The thought of baby-ing up a home for a new, little arrival is one that's exciting all on its own! That said, ensuring you're truly prepared for a bouncing, bumping and burping little bundle of joy perhaps causes a little more stress than it needs to. Having been seeking out and selling the best choices in essential babyware for years, the infant experts at Daisybaby (that's experts on infants, not infants who are experts!) have put together a unique list of Mummy/Daddy essentials to give you the best leg up:
#1 Nappies
No prizes at all for guessing; we'd have to get this one straight away! With such a vast choice of nappy brands and options, finding a choice both reliable, comfortable and good for money is vastly easier than it used to be...so what should parents be looking out for? Given that times are getting hard, both for us and the planet, an economical and environmental choice is certainly not a bad way to go. Going for disposable over reusable will help any parent's bank balance, removes unnecessary waste and makes just a little difference in a big world.
#2 Mei Tai, Wrap & Ring Slings
It's nostalgic for us, given that they were our start in the world of baby retailing, but you can't deny that a properly made and tied baby sling is still the number one solution for giving a Mum her hands back! Available in endless colours and patterns to help give a bit of fashion to function, whichever approach to the sling you take or however round you wear it, it will help develop the bond between you and your little one, and keep them secure, comfy and close to you.
Click here to view our baby slings
#3 Sock Ons
Your baby's socks slipping off may not be an issue huge in the public eye, but it's still a recurring one that can be solved very easily. Sock ons fit over the infant's sock like a jacket, and no matter how much they tug and pull it'll stay on tight. They ensure baby's feet remains warm, covered up and, best of all, it saves you looking/replacing all those socks that go astray!
#4 Feeding Equipment
Three words come to mind when you think of baby feeding: 'practicality, convenience and hygiene'. Any parent who takes the time to prepare their own home cooked baby food needs every advantage, whether that comes in the form of a food storing station, a bottle /pacifier sterilizing apparatus or a food/drink warmer. Each may tackle different tasks, but all are designed to make baby raising that much easier.
#5 Baby-Safety
Though we would happily talk baby safety with you for hours, we shouldn't really have to. Nor should we have to emphasis the importance of 'baby-proofing' the home of a new parent. These days there's locks for oven doors, toilets and cupboards, safety gates and anti-escape systems, plus foam guards to render the most dangerous corners of the house non-issues. Once you're all set to sufficiently care and feed a child, it's safety is most definitely the next priority.
#6 Sleeping Bags & Wearable Blankets
You would assume blankets would find their way onto this list, but that's intuition. In reality ordinary blankets in a baby's crib pose risks of suffocation and excessive carbon dioxide inhalation - both risks of SIDS. Scary thoughts, but luckily in their endeavours to keep your little darling safe, companies like Breatheable Baby and Summer Infant have developed innovative ways to ensure sleeping babes are most quiet and comfortable. Whether its a baby centered sleeping bag or a fastened blanket that bests suits them, your child's good night sleep is not an area worth second guessing.
#7 Baby Towels
If you think about the way a baby gets dried up after a bath, it makes sense that they would require their own design of towel. An unexpected requisite, using a towel that reliably covers your child head to toe keeps the cold out as you ready to dress them again. If you want even better reach, some have been combined with the sling to give a mother both hands to entertain and attend to a soaked little ragamuffin after he/she comes out the tub.
#8 Baby Bath
Speaking of baths, its another thing best looked for in tiny size proportions! Ultimately what you're after is something that, in the early months, allows for a safe and snug support for babies, such as on this New Born & Toddler Baby Bath. Once the tot is a little older, you should still stick with a bath best to fit their tiny bodies, yet one that allows for a little more room to splash and play.
#9 Changing Mat
We understand that food, nappies and such are the biggest must-haves, but if you've not even thought about getting a changing mat...really? It's normally a big fear in most new parents! The best thing for alleviating those worries is a mat that gives you all you could ask for: a nice wipe clean mat, boxes to keep wipes and some method for making it portable. Paired with a changing bag, the potential disaster area of a dirty nappy becomes a relatively easy to handle nuisance.
#10 A Baby Hamper!
So what about all those other not so needy essentials for new parents? Well, rather than making this a top 20, we thought we'd bundle them together with the help of our growing collection of luxury baby hampers! The ultimate gift to bring to a baby shower, the three variety of sizes and colours supply a newborn with clothes, blankets and an adorable furry first friend. Supplied in a lovely wicker basket, it may not cater to every need outlined in this article, but nevertheless, no parent should be without one!
We know a simple blog list can't arm a parent for the challenge of a newborn baby, but hopefully this'll be a simple start to covering all the bases. Remember, if you see anything in this list that you must-have, try adding it to your own Daisy Baby wish list, and publishing it on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.
