Essential Stuff for Your New Baby
Keeping baby warm, clean, safe and fed requires a whole lot of stuff, which can seen daunting at first. But shopping for baby can also be lots of fun, especially when you know where to grab a bargain. Below is a list of the essential things you’ll need, plus some great tips on how to save money.
Key tips:
- Talk to friends and family about what you will need for the first few months
- Borrow or buy second hand
- Shop the sales
- Have a baby shower, and ask for vouchers to put towards those expensive items such as a pram/stroller or car seat.
Where to find equipment
Search online for lists of stores such as Baby Factory, Baby City, Global Baby etc.
Car Seats
Car seats can be bought or hired from Little Buds Car Seats. They are also a recommended car seat technician service.
Baby On The Move hire a variety of child restraints. They also recycle used car seats.
| Options | Tip for saving money | |
|---|---|---|
| Nappies | Cloth: traditional square cloth or modern fitted nappies. Don’t have to be soaked anymore! Disposable: convenient but not as environmentally friendly. | Start stocking up and remember to buy larger sizes for when baby grows. Consider mix and match and having some of both types. |
| Wipes | Lots of products available – can cause sensitivity reactions. | Buy a set of cheap flannels for using only on baby’s bottom. These can be taken out and about in a small bag. |
| Towels | Baby specific or use your regular towels | Buy hooded towels in toddler size and maximise usage – also great fun for pretending to be a super hero. |
| Face cloth | Multiple materials from regular household cotton to synthetic microfibre to bamboo. | Buy regular cloths and color code for bottom or face/body. |
| Nail Scissors | Buy baby specific round tipped. | |
| Thermometer | Ask your pharmacist/provider for their recommendation. | Worth getting the best you can afford as this will be used for some years. |
| Changing mat | PU wipeable mat with or without covers. Disposable packs. | Buy a nappy bag with removable change mat and use this at home or when out. |
| Baby bath | Toddler sized baths with inserts offer a safer option. Use the family bath and bathe with baby. | Start using a little unperfumed baby bath/soap from 4 – 6 weeks. Using this on baby’s hair as well can save money on shampoo. |
| Baby monitor | Range from audio only to audio/video and app enabled. | If you live in a small house and baby is close by you may choose not to have a monitor. |
| Car seat | Under New Zealand law, all children under seven years must use a child restraint (also called a car seat) that’s appropriate for their age, size, and development. See Waka Kotahi (NZTA) website for details. | For advice, talk with a child restraint technician – find on Waka Kotahi (NZTA) website. |
| Pram/stroller | Consider buying a pram/stroller with a separate, removable carrier. | Make sure the stroller or pram you borrow/buy opens and closes easily and is safe. If buying new, shop the sales. |
| Pram/stroller rain cover and sunshade protector | Not essential but good to have. | |
| Car window shade | Not essential but good to have. | |
| Safe sleep place – bassinet, cot, whahakura, Pepi Pod | With wahakura – Pēpi Pod – baby can co-sleep with you safely. | If using a secondhand bassinet or cot, Plunket have an advice page with safety features to look for. |
| Baby bedding | Natural products such as merino blankets, cotton or 100% wool. Avoid synthetic material such as polar fleece as they can cause baby to overheat. (Synthetics can be used outdoors.) | |
| Clothes – onesies, cardigans and/or jackets | Buy for the season. Layering is great and if you or someone you know knits, ask them to make you some merino vests for under or over clothing. | Shop in advance, shop the sales, look for friends whose children have outgrown their clothes. Buy clothes for the next stage of your child’s growth. Newborn babies don’t need shoes, just thick socks. |
| Hat (sunhat or beanie) | Most newborns have only a little hair so in winter a warm beanie is essential. | |
| Socks | Cotton in summer, thick in winter. | |
| Bibs | Purpose made bibs or clean cloths. | |
| Feeding pillow | Nice to have, but not essential. | |
| Breastpads/muslin cloths | Incredibly useful for everything. |
