Having a newborn and caring for that newborn is no small feat. Having a newborn while living in an RV is on a whole nutha level. Although most people live in a house while raising a newborn and not in an RV, these necessities are universal for all. This list will also be helpful for those mommas (grandparents, dads, etc.) who walk into a Buy Buy Baby store and freak-out with baby overload. Let’s also not discount that fact that this was baby numero cuatro (4), so over time I have figured out what is really needed for those first few months of life. This article does not address the many things a mother needs to heal (witch hazel pads, squirt bottle, wine). Sorry moms!
Newborn Essentials
–Bassinet – We bought this portable one so we can tear it down when we need the space and take it with us when we stay with grandparents.
–Sheets for bassinet
–Changing pad – You could change the baby on your bed/couch, but I don’t want to wash sheets when my baby boy starts peeing mid diaper change at 4am. If you know, you know.
–Covers for changing pad
–Stroller – Preferably one that your car seat can snap into while your baby is an infant.
–Baby wrap – This is helpful when they are so young and you can’t take your stroller somewhere or don’t want to.
–Dockatot – We only bought this because I was given a gift card from work, otherwise I would not have splurged. My daughter loved it, but there are other options out there that are more affordable.
–Blankets – We use a combination of 20 year old baby blankets from Gymboree (they don’t make them as good as they used to) and these or these.
–Diapers – Newborn size
–Wipes – The Water Wipes are a MUST, because most diaper wipes contain chemicals that hurt your baby’s bum.
–Vaseline – Use for bottom after diaper changes because baby poop is very acidic and hurts them.
–Wiper – This is for their bums so you don’t get vaseline all over your hands and it swipes amazingly well.
–Onesies – I know everyone wants all the cute outfits, but the zipper pjs are the most practical. Also, try and find the onesies where there is a second zipper that starts from the bottom so the baby can stay warm on his upper half while you change him. I would say get 5-10 newborn sized ones and 5-10 0-3 month sized ones (depending on when you do laundry). Babies grow so quickly that most babies outgrow newborn size in their first month. Also look for newborn onesies that have a fold over on the sleeve that covers the baby’s hands so they don’t scratch their precious faces off.
–Carseat– For obvious reasons
–Head Support for carseat – The babies are so small at the beginning and they do not have any head strength, so this is to keep their heads from wobbling around in the car.
–Diaper bag – We have this one, but you need to store all the things in it for your new baby.
–Foam Mat – We have found that you don’t need anything fancy for your baby in the beginning for bath time. You can always upgrade to a fancier gadget when your baby is more mobile.
–Wash cloths – The baby ones are much softer for your newborns sensitive skin.
–Burp cloths – We like these, because they are practical and actually soak up spit-up.
If bottle fed…
–Bottles – These bottles are a must! They do have a lot of pieces, but they have helped reduce the amount of colic in my babies.
I hope this was a helpful list. Please note, this is also a list that I made, but each baby and family has their own individual needs. Please get what you need (or don’t need) and what your doctor or pediatrician recommends. What did you like to use/have with your little ones? What do you recommend?
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XO,
The Fabulous Life of an RV Wife
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