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My Top Ten New Baby List is for you if you're a first time mom or mom to be. You're probably feeling a little overwhelmed by all those "great baby products" out there.

You can't buy everything, but you don't want to miss anything important either. So what do you do?

Don't be taken in by all the "sales talk" at the stores. What you need is the advice of a mom who's been there, done that, and is now sitting with boxes of unused baby stuff!


Over the course of four babies, I've bought pretty much everything in the baby goodies department. I admit, I am an absolute sucker when it comes to baby stuff!

Much to the distress of my husband, much of it is still sitting in the cupboards virtually untouched. On the other hand, I have other items that are literally fraying at the edges from eight years of solid use.

Baby goodies are expensive, so before you go on your shopping spree, take a look at my "top ten" new baby list to find out which products will give you the most value for money.







1. An Infant Car Seat

My absolute number one item on the new baby list- don't put baby in a car without it!

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2. A Baby Changing Table

Number two on my new baby list is a bit controversial. Some people will tell you to go without a baby changing table and to change your baby in the crib, on the floor or on the bed. However, you'll soon see that this is really not such a good idea...

Do you know that over the course of your baby's diaper wearing years, you will change around 7000 diapers? In addition, you will dress and undress your baby between 3 and 5 times a day on average.

I bought a simple changer dresser combo eight years ago and I still use it everyday. It's a back-saver!

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3. An Infant Health Book

There's nothing worse than having a sick baby and not knowing what to do. You don't want to call the doctor in the middle of the night, but you're not sure if you should wait until morning.

A good baby health book will help you to calm down and determine the best course of action - put baby back to bed, or rush her off to the emergency room.

Don't know which book to buy? Try Baby and Child Healthcare by Dr. Miriam Stoppard. I keep this book on my shelf as a permanent reference.

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4. An Infant Bathtub

Another controversial item on the new baby list is the infant bathtub. Many people will tell you not to buy this item because you can use the kitchen sink - I hate to disagree, but what a hassle.

What if you have had friends for tea, baby's crying for his bath and you haven't cleaned the kitchen yet? What if your three year old is busy "helping you" with the dishes?

Having a separate infant tub is so much more convenient and they aren't that expensive. Set the tub up in a nice cozy spot somewhere with a basket of bath goodies and towels nearby and you will save yourself at least half the stress of infant bath time!

I have bathed all of my cuddly bundles in the nursery room. I found that following this immediately with their evening feed also in the baby nursery, and then putting them straight down to sleep, helped them to associate bath time with sleep time. All four of my babies were sleeping through by eight weeks!

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5. Infant Sleeping Bags

Lots of blankets can be dangerous for baby. They can lead to overheating and suffocation. Besides that, from around five months, babies have an annoying habit of kicking them off in the middle of the night, and waking up freezing cold. Guess who else gets woken up?

Sleeping bags are the perfect solution in winter when your baby's jammies may not be enough to keep her warm.

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6. A Nursing Pillow

This is a wonderful invention, whether you are breast or bottle-feeding. Even dad can use item number six on the new baby list! The nursing pillow elevates baby to the correct feeding position, thereby eliminating back and neck ache and preventing sore nipples.

Look for one that straps around you so that it will not keep shifting, and one that has a machine washable cover - try My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow recommended by lactation experts.

A nursing pillow is also a lifesaver if you have had an episiotomy. Try sitting on it and you'll know what I mean. And later on you can use it to prop baby up when she is learning to sit.

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7. Burping Cloths

Take a couple of these with you everywhere you go with baby. Indispensable for keeping your shoulders clean and wiping up spills and spills and spills...

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8. A Baby Sling Or Pouch

This is useful for keeping your young baby close to you while you are getting a few things done around the house. Does folding the laundry sound familiar?

Young babies don't sleep for very long at a time in the beginning and when they're not sleeping they like to be held. To have any hope of keeping your home in a livable state - you have to have a pouch on your new baby list!

Baby pouches are also a wonderful help if you have a colicky baby. The warmth of your body against that little tummy is very soothing and calming. I use the kango pouch - all four of my babies have loved it.

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9. A Wheat Bag

Item number nine on the new baby list has multiple uses. A wheat bag is soothing on your aching back during pregnancy, a welcome, if inadequate aid during labor, and a relief to an aching post-partum mid-section.

But I found another unexpected use for this little goody with Sarah, my newest addition. The warmth of a wheat bag on a sore little tummy beats every colic remedy on the market hands down. It soothes, relaxes and comforts.

Try to find one like this teddy. Sarah formed such a fond bond with this unlikely savior during her colicky months, that she still coos and cuddles it every time she sees it - warm or not. She is now fourteen months old.

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And the final item on the new baby list of must-haves...


10. Wet Wipes

I know that in current times disposable diapers and wet wipes are not an environmentally correct choice - but hey - I'm only human, and wet wipes are just too good to give up!

I use these little goodies for everything-

Mouth, nose, fingers and toes, not to mention the nether regions - they all get the wet wipe treatment. Even my eight year old still gets wet wiped from time to time. They are just so unbelievably convenient - I don't know how my mother managed without them!















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