Bare essentials for newborns

First time parents (or mums anyway) always think that they need every contraption made to perfectly raise their child. They incorrectly believe that the world will end and they will be terrible parents without everything found in baby stores. We tell you what are the bare essentials needed, leave the rest at the store--or at least try to.

You\'ll soon find out...

Within weeks of baby’s arrival, it becomes apparent that some of the things the mum thought was necessary haven’t been used more than twice. By the second time around, mums know that all the fluff is not required. So for anyone who is low on money, short on room, or just wants to keep it simple, here is my list of the absolute bare essentials; the things your baby must have and not a thing more.

Something to eat

Store bought formula, homemade formula, breast milk, and I’ve even heard of goat milk, all nourish babies. Some might be better than others, but if baby is growing at a steady weight, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Somewhere to relieve themselves

Of course, my first thought was to just write cloth or disposable diapers. However, I then thought about the people who swear by potty training from day one. So for those people, I will just say that the bare necessity is somewhere to go to the bathroom, whether it is in a diaper or in a toilet of any kind.

Somewhere to sleep

Bassinettes and cribs are nice but contrary to popular believe, not at all necessary. Babies can sleep with mum and dad, in their car seat or infant seat, or even in a drawer with padding (yes, my Grandma did that with my dad). These are not ideal and maybe not the safest places, but they work if no other choice is available.

Something to keep them warm

Clothes are ideal for this, but in extreme cases as long as baby is covered in some type of blanket or cloth, baby should be fine. In extremely hot weather, not much is even needed then.

Something to protect from the elements

This goes along with #4, but is slightly different. Babies do need protection from extreme weather such as hot sun or freezing temperatures. Wind, rain, etc obviously are not good for a baby to be in. So in addition to keeping them warm, babies need to be protected from the elements.

Love

You might be thinking that this alone is not necessary for a baby’s survival but you would be wrong. Studies show that babies who are in orphanages with little to no interaction (being held, talked to, played with, etc) have been known to seemingly give up on life and wither away. Scientists consider them to be dying due to lack of love. So love is an absolute necessity.

All\'s well

This is a list of the absolute basic needs that a baby has to have to survive. In a perfect world, all babies would have this list covered plus more, but in reality sometimes the absolute is all that can be achieved. If you are in a position to give your babies more, great! If not, just cover these and do the best you can. Your baby will be okay!