For your newborn
Congratulations! If you’ve made it here, I hope that it’s because you’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of your baby. If you’ve made it here because you’re wishing and hoping for your baby, I hope you’re wish is granted soon.
When I was a first-time mum, I was overwhelmed by what to buy. I don’t want to think about how much time I spent researching products, trying to figure out what was ‘must-have’ or not. I’ve done the hard yards trawling the internet for products that are great quality and aren’t going to break the bank - but quick disclaimer, although some items in this list are bougie, I tried to minimise that to items for long-term use.
These are my favourites and must-haves - I hope this list helps you.
Tip: check different websites to find the best price or shop during major sale periods like EOFY or Black Friday - most of our items were purchased on sale. It’s also worth checking Facebook Marketplace for items you’re willing to purchase second-hand.
Pram: Bugaboo Fox 5
The Bugaboo Fox 5 is basically a chariot. The bassinet is approved for overnight sleep, so we used this instead of buying another bassinet for home AND travel. This pram is large yes but that also means it has lots of storage in the basket. I didn’t do many pram comparisons when purchasing, but others I would suggest looking at are the UPPAbaby Vista V2 (can convert to a double pram) and the Redsbaby ONIX (a single pram) or NUOVO (can convert to a double pram).
Car: Britax Safe n Sound
We opted for seat (newborn-4yrs) over capsule (newborn -6mths) and never regretted it. Reach out if you want to chat about why. I meant to buy the ifix, and accidentally bought the ClickTight+ - it’s the same seat but a different method of installation (ifix is meant to be easier to take the seat in/out yourself). Have a chat to the crew at Baby Bunting for details.
Car toy: Lamaze Monkey
I struggled to find a car toy long enough for my daughter to play with once she needed entertaining in the car (around 4-6 months old). I picked up the Lamaze Monkey Links at Big W but they no longer have it - check out Amazon or just give it a google. Unloop the fabric strap as much as you can in order to loop it and velcro it around the car’s grab handle. I attached this bee from Kmart to the bottom, mainly because my daughter was obsessed with it. She still plays with this make-shift car toy.
Car shades: Snapshades
I found these car shades and they are elite. They’re an Australian brand, based out of Sydney. The shades use magnets to attach to the inside window frame of the car (genius). The major selling point for me was that they provide shade and UV protection without changing the look of the car from the outside - most shades loop over the car door and can be seen.
Backpack: Storksak Alyssa
I use this backpack and the accessories daily. No regrets! Doesn't look like a nappy backpack, large enough to fit anything and everything I need plus it comes with portable change mat and insulated bag for food.
Nappy Bin: Tommee Tippee
The Twist and Click Nappy Bin is elite. It is THE best bin - the only one that wraps each nappy for guaranteed odour and germ protection. An absolutely must-have.
Change table: Stokke
I purchased this second-hand off Facebook Marketplace and love it. The Leander change mat fits perfectly. We had the space for separate change-table and wanted something higher than the dresser that could fit everything needed.
Nappies and changing
We are a Huggies family for nappies and wipes. The website shows a list of retailers and cost-per-nappy!
I purchased wipe tubs for home and cute wipe clutches for on-the-go and refill them with Huggies wipe refills as needed.
Sudocrem is a must-have for changing. During a case of terrible nappy rash, our pediatrician recommend popping ZSC Powder on top. Another must-have
Organic cotton burp cloths from Kmart - win! We got two packs and they’re great if you have a happy spitter or baby with reflux.
For cleaning up any accidents or spills or putting under bub on change mat -anything really. Definitely not used as nappies! We always have have a giant pile in our change table ready to go.
Admittedly, this is not essential, but I found it useful and it makes a great gift! Pack it with nappies, wipes, snacks, a book/kindle, water bottle, burp cloths, change of clothes for bub - pretty much anything. It’s easy to carry it around the house and up/down stairs. We also found it handy to pack for bub when travelling (by car).
Sleep: Boori Crib
We started using our crib at 2-3 months old, so this was still a newborn purchase. Boori make beautiful, high quality solid wood furniture and most of their cribs convert to a toddler bed! We got our mattress and mattress protector that go with the Boori Cot and found the perfect size fitted cot sheets to finish it off.
Chest: Boori 6-Drawer
Yes, Boori again! This is a great chest of drawers for our daughter to be able to use long term. If you’re short on space, it also comes in a slightly smaller 3-drawer size. FYI looks like this colour-way is no longer available (my pick would be the Almond).
Sleep: Love to Dream
Tip: you can take these to hospital and use them from birth. I was too nervous to do it (worried about judgement), but in the future I aim to care less and do what I know! LTD allows for hands up instead of by body, which our daughter loved. I would take a 1.0 TOG for hospital, but don’t stress - these are available at Baby Bunting or with express shipping on The Iconic if you need to source quickly.
Monitor: VTech Owl
VTech was recommended by the crew at Baby Bunting. Got the owl because I thought it was cute! Looks like this one isn’t widely available anymore, but specs we wanted were: a monitor that doesn’t connect to wireless or phones and shows temperature display (maybe pan and tilt too). Even our basic monitor has features we don’t use.
White noise: Ergopouch
An overwhelming number of options on the market. The Ergpouch Drift Away has good reviews, looks cute and is portable so it can be used on the pram and for travel. Doubles as a light which is handy when we have to go in at night. It has 7 sounds but we’ve only used the shushing and white noise. We love!
We were recommended this bath and stand from the crew at Baby Bunting. It’s bigger than ‘newborn’ baths (and not as cute) but it will last you much longer. We used it from newborn - 10 months when our baby started trying to climb out. I’m also sure we saved on water by using this over the big bath for that period!
Tackling eczema
QV Bath Oil and Moisturiser came recommended by our pediatrician to keep eczema at bay from about 6 weeks old and we haven’t had any flare-ups since. A lot of ‘natural’ alternatives contain plant-oils that irritate skin more. Tip: you can buy the regular stuff, baby-branded is the same but more expensive!
Bath towel: Kiin
Kiin Hooded Towels are cute, so soft and will last your baby years! These towels would make a great gift.
Bouncer: BabyBjörn
Plenty of options on the market but BabyBjörn is a classic choice. Picked one up cheap on Facebook Marketplace and opted for the mesh which is easy to clean.
Carrier: Artipoppe
Definitely a bougie purchase. There are some similar options on the market that are slightly cheaper. We love our Artipoppe and started using it around 7 weeks old. I don’t love it front-facing, but at 13 months our baby is still happy facing inward in the carrier. For a similar aesthetic at a slightly more affordable price, try Portier.
Toys: Lovevery
We decided to get Lovevery toy boxes and playgym. A subcription or toy box makes a great gift and that’s how we’ve been able to do it. It’s taken the guesswork out of getting age-appropriate toys that will help our baby develop. At 3/4 months old, I couldn’t figure out why our wasn’t sleeping as well. A friend suggested I spend more time doing sensory play, and Lovevery were perfect for this, particularly the playgym at that young age. Over a year later, I love seeing our baby figuring out new toys and skills. Keep the boxes and pack away toys as needed to resell, or save for next time or a friend.
Mikro make non-toxic, eco-friendly, waterproof padded playmats that are reversible. They’re easy to clean, durable and come in a range of sizes and patterns. They’ve been great to use since birth - protecting carpet from accidents and spit-up and precious heads from bumps on floorboards and tiles. Tip: I’ve seen friends utilise these as a coffee table rug.
Jnr.life quilted playmats are machine washable and a more aesthetic option to fit into a home - I don’t have one but love them!
Comments on additional items
Ergopouch Portable Bassinet: Bought this but never used it. A friend recommended it for using when visiting friends and the baby needs to sleep but we always just used the pram. Might be handy if wanting to use at the beach.
Nest: We decided not to get one and I don't regret this. They're pretty exxy, especially DokATot (you could source from Facebook Marketplace). People recommend them for popping bub in around the house or while you’re on the couch but we never found this to be an issue. Between us, the cot, pram (which we used as a bassinet) and bouncer we managed just fine.
Rockit: Some people swear by these - I didn't like it. We stopped rocking to sleep fairly early anyway.