Counting months until the safe arrival of your baby? We understand that it can get stressful deciding on what is essential to buy and staying within your budget, especially if you are a first-time mom.
A search online will quickly get you lists after lists of things to buy in preparation for the arrival of your newborn, and it does get daunting, but in actual fact, babies actually need very little in the early months of their lives other than the basic necessities. It is then a matter of choosing quality over quantity when buying these ‘firsts’ baby items.
Part of a mom’s basic instinct is to provide the best for her children to ensure the baby’s safety and development – be it sleep, feeding time, or the little milestones that put a big smile on mom and dad’s faces. Consider investing in essential pieces by an established brand, such as Fisher-Price® that helps provide solutions to quiet the worries of parents before baby arrives, and eventually, gives parents the Best 100 Days with a baby that all moms and dads deserve.
Products that are developed based on intensive research to promote physical or cognitive development should also be taken into consideration. Every year, Fisher-Price® PlayLab – an onsite Fisher-Price® R&D lab where their best experts (children and their parents, of course!) come to play and test out every design and function – has seen thousands of children and parents participating in its parent’s talks and toys-testing! You are sure to get the best of quality for your babies!
Baby Nursery
Setting up a nursery for your baby can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it can also be a little intimidating. Where to start? How to start? Help!
Well, let’s start with furniture such as the baby cot with safe bedding accessories, a sturdy diaper changing unit, and chest of drawers or storage units for baby’s clothing and essential items. You may also consider investing in a comfortable nursing chair to help with feeding, especially during night feeds!
Besides furniture, it is also important to set up the nursery with accessories that promotes sensory stimulation and that provides a sense of security to the baby. Products that produce lulling music and sounds, calming motions that engage your baby’s developing senses are great investments. Soft night lights, customisable projections, and gentle white noises or sounds can also help soothe your baby and create a bedtime routine to help her drift into dreamland in the comfort of the nursery.
Baby Sleeping
A safe sleeping environment is one of the most important things you can give your new baby. To reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), health experts recommend that your baby sleeps in the same room as you for the first six months or so. Besides a safe and sturdy baby cot, do ensure you shop for a firm mattress specially designed for babies and cover it with a soft but breathable and snug fitted sheet that won’t come loose when your little one wiggles around it.
You may also want to invest in a few good cozy swaddles. Babies love a good swaddle! It works very well in keeping fresh new babies calm as they transition from the safe environment of their mommy’s womb to the big, noisy world. You will notice that swaddled babies get to sleep longer and better, too.
But sometimes, getting your brand-new human to sleep can feel like an impossible mission and that’s when a good soother may be just the solution you need. Invest in one to calm and comfort your little bundle. Some comes with soothing light projections and a variety of gentle songs and sounds to create a fun but calming bedtime routine for your little one. Good sleep is crucial to your baby’s overall health, cognitive ability, and mood. And the time you spend during her waking hours engaging her senses would make those baby sleep cycles quality ones.
Baby Feeding
Feeding time is pretty straight forward, especially for newborns. As a baby’s digestive system is still not fully developed, they are not to be fed with anything other than breast milk or certified baby formulas.
If you are going to be breastfeeding, then your baby just needs you to show up when she’s hungry and maybe a breastfeeding cover for when you are out and about! If you are going to be bottle or formula-feeding, then a good set of bottles with nipples, and/or a breast pump will be necessary. If budget allows, go for an electric pump. It will save you time and energy in the long run. Other than that, a good bottle brush, drying rack, and a bottle steriliser are helpful to keep the bottles clean and germ-free.
Baby Bath
Bathing is a fun activity for babies. A good bath not just stimulates a baby’s senses, it also relaxes him at the end of the cleaning ritual and promotes quality sleep. Babies grow very quickly; blink and they are running in no time. So you may want to choose a convertible tub that can adapt to your baby’s bathing needs from newborn, infant, to toddler stage. A good set of tub that grows with your baby should come with accessories, such as mesh sling and/or an infant support insert for your child’s changing needs at every stage. You should also choose one that allows you to drain and clean out the used bath water easily without hurting your back – one that comes with a push plug will do just the trick.
As for baby toiletries and bathing accessories, always opt for gentle and paraben-free basic skincare products, such as baby soap and shampoo to avoid aggravating your baby’s delicate skin. Quality hooded baby towels and washcloths are important, too to clean out and dry your baby. And be sure to check if your baby’s bath toys are made using safe and non-toxic materials. You’d definitely won’t want your babies chewing on plastic-leaking toys.
Baby Soothing
As your baby grows older, some mamas like the idea of training the child to sleep independently, which is, not at all a bad idea, as long as he or she is not crying and is able to self-soothe to sleep.
Speaking of self-soothing, we thought the Fisher-Price® Soothe & Glow Seahorse cleverly encompasses everything a baby needs to get transported to sweet dreamland! It is designed to be cuddly, it plays soft lullabies and oceans sounds, it has a gentle, soothing glow to keep your precious one feeling safe, and it can be wherever your baby is – making him feel right at home, no matter where you travel to! Now if there is one functional toy you must get for your child, this is it! You may get your hands on this super cute seahorse right here!
100 Days… And More of You and Me
The first 100 days of the arrival of a new baby can be overwhelming, especially for new parents. But with little informed preparation, this new stage of your life is actually one of the most exciting and invigorating times you can look back to as your child(ren) grow(s) older. Remember, help is aplenty out there if you seek it. Let Fisher-Price® walk with you through the Best 100 Days of your life—providing you with the best solutions as you prepare to welcome a beautiful child into the world. So stay tuned for more tips in our next article!
Meanwhile, visit Motherhood.com.my to get your favourite Fisher-Price®’s products today.