Congratulations on your pregnancy!
It may be difficult to buy things for your baby after you have given birth. So as soon as you have gone through the discomfort of the early stages of pregnancy, you may start window shopping and gathering the items necessary for your child.
You can also prepare a month before your scheduled date of birth.
This article will introduce the minimum necessary baby goods. It is everything you need from the day you leave the hospital after giving birth.
Bedding
Aside from making sure that your baby’s health is good after you give birth, it is also important that you highly consider the best and safest quality of bedding for your little one. Usually, babies’ skin tends to be more sensitive than ours, as they require much more attention when it comes to their sleepwear and bed items. Please read the following details below:
Baby cot/crib
If there is a pet or other young children in the house, it is convenient to have a baby bed to avoid injuring the baby.
On the other hand, if there are only adults, and you have a cozy mattress or an adult bed, you do not need to have a cot.
Merit
In addition to preventing mischief, you can protect your baby from dust and mites.
Types
There are mainly two sizes of baby cot, the standard and mini, so choose according to the space available. The height varies, so you may want to take into consideration if you will rather stand or sit on the floor while caring for your baby.
Baby futon/mattress
This is essential especially for those who use baby beds. Babies’ bodies and bones are in an undeveloped state, so they need firmer mattresses than what most adults would use to protect their bones from injury/deformation and grow straight bones.
Also, there is a risk for suffocation when using soft mattresses as these can easily squeeze and cover the nose and mouth when the baby is lying on its side or stomach.
In that respect, the baby futon/mattress is secure so it is safe.
Newborn’s clothes and diapers
Like the beddings, you should be aware of the right type of fabric for the clothes of your newborn, as well as the diapers. Here are some keynotes that you need to keep in mind:
Baby underwear
Babies are very sweaty, so underwear is essential. On the day you leave the hospital you can use what you brought for your baby.
Changing your baby’s underwear varies according to the temperature, but it may need to be replaced several times in a day by milk spills, sweat, etc. You may prepare at least 6 pieces.
How to put on underwear:
Wear short underwear first. Then wear the long underwear over the short underwear
Short underwear: underwear reaching up to the waist
Long underwear or combination underwear: underwear that covers up to the feet you can put on over the short underwear
When inside the room in the summer, it is okay to have your baby wear these two pieces. But when going out on chilly days, wear vests, etc. over the underwear.
Baby’s clothes at discharge from hospital
Baby’s clothing upon mother’s discharge from the hospital can be underwear and a two-way overall.
A two-way overall is an item of clothing that the baby wears over the underwear and it can be turned into a dress or a coverall depending on the way the button is fixed at the bottom. You can use it for about 6 months after birth.
Prepare baby’s clothing according to the material and thickness of the two-way overall depending on the season/climate when you leave the hospital. It is common to use swag and afghan, so you do not need to prepare something too thick.
Also, there are many people who leave the hospital with a ceremonial dress for the baby.
Afghan
It is often thought afghan is necessary only in cold temperatures, but swaddling is necessary for babies throughout the year. In particular, it is essential when you leave the hospital when you take your baby home for the first time.
It is best to prepare a thick one for cold temperatures, and a breathable gauze material for the summer.
Diapers
It is not unusual to change diapers ten times a day because of the frequent occurrence of poo and urine in newborns. It may be necessary to change diapers as soon as you return home from discharge so have at least one pack before giving birth.
The size of the diaper is the same for all brands “for newborns”.
Also, if the baby is born bigger or growing fast, it may not be possible for a newborn baby to use the same size diaper after about a month. Therefore, it is not recommended to buy too many packs of the same size.
Other
In this section, we provide you with some information about other factors that also affect your baby.
Baby bath
It is necessary to have a newborn baby bath used only for the baby. It is because you need to protect the baby from germs, infections, etc. from adults’ bathtubs.
The type that inflates with air is popular because it is easy to dispose of when it becomes unnecessary.
Child seat
When putting a child under the age of 6 in a private car, the obligation to use a child seat is stipulated by the Road Traffic Act. Even in the neonatal period, child seats are indispensable when returning home by private car at discharge. Always install it.
However, a child seat is unnecessary for a baby in a taxi or bus.
Summary
Most mothers do not have an idea about what baby things to prepare before giving birth especially if it is the first birth.
There are lots of things to prepare that you can also purchase at nearby child care products stores or online. It may be necessary to prepare these in order and make a schedule of your purchases, according to necessity.
The items introduced in this article, however, are baby staples and used at all times, so make sure to have these items ready before giving birth.
