Baby do’s-and-don’ts
I remember it well. 2006 pregnant with my first baby, and there we were in the middle of the HEMA.
A long list of baby essentials in hand. Everything on the list got a check mark. Stuff we never heard of before disappeared in our shopping cart.
This list as a reference was very nice. The basis for a new-born is certainly something that you, as a freshman, often feel a bit insecure about- mom-to-be – can use a list. This list is definitely a DO!
I am now a mother of 5 children have become a lot more sure of my business. I grab a baby layette together in a bit. And I can tell you that my list has also changed a lot. Things have been added over the years, and went down.
In this blog I'm going to you - as perhaps a fresh mom-to-be- give my experiences in the field of baby´´´ stuff. What is a must have and why? And what is a real baby hack!
Baby HACK must have!
Hydrophilic diapers I used to think it was purely a cloth diaper. I'm not going to use this anyway? But this turned out to be a misunderstanding.
These cloths are mainly used as a drying cloth for the baby.
Hydro diapers absorb a lot of moisture, and are nice and soft which is nice for a delicate baby skin. After giving birth they were also not to drag! The baby was immediately dried with it, and I!
In addition, they are ideal on the changing mat, in bed (under head),and as a swaddling cloth. But also for on the go as a mess and changing cloth. Diaper mats are therefore no pre at all. A hydro cloth to change on is also fine for on the go!
The cloths used to be white, but nowadays have the most beautiful prints. And the sizes are now very diverse. There is even an XL size! Where you can wrap your baby wonderfully, or put it under like a blanket.
I have a piece or 15 regular size hydro diapers, en 5 XL format.
I buy them everywhere. Chicory prints, Jollin, Little lovely company is my favorite at the moment.
burp cloths Also recognizable as small mini towels. After a breast or bottle feeding, the baby may spit up a little. Especially if they suffer from Reflux.
But even if your baby doesn't spit up much in the beginning, this is no guarantee for the future. Spitting, or also called giving mouths back- because it can happen later. Once the baby is a month or so 4 and is moving more and more, Can he still spit a little?.
At our house, the wipes are currently unusable!
I also use sometimes 1 cloth on the breast against leakage when breastfeeding.
I certainly have now 50 wipes! And often fall short. TIP: At the ACTION they sell very nice burp cloths made of terry cloth.
Nursing pillow You may think this pillow is just for feeding, maar niets is minder waar. The pillow is multifunctional! Important : Buy one with granules! Otherwise they cannot be molded into the desired shape.
Snoozzz nursing pillow champagne color
Be sure to purchase one during your pregnancy. They are a perfect support in bed. Clamped between your legs, your pelvis provides a lot of support. And during your delivery, a nursing pillow is a very nice support for your back. I am sure 3 gave birth in a nursing pillow!
And if you put the pillow in a closed u shape (think of a smoked sausage but closed) and you put an XL hydro cloth on it, then you also have a baby nest! keep an eye on that you only do this when you are there so that you can be sure that your baby is lying neatly on it, and don't sink in. This is actually the precursor to the baby nest!
Do you want a safe interim solution of a day bed?, then one Baby nest a must have!
I had this in between 2007-2014 even had, what a convenience! I had the baby nest in the playpen during the day, or lying next to me when Moss slept. Conveniently portable, and easy to take outdoors. Your child is comfortably protected and cannot roll away.
Socks pants with feet. Certainly to size 62 ideaal! No loose socks anywhere, and get dressed quickly.
Socks Kruidvat Bambino baby socks have a tendency to fall out. The socks of the Kruidvat are perfectly formed and therefore stay in place very well!
Stretch rompers If you want to buy smart, then buy cotton stretch rompers. These always stretch nicely, and, unlike normal rompers, do not flap. The stretch romper from HEMA is highly recommended. You pay a little more for each piece, but you sure do 2 tot 3 sizes along. Moss is nu 4 months, and still sometimes wears HEMA stretch rompers in size 56!
sleeping bags from a month or 2 can your baby sleep in a sleeping bag. Before that, the danger is that the baby can sink into it through the main hole, so don't start too early. It is better not to put a newborn baby in a sleeping bag. Provided they are very special bags, but I always only buy standard sleeping bags from size 62-68.
The Puckaby sleeping bags are currently very popular. A baby can grow with this. But these sleeping bags are also quite expensive. Personally, I'm a fan of the sleeping bags of the HEMA en Prenatal. These are of nice warm quality, and are very affordable. They also look very nice!
The winter sleeping bag below is from the fine brand Somehow
Always buy there two so you can alternate, and always have a spare.
Snow suit If you have a winter child, it is great if your baby has an extra layer in the car. A nice teddy suit for your baby is the first 3 months really a must have! Your winter baby will then wear this suit in the pram, which gives just that little bit of extra warmth.
Deze 2 snowsuits can be purchased for €39.95 at BOL.
Bekijk hier deze 2 above snowsuits
Winter jacket A winter jacket in new born size looks super cute. But in practice, jackets for new born babies are not useful at all. Winter coats are often a bit stiffer, and difficult to squeeze the arms through. A lined cardigan or soft teddy coat is a better alternative. And then make sure you have a good warm baby stroller or maxi cozy bag.
Teddy coat from size to size 62/68
From a month or so 6 you could try a stiffer winter coat.
Like this one from Noppies now SALE for €28.49 TIP
TIP: For those who want to move faster from the pram to a compact car such as this Quiny zapp in the photo above, please read mine kinderwagenhack blog!
Diaper bag You see it in all the baby magazines. Advertising for the hippest baby diaper bags. Remember that a diaper bag is nothing more than a spacious shoulder bag with a few extra pockets. So you can also buy a nice spacious shopper shoulder bag. And would you still like to have a diaper or a cloth organized in your bag?? Then buy a pencil case or a toiletry bag for your bag.
I bought this myself teddy bear (€29,95) For when I'm away from home for longer and want to take some more baby things with me. This is not an official diaper bag, but it will suffice!
The smaller compact bag on the stroller is from DUSK IDEAL! Wallet, diaper, cloth, sunglasses, sunscreen everything fits with ease. And no more digging around in oversized bags on the handlebars.
I already have the Dusq 2 year with great pleasure on the car.
Also one like that teddy bear ideal for protecting glass baby bottles if you want to take them with you on the go!
baby beauties The rule of thumb here is, as long as your baby can't walk yet, shoes are superfluous. So don't be tempted by shoes or boots in size 18-19 te kopen, they will gather dust on the shelf. Vanaf 1 years old when your child wants to take his first step, you can go all out on baby shoes,
TIP: always buy new shoes so that your baby can form his own feet in them. I was very satisfied with the learning myself Dr.Visser shoes from the Scapino. Affordable and good quality.
Babygym
If your baby is a week or 6 it already needs a bit of a challenge. A baby gym is really a godsend! We even have them at home 2! One made of wood ,and one with a cloth attached to it. You can use the wooden bow a bit faster above the bouncer. We have these:
Little Dutch babygym . Anyway, a very nice baby brand! (FAN!!)
As soon as the baby starts to turn a little, a baby gym with a mat attached is a great asset. Maybe not so nice in your interior, but it gives you a lot of freedom if your baby can play happily on his mat!
Baby Bottle and Flask
You have them in many shapes and sizes. I myself have been using Avent for years. This actually happened because I have the Avent hand pump use. This is nicely compact and a handy entry-level model.
A manual breast pump is ideal to have at home to start with. You can use it to stimulate breastfeeding right from the start, or pumping if you have breast infection. The flask is also easy to carry due to its small size. The price: €27,95 so too bad budget friendly!
I myself have never switched to an electric breast pump and have only used this one. But if you want to start stocking up, you could consider an electric flask.
Here was a bottle, and that's how I've always kept buying this.
What has changed is that I now glasses bottles for sale from Avent.
We have 3 van deze BPA free. Although they say nowadays that plastic baby bottles are also. But why take every little risk, if there is also glass! I am very satisfied with it! It cleans well in the dishwasher.
Diapers
Of course you have diapers in many shapes and sizes. Personally, I am very satisfied with the diapers from Kruidvat. They never leak, and keep my baby dry all night. They are also very affordable, and often on offer.
Bouncer
A bouncer is actually the predecessor of the baby chair at the table. In the beginning you use it to put your newborn baby in (tip, put a sheepskin on the chair) And after a month or so 4 use this chair to give your baby his first bite.
Most bouncers are ugly, but sometimes you also have very nice ones!
Na 6 months if your child can sit well, your baby can be in a regular high chair.
Sheepskin,,nl,Except that one,,nl,the interior is stylish and cozy,,nl,do you ever make the choice to buy a chair to the looks,,nl,and not for comfort,,nl,And I did the latter recently,,nl,Ikea has an old vintage classic from the years,,nl,re-released,,nl,The Niels Gammelgaard,,da,Jarpen,,nl,Also now called the RÅANE by IKEA,,nl,I really love this industrial Scandinavian style,,nl,The chair has a nice seat,,nl,but there is no pillow involved,,nl,I decided to look for a nice coat,,nl,Now IKEA also has sheepskins,,nl,but these are standard white,,nl,and still look less luxurious,,nl,Sheepy,,en,After some google research, I came to the attractive website of Sheepy,,nl,A web shop completely specialized in sheepskins,,nl,And that's fine,,nl,because then you have to deal with an expert,,nl
A sheepskin is a real baby hack here in the house! In the bouncer, in the box, on the couch in the pram. As soon as I put Moss on it, he goes into complete relaxation.
View affordable sheepskins here
Short-haired is absolutely ideal for a new born, but not necessarily a must. But they sink in a little less deeply.
What is a must is that the fur is real sheep must be, en not synthetic! The latter is not breathable. So not a safe choice for a baby.
IKEA CO-SLEEPER HACK
When Moss grew out of his co-sleep crib I actually wished he could still sleep next to the bed. Via IKEA HACK inspiration pages I saw that you can easily convert a budget-friendly bed from IKEA into a Co-Sleeper
He certainly can now 2 next to our bed for years if we want!
Baby snacks in ice cube tray
You can store breast milk in ice cube trays.
But did you know that you can also put home-made baby food in ice cube trays? Especially those first snacks that are still so deliciously creamy can be perfectly frozen in ice cube trays!
Which is important, is that the holders are made of rubber. Otherwise you won't get the mess out! And that it is BPA free.
I found a perfect holder after a tip from my neighbor ice cube mold PBA free made in Holland. (also fine)
Ideal for parsnip, for example (favoriet!) carrot, or sweet potato snacks.
I puree the snacks with a hand blender TIP: I sometimes add a very small splash of follow-on milk for the smoothness.
Met 2 holders I can about 2 weeks ahead with snacks. There is laundry 5 months eat now 4 blocks at a time.
TIP: You can take the cubes out when they are frozen and put them in freezer bags at the dosage per feeding. That way you have enough 2 holders, and quickly grab a bag with the correct number of blocks at a time!
Philley milk powder canister
Vanaf 6 months I switched to formula (nr 2) And I saw a beautiful RETRO bus on the counter at a maternity visit where I was. It was the Philley the midwife said. And in the meantime she clicked a bottle full in no time. I was impressed!
The Philley milk powder can is an invention of a Dutch father. There are small boxes in the bus where exactly 1 scoop of nutrition fits per click. This dosage goes all by itself. You just have to empty a bag of food into it!
This way you can click a bottle full without mess and hygienically in no time.
price
The bus is not very cheap. I bought it myself with a discount at a baby fair for € 20. It works easily, and pretty fast! I also like that my big kids can easily work with this if they want to make the bottle for their baby brother!
NB: I have found that the ETOS power supply is not working properly in the Philley. This powder is a bit softer and stickier, and therefore does not come out of the opening properly. The Kruidvat powder is slightly more granular and works perfectly in this bus. Nutrilon is also a bit grainier, so I expect this powder to work well in the can as well.
I consciously choose not to use Nutrilon. This is because Nutrilon is so incredibly pricey. The inspection of baby food is so strict in the Netherlands that you can assume that house brands simply cannot be any worse.
Glass Baby Bottle VS Plastic
I am already 15 an Avent user for years. This brand works very well for my kids. You can argue about brands, so my advice is not about that.
I have switched to glass bottles since my last child. Except that these bottles remain beautiful and do not tarnish, it may also have health benefits. There are studies that plastic bottles collapse when heated (for example by the dishwasher) are not ideal for your baby's health.
Look for more information HERE source Nutrition Center
Avent
I now use the glass bottles from Avent and I am super satisfied with them. It gives a clean and pure feeling. En buiten dat, it also looks much nicer in my kitchen!
TIP: the bamboo trays come from the ACTION,,en,It was a while since I was at the ACTION,,nl,Click on the photo for the VLOG,,nl
Baby monitor
15 years ago we bought an Alecto baby monitor TIP: De DBX 88
Incredibly handy, en onverwoestbaar, because we have 4 children scattered about 10 hear for years.
But in the meantime the technology had improved considerably and images were added! And being able to see your baby seemed very nice and handy to us. Because we had such good experiences with the normal Alecto baby monitor, we opted for the image variant of this reliable brand.
Alecto Baby Monitor DBV-2700 LUX . The baby is completely visible in black and white in the dark. And in a bright room, the baby is in color.
Problems with the video baby monitor DBV-2700 LUX from Alecto
UPDATE juni 2023 : Unfortunately, after a year we started having more and more problems with the DBV-2700 LUX . Reception was increasingly lost, and power input became increasingly weak, which also drained the battery very quickly.
The device was good and pleasant to use for the first few months, but unfortunately only for too short a time. And that is of course a waste of money.
My advice is definitely to do a baby monitor with image to search, but NOT the video baby monitor DBV-2700 from Alecto.
The image baby monitor tip: LUVION
UPDATE: We have now found a good budget-friendly solution: LUVION Easy Babyphone – Baby monitor with camera
€59,95,-
En dit zeggen ze er zelf over, and I completely agree!
The no-nonsense baby monitor with camera. Are you just looking for one?reliable video baby monitor without too much fuss and an attractive price? But one that is provided with all the essentials such as good range, sharp image, clear sound, VOX function and a talk-back function. Then this Easy baby monitor from the premium brand Luvion offers exactly what you are looking for.
It is indeed really that basic need for image and sound. Not very luxurious in terms of details, but it does what it's supposed to do. Also a tip for grandparents, for example!
What I also like is that the receiver is small. Easy to take with you, or to move.
TIP at BOL.COM it is for sale at a discount
Baby footmuff made of real wool
When Moss grew out of his pram, it was time for a pram with a bag. After an enthusiastic story from a mother about a woolen wagon bag, I also decided to look for one made of wool. Wool is very nice for babies and toddlers.
Wool ensures that your child stays at the right temperature. This is automatic: in the winter, the wool keeps your child nice and warm, in the summer the wool keeps your child cool.
Now I wouldn't use a wool bag myself in the middle of summer, but in the spring it can sometimes be chilly. And then it is nice that you have a bag that you know that your child is not stiflingly hot.
This bag belongs to SKEEPE real Texel wool. And therefore from Dutch soil!
I am very satisfied with this bag. Moss is always nice and warm, and the outside of the bag is waterproof. It's just an investment, but I haven't regretted it for a moment. No fiddling with ski suits in the pram (in the winter) but just with normal clothes and cardigan or jacket in the pocket.
Meanwhile, Moss 2 years old and he still sits comfortably in the woolen footmuff.
Stairgate
Stair gates come in many shapes and sizes. At our stairs we have a wooden gate from Prenatal (no tips)
But in some places in the house you need a blockade, but you don't have the space for a fence.
Then a roll-out gate is the solution! If it's not rolled out, it won't bother you, and you want to close the room, then pull out the roll with ease.
The closure is on top with a handy rotary knob (locked and open but then closed)
And on the other side are nice big hooks, with which you can close the gate very easily.
The mesh is made of sturdy plastic.
Ik heb dit very budget friendly stair gate bought at Bol.com : Caedentes Rollable safety gate
Nice detail, this gate can be used for Babies and dogs! And especially intended for closing doors. I would choose a different gate for the stairs, which is somewhat less flexible.
baby bump
A maternity gift that we have been enjoying for a year is a baby swing for indoors.
As soon as your child can sit a little from a month or 5/6 a swing is great fun! Your baby will gently use his legs to move on his own. And when you push, your baby will be completely happy!
Also useful for putting your baby in while you are sitting next to it at the table and have to do something.
You can adjust this type of swing in height so that your child can grow in it.
Moss is nu 14 months and it is still regularly very high! He howls with laughter when you give him a big slingshot!
Via bol.com do you have a lot of baby swings?.
And also affordable like this one: Baby swing – hout – crème
OR this one soft pink with wood for €47.33
For now these are my HOT tips! But I will continue to supplement this blog with useful HACKS that I experience as a baby mom.
STAY TUNED……..
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