Some people worry about breastfed babies getting nipple confusion from dummies, and not being able to nurse as well. Lil’ Neville did fine.
Some people think they’re lazy parenting. These people should be slapped upside the head with a poopy nappy.
There is some research showing that using a dummy is associated with a lower risk of SIDS.
Some prams are not suitable for babies under about 6 months. The problem is, babies that young can’t hold their heads up. They need a pram that can recline far enough that their heads aren’t drooping onto their chests. Lightweight folding strollers sold here in the US often don’t recline, so they aren’t suitable for very young babies. This isn’t a problem with cots. Newborns can sleep in the kind of IKEA cot that Zsofia linked.
There is research showing a lower risk of SIDS if your baby shares a room (not necessarily a bed) with a parent for the first few months. This will also make nighttime breastfeeding easier. If you have room in your bedroom, you could certainly set up a full-size cot in there. There are also Moses baskets, bassinets, and co-sleepers that attach to the side of your bed like a sidecar. Baskets, bassinets, and co-sleepers will have a smaller size and weight limit than a cot, and a co-sleeper isn’t really suitable once the baby can push up into a crawling position (they could fall out).
You don’t want any blankets, pillows, bumpers, or stuffed animals in the cot with your baby until they’re a year old. They can get these over their faces and suffocate. Dress the baby warmly enough, swaddle it securely, or use a swaddle blanket. Dressing a baby too warmly is a risk for SIDS, though. If the baby sleeps in your bed, you need to make sure the baby can’t suffocate on your pillows or blankets.
The baby should sleep on his or her back, not side or stomach. Once they’re able to roll over, they can sleep however they end up. Don’t sleep with a baby on a couch- they can suffocate.
A waterproof mattress protector for your bed would be a good idea. Your water might break while you’re in bed (mine did). After the baby is born, you’ll be having something like a very heavy period for a while (even if you have a C section). If you’re ever going to nurse the baby in your bed, a mattress protector will be useful, too. Have extra sheets on hand for your bed.
Get lots of cheap towels. Wherever the broke college students buy towels is a good place to get them (here, that’s Target or Wal-Mart, not sure where it would be in Belgium). You could get them at a charity shop if you wanted. You want towels that you won’t care too much if they get ruined, and that you can throw in the wash. And you want lots of them, available at a moment’s notice.
You will probably want some baby flannels. They’re smaller and thinner than regular flannels. They sell hooded towels for babies. You might want some of these, though they’re really more useful for toddlers who like to run around after their baths.
You will want some baby wash. I like Johnson’s head-to-toe baby wash.
Get a diaper changing pad, or you can use cheap towels for this. It should be something that either won’t absorb poop or pee, or that you don’t care if it gets ruined by poop or pee. A portable diaper changing pad, or some cheap towels that you carry in the diaper bag, is also good.
I never used special baby detergent. Mr. Neville is allergic to a lot of perfumes in detergents, so we always use Tide Free. We have never had a problem using it with the baby clothes.
