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For mothers expecting their second child, preparing baby essentials is straightforward. You can reuse items from your first child. However, for mothers expecting their first child, like me, it's a different story. Besides adapting to the mysterious changes in the body during pregnancy, there's also the challenge of figuring out 'What baby essentials should I prepare for a newborn?'
To save time and reduce stress for expecting mothers, I'll share my experience in preparing baby essentials before my due date.
Diapers/ Absorbent pads
A small piece of advice for mothers, whether it's your first or second child, is to prepare new absorbent pads for the newborn to avoid bacteria.
To avoid diaper rash and discomfort for newborns, mothers should choose soft diapers/ absorbent pads with a clear origin from reputable brands. In the initial period, mothers should use pads for the baby, and around the second month, they can switch to diapers for nighttime to avoid waking up to change pads every time the baby poops.
Hats, socks, towels (baby bath towel, swaddling cloth, milk towel)
Hats, socks, and towels not only keep the baby warm but also protect the delicate parts from adverse environmental effects. It prevents the baby from scratching their face.
When it comes to items like hats, socks, and towels for newborns, the most important thing, in my opinion, is the material of the products. Since the baby's skin is delicate and prone to irritation, products with a clear origin and safe materials are the optimal choice.
Moms should note before letting the baby use them, turn them inside out to cut off any excess threads. Many cases have been reported where newborns accidentally got their fingers entangled in these excess threads, leading to tissue necrosis.
Baby Bottles
The reason I recommend baby bottles for moms is that some mothers may experience delayed milk production, and preparation helps prevent the baby from crying due to hunger.
Regarding baby bottles for infants, mothers can use two types: a 50/60ml bottle for water and a 120ml bottle for milk feeding.
Based on my observations during a 5-day hospital stay, the most popular baby bottle brands currently used by mothers are Comotomo (Korea), Pigeon (Japan), and Philips Avent (UK). These brands have soft, flexible nipples, mimicking the mother's breast, making them very appealing to babies. The materials and designs of these bottles are also excellent and convenient.
The most crucial factor when choosing baby bottles for newborns is for mothers to buy from reputable, quality stores that guarantee authenticity. Many counterfeit bottles imitating these three brands are flooding the market.
Breast Pumps
In the initial postpartum period, I recommend using a manual breast pump because I've experienced discomfort with automatic ones due to breast engorgement. Moms with better physical conditions can comfortably use electric pumps.
For breast pumps, moms in the breastfeeding community I'm part of highly praise certain brands: Farlin (Taiwan), Philips Avent (UK), Medela (Switzerland), Unimom (Korea). These types come with advanced technology ensuring a comfortable and pain-free experience for moms.
Similar to choosing baby bottles, when selecting a breast pump, moms should choose reputable, quality stores to guarantee genuine products for peace of mind during use.
Additional Items
Furthermore, moms should also prepare some additional items:
- Abdominal binders (5 boxes).
- Cotton swabs (1 box).
- Wet wipes (1 pack).
- Tongue depressors (1 box), baby powder (1 bottle).
- Diaper rash cream (1 bottle).
- Baby shampoo (1 bottle).
- Bathtub.
- Bottle brush, sterilizing fluid for bottles.
In addition to preparing items for the baby, mom's hospital bag should also include some basic necessities:
- Postpartum hygiene pads
- Disposable/ specialized postpartum underwear.
- Breastfeeding pads.
- Nursing bras.
- Sterile cotton.
- Lavender oil.
- Personal items: toothbrush, toothpaste, face towel, bath towel, hairbrush, hair tie, shower gel, shampoo.
Here are the essentials for newborns and moms that I believe every mom should have. A sincere piece of advice is for moms to prepare in advance, rather than jumping in when the water is already high, as I did. Being unprepared increases anxiety, which is not good for postpartum health.
To avoid the situation of losing more than gaining when choosing clothes and accessories for the baby, moms can check out Moby Shop – a place recommended by my breastfeeding community. I've been quite satisfied right from the first visit. Not only do they offer high-quality products, guaranteed to be authentic, at reasonable prices, but the staff's attitude is also very caring and willing to share with customers.
Here's the shop's address for your reference:
Hotline: 0986.680.500
Fanpage https://www.facebook.com/mobyshoptreem/
Address: 464/20 Hoa Hoa, Ward 5, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
