Oh Baby!

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I have quite a few friends expecting soon, and they have each asked me for recommendations on what they need for new baby’s arrival.

Let’s not kid ourselves, having a baby is expensive (oh, and try three ;)!! You only need to walk into a Baby City store to feel like the most overwhelmed and under-qualified person for the job ahead. I am still filled with anxiety when I walk into that place, so do not stress mom-to-be, it has that effect on most people.

So here it is, my list of must-haves for a new baby. There are loads of frills and spills (like maybe a gazillion headbands) 😉 but these are the 12 things that I have found most helpful and highly rated with my third little cherub:

1. First on the list, (and only because you need to take this with you to hospital) is Wound Graze powder. I used this with all 3 babes, and by using this alongside your surgical spirits it will help dry out the umbilical cord and help it fall out faster, and as well as lessen the oozing. Just make sure that you clean in and around nice and firmly to get all the ‘gunk’ out that can accumulate from using the powder.
   – Available at Dischem
2. A heater. Whether your babe is born in summer, winter, or somewhere in between, tiny humans cannot regulate their own body temperatures, and so getting out of a warm bath into anything less than what that warm bath temperature was can be shocking for them. Pre-warming the room with the heater is always a good idea (I like to leave it on from when I undress her all the way until after bath, to make sure the room is nice n toasty). If baby runs cold you can also put the heater onto babe while you dress her/him… but if you do this try place the heater at least 20cm away from baby’s naked skin as you don’t want to overheat or burn her/him.
   – Available at Dischem
3. No matter what I have used on my babies’ skin, each one of them has landed up with acid spots at some point. The very best remedy that I found for this was to place some Cetaphil baby onto the problem areas as soon as they start appearing. Within a day or two they vanish! It’s pricey, but it’s good stuff!
   – Available at Dischem
4. Johnson’s Top-to-toe Extra Moisturising Cream has become one of my favorite baby products. Brooklyn’s skin literally glows from the inside out, and I love that nourishes her skin her for up to 24hours. It’s especially great to use in dryer winter months.
   – Available in most pharmacies and supermarkets
5. A snuggle bunny is always a great idea for a baby. They say that the silk ears of this Lily & Jack bunny emulates the touching of the umbilical cord that baby is used to feeling in the womb, and thus it helps soothe them. I am always amazed at how simply placing the ears over B’s eyes settles her almost immediately. Brooklyn also has an adorable Jellycat bunny in her crib. Lily&Jack ears cover her face while Jellycat snuggles alongside her with either his ear or arm in her one hand.
   – Available on Baby Group
6.  Babysense taglets/”doodoos” are the bomb.com 😉 I find it most helpful when I am out with Brooklyn, as it has the same affect as L&J bunny of soothing B and settling her to sleep when I place it over her face, but more than that, it helps me to get her to drink her bottle much more effectively. Since she has gotten a little older and more alert and aware of what is going on around her, the fomo takes over and she tends to take a few sips of her bottle and then stop. Placing the doodoo over her face seems to calm her and helps her drink much more (although she still drinks best at home in her little NurtureOne… keep reading for more on that!
   – Available at Baby City
7. Korbel Nappy bin. OMG this has changed my life! I never had a nappy bin with either of the boys. I actually bought one (a different brand tho) with Jackson but it was damaged so I returned it for something or other that I thought would be more useful at the time… WOW! I wish I could turn back time because this lil guy is an absolute legend! The ease of placing a nappy directly into a bin within arm’s length is such a win, {trying to get a poop grenade into a little red nappy sack with one hand whilst making sure baby doesn’t roll anywhere with the other is not easy!} But more than that, it keeps the stench in amazingly well too! I also really like the look of these Korbel guys, as it suits my nursery more than the others available on the market, and let’s face it, thats as important (if not more) than its efficacy, #AMIRIGHT 🙂
   – Available at Baby City
8. Steritech Odoractant is such a great product which I initially found at TopTots when I started with Jackson (all those years ago) 😉 The owner, Nats, referred to it as ‘stinky-poo-bum-spray’ and it has stuck! It doubles as a disinfectant and a room spray, which is super handy when baby’s nappies get progressively more offensive. I use it to disinfect the nappy changing station, as well as any toys that end up on the floor etc. You can get it on the TopTots website
9. This has to be one of my favorite “new mama” items! The MilkMama cover was given to me by Milk Mama when Brooklyn was a few weeks old, and I still use it to date. While I was breastfeeding it was literally a God-send. I was always capable of mentally preparing myself to breastfeed in public, but the Milk Mama made me that much more confident, no matter where I was. This is because it fully covers you from any nip-slips and updrafts. You feel totally safe, and so does baby as it acts as a sling. As if that isn’t enough to make you want one for yourself, it also doubles as a car seat cover which protects babe from wind and sun, as well as keeps her snug and protected from peeking kids while she is sleeping. You can also apparently use it as a trolley seat cover/protector, which I need to learn how to do when B gets to that age. So useful!!
   – Available from @MilkMama_za
10. Okay, now in getting to this item I realize it should have been NUMBER ONE on my list (even though this is not written in order of importance or preference), but because we used this from day ONE with Brooklyn, and every single day since.  The NurtureOne pillow. I was given this pillow by a special friend at my baby shower, and honestly, I was not very excited about it.. I was nervous to try something new because with my two boys I has used a wedge, and it had worked, and it was what I knew and trusted. I called my friend and chatted through it with her and she assured me that it was a real winner and I wouldn’t regret using it. She then put me on to the SA NurtureOne supplier (who is also a mutual friend of ours), and I chatted through the product with her. She explained that it is 100% breathable and even if baby ends up on her tummy (which all three of mine did), that they would be absolutely perfect. She explained that the pillow gives baby the same snug feeling as being in the womb, and this nest-like cushion aids in sleep.
    We were given the small one which fit perfectly into the hospital crib, and when Brooklyn outgrew that one we ordered the large, which she still uses now. We take the small one out when she will be away from her crib for a nap, and she goes down so easily onto that, no matter where we are.
    – Available from Lisa: lisa@thesleephouse.co.za
11. Bumbo! These are super useful for when baby is starting to sit supported, but can’t quite do it alone yet. They really come in handy when you start to feed baby solids, as a high chair is only useful when baby can sit unassisted. Just make sure you don’t use a Bumbo until your baby’s neck is strong enough. I started using the Bumbo from around 4mo with all 3 babes.
12. A Compactum. These are an obvious must-have, and more and more mums are going for unique-looking compacts, rather than run-of-the-mill or store-bought basic ones. Justin allowed me to get one specially made for our last baby, and it is my favorite piece of furniture in our whole house! The lovely Bronwyn from BLAISE made up this beauty for us. It houses the nappy-changing essentials in the top drawer, and the rest of the unit stores all of B’s clothes and cot linen. The left cupboard has 4 shelves inside, and the right has a rod for hanging dresses and jumpsuits. Brooklyn’s room doesn’t have any built in cupboards so this unit had to have enough storage for her. It turned out perfect and I absolutely love it. When looking for a compactum just make sure it has the storage you need, and the top is deep enough to house the changing station.
    – Available from BLAISE

Moms-to-be, was this helpful at all?

And Mamas, please add your can’t-live-without baby essentials in the comments!

xx

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Author: Shan Fourie

Shan Fourie is a busy mom of three, based in Ballito, and is a full-time lifestyle blogger/Content Creator. With over 14 years of experience in marketing, Shan began blogging in 2018, and embarked into full-time content creation in 2021. Shan uses her platform to share brands, businesses as well as to raise awareness and funds for causes and initiatives close to her heart. Somewhat of an activist, Shan has helped bring people together for multiple causes, including A21 Walk for Freedom, multiple Bone Marrow & Blood drives, a peaceful protest to stop NetCare Alberlito from closing its paeds ward, as well as other movements she is passionate about. Her biggest focus this year is on raising funds, alongside The Rise Up Movement, for a GBV safe house in Kwadukuza, along with a lab for facilitating rape-kits on site, instead of having to send them to Pretoria. Shan is an official Ambassador for (a) The SA Bone Marrow Registry, (b) the Red Movement (a movement intent on eradicating period poverty), and (c) and a partner of the Rise Up Movement - an NPO that stands against GBV, Child abuse, and Human Trafficking. Shan was a Mrs South Africa 2022 finalist, 2023 CANSA ambassador for Mrs South Africa, and Discovery Bank was her gold sponsor. Shan is also the official Wellness influencer for Gateway Theatre of Shopping and The Pencil Club Umhlanga. Shan believes that wellness is all-encompassing - mental, physical and emotional. She believes it is important to keep your life clean of toxicity. Self-care is super important to her. View all posts by Shan Fourie