The Ultimate Go-To List for New Parents – Part 4 of 5

This is a continuation of the 5-Part series “The Ultimate Go-To List for New Parents.”

If you’d like an easy to reference checklist, click The Ultimate Go-To Baby Registry Checklist for New Parents. I made it available as a pdf!

Part 1 covers nursery basics, Part 2 covers all the basics of baby gear, and Part 3 goes over feeding (by breast or with formula). Here in Part 4, I’ll list out and explain the essentials for Bath & Body, and Health & Safety. And Part 5 covers Clothing and Toys & Books.

I have noted things not to bother with in a separate post. I’ll tell you exactly what products I used and what worked and what didn’t!

 Bath & Body

• baby bathtub

  I used the First Years Newborn to Toddler tub in the kitchen sink for the first two months but then switched to the Summer Infant Right Height Bath Tub for the bath tub. I wish I had just gone with the Summer Infant Bath Tub because it’s adaptable for newborns to toddlers (about two years old). The inside seat is basically the First Years Newborn to Toddler tub. What really sets it a part from any other tub is that it has a detachable stool base. You can use the stool to kneel on or your kid can use it as a step stool later.

• faucet cover

  This is one of those items you may or may not need depending on your faucet situation. I bathed my newborn in the kitchen sink before he got too big at around three months. Since the kitchen sink faucet is rounded, I didn’t have to worry about him hurting himself; plus, he wasn’t very mobile yet. But when I started using the bath tub, I definitely needed a faucet cover to keep both of us from hurting ourselves. It’s so easy to hurt yourself when all your focus is on your newborn! In addition to cover the faucet for safety, I like using the Boon Flo Water Deflector and Protective Faucet Cover because it makes the water flow out, instead of letting it just flow down. This made filling his baby bath tub easier.

• baby soap and shampoo combo

  Our pediatrician recommended California Baby products because it doesn’t have funky chemicals and it doesn’t have other things that could irritate sensitive baby skin (no sulfates, no gluten, no soy, no dairy, no oats, and no nuts). I received other bath sets as gifts but they were scented much more strongly and my baby did not care for them at all. California Baby products have a much more subtle scent.

• washcloths (at least 6)

  We always used at least two washcloths for every bath. One was for the head and the body and then another one just to put on his chest to keep him warm and comforted. You may want to get many more washcloths if you know that you won’t be getting around to do laundry every day or even every other day.

• baby lotion

  I try to use California Baby products here too. It’s a lot more difficult to treat a skin condition like eczema once it appears than just to prevent it in the first place. I like to stick with what works instead of trying new things out on my kid. I’m just not going to chance his sensitive baby skin freaking out.

• hooded towels (at least 3)

  Hooded towels are great for keeping their heads warm while you dry the rest of them. It’s also just so darn cute!

• knee and elbow bath pad

  You could put down towels for your knees to rest on but that’s too slippery for your elbows. The knee and elbow bath pad has been a surprisingly indispensable item. It’s used every time my baby is bathed, which is almost everyday. I can’t imagine resting my knees on the unforgivingly hard and cold bathroom tile floor or how sore my elbows would be leaning on the tub edge.

  I like this pad, because it has suction cups at the top and grippy material on the bottom so it doesn’t slide around much. It’s also easy to clean. I toss it in the washer when it gets icky. Note: I washed it with other clothes once and it tore a little because it got tangled up with the clothes. So now I chuck it into the washer by itself.

Health & Safety

• hand sanitizer

  Although thoroughly washing your hands is better, hand sanitizer is better than nothing. I like to go with one that has alcohol in it. You read that correctly. It DOES have alcohol.

  Steer clear of anything with triclosan (a once common antibacterial chemical). Triclosan, along with several other antibacterial chemicals, were banned by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) for various reasons (interfering with hormones, cutting back on antibacterial chemicals in general, etc). I’m not a doctor, so don’t take my word for it. You can click on the links and read up on these things for yourself. Yikes!

• baby sunscreen

  I use Blue Lizard Sunscreen for Baby. It has Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide so it’s an actual barrier between sun rays and my baby’s skin. Of course, any sunscreen is only as good as it’s used. I reapply frequently and yet it isn’t greasy. (It is at first though.) It’s also paraben and fragrance free.

• baby nail scissors

  There aren’t a lot of specific items on these lists that I feel strongly about, except for these nail scissors. I absolutely love these baby nail scissors! We initially received the baby nail clippers that I had registered for, but they were awful. My husband clipped too far down or snipped our baby’s skin and scarred him from ever cutting our child’s nails again.  That has never happened with the baby nail scissors. Since they’re scissors, I can actually see what I’m cutting; plus, the scissors are curved away from my baby’s fingers. I think it’s hands down the best buy of all the products I’ve recommended. Note: Whether you use scissors or clippers, the trick is to pull the skin away from the nail. Then cut from one corner to the other side.

• soft brush and comb

  This hair brush is the softest I’ve ever felt. It works wonders on my son’s hair that is curly yet fine. For the first few months though, you’ll want to just use the brush you likely received in the hospital for cradle cap.

• first-aid kit

  I got this first-aid kit to keep around the house and this one for the diaper bag. You could also throw one together yourself. Here’s a good place to start if you go that route.

• rectal thermometer

  I say “rectal” thermometer because it’s the most accurate in determining baby’s body temperature. When my baby is screaming and I’m trying to figure out if he’s sick, hungry, or other, I want an accurate reading fast! Although a fancy forehead thermometer would’ve been nice, they just weren’t as accurate even a year or two ago.

• nasal aspirator

  You can stick with the blue bulb aspirator that you’ll get at the hospital. But I like the kind you suck out yourself using a tube, like this. The Baby ComfyNose Aspirator is cheaper than the more popular Nosefrida and it only needs a tissue instead of special filters. But they’re both superior to the bulb aspirator because you can see what you’re getting out, you can tell how far you’re shoving it up the baby’s nose, and you can rotate it around to get everything out. I know, all that sounds seriously nasty but when your kid is having trouble breathing, you’ll be so happy and satisfied with yourself for sucking all that gunk out.

Phew!

That’s a lot of stuff, I know! Oh goodness, do I know! But believe it or not, these are kind of the basics. Could you use the towels you already own? Sure. Could you forgo the baby bath tub and just bathe with your baby? Of course. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t have it when it turns out that you need it. (That’s why I love me some Amazon Prime!) But if you’re going to be registering for all the baby things (and what expectant mother doesn’t?); then, you might as well cover all your bases.

In case you missed it earlier, here’s The Ultimate Go-To Baby Registry Checklist for New Parents. I made it available as a pdf!

So let’s crack on and get to Part 5 where I discuss clothing, toys, and books.