Munchkin Blog Logo

Essential Baby Items & Must-Haves

|

July 08, 2022

Your Newborn Essentials Checklist

Everything you need for a happy and safe baby

When you’re preparing for the arrival of your newborn, you’ll no doubt be reading all the different newborn essentials checklists you find online. And the problem is, they all have loads of different things on them. Which makes knowing what you really need pretty difficult and a little overwhelming if we’re being honest! 

So, to help you understand which things are your true go-to and must-have items, our early years expert Sophie Pickles is on hand with her top newborn essentials you need to get started. 

These are all the things you won’t be able to live without in the days, weeks, months and even years to come. 

Hospital Bag

Your essential items: Car seat mirror, sun shades, white noise machine 
Packing your hospital bag is such an exciting task and it certainly makes your impending arrival suddenly seem all the more real! Most people choose to pack their bag from around 31 weeks, although you can of course pack much sooner or later than this. Just try to make sure that you’re all ready to go by 37 weeks, just in case!

What you need to take to the hospital for both you and baby will vary depending on where you live, the hospital you are using and your individual requirements.

Don’t worry about overpacking. It really doesn’t matter if you take a few too many things. Being well prepared will also help you to feel more calm and in control. Try to take a small suitcase (or two) on wheels if you can – that way it’s easy to move around the hospital, especially if your birth partner is having to do it all themselves!

Have you included these on your hospital bag list yet so you’re ready for your journey home?

A Safe Place in the House

Your essential items: Baby swing
There’s nothing better than having endless cuddles with your new baby. We know that close contact, especially in the first three months is vital to their wellbeing, your postpartum recovery and in building a strong bond between the two of you.

While our babies would be happy for us to hold them 24 hours a day, let’s face it, there are times when we just need a few minutes of hands-free time! Whether it’s grabbing a quick shower, going to the toilet or making a hot drink, there are some tasks that are a lot easier (and safer) without your little snuggle buddy attached to you.

Choosing a safe place to leave your little one, such as a baby swing, not only means you can actually accomplish small tasks with two hands (hooray) but will also provide your baby with entertainment or even rock them to sleep. Aim for no more than 15 to 30 minutes in the swing at a time if you can and remember that if your baby does fall asleep, you will need to move them to a safe, flat sleeping space.

Out & About

Your essential items: Portable mini steriliser, steriliser bags
Going out and about with your baby is a wonderful experience for both of you. Many parents find that being stuck in the house can have a negative effect on their mental health, while heading out into the fresh air or to meet some friends for a coffee and some cake can make a world of difference. Babies also benefit hugely from being out of the house, as their senses are stimulated and they experience new sights, smells and sounds.

You don’t have to venture far or spend lots of money. Just visiting your local park will provide many sensory learning opportunities for your baby at any stage of development.

When you do head out, don’t forget to pack our portable mini steriliser in your changing bag. Along with steriliser bags, they can give you real peace of mind in case soothers, toys or teethers drop onto the floor.

Starting a routine

Your essential items: White noise machine
Implementing a solid bedtime routine is key to achieving good night-time sleep (for everyone). From around four months old, you can begin to introduce a simple evening routine that will help your baby to understand that daytime is over and it’s time to wind down for the night.

What you include in your routine is up to you, and it will vary from household to household depending on your lifestyle, other children and your baby’s likes and dislikes. What is important, is that you keep your routine the same each night, as this will really help your baby to cement their understanding of bedtime.

Here is a sample routine that you may like to follow, tweaking it to suit your baby:

  • Evening meal (over 6 months old)
  • Bath time
  • Baby massage
  • Story
  • Milk
  • Cuddles
  • Bed

Incorporating white noise and keeping lights low will also help to create a sense of calm and enable your baby to drift into the land of sleep.

Feeding

Your essential items: Bottle warmer 
Let’s face it, while having a baby can be so much fun, feeding them can sometimes feel like a relentless task. Whether you breast, chest, tube or bottle feed – milk is probably constantly on your mind (and your baby’s too!). It’s no doubt on your clothes a lot as well! 

While you might sometimes feel like you’re stuck in an endless cycle of baby care, bottle warming doesn’t have to be another chore on your list. Whether you’re feeding formula or expressed milk, our bottle warmer will quickly heat milk to body temperature and fits most major bottle brands. Perfect for nighttime feeds.

Many parents will choose to introduce a bottle into their baby’s feeding routine at some point during their first year. If you are breastfeeding and would like to express and feed, it’s recommended that you wait until around six weeks postpartum, so that your milk supply is fully established and your baby is less likely to get nipple confusion.

Teething

Your essential items: Teether 
Most babies will start to show teething signs at around six months, although this can vary quite drastically from baby to baby. You may find that your baby’s first tooth pops up as soon as they start to show the signs of teething, or – more unfortunately – you could be in for a good few months of grizzling before any teeth break through.

Common teething signs to look out for include:

  • Grumpy, grizzly behaviour with increased crying and unsettled periods
  • More frequent night wakes
  • Red cheeks
  • Dribbling
  • Chewing on hands and other objects
  • Pulling on their own ears
  • Nappy rash and/or diarrhoea

While teething can be a difficult time for all involved, providing your baby with a teether will not only offer a happy distraction but it may also help to alleviate some of their discomfort.

Get weaning ready

Your essential items: Weening bundle, highchair, travel seat, safety spoons, suction bowls, scooper spoons, lidded bowls
Ready, set, wean! Just when you thought you had all the baby equipment you need along comes weaning. Whether you’re planning on following baby-led weaning or the more traditional route with purées and finger foods, you’ll need to make sure your cupboards are stocked and ready to go with the very best weaning essentials. 

For an easy life (don’t we all need that when we have a baby?), check out the Munchkin weaning bundles. Packed with everything you need to get started on a successful weaning journey without any brain power needed on your part! 

Here are some other items you need to make sure you have on your list too:

Making bath time fun

Your essential items: Bath rinser, light up bath toys, bath mat, toy organiser 
Bath time is not only a great part of most bedtime routines, but it’s also a fantastic sensory learning experience. You don’t even need to keep bath time to the evening – we often find that a daytime bath will help break up the day and any bad moods caused by teething or tantrums.

While your baby is in the fourth trimester (until three months old) you will probably find bath time needs to be a quick affair. Young babies often don’t enjoy being in the water for very long, and their attention span for toys and play hasn’t developed yet. 

Once your baby reaches around three or four months of age, their love of bath time will begin. You’ll probably notice that they stop crying in the bath and start to have fun instead.  

Here are some fun bath time activities that you can try:

  • Pour water slowly over your baby’s body so that they can feel the sensation. Pour the water over their hands and see if they try to ‘grab’ the stream of water. Slowly move the flow of water from one side to the other. Can they track the flow of water with their eyes? You will need: Duckling Bath Rinser
  • Use Bath Bobbers to test your baby’s tracking and hand-eye coordination skills. Drop a bath bobber into the water in front of them and see if they can follow its movement with their eyes, or by turning their head. Older babies will enjoy reaching out to try and touch the toys as they bob around. And from about six months old, babies will be able to start grabbing and picking the toys up, using their hand-eye coordination skills. 
  • Create a bath time disco with light-up bath toys! Turn down the lights, turn on some gentle music (save the real disco music for those daytime baths) and get out the light-up toys to create a wonderful sensory play experience for your little one. You will need: Galaxy Buddies Light Up Bath Toys

Other bath time essentials you’ll need for happy babies in and out of the water include: 

Baby safety

Your essential items: Baby gate 
As soon as your baby starts to roll, and before they start to crawl, it’s time to babyproof your house! 

While many traditional baby proofing items are no longer deemed safe or necessary (like plug socket covers), baby gates are a necessity for most houses. Not only can they be used to stop your baby from accessing the stairs, they can also be used to close off a room to create a safe play space for your soon-to-be fast-moving explorer! 

Now you’ll be prepared for everything that life with a baby throws your way. Looking for more parenting tips and tricks? Why not check out our StrollerCoaster podcast?

Munchkin

Munchkin

Munchkin was founded by a father who wanted to change children’s lives for the better, one innovation at a time. We create clever and colourful products, designed to make parents' and children's lives easier and more enjoyable.