Important Baby Gear for the First Year

So the wait is over and now you have your bundle of joy in your arms. So, what is it that you need to do next. Yes, you need to set up the baby's shelter with all the essentials that your child will need.

If you remember, when you were still pregnant, you must have been bombarded with offers and advertisements promoting all kind of baby gear. This is usual when the marketers have you in their mailing list. They will do all they can in that short span of time to convince you that their product and their deal is the best. So if you have still not bought anything for the baby, then you need to because indeed there are a few items which are absolutely essential for the baby's first year.

The most essential and the basic requirement of your baby is a shelter. You will definitely need a place for your baby where the baby can eat and sleep and play. First of all, you will need to get a crib and a mattress for the baby, where it can sleep. When buying the crib, check if it meets all the safety guidelines. The crib should also be secure and sturdy. Apart from this you should also keep couple of sheets. These you can use alternatively between cleanings. You need not buy a pillow. It is not required or even recommended for the baby.

Apart from the place to sleep, your baby will also need the tools and the place to eat. When your baby is around six months old, you can start using a highchair. In order to keep the mess away, you can consider using a mat under the highchair to catch the falling foods. In case the highchair is close to the floor then you may not require a mat as it can be cleaned easily.

You will also need to buy bottles during the initial stage for the baby and then later you can give the baby sippy-type cups made of plastic. At the stage when the baby is trying to feed itself, you can get the baby plastic bowls and spoon to eat. Also get the baby bibs to add to your child's dinner table.

Next, you need to get soft clothes for the baby which are both roomy and durable. So, you can get pants and leggings for the baby, cotton tees, there are one piece blanket sleepers and also some outfits which are available in one piece. You will also need to get diapers which you can choose either to get the cloth or disposable ones. Shoes are something which is generally not required in the first year. In fact it is advisable that the baby learns to walk without shoes.

There are various safety items that you will need to get like if there are stairs, then you will need safety gates. To keep the baby away from the cabinets you will also need cupboard and drawer latches. These are some of the essentials that you will need. Apart from this you also get your baby variety of fancy outfits and toys to play with.