a backup in case baby comes early. You can always donate/sell/exchange it later.

• 2 x receiving  or muslin blankets
• 2 x Warm/fleece blankets

We were Blessed with a lot more than 2 blankets at our baby shower and it definitely came in handy when I didn’t change a nappy fast enough or Alex spat up on the blanket. Two is a safe minimum.

Essentials:

• 5 x size 0 nappies
• 2 x size 1 nappies

We have now moved on to size 2. This will differ depending on your baby. Alex was born weighing 3kg’s if that helps at all with your guesstimate.

• lots of wet wipes
• earbuds
• surgical spirits
• bum cream – bepanthen worked the best for us
• Vaseline

Other items I used often

• A changing mattress + cover
• Baby hair brush
• Nappy bag
• Baby bather
• Carrier or baby wrap  – we got the Noonoo pie baby wrap which allowed me to get so much done, especially in the evenings when i needed to do homework with Jayme. Alex would sleep soundly on my chest while we carried on with homework.

These items got us through the first month without any hiccups. I would suggest getting only nappies and wipes until your baby shower and then buying the remainder of your items after.

If you find this list useful or have anything you would add to the list please leave a comment below.

xx