As the birth of your baby quickly approaches, it's easy to get caught up in the plethora of daily activities and just as easily to overlook some of the essential baby items which will make your child's first days home easy. By slowly purchasing your infant's items before your due date, you'll be able to avoid overlooked items by reviewing your purchases while having plenty of time to procure any forgotten baby goods. Making the transition home from the hospital can be quite pleasing as long as you have a few essential items.

 

Above all else, you must have a rear-facing car seat. Your baby will not be allowed to leave the hospital without one. It is not necessary to immediately have a stroller to bring your baby home though you may want to consider looking into baby travel systems which provide the required infant car seat and also a stroller which you’ll later need.

 

Often overlooked by many parents is the value of babywearing. Research has shown that the use of baby wrap and sling-style carriers that keep baby close to mom or dad offer many benefits to the baby’s development. Although these types of carriers are not crucial to baby's arrival day, many parents find it beneficial to begin as soon as possible.

 

You’ll need to have a place for your newborn to sleep once the baby arrives home. A crib or bassinet and a couple of sets of bedding will be needed. As a bassinet provides a more compact space to which newborns are accustomed and a crib offers roomier for mobility baby's growth, many parents choose to purchase both a crib and a bassinet for their baby. In several weeks to a few months, after your infant has become more acquainted with the outside world, he or she can more comfortably sleep in the crib.

 

Receiving blankets are excellent for swaddling your baby, as newborns have a difficult time regulating their body temperature. They also come in handy when there's spit-up after a burping. Tightly wrapping your newborn in a receiving blanket offers a comforting sleep at night time and during the day.

 

Every newborn seems to have an endless appetite and pre-planning for proper feeding is very important. Many of the feeding accessories you need will depend on your choice of breast or formula feeding. In either case, you’ll need some basic items such as bibs, burping cloths and bottles – even with breastfeeding, many mom’s like to store some breast milk for future feedings or letting dad enjoy some feeding time with baby.  For formula feeding, you’ll want to make sure you have at least a couple of weeks of formula prior to baby’s arrival. If choosing to breastfeed, you should consider purchasing a breast pump and nursing pads to comfort sensitive nipples.

 

For your baby's arrival, you'll also need to have plenty of diapers at home. It's likely that your baby may need a dozen diaper changes each day. You’ll need to determine whether you want to use cloth diapers or disposables. Disposables are the easiest to use but can cost you quite a bit of money over the years you will spend changing diapers. One-size cloth diapers are also easy to purchase and use, but you’ll also need diaper inserts with them. With either option, you’ll need to also have plenty of baby wipes on-hand, changing pad, diaper rash cream, and baby powder.

 

Basic baby health care items your child will be important to have upon arriving home. A newborn or infant first aid kit, which includes a nasal aspirator, thermometer, and toenail clippers, among other things, is one such item. Be sure to have a baby bathtub, baby shampoo, lotion and hooded towels for a complete bath time experience.

 

Though baby toys can be extremely fun to pick out, generally, your baby won’t need many toys during the first couple of months, but there are a few worth having upon arrival. Invaluable to your baby's enjoyment are toys which can stimulate his or her senses. It's to begin stimulating your baby's development. Baby's stresses of his or her new living environment can be soothed with the calming sounds of a stuffed toy or mobile that plays soft music.

 

By covering all of the essentials, you and your baby will find the transition home enjoyable. With a proper understanding as to what's important for baby's first few weeks at home, you'll be able to better plan his or her arrival and reduce your stress. Most importantly, you need to remember that this should be a special event for the entire family so don't let any little oversights from detracting from this memorable time.

	Burlington Baby Bassinet Liner with 3 Colored Ribbons, White List Price: $50.99 Sale Price: $22.86
	Baby Bassinet Bedding Only Beautiful Bassinet Bedding by Burlington Basket. Bassinet is not included. Includes bassinet cloth hood, bassinet liner with double ruffle skirt, One bassinet sheet, and 3 gingham ribbons and 3 bows in sage, blue and pink!

	Badger Basket Company Tranquility Baby Bassinet Cherry Frame with Sage Dots Bedding List Price: $199.99 Sale Price: $199.99
	Badger Basket Company Tranquility Bassinet is lightweight and simple, yet generously sized inside and out. The suspended bassinet responds to baby's movements to reassure and comfort your little one during sleep...

The First Years Carry Me Near 5 In 1 Bassinet, Ivory List Price: $149.99 Sale Price: $149.99

The Carry Me Near in Sleep System is a portable sleeper bassinet bedside sleeper play seat and changing table all in one convenient product The three sleep modes allow you to keep your sleeping baby close to you wherever you go Thanks to the ergonomically designed handle you can confidently carry your sleeping baby from room to room in the portable sleeper The handles are battery operated It produces gentle vibrations five peaceful audio selections and a nightlight

	American Baby Company Waterproof Fitted Quilted Bassinet Mattress Pad List Price: $12.99 Sale Price: $12.49
	ABC Waterproof Quilted Bassinet Matress Pad-Fitted This Mattress Pad is durable and long lasting. Made of a poly/cotton quilt with a soft thick 7 oz. fiberfill for extra comfort and protection. 28" x 52", fitted...

	American Baby Company 100% Cotton Value Jersey Knit Bassinet Sheet - Blue List Price: $5.99 Sale Price: $5.99
	ABC Value Jersey Bassinet Sheet - BlueThis 100% cotton, 5.7oz gauge cotton jersey knit bassinet sheet fits all standard size 15"W x 33"L bassinet mattress.

	Sage Gingham Bedding Liner Only for a Bassinet (Bassinet NOT Included!) Sale Price: $29.97
	Bassinet is sold separately! Bedding is also available in pink, blue, or white with sage, pink and blue gingham ribbons.

	Badger Basket Elite Oval Baby Bassinet with Pink Dots Bedding List Price: $189.99 Sale Price: $166.95
	Our Elite Bassinet offers a traditional oval shape with a very upscale furniture look! This special oval bassinet with a white finish is comfortable for baby and stylish for your home. The Pink Dots Bedding set includes a lovely skirt, soft bumper, fitted sheet and ruffled drape canopy...

	American Baby Company Organic Cotton 3-Piece Cradle Set - Natural List Price: $69.98 Sale Price: $35.67
	ABC 3 Piece Organic Cotton Natural Velour Cradle Set The organic cradle set is made with Nature’s purest fiber and is amazingly soft and durable. Organically grown cotton does not pollute the ground, water or air; it grows without soil poisoning pesticides and chemicals...

	American Baby Company Waterproof Bassinet Sheeting Pad List Price: $7.99 Sale Price: $7.99
	ABC Waterproof Bassinet Sheeting This soft, waterproof sheet will help keep your baby dry and warm while protecting the mattress and bedding. Fluffy quilted polyester on the outside, with a layer of waterproof vinyl laminated inside, it feels more like a thin quilted pad than a sheet and can be laid underneath or on top of a regular sheet...

	Argington Organic Bam Bassinet Bumper, White List Price: $38.50 Sale Price: $38.50
	Argington Bam bassinet organic bumper - White Argington is pleased to introduce our line of organic bedding and quilts. We use 100% certified organic cotton, which means that no herbicides or pesticides have been used in this production...

Choosing a crib for your baby is the first of many important decisions you will make concerning your child. While shopping for the crib may be fun and exciting it should also be taken quite seriously. Each year many children are hurt or killed in their very own cribs. Crib safety standards have come a long way in the last 30 years but it's up to you as parents to ensure that the crib you choose isn't going to harm your little one.

Crib Design Safety

Cribs are designed with vertical bars or slats to keep the child safely contained inside. These bars can be too far apart and pose a possible threat to children if they get their head stuck. Vertical slats should be no more than 2+3/8 inches apart. All new cribs are built to meet this standard; however, to be sure you should always measure the crib.

The corner posts of the crib should be no higher than 1/16 inch above the end panels. This is so that the child can't get a loop of clothing accidentally caught on the ends. Choose a crib without cutouts on the ends as these can pose a threat for small hands and feet to become stuck. The top rails of the sides at their highest position should be at least 26 inches above the top of the mattress support at its lowest position.

Once the child can pull himself up to a standing position keep the mattress support on the lowest setting. You should stop using the crib once the height of the child is more than ¾ of the height of the raised rail. The drop sides of the crib should be latched securely and require at least ten pounds of pressure to release. Crib hardware should be smooth with no sharp points or protruding edges.

Crib Mattress Safety

The mattress itself is another safety concern. Choose a mattress that fits snugly into the crib. Cribs and crib mattresses are designed with specific sizes for this purpose. Infants can become wedged in between the mattress and crib if there is even a small amount of room. Use the two-finger rule. If you can fit two fingers in-between the mattress and the crib the space is too large and a new mattress needs to be obtained.

Never leave the plastic covering on the mattress once you get it home. Also, avoid using plastic sheets as these can cause a suffocation hazard to infants. Choose a firm mattress so that the child lies on top rather than sinks into it. Use tight bedding on the mattress as well.

Baby crib safety is an important consideration when thinking about using an antique crib. While the style may go well with the décor of the room remember that cribs made before 1974 likely don't adhere to the safety standards. When shopping for the crib be sure to measure all aspects of the crib, even those that are brand new.

Most cribs need to be assembled at home. Incorrect assembly can make an otherwise safe crib into a safety hazard instead. Follow directions completely and always test the crib features before placing an infant inside.