newborn checklist

Here is our suggested newborn essentials checklist. What you will need depends on various factors such as the size and growth rate of your baby and which products you personally would like to use, such as cotton balls versus wipes (see below).

diapering essentials

Newborn/mini size diapers - 150 diapers lasts about 3-4 weeks. As you don't know what size your baby will be when it's born, have a couple of packs of each size - remember, they'll always grow into a bigger size. We recommend Moltex OKO diapers for newborns. If you would like to try cloth diapers, take a look at our Cloth Diapering article.

Change mat - those that are fairly long, and easy to wipe clean, are best. You can always lay a muslin over the top if you are worried it will be too cold on baby's bottom. Lots of books strongly recommend getting a 'changing station' but a cot-top-changer takes up a lot less room and costs a lot less too. Once your baby starts to rollover you may feel safer transferring the change mat to the floor anyway. It is a good idea to have a roll-up 'travel change mat' for your diapering bag too.

Cotton balls - whether you use cotton balls or cotton pads is purely a personal choice but you can certainly get through a lot! For example, a breast fed baby's diaper contains liquid yellow poop (lovely!) at every change for the first few weeks, and you'll use roughly 3-8 balls each time depending on the severity of mess! On average a bag of cotton wool will last about 2 days at the beginning.

Wipes - we would recommend using cotton wool and warm water only for the first 3 months. Only using wipes when you are away from home and cannot access warm tap water. In which case, a couple of packs of unscented wipes is all you will need to start off. Once your baby is older wipes will become an indispensible part of your diaper bag!

Fresh warm water - in a bowl (Top and Tail bowls aren't really necessary, an unbreakable jug from the kitchen or even a margarine tub will suffice). For the first 6 weeks at least it is best to use cotton wool dipped in water as it is gentler, unless you are out and about when you will need...

Kitchen roll - great for wiping up pee quickly should you forget to take protective action!

Baby powder - a light dusting of this ensures baby's bottom is dry - helping to prevent diaper rash. Choosing a talc-free baby powder is important.

Diaper cream - a protective bottom balm is useful for newborns, but reserve use of diaper creams with zinc for clearing up outbreaks of diaper rash - again an unscented diaper cream is the best choice for a newborn.

Fresh change of clothes - just in case you knock over the water or the diaper has leaked and keep the clean dry stuff well clear of the changing area.

Diaper sacks - great for when you are out and about (biodegradable sacks of course!) We can fit around 6 newborn diapers into a diaper sack but you may wish to use one sack per diaper in which case we'd recommend ordering four packs. This is also useful so you can have them dotted around the house, in a changing bag etc.

Something to distract your baby - at home, hanging a small mobile near the baby change area is a good idea as newborns can't hold on to toys.

You may have a couple of places where you change diapers and so wish to double up on diapering supplies. You can keep all your diaper change items in a little basket which you can then cart around the house, as needed, and easily place out of baby's reach.

bathtime & skincare

Skin care - newborn babies generally don't need skin care products, unless they are born with a lot of hair when you may wish to use a mild soap or shampoo & bodywash. Sore bottoms can occur due to the regularity of bowel movements (see above) so diaper cream is good to have on hand. Dimpleskins Cradle Cap treatment may also be useful for newborns.

for yourself

Maternity pads - you are likely to use 10-15 maternity pads and then you may be able to move onto a smaller size of pad. When your discharge finishes can vary greatly depending on factors such as whether you breast feed or bottle feed. ecobotts do not currently stock these, but you should find them available at a good pharmacy.

Breast/nursing pads - we do recommend buying some of these as even if you are not breastfeeding, you will still need some for the early days. ecobotts do not currently stock these, but you should find them available at a good pharmacy.

Remember, if you need more help just email us at customercare@ecobotts.ca and we will do our best to answer your questions, or put you in contact with someone else who can.

The above article, researched and compiled by ecobotts.ca, is provided for general advice, guidance and information. It is not intended to replace professional advice. If you have any concerns or questions relating to this topic, please seek the advice of a health professional. Personal experiences are invaluable to these sorts of pages and we look forward to hearing from you with your tips for other parents! © ecobotts baby products ltd., 2009.