Verena Keller
Mother of three children, family pediatric nurse, breastfeeding specialist®
If you're currently asking yourself, "What does our little darling need?" you're in the midst of a very changing, exciting, and thrilling time. You're going to be parents! Consciously enjoy this phase until the birth!
One Initial equipment for your soon-to-be newborn is essential to keep it warm, transport it well, and care for it. But don't buy too much at first. Why? You'll certainly receive clothes and much more as gifts, and maybe your baby will be larger or smaller than expected. Or it freezes more than others and requires multiple layers. Don't worry, you'll learn all this as you work with your child.
To save you stress, I would like to provide you with a compact Checklist provide you with the most important things for your baby’s initial equipment.
Table of contents
- Clothing
- On the way
- Care
- Nutrition
- Sleep
- Other furniture
- Play
When can you get the baby's first supplies?
Feel free to get your baby's first supplies little by little starting in the middle of your pregnancy, i.e. from about the 20th week of pregnancy.
First-time equipment
With the following Checklist you have everything your baby needs at a glance:
Basic equipment clothing
- Clothing in sizes 56 and 62 (if you are expecting a small child also in size 50)
- 5 Bodysuits (feel free to try out whether you prefer wrap bodysuits or the classic ones)
- 3 Rompers (Complete baby suits are practical and require less work)
- 2 Trousers
- 4 Tops / Sweaters
- 4 pairs socks (at least one is lost)
- 1 thin Cap (for a head circumference of 34 cm, which fits most babies)
Checklist for a summer or winter baby
Are you expecting your baby in summer, you will also need:
- 1 thin jacket or
- 1 thin Fleece or cotton one-piece
- 1 sun hat
Come your baby in winter The initial equipment also includes:
- 1 lined one-piece (e.g. a boiled wool suit)
- 1 thick hat for outdoors
- 1 jacket (there are also some with a footmuff attached, so you have both)
On the way with baby
- 1 infant car seat to transport your child safely (Check the seat beforehand, install and remove it from the car several times, and buckle it up and down.)
- 1 Swaddling blanket
- 1 stroller
Initial equipment care
- 2 packs of newborn or 1-pack diapers (First, check which size you need for your baby. They also make a great gift.)
- Cotton pads and wet wipes (Many parents use water with a little oil or breast milk to care for the bottom.)
- 2 washcloth
- 2 Hooded bath towels
- 1 baby bath or
- 1 bath bucket
- 1 bath thermometer
- Almond oil or breast milk as a bath additive
- 1 clinical thermometer
- 1 heat lamp
- 1 changing table or
- 1 changing area with changing mat
Diet of your newborn
Breastfeeding accessories for initial equipment:
- Nursing bras (for comfort and support while breastfeeding)
- Nursing pads (to absorb leaking milk)
- Nursing pillow (to support baby and mother during breastfeeding)
- Nipple ointment (for the care of sensitive or cracked nipples)
- Nursing clothes (which facilitate discreet breastfeeding of the baby)
- Muslin cloths
Little tip: Muslin cloths or burp cloths have a wide range of uses, such as as a base or for wiping.
For bottle feeding:
- bottle
- Suction cup with the smallest hole
- Pre-food for feeding up to the first birthday
- 1 bottle brush
- Muslin cloths
Initial equipment sleep
- Extra bed, family bed, or baby bed (clarify beforehand what suits you best.)
- Suction cup with the smallest hole
- 4 baby romper
- Baby monitor
- Pacifier as a sleep aid
- sleeping bags
Other furniture
- playpen
- Children's chair with newborn attachment
Play initial equipment
- music box
- mobile
- various toys for the baby: e.g. grasping toys or arm rattles
