Top Five Newborn Baby must haves

1 – Prep Machine

If you are expecting a little one soon I am pretty sure if you have spoken to other mums this will have come up. It seems to be the number one item on the newborn must have list!

It is made by Tommee Tippee who are a house hold name when it comes to baby products. Take a look here at their Prep Machine https://www.tommeetippee.com/en-gb/product/perfect-prep-machine#527=793

Their words “ Make preparing bottles quicker and more accurate, Perfect Prep™ gives you the extra peace of mind that comes from knowing your baby’s bottle will be perfect every time.”

Sounds amazing for those of you planning on bottle feeding.

2 – White noise machine

This is definitely high up on the Top Five Newborn Baby must haves for babies. Using white noise to help soothe babies has become more and more popular. There are many new products around designed especially with newborn babies in mind.

I found this useful list / review which has some recommendations on different products https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/baby/1408151/best-white-noise-machines-baby

If you have been for a newborn shoot with me, www.hannahcornfordphotography.com/newborn you will know that I love white noise to help settle babies during photoshoots. This not only helps block out the sounds of siblings, dad on the phone or general noise. It also helps when they are quite jumpy and the startle reflex.

My go to in the studio is the Baby shusher, here is a link https://babyshusher.com/products/baby-shusher

3 – Changing bag

Now this is a personal choice very much like our own handbags. But make sure you get one with plenty of pockets and zips etc. The amount of bits and bobs we end up needing to pack for taking a newborn out and about all add up.

Since I had my children 7 and 10 years ago the options for changing bags seems to have increased significantly. Taking a look now there are definitely more fashionable options available. Some just look like handbags / backpacks and not the traditional changing bags you would expect.

Be sure to shop around and consider your needs. I personally wanted a shoulder bag and one that would easily hang on my buggy. Remember it will hold all your items such as keys, purse etc as well as babies items.

I will look to do another post on different changing bag options.

4 – Baby sling

Now this is not for everyone! But for those who have tried out a baby sling this has become life changing. Again there are many different styles so going and trying out a few will help you find one that suits you. Baby slings enable you to carry on with daily jobs whilst carrying baby on your front. 

If you are local to me in Medway in Kent I know there is a sling library which is a genius way to try out different slings before you commit to purchasing. Take a look at North West Kent Sling Library who you can find on Facebook.

I am sure there will be something similar near you so take a look around.

5 – Car seat & Iso Fix

This is an essential if you will be travelling with your baby in a car. But my suggestion is that you purchase one that can be popped on to a set of pram wheels. This will make “popping” into shops much easier. 

It will mean you don’t have to disturb baby by getting them out of the car seat and putting in the the pram itself. Instead attaching the car seat itself onto the base of a pram. Although you can carry most car seats around they are bulky and heavy. This makes them less than ideal especially if you had a c-section.

One of the most popular brands is the Maxi-Cosi. These are also compatible with Iso Fix which is a system which allows you to literally pop the car seat onto the base and go.

Traditionally car seats use belts to go around them and clip in to secure the seat in position. The iso-fix takes all the faffing with belts away. In my opinion when mine were babies this was an absolute must have.

Once again go and shop around and get a feel for the car seat and how it attaches on and the options you have.

Added to add – I feel like I needed to add that there are great blankets which fit a car seat specifically to keep newborn baby warm in those colder months.  I found this blog https://www.madeformums.com/reviews/9-of-the-best-car-seat-travel-blankets/ which has researched some different options available.

I hope you found this helpful when reading Top Five Newborn Baby must haves to help you get ready for your new arrival.

Many of my clients who come to me for newborn photos often say its knowing which products are necessary and what are the must haves. So hopefully these top tips will have pointed you in the right direction. If you are local to me in Medway, Kent then feel free to take a look at my newborn photos if you would like some photos taken. www.hannahcornfordphotography.com/newborn