Lamingtons,
Congratulations: Boy or girl?
Currently writing this whilst my baby is sleeping in my arms.
Don't fall for all the hype of must have this and that as it can be very expensive. You don't need many things in the first 3-4 months.
Where will the baby sleep? Same room in a cot or with you?
Living in Japan we sleep on futons/Japanese mattress on the floor so our basics are little different to most Australians. We don't use a cot basically because I'm a very light sleeper and a baby sleeps with me on the futon.
1) A night light or low bulb lamp. If one of you has to get up to feed or change then nothing is worse than a bright light waking everyone up. Babies will cry and easily feed and semi sleep with a night light but a normal light will wake them up and make it harder to go back to sleep.
2) Decide on a routine of who will feed or change when. This will depend a lot on your work schedules etc.
3) There is nothing wrong with using a bottle/formula for feeding during the night. If it is your husbands turn and you need to sleep.
4) Many debates about cloth or disposable nappies. Have some of both. Disposables are very easy to put on in the middle of the night.
5) Definitely need:
Baby Wipes, Bassinet, Bibs, Baby bath and plastic helper, plastic bags, all in one baby car seat.
Baby wipes can become a little expensive so use tissues for the first 1 or 2 wipes then finish with the moist baby wipe.
A small basinet that you can carry from room to room when you need to when baby is sleeping or if you just need to do something.
Babies need bibs as they drool, dribble, slobber you name it and clothes get marked easily. If your budget is tight then and old sheet or towel cut up into squares with a hole in the middle is just as good. Cut from one corner to center hole and put on velcros or a fastner.
Depending on your bathroom a baby bath can be very handy. Our bathroom has 2 rooms and our shower room is big enough to sit on the floor with baby bath so need for bending back etc. A helper is a plastic support that fits inside the baby bath and keeps the head up away from the water allowing you to use two hands if needed. This has probably been the best buy and so easy to use. Our shower has one of those long flexible handles so reaches the fllor easily. You can buy rubber hoses with shower heads to fit over bath taps single or double.
We have a large rug on the floor and find it easier to sit on floor with legs apart and place baby between legs for changing nappies. Don't need change table. Just have wipes, tissues, towel to put baby on and plastic bag for nappies and what ever else you need.
Plastic bags for nappies. We have two bins. Soiled nappies go in a plastic bag and then into bin lined with large plastic bag. Wet nappies go straight into second bin lined with large plastic bag. Soiled nappies do smell thus the reason for first plastic bag and the smell will remain behind in the bin even when empty.
We have been lucky and haven't need to use any oils for dry skin or baby powder etc.
Clothes definitely all in ones with press fastners and hoods. Saves having to buy extra socks and pants.
One of the biggest expenses is car seats.
We opted for the ones that have a seat with carry handle and separate base (brand is evenflo) and can be unclipped and carried inside without having to take the baby out. We use ours as a bassinet. These are good up until about 9 months then you need a normal one plus the baby is getting a little heavy to carry with one arm Ours also fits inside the pram so if the baby is sleeping in the car then just unclips the seat and put it in the pram. Also easy to carry baby in the seat with one hand and bags etc in the other. Seat also fits in shopping trolleys so another bonus.
You don't need a pram for the first 3 months and slings are easy and good if you don't have a carry style baby seat.
A topic that some will steer clear of.
For peace of mind get a SIDS mat and alarm or something similar.
Get some SIDS brochures and first aid brochures and read up on what to do if there is a problem.
As suggested earlier. Find one or two people you can talk to about things and then decide what you want to do and go with that.
