Top 12 Must-Have Items When Preparing for a Newborn

The quality of clothes is always a top priority to ensure the baby feels comfortable. While adult clothing comes in a variety of fabrics: cotton, chiffon, linen, synthetic fibers, for babies, you should choose clothes made from very soft and safe fabric fibers. Additionally, pay attention to the sweat absorption factor of the clothes to avoid getting cold when water seeps back into the body.

You don't need to buy too many clothes because nowadays most people use disposable diapers, so you won't need a lot of clothes and diaper liners. You should only prepare about 5 sets of clothes suitable for the weather when giving birth. Certainly, even in the summer, it still has to be long clothes, made of soft, sweat-absorbing cotton. If you intend not to wear pants for your baby but want to use diapers, you should buy about 10-20 cloth diapers, 02 large cloths to wrap the baby's whole body to avoid startling, and about 5-7 pairs of pants for diaper wear.

Bathing a newborn becomes much simpler when mothers know how to choose a suitable tub. Specialized baby tubs are designed to be slip-resistant, preventing the baby from slipping when there's no adult around. Using a regular basin is slippery, using a small tub doesn't give the baby room to play, and using a large tub risks the baby drowning. Each bath time is like nerve-wrackingly vying for discounted items during a flash sale.

Baby tubs are often designed with cute patterns, like funny animals or fruits and veggies, making bath time fun for the baby, especially those afraid of water. It's advisable to buy a large tub as it will be used for a long time, even for a second baby or when the child is 5-6 years old and still enjoys a relaxing bath. Additionally, buy a small basin and jug to have water ready for rinsing the baby.

Baby towels are essential for newborns. Their sensitive skin is prone to irritation from rough fabrics, so it's important to choose quality towels to protect their delicate skin.

Baby towels are highly sought after by breastfeeding mothers due to their soft and non-abrasive cotton material, which is gentle on the baby's delicate skin. Additionally, they have excellent absorbency and are often used as face towels or for drying the baby's entire body. Even using 100% cotton can still cause skin irritation. Soft silk fabrics lack absorbency and cleaning ability compared to towels, so towels have maintained their top position to this day.

Usually, only 2 large cotton towels are enough, priced around 25k/each. Additionally, you should buy 30-40 small square towels, 2-4 layers. The thinner 2-layer type is used to wrap around the baby's neck on cold days or for washing the baby's face, while the 3-4 layer type is used to dry the baby's head after washing. These towels cost around 25-30k for 10 pieces.

A newborn's skin is very delicate and sensitive, about 1/5 the thickness of an adult's, with an unstable skin structure that is prone to bacterial and microbial attacks, leading to infections, dermatitis, etc. Moreover, the bathing water is a crucial factor affecting the baby's skin. Any type of bathing water can cause itching and skin inflammation. Therefore, preparing bath herbs or bath milk for the baby is extremely important and necessary.

For places where herbs are readily available, such as lemongrass, mint, bitter melon, hibiscus leaves, green tea leaves, etc., you can use them to make bathing water for the baby. For places where herbs are scarce, you can use baby bath milk, which is very convenient. There are many types of baby bath milk on the market, such as Malizia BonBons Mixed Fruit Bath Milk, Bubchen Kids Dusch & Badegel Prinzessin Rosalea, Perfect Purity Kids Watermelon Blast Body Wash...

Every household should have a thermometer, whether it's for measuring underarm, ear, or forehead temperature. The choice depends on the family's needs. Based on the experience of many mothers, it's recommended to buy an ear thermometer as it's both quick and convenient, and will last long. While the armpit type is usually more accurate, it's difficult to use with small children.

For mothers with less experience, testing the bathwater by feeling it with their elbow, a bath thermometer is a great option. In winter, the water temperature should be around 37-38 degrees Celsius, and in summer around 36-37 degrees Celsius before bathing the baby.

Saline solution is very useful for children, especially when they have a stuffy nose. Parents should learn how to use saline solution 0.09% to clear their baby's nasal passages. There are many different brands on the market, so choose one with a pre-cut tip for easy use. You can also use it to clean your baby's eyes daily, especially if they have crusty eyes after birth, which is very effective!

Baby cotton swabs are essential for cleaning the nose, ears, or applying medication. Don't forget to prepare them!

Usually, if babies wear diapers too often, they are prone to diaper rash. Parents should prepare a tube of diaper rash cream to apply when needed. There are many types of diaper rash creams available, but a cost-effective and effective product is Bepanthen.

After drying your baby off from bathing, applying a layer of diaper rash cream on their skin will help them feel comfortable and heal the rash in 1-2 days. When your baby has diaper rash, try to limit the time they wear diapers!

And an essential item for every baby is a baby bottle. For mothers who exclusively breastfeed, they can also express and store breast milk properly so that when they return to work, their babies will have breast milk to drink. Before going back to work, besides directly breastfeeding, mothers should also try to feed their babies with a bottle intermittently so that the baby gradually gets used to breastfeeding from a bottle.

Currently, there are many types of baby bottles on the market with various conveniences and flying advertisements such as: Comotomo baby bottle, high-grade medical silicone, soft and mimics the mother's breast; then Dr. Brown's baby bottle, air vent system to prevent colic, unique design from the United States; Medela baby bottle – A reputable baby bottle brand worldwide, the softest nipple... With the types of baby bottles according to personal experience, you should buy wide-necked bottles, with a flat-bottomed nipple cover, so that when cleaning the bottle, you can place the nipple cover facing upwards without it rolling around.

There are many safe and convenient baby nasal aspirators on the market. Choose a product that suits your needs. When using a nasal aspirator, follow the manufacturer's and doctor's instructions, as improper use can damage your baby's nasal mucosa.

Some affordable types are long-lasting and effective, not just expensive ones. Pay attention to cleaning and sterilizing after each use to avoid bacterial contamination.

Diapers or newborn pads are essential and convenient when you have a newborn. Newborns often pass stools frequently, so using pads can save you a lot of time washing diapers.

Nowadays, if you don't want to use newborn pads, you can use newborn-sized diapers. The diaper absorbs the urine, keeping the baby's bottom dry and comfortable, allowing you to rest more after childbirth. Since a baby's skin is very sensitive, make sure to keep diapers or pads clean for your baby!

If your baby is born in the summer, it's also a good idea to buy a lightweight cotton summer blanket that is gentle and doesn't make your baby feel suffocated. For winter, a warm blanket specifically for your baby is essential to prevent your baby from getting cold when sleeping together with parents and the parents pull all the blankets.

Buying 1-2 small straw mats is also worth trying because you can easily move your baby and keep their back cool without feeling stifled like lying on a mattress or a fleece pad in the summer.

According to mothers, newborns have very thin skin and are susceptible to cold, so they need to wear mittens and booties for protection. Moreover, babies' nails grow quickly, and if not covered, they can scratch their face or put their fingers in their mouth, causing injury.

Therefore, mothers always have a few pairs of mittens, booties, and hats ready in their maternity bag. However, mothers need to remember to cut off the excess thread inside to prevent unfortunate incidents from happening!