The First Time Mum’s Guide to Shopping for Her New Born (Part One)

Terundu Joy Ogbugoh

First comes pregnancy, then shopping!!

Picking out items for a newborn is always an exciting  and emotional experience for any mother. For the first time mum, it can get confusing between figuring out the necessities and making the best choice from various brand options.

Resources are scarce, so you don’t want to purchase items you won’t use. Second time mums already have a hang of this.

After purchasing the basics given to you by your midwife, which usually consists of baby clothes, baby wipes, diapers, cotton bud, olive oil, bath items, body cream, powder, hair oil, flannels, socks, handkerchiefs, vests, caps, water flasks, diaper bag, you might want to add other items to your shopping cart designed to give you that extra help.

Below are the top seven items an expectant mother would find very useful and helpful…

1. FRONT BABY CARRIER.      

It is no secret that Nigerian mums love wearing their babies on their backs to allow for easier movement and multi-tasking. However, before your baby is old enough to be worn on your back, you would need a baby carrier . Front baby carriers are specifically made for new born babies. With one, you’ll be able to carry your baby with you anywhere, both around the house and outside. A baby carrier leaves you hands free, so you can pretty much get busy with your hands while carrying your baby.

2.    BASSINET.

Back in the days, newborns spent the first months of their lives sharing the family bed. Mums are usually scared to leave their babies alone and anyone who wanted to see baby would have to go into the room. With a baby bassinet, you can roll your baby to any part of the house along with you; to the living room as you watch your favorite tv program and it can also serve as your baby’s bed.

While you may want to have your baby sleep in your bed, a baby should have its own bed to avoid cases of rolling over the baby or any form of disturbance to the baby whatsoever. And the best part is, the bassinet can easily be placed within your reach. 

Bassinets are collapsible, so you can carry it along with you on a vacation or on a visit to Grandma’s.

So whether your baby is falling asleep in the cool of the night or simply accompanying you around the house in her cot, you can be rest assured that she is comfortable. Do not forget to droop a mosquito net over the cot, you don’t want mosquitoes or flying insects bothering your little one.

3.  BABY MONITOR

Ever wondered what that visitor or help was doing with your baby? Have you ever had to leave your baby with someone for a quick dash into the toilet or kitchen? Or have you left your baby sleeping in the room to do some chores around the house? How about those times you kept running back into the room to check on your baby due to worry. Well, with a baby monitor, you won’t have to worry anymore. You can hear and even see your baby from any part of the house as you go about your chores.

A baby monitor is a radio system used to remotely listen to sounds made by an infant. It can also transmit videos which allows you to see and hear your baby. It comes in two parts, a base which is placed next to the baby. This unit is responsible for carrying/transmitting sounds made by the baby to the receiver unit which is the other part, carried along by a parent or guardian.

To buy a baby monitor, you can check Nigerian online stores or visit your local baby shops.

Continued here….