NEWBORN ESSENTIALS LIST
Pediatrician Recommended: Mom Approved!!
MEDICATIONS TO HAVE AT HOME AND IN DIAPER BAG
NEWBORN ESSENTIALS LIST
Congratulations! Your baby is home. There are a number of things that you’ve already bought & planned for (Crib, Car Seat, Stroller, Cute Clothes :-)) But there may be situations that catch you by surprise in that first month while the baby is learning their world & you are learning parenthood. Though some of the things needed to handle these instances may have ended up in your baby shower gifts, others might still be waiting to come home.
Here is the newborn essentials list of items I want you to consider buying for your little bundle of joy that will help you & them in the first 4-6 weeks of their life and throughout their infancy:
For Newborns to 1 Month of Age
Nasal Congestion:
Babies are obligate nose breathers at this age. If they can’t breathe well, they can’t feed well or lie flat.
1) Saline Drops:
Nasal Saline helps loosen up mucus in the nostrils & moisturize dry nasal passages.
2) Nasal Suction:
If the baby is congested and can’t feed well or lie flat, you’ll want to apply the saline drops to their nostrils, give the saline a couple seconds to soften the mucus and then suction the mucus out. The Nose Frida is a little more effective than a manual nasal bulb aspirator.
3) Cool Mist Humidifier:
This helps moisturize the air where the baby is sleeping to keep the baby’s nostrils from getting dry & congested. It’s especially helpful when the heater is on and makes the air dry in the house.
Not Advisable for Your Newborn Essentials List:
Oil Diffusers
Baby Vicks
We do not want to use essential oil diffusers at this young age. Neither do we want to use Baby Vicks (Mentholatum) at this age. We don’t want to expose the baby to strong smells until after at least 3 months of age.Their little noses aren’t ready for it yet.
Diaper Rash:
1) Regular Strength:
Zinc Oxide helps soothe skin irritation from constant exposure to urine, stool & wiping.
2) for severe diaper rash (40% zinc oxide):
You would need this if the baby begins to have redness & chafing not managed by the regular strength 13% zinc oxide.
3) Barrier Ointment:
A&D Ointment can be used on top of zinc oxide cream to help hold the cream in place against the skin in severe diaper rash situations. You can also use A&D Ointment as a sole agent to keep the baby’s diaper region protected in your daily routine.
Diaper Rash Cream Applicator:
And don’t forget this cute little applicator to make things less messy & more manageable for you. Diaper cream needs to be on the baby’s bum, not all over your hands.
HICCAPOP BABY WIPE WARMER:
One of the most popular, time-tested baby wipe warmer dispensers ever ships in a beautiful gift box. There is simply no better warmer at any price! Guaranteed to always stay moist – Innovative silicone seal locks in moisture and heat, preventing wet wipes from drying out and turning brown. The top heated design cleverly keeps the wipes at the top of the box the warmest.
Gas Pain:
Babies can pass a lot of gas, that’s normal. Understanding that the baby’s gut is going through tremendous amounts of maturation & development in these first few weeks is key to accepting their gassy & often fussy state. In addition to taking a look at the foods in your diet if you’re a breast-feeding Mama or talking to your pediatrician about different formula options if you’re not, gas drops can be a life saver for both you & your baby.
Gas Drops:
If it seems like passing the gas makes the baby cry or causes pain, you can use 0.3 ml of infant gas drops after feeding up to 12 x a day to help break up the gas bubbles & reduce pain. You can start this within days of coming home from the hospital if needed.
Also consider Probiotics:
Infant probiotic drops not only help build the good bacteria in a baby’s gut, but in the process can also calm the gassiness & aid in digestion making it easier for babies to pass their stool.
Colic:
Colic can affect up to 1 in 4 babies by 3-4 weeks of age & babies usually outgrow colic by 3-4 months of age. This can be a very exhausting time for parents. Though colic may not be due to gassiness or gut discomfort, parents will often turn to gripe water hoping it will calm their baby. I don’t recommend gripe water for the baby until 4-6 weeks of age. At that age, if the baby is fussy and what you’ve been doing isn’t calming the baby, gripe water without alcohol, sweeteners, sodium bicarbonate, peppermint & artificial ingredients might be worth a try if given sparingly.
I recommend the following:
Also, if you’re not already giving a probiotic, one with L. Reuteri made specifically for infants with colic can sometimes help as well.
Mommy’s Bliss Organic Drops
Infant vitamin d drops with 400 IU of vitamin D per serving. One vitamin D drop for baby per day. Includes 90 D drops. Pediatricians recommend all breastfed babies take vitamin D drops. Baby vitamin d drops promote healthy growth and bone development.
Pacifiers:
Sucking is a soothing reflex babies are born with. While not all babies want to suck on a pacifier, it can be very helpful if they will take it.
Low Milk Supply:
While it would be wonderful if every baby latched perfectly & every Mama produced exactly what the baby needed with ideally a little extra to store up in the freezer, the human body & a growing baby’s needs might not align at every step. That’s no reason to fret however… In addition to drinking a lot of fluids & paying attention to your rest & nutrition, there’s support to help you increase your milk supply for the baby.
1) Fenugreek:
Is known to help with Mama’s milk production. You can buy Fenugreek capsules or consider Mother’s Milk Tea with Fenugreek in it. There are also a lot of different types of lactation cookies out there with Fenugreek & Fennel in them – but I’d start with either the tea or capsule or cookies – not all 3 at once.
2) Combination Capsules:
Sometimes it takes a little more to increase milk supply & a combination of ingredients all known to increase breast milk production is better suited for some moms. Also, Fenugreek may be unsuitable for moms who are taking some types of medications like thyroid medication.
Pumping:
Many of the Mamas in my practice love a wireless, hands free pump that they can tuck into their bra when they’re ready to pump. This allows them to take care of the baby, the house & themselves while continuing to nourish their baby.
This has been the Moms favorite in my practice:
Spectra – Milk Pump Device
Spectra S1 electric breast pump features technology that allows comfortable suction levels that mimic the experience of natural breastfeeding as closely as possible. The Spectra S1 is portable and rechargeable, making it ideal for an on-the-go mom, with the back compartment that fits a Spectra bottle
Bottles:
There are many bottles out there & sometimes you’ll have to try different ones before you find the one your baby likes best. Nonetheless, here are a couple that have worked for many of my patients.
If you’re going back & forth between breastfeeding & bottle feeding, a nipple that mimics the suck of breastfeeding is helpful:
If baby has colic or gas, anti-colic bottles help a lot:
Bottle Warmer/Formula Preparation:
Preparing a bottle has become easier than when our parents were raising us… Thank Goodness!
Bottle Sterilization:
Swaddle:
Swaddling a baby helps them sleep by mimicking the coziness & security of the womb and also by keeping them from startling themselves awake since they don’t know where their hands are in space when they’re first born. While we were raised in “burrito wraps” we’ve come to find out that it was inhibiting motion of the hips and subsequent hip development. Thus, now we look to sleep sack type swaddles that can secure a baby’s arms, make them feel snug, but still give their legs/hips room to move about.
Sleep:
Remember we recommend that a baby sleep on a firm flat mattress in their own space on their back without any soft objects like pillows, blankets or stuffed animals anywhere near them. Since we’re talking about the first few weeks of life, a bassinet or portable sleep space is perfectly acceptable as it allows parents to be close to the baby for feeds, diaper changes & middle of the night cuddles.
Strollers:
The stroller you choose depends on what fits your family. Do you have multiple kids? Do you need ease of portability? Are you looking for a travel system? While there are a number of factors that will draw you to one type of stroller or the other, here are two strollers that my patients seem to love.
Thermometers:
We don’t recommend going by a forehead or ear temperature until after 6 months of age if you are worried your newborn feels hot or is sick. You’re best off taking a rectal temperature or possibly an under the arm temperature if your doctor advises. I tell my parents to put the fancy registry thermometer in the cabinet. “I want you to get an “old school” digital thermometer for now.”
NOTE: Once you use a thermometer for a rectal reading, that thermometer should only be used rectally from then onwards – it shouldn’t be used for under the arm or oral temperatures going forward.
This by no means is a comprehensive list, but these are the most common essentials that I talk about with my newborn parents. Babies develop rapidly & these first few weeks fly by with a whole lot of “On The Job Training” for both you & your baby. I wish you the best of luck as you embark on the joyous journey of parenthood. Indeed, this period of time is all-consuming in the most wonderful & endearing of ways.