Poo happens. And for newborns, it happens MANY times, more so if they are on total breast milk. Babycenter even has a poo gallery which is not recommended viewing for the faint-hearted, although you probably need to get used to the sight of all that poo. Just this morning, as the confinement lady was changing Noah’s diaper, the little boy decided to fart/poo and that was really not a pleasant sight or experience. I’m just glad I wasn’t the one standing there! Noah has also pooped on C before, not once, but twice, and I couldn’t stop laughing on both occasions.
Bath/Grooming/Health Needs – Changing table We got the very basic Sniglar Changing Table from Ikea which has a shelf below for storage of various items.
– Cot top changer Initially, we wanted the universal cot top changer from Mothercare but the outlet at Forum (DO NOT GO THERE!) didn’t stock it and we were so frustrated by the poor service there that we just got a simple padded changing mat instead. Some of our friends got this Graco Pack ‘N Play Playard with Reversible Napper and Changer
that doubles up as a playpen or travel cot, which is handy if you drop your baby off at your parents’ or in-laws’ place during the day.
– Rubber changing mat This comes in handy when your cot top changer is soiled and you need to change baby’s diaper on the bed/sofa instead. It happens more often than you think! I also used it recently as a waterproof sheet on our bed after Noah had a ‘diaper malfunction’ and a little pee got onto our bed. We got our Pureen mat from Kiddy Palace. Alternatively, you can get something like the Summer Infant ChangeAway
, which is travel-friendly.
– Diapers We got a really good deal on the Pampers Newborn diapers at one of the Expo fairs: 3 packs for $10! These diapers can be worn by babies up to 5kg and have served us well, with no leakages so far. We are also using the Huggies Newborn range of diapers although the cut is smaller and can only be used for babies up to 4kg. Noah’s ‘diaper malfunction’ also occurred when he was wearing the Huggies diaper. During my pregnancy, I went to various diaper websites to request for samples and the confinement lady is very impressed with the quality of Goo.N diapers. She loves how absorbent it is and keeps telling me that it’s completely dry to the touch, even though baby has peed quite a bit. Mamy Poko is also quite soft, as is Drypers, but she has advised against using the PetPet diapers as she says the edges are a little rough and may irritate baby’s skin.
– Diaper storage system When we bought the cot, it came with a Munchkin Diaper Change Organizer
that can be hung on the side of the cot. It can hold quite a few packs of diapers, which is handy. I also bought the
, which I kept on the shelf below the changing table.
– Wet wipes x as many as you like Stock up on these because you’re going to need them. Lots of them. Just make sure that you look out for wipes without any alcohol or fragrance. If your baby has sensitive skin, J&J has a special range (light pink packaging) which is apparently pretty good and thick. We use Pureen wipes (100 sheets a pack, yellow packaging) from Kiddy Palace at the moment as they are cheap compared to the other brands out there. The Pigeon wipes are also very popular, and come with a box dispenser too. Cost-wise, it isn’t that much more expensive than the Pureen ones, and are easier to pull out from the packaging, which is important when you have a very dirty diaper to change.
– Barrier cream (Daily use) – Popular brands include Desitin Creamy Diaper Rash Cream
,
,
, and
.Whichever brand you choose, make sure you look for one with zinc oxide, which will get rid of diaper rash. I wouldn’t advise getting the
as it’s really smelly and the smell lingers on your fingers even after you wash them with soap. When Noah gets diaper rash, I switch to
which I bought from
iHerb. (Use discount code DRM056 to get $10 off your first purchase.)
– Baby bath tub The First Years has a unique-shaped bath tub, called The First Years Sure Comfort Newborn to Toddler Tub
, that we saw at the Taka Baby Fair and we got it because we thought it would be useful to be able to place the bath tub in the kitchen sink. Our confinement lady however, isn’t very fond of the shape as she prefers a flat-based traditional one. She’s also more comfy with bathing the baby in the toilet so that’s what we’ve been doing so far. For those of you delivering in Mt Alvernia Hospital, you don’t even need to buy your own bath tub as the hospital will give you one!
– Baby body and hair wash The Johnson’s Baby Bath Top to Toe Baby Wash
and
came highly recommended by the different mummies I spoke to. I switched to
Isoderm, because Noah has very sensitive skin, and that has been working well for us.
– Baby oil This Johnson and Johnson Baby Oil
or
Mii Organics Oil can be added to the bath water if your baby, like ours, has dry skin. UPDATE: I’ve stopped putting the baby oil into the water and apply it directly on his scalp because of his cradle cap, at least half an hour before I bathe him and wash it off. Some doctors recommend using olive oil instead of baby oil, but since I haven’t been able to purchase the olive oil, I figured the baby oil is the next best thing.
– ‘Ru Yi’ oil We usually rub a few drops of this on baby’s belly after his bath. I love the smell of the oil and always associate it with babies.
– Baby bath towels x 3 These need to be BIG and soft. We got the Luvable Friends Hooded Towels
from one of the Expo fairs and got a very nice fluffy one from Thomson Medical Centre’s (TMC) antenatal class package. Make sure you can wrap the baby comfortably in it with lots of room to spare. I like the hooded ones because I can use them to cover and dry Noah’s head quickly.
– Baby wash cloths x 16 Yes I know the number is rather odd but that’s because we bought the Gerber Washcloths
that come in packs of 8 at the Expo fairs. Make sure you get those really small cloths made of thin material. I made the mistake of buying the normal-sized face towels initially, thinking they were small enough, but thank goodness my godmother saw them and told me to get even smaller and thinner ones. We use these wash cloths during bath time.
– Laundry detergent for baby’s clothes Motherkao recommended the Pureen ABD Washing Powder and since she has three kids, I figured she definitely knew what she was talking about. I like the smell of it and that it can be used with our front-loading washing machine.
– Nail scissors and clipper We got a free pair of nail scissors, similar to the Baby Safety Scissors
, from one of the milk powder companies, which gave them away together with free samples of milk powder. We haven’t dared to use it nor the Tollijoy nail clipper yet, even though Noah’s nails are quite sharp, because his fingers and toes are so tiny. I’ve also heard that you can use a needle to trim the baby’s nails but I have yet to see that being done.
– Nasal aspirator / cotton buds We found a simple one, similar to the Safety 1st Clear Tip Nasal Aspirator
, from Kiddy Palace but again, we haven’t dared to use it. The confinement lady used a cotton bud to quickly swipe his nostrils once in a while, although it’s not recommended by the doctor who guest lectured in our antenatal class. Some of my friends use the
, which is supposedly more effective.
– Tooth wipes You can use sterile gauze dipped in cooled boiled water to wipe baby’s tongue during bath time. Our confinement lady used the rough side of a baby wash cloth for the same purpose. It’s important to wipe baby’s tongue so that he doesn’t develop oral thrush. Later on, when his teeth begin to grow, you can get the Safety 1st Fingertip Toothbrush
to brush his teeth.
– Cotton wool pads The cotton wool pads are dipped in cooled boiled water and used to wipe baby’s eyes. In the initial days when Noah was jaundiced, he had a lot of yellowish eye discharge, which sometimes made it difficult for him to even open his eyes. The doctor prescribed some saline water that we put onto the cotton wool pads to wipe his eyes.
– Digital thermometer We decided on the Cadi T560 after seeing it at an Expo fair. However, the paediatrician recommends using a digital thermometer that can be placed under the baby’s armpit instead, as that would give you the most accurate reading, especially for newborns. When Noah developed a high fever, we found that the Braun Thermoscan IRT 4520 Digital Baby Children Professional Ear Thermometer
was more effective, and have since stopped using the Cadi T560.
– Cold packs for use during fevers This is easily found in major supermarkets and we got a pack of it meant for babies, which are smaller in size, for smaller foreheads.
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