Having a baby can be overwhelming at the best of times and if you stock up on everything they say you need, you will either be bankrupt or have a house full of stuff you're never going to use. There are only a few essentials you actually need for the early days so don't get bogged down on over stocking up. For example your babies skin is that sensitive that for the first four weeks they only recommend you only use water.
Having said that you're going to want to make sure your baby has a nappy on and smelling even more baby-lovely when you get inundated with visitors so here's my top tips.
I don't go mad when it comes to products but I will only use natural. Forget your no-more-tears-baby-powder-animal-testing Johnson's & Johnson's my boys bottom deserves the best and so far he's never suffered from eczema, cradle cap, nappy rash or any other nasty complaint. Your baby's skin can be ten times more sensitive than yours, so maybe I've just been lucky but I believe in plant power and if I'm not using nasty chemicals on my skin, why would I use them on my son's?
Nappies - Your newborn can go through as many as 12 nappies a day in the first few months so making a decision on which ones are best for you is huge. I knew from the start that I wanted to use reusables and spent most of my pregnancy researching which ones would be best for us. When you think that the inner part of a disposable nappy (the bit that touches your baby's skin) contains polypropylene a chemical component used to harden plastic it was an easy choice to make the switch. For the first few weeks and when we've been away I've used the Naty disposables which are made from corn starch and are biodegradable. Not only am I helping the environment I'm saving tonnes of money in the long run. I have bought a lot of mine preloved and whilst I was building up my stash I used my local nappy library. Our favourite type has to be the pocket nappies. They work well for us and we always get a great fit. The best day to day nappies have to be by
Totsbots, they have so many designs and they dry super quick, which means you don't need to have loads to use them full time.
Wipes - I then decided as I was putting on a extra load every few days that I would go the whole hog and change to reusable wipes too. "You must be mad." I hear you cry, well actually no, I'm not. It's so easy and I'm currently using the
Cheeky Wipes! kit. It's super simple and I just brew up some camomile tea, pop in in a tub and have it next to the changing unit. Hedd only poos once or twice a week so it really is only for wees mainly so it's no bother.
Coconut Oil - Now that the gross stuff is out of the way we can talk about the little extras that make time with your baby more fun. I researched baby massage when Hedd was struggling with bad wind at night and since then we've added into our evening routine. After his bath, he gets a full body massage - lucky little thing - and lately I've been using the
Kokoso Baby 100% Natural and Organic Coconut Oil. I just take a little bit into the palm of my hands, warm it up and away we go. I follow a simple technique and I'm not even sure it helps him sleep but it certainly is a fun way of keeping his super soft skin even softer and giving us some bonding time together before bed. I even use this on my legs after a shower/bath.
Keeping things clean - Another handy thing to have in your changing bag is some sterilising wipes. Hedd is exclusively breastfed and although we have a steriliser he only really needs it for his dummy's, which he's beginning to refuse. So when you're out and about it's a great way of making sure his dummy's nice and clean, you can also use it on their toys. The ones I use are by
Aleva Naturals and have no taste or scent and come in a little pouch and are super easy to throw into your bag. I also recently took them along to the festival we attended. Camping with a baby was fun but if he'd picked up a nasty bug I would never have forgiven myself so these wipes were perfect.
'You smell all soooapy.' (little IN joke, between my Mum and I) - I'm a huge fan of
Jurlique and after taking part in their
12 Days of Glow back in December, they sent me some lovely baby products to try. I love a baby wash that is also a shampoo because Hedd has so much hair. And with this hot weather I have to make sure I wash it every couple of days or he starts to look a bit greasy.
The Gentle Shampoo & Body Wash by Jurlique is kind and gentle and a little goes a long way so it last forever. It lathers up well so it's great for using in the morning when I top and tail him or as a bubble bath at night. The bottle is snazzy too, it has a handy little button system which you can pop open with one hand. This feature should be on everything! Learning to use everything with one hand hasn't been easy but this really is pretty groovy.
Protect - As I said earlier Hedd has never suffered from any skin complaints but I've used
Nappy Change Cream by Weleda religiously since he was a few days old. I only tend to apply it twice a day after I've given him a wash. But this thick, luxurious cream acts as a barrier to soothe and protect against nappy rash. I recently read that when babies start teething they can suddenly get sore so I'm keeping everything crossed this keeps the redness at bay. I love calendula as it has anti-inflammatory and vulnerary properties which helps soothe and heal wounds.
What are your baby essentials? Do you use cloth? Which ones are your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.
Laurie Rose
