0-3 Month Baby Essentials
So, just to start off and to be very clear, one of the mottos or sayings that I constantly come back to as a doula is, “stay in your own lane and drive fast”.
It took me a long time to be able to create the content for this video because I’ve always been hesitant to advise parents on where to spend their money and what’s actually necessary, but after polling lots of past clients and really reflecting on how I can best serve you, this is what I’ve come up with. I get asked all the time about ‘nursery essentials’, I want to stress that *none* of the following suggestions are nursery-focused because it’s not really used in the first three months. A few families have used them, but most babies spend the majority of their lives on the first floor or in the living area of the family home, or in their parents’ bedroom. With that being said, here are my ‘baby essentials’ outside of what you know you have to get like diapers, wipes, onesies, swaddles, etc.
Items number one are places where babies can sleep. Babies don’t necessarily need a crib in the first three months, and typically a bassinet can serve that purpose. The bassinet can be in the parents room, in the nursery, in the living room -- the nice part is that they’re really mobile and can literally move with you to adapt to your day-to-day, changing needs. Some families will have one bassinet on the first floor and another on the second floor, others will use baby nests, and you might have some other ideas for what works best for you. In the first three months, babies are close to you and spend most of their time sleeping in your arms, on your chest, in your carrier so whatever you choose, don’t expect it to use consistently and you don’t have to over-invest. There are safe sleeping surfaces, which are flat, firm, away from blankets, where baby is unable to fall or roll out of it, and no suffocation risks. There is a lot of talk about the dangers of sleeping in swings and/or baby nests, so I’d encourage you to a. look at all of this really logistically in terms of angle of baby’s chin and suffocating or having their airways blocked, if baby is going to roll off, sit up, fall out, be able to move their face if they do get facedown, etc. and b. what does your gut say. There are surfaces that are 100% logistically and structurally safe, but your gut might say, “No. Absolutely not.” And it’s important to honour that. That isn’t just to do with sleeping surfaces, but also with foods that baby will try or people you let hold your baby or when you hear a new kind of scream or cry; listen to your gut, trust your instinct, and roll with that.
The second item that is a nursery must-have, is a much lighter topic, and that is changing surfaces. Yes, fancy changing tables are great and they’ve got lots of different drawers and compartments and clips and it swivels or who knows what. Most importantly is the height, is it truly tall enough (and taller is always better for your back) and is it waterproof. Your change surface does not need a cover on it, because that means more endless laundry, but rather is just a straight-forward plastic-y waterproof something. As baby gets older and changing gets more predictable then you might want to break out the fancy covers, but make your life easier because messes happen and it’s easier to wipe up a spill then have to clean one up. With that being said, I’d also suggest having a few of those foldable change pads around so you don’t have to go up to the nursery to change. Have a breastfeeding/changing basket in the living room, in your bedroom and anywhere else in your home where you spend a lot of time so that you’ve got easily wipeable and easy accessible changing surfaces ready at your fingertips. And one hack that a client has used -- blue puppy pads. Yes, you can get them at the dollarstore or borrow them from your furry friend but they’re easy and they work and it’s a great hack.
The third item that, in my books, is a must-have is a way to wear the baby. Not every family chooses to baby wear but I love it, especially in the first 2-3 weeks when babies are like velcro and just want to be held. Wraps are relatively inexpensive and are often gifted at showers or you might have a friend who can lend you one. In my opinion it just makes everything easier for everyone, and it’s the cutest thing in the whole world. Wraps used in the first little while need to be stretchy and soft, and my favourite wraps are the long, one pieces. I’ve linked two below which I really like, and remember they’re not meant to be used for more than 3 months anyway because baby gets too heavy, although they can be, so keep that in mind when you’re looking at wraps with different price points.
And honestly, that’s it. That’s all I would wish for a family to have or do that is different than what’s already being done. In another video, I go over purchases that aren’t super necessary or used although they make many ‘must have lists’ and I also give suggestions for cheaper alternatives or ways around them.
So, just to start off and to be very clear, one of the mottos or sayings that I constantly come back to as a doula is, “stay in your own lane and drive fast”.
It took me a long time to be able to create the content for this video because I’ve always been hesitant to advise parents on where to spend their money and what’s actually necessary, but after polling lots of past clients and really reflecting on how I can best serve you, this is what I’ve come up with. I get asked all the time about ‘nursery essentials’, I want to stress that *none* of the following suggestions are nursery-focused because it’s not really used in the first three months. A few families have used them, but most babies spend the majority of their lives on the first floor or in the living area of the family home, or in their parents’ bedroom. With that being said, here are my ‘baby essentials’ outside of what you know you have to get like diapers, wipes, onesies, swaddles, etc.
Items number one are places where babies can sleep. Babies don’t necessarily need a crib in the first three months, and typically a bassinet can serve that purpose. The bassinet can be in the parents room, in the nursery, in the living room -- the nice part is that they’re really mobile and can literally move with you to adapt to your day-to-day, changing needs. Some families will have one bassinet on the first floor and another on the second floor, others will use baby nests, and you might have some other ideas for what works best for you. In the first three months, babies are close to you and spend most of their time sleeping in your arms, on your chest, in your carrier so whatever you choose, don’t expect it to use consistently and you don’t have to over-invest. There are safe sleeping surfaces, which are flat, firm, away from blankets, where baby is unable to fall or roll out of it, and no suffocation risks. There is a lot of talk about the dangers of sleeping in swings and/or baby nests, so I’d encourage you to a. look at all of this really logistically in terms of angle of baby’s chin and suffocating or having their airways blocked, if baby is going to roll off, sit up, fall out, be able to move their face if they do get facedown, etc. and b. what does your gut say. There are surfaces that are 100% logistically and structurally safe, but your gut might say, “No. Absolutely not.” And it’s important to honour that. That isn’t just to do with sleeping surfaces, but also with foods that baby will try or people you let hold your baby or when you hear a new kind of scream or cry; listen to your gut, trust your instinct, and roll with that.
The second item that is a nursery must-have, is a much lighter topic, and that is changing surfaces. Yes, fancy changing tables are great and they’ve got lots of different drawers and compartments and clips and it swivels or who knows what. Most importantly is the height, is it truly tall enough (and taller is always better for your back) and is it waterproof. Your change surface does not need a cover on it, because that means more endless laundry, but rather is just a straight-forward plastic-y waterproof something. As baby gets older and changing gets more predictable then you might want to break out the fancy covers, but make your life easier because messes happen and it’s easier to wipe up a spill then have to clean one up. With that being said, I’d also suggest having a few of those foldable change pads around so you don’t have to go up to the nursery to change. Have a breastfeeding/changing basket in the living room, in your bedroom and anywhere else in your home where you spend a lot of time so that you’ve got easily wipeable and easy accessible changing surfaces ready at your fingertips. And one hack that a client has used -- blue puppy pads. Yes, you can get them at the dollarstore or borrow them from your furry friend but they’re easy and they work and it’s a great hack.
The third item that, in my books, is a must-have is a way to wear the baby. Not every family chooses to baby wear but I love it, especially in the first 2-3 weeks when babies are like velcro and just want to be held. Wraps are relatively inexpensive and are often gifted at showers or you might have a friend who can lend you one. In my opinion it just makes everything easier for everyone, and it’s the cutest thing in the whole world. Wraps used in the first little while need to be stretchy and soft, and my favourite wraps are the long, one pieces. I’ve linked two below which I really like, and remember they’re not meant to be used for more than 3 months anyway because baby gets too heavy, although they can be, so keep that in mind when you’re looking at wraps with different price points.
And honestly, that’s it. That’s all I would wish for a family to have or do that is different than what’s already being done. In another video, I go over purchases that aren’t super necessary or used although they make many ‘must have lists’ and I also give suggestions for cheaper alternatives or ways around them.