The No BS Guide to What You Need to Buy For a New Baby

The other day I was chatting to friends who are 14 weeks pregnant. I asked them if they've started looking at strollers and cots and other baby related gear, and they said no, they're completely overwhelmed and don't know where to start. The mum to be said 'what I need, is a no bull shit list of what to buy and when- what we'll need to get early, what we can put off until the baby is a few weeks or months old, and what's a waste of money and shouldn't be bought at all'. 

I'm always looking for ideas for blog posts and videos, so I said perfect, I'll write the list next week, and here it is!

You never knew that something so little, could require so much stuff, right? Well the good news is that your new baby doesn't need that much stuff, or at least not all at once. Of course we're a retail store, so we'd love it if you bought everything from us, but the truth is you won't need to - you'll probably be given newborn baby gifts by family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues. Whatever you buy, keep the receipt so that you can return it later if you get double ups.

Stroller 

When to buy: Start looking during your pregnancy and purchase before the due date.

Our Stroller Collection

Strollers/push chairs/prams, are a bit like wedding dresses in that most shops don't keep many in stock, so you may need to order ahead of time. The stroller will probably be one of your biggest purchases, and we think it's quite a fun one too! You could start doing some online/ in store research about half way through your pregnancy. We think that it's best to have purchased the stroller by about 36 weeks, just in case the baby arrives early.

Option B - Full disclosure here - some people skip the stroller and just get a carrier (like a front pack) We still think that the stroller is essential.

Bassinet/Moses basket

Essential

We recommend: Snuzpod4 bedside crib

Your baby will sleep in a bassinet at night, usually in your bedroom for the first six months. Having the baby in the bedroom next to you makes night time feeding a little easier, and it's safer too. You'll need the bassinet from the day you bring baby back from hospital.

Option B - if your bedroom is big enough you could put the cot in there and skip the bassinet altogether. 

Wrap/Baby Carrier/Front Pack

Essential

We recommend: Ohbubs Baby Wrap

You can use one of these handy wraps right from birth. They're nowhere near as difficult to use as you'd think, and babies love to be close to you and feel your heartbeat. I gave one to a friend who had a newborn that wasn't sleeping well during the day, and she says it's amazing - she can put him in the wrap and get a few things done around the house, walk down to the shops and wallah! He sleeps through the whole thing. 

Capsule/Car Seat

Essential

We recommend: Maxi Cosi

You won't be allowed to leave the hospital without a capsule or car seat for your baby to travel in. It's a good idea to install the capsule a couple of weeks before due date, just incase baby arrives early. All the capsules that we sell can be used up until 13kg, although most babies will grow out of their capsule in length before weight, somewhere around a year old.

Cot

Essential

We recommend: Babyhood Riya Cot

When to buy: It's up to you

If you opt for a bassinet, baby probably won't use the cot until around six months old, so you could put this purchase off. That said, if you're thinking of 'doing' a nursery, you'll probably be more in the mood for it before the baby arrives, rather than when they're six months old and ready to actually use the nursery. We recommend looking for a cot that will convert to a toddler bed, which you'll probably use until baby is around 3 years old, or when their new younger baby brother or sister needs the cot. 

Change Table

Nice to have

When to buy: Before baby is born

You don't really need a change table, it's a big piece of furniture, when you could just use a foam pad on top of a chest of drawers, on a bed, or on the floor. Change tables are pretty handy though! They're a good place to store all your nappies and creams, and little babies need their nappies changed many, many times a day, so you'll use it lots.
We recommend Babyhood Ultimate Change Padinstead. 

Nappy Bag

Nice to have

We recommend: Storksak Luxe Black Scuba

When to buy: Before baby arrives, if at all

Nappy bags are great things to have, they have lots of space for bottles, food, changes of clothes, and of course nappies, but they're not completely necessary. You could just use a big handbag. We're big fans of The Roundabout Clutch from Pretty Brave, which can carry some spare nappies and wipes, and fit inside your nappy bag or big handbag. 

Baby Mirror

Essential

When to buy: Before baby is born

We recommend: Two Nomads Baby View Mirror
A baby mirror attaches to the headrest in the car, just above where baby's car seat is installed. It'll allow you to see baby in your rear view mirror, and we think it's a great little thing to have, you'll use it until you turn your baby's car seat around to forward facing when they're about two years old.

Breast Pump

Nice to have, but maybe essential, depending on your situation

You could go for anything from a double electric pump, for many hundreds of dollars, right down to a silicone breast pump, for less than $30. We recommend waiting until baby is here and you know where your breastfeeding journey is heading before investing in one of the more expensive pumps. Some hospitals rent high-powered pumps too. 

Breast Pads

Essential

When to buy: Before baby is born

We recommend: Ohbubs - Washable Breast Pads (3 Pairs)

You'll need breast pads to prevent milk soaking through your clothes, it's true!! At the start you'll probably want something more absorbent like the Haakaa Disposable Nursing Pads, and when baby gets a little bit older you could start using something like our Global Baby Cotton Washable Breast Pads.

Pads 

When to buy: Before baby is born

We recommend: Stocking up on the free ones while you're in hospital.

I remember asking a colleague, before I had my first baby, if I would really need the pads. She laughed and said 'yes, you definitely will'. LOL. They're kind of like sanitary pads, but a bit thicker and without the pretty packaging. It's mean because at the supermarket they're usually right down on the bottom shelf (no one's impulse buying them right?) Buy them before you have the baby because it'll be pretty hard to bend down to that shelf afterwards. You'll probably need to use them for a few weeks after the baby is born.

Baby Monitor

Reasonably essential 

When to buy: When baby moves to their own room

We recommend: Owlet Cam2

If the baby is going to sleep in the room with you for the first few months you probably won't need the monitor straight away- unless where they're having their day sleeps is out of earshot. Our daughter is three and we still use the monitor each night, it was especially useful when she moved into her big bed and realised that she could climb out.

Comfy chair

Essential 

When to buy: Before baby is born

You're going to spend a lot of time sitting in a chair, feeding baby, rocking baby, reading to baby... It's great to have a comfy chair somewhere in the house- it doesn't need to be in the baby's room, but it's nice if it is. We recommend chairs that aren't too low, and are easy to get in and out of without using your hands (because you might be holding the baby).

Nappies

Essential

When to buy: Before baby is born

Start stocking up on nappies a few weeks before baby is born- but don't buy too many- you might find that you don't like that brand, or that your babe grows out of the newborn size quickly.

Travel cot/ portacot

Nice to have

When to buy: after baby is six months old

We recommend: Maxi-Cosi Swift 3-in-1 Portacot

If you travel out of town or go on holiday a bit you might need a portacot, but if your stroller has a carry cot, or if you've got a bassinet/ moses basket/ snuzpod, you should be able to use that for day/ night sleeps when you're away from home, until baby is about six months old. Some hotels have cots that they will set up in your room for free or a small charge, so you might be able to get away with postponing the portacot purchase for a while. Portacots tend to not be used very often, so second hand ones are usually in quite good condition, you might get lucky and be given a used one from a friend or family member. 

High Chair

Essential

When to buy: Later

We recommend: Kaylula Ava High Chair

Most babies start solids when they're around six months old, you can hold off purchasing the high chair until then. We love highchairs like the Kaylula Ava Highchair, because the tray can be removed, and the height adjusted, so that the child can sit at the table with you. You'll end up using it for years and years. 

Other Stuff

Don't rush out and buy all the things in the list below, yes you'll need them, but you might be given them at your baby shower, when the baby is born, or you might be given hand me downs. 

When I was researching what to put on this list I was surprised by how many items of clothing some lists were suggesting. One list said 16 onesies! Seriously! In New Zealand most mums get to stay home with their babies for at least the first few weeks, so we have plenty of time for washing! You'll probably do a load of washing every day or every second day, so your baby really doesn't need that many items of clothing. 

Clothes- natural fibres like cotton and merino wool are good, you'll need singlets, long sleeve tops (the ones with snaps at the crotch are good), pants, onesies. After a few weeks you'll might find that you enjoy using some styles and not so much the others, that's a good time to go out and buy more.

Face cloths- you can never have enough

Hats

Socks

Booties (you might be given these, if you're lucky enough to know someone who likes knitting)

Blankets- you'll probably be given these as gifts

Sheets for bassinet

Sheets for cot

Baby book

Baby towel

Pacifier/ dummy

Nipple cream

Baby wipes

Nappy cream 

Buy when you need them (like, later)

Hair brush, tooth brush, nail file

Bibs

Toys

Books

Shoes

Baby gym

Bath toys

More clothes

Breastfeeding tea

We hope that you've found that helpful! Let us know if you think we've missed anything from our list! Contact us here.