Top 5 baby essentials for 2016

Now that you have become a new parent, you must be scouting for essentials that fit your fast growing baby.

We know that this choice can be overwhelming, especially since you have been waiting to buy little sailor suits for your boys and little tutus for your little girls. You always want to customize for your baby. You know what, you are doing the right thing!

While you may have already purchased some baby essentials, you should know that the difference between boys and girls is not limited merely to the way they dress. There are some things you should buy differently for boys and girls.

Their basic biological difference results in them learning differently, loving differently and even communicating differently. So as parents, you ought to consider these different needs and support them as best you can.

And this process begins from day one!

How to shop for a baby?

Before you run off to your nearest baby store, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Prepare a ‘things to shop’ for list with the shop’s name and price list
• For starters, you must buy unisex clothes for the first few months. This will give you enough time to prepare till you go out shopping after the birth.
• If your baby is going to wear ‘hand-me-downs,’ which is a case for many Indian babies, make sure to sterilize and clean everything before it goes onto the baby
• Finally, only pick up essentials that your baby would need in the current weather. That’s because you can shop of the next season after a few months.

Essentials: Boys Vs Girls 

Now, buying essentials for girls versus buying essentials for boys can be tricky, but also quite important given their physical and psychological differences.

Let’s take a look at some of essentials you must have on to ‘to buy’ list.

#1 Diapers

Growing babies need their diapers changed 4-5 times a day and once during the night, so you will need quite a few reinforcements. And, these new Huggies Diaper pants are a great option to put your baby at ease.

The ones for baby boys are designed with extra dry layer in the front of the diaper pant. To buy click here.

And for baby girls, the extra dry layer is placed at the bottom. This keeps their respective ‘target zones’ dry and the babies comfortable all day. To buy click here.

Continue reading to see the other basic essentials you must buy for your baby.

#2 Clothing

Buying gender specific clothes for your baby can be quite exciting. Now that your baby is a few months old, you can dress them in their respective gender-based clothes.

This is an important exercise because by this stage your baby will probably start solid food and even crawl around the house, so he or she needs clothes that are specifically suited to their physical comfort.

So, if it's a girl, you can dress her in rompers or playsuits or even frocks and skirts at this point. The idea should be to help her get acquainted with her body and get comfortable in clothes she will probably wear later in her life.

For boys at this stage, you can buy onesies and also nickers and shorts. They are most comfortable clothes for baby boys. You can also buy jackets, socks and booties for both genders.

#3 Bedding

You can get quite creative with bedding, based on your baby’s gender. Remember that by this stage (when the baby is between 5-9 months) you will have to do away with baby cots and shift to cribs. These cribs can last till your baby is 24 months.

Don’t forget to add different colors bedsheets and toys based on your baby’s preference.

However, the basic rule is to keep the mattress firm, flat and snugly fit into the crib. You will also need 2-4 fitted crib sheets and about six light and soft receiving blankets.

#4 Bottles

This is another essential if your baby is unable to breastfeed or you are weaning him or her off. Either way, the reassuring thing is that you can buy different varieties, that are available today.

This would also mean that you will have to be prepared with nipple shield, milk storage bags and breast pumps. Ensure you have the right equipment to sterilize the bottles and store milk formula safely at home.

#5 Toys

This can be easy for your baby who is now a few months of age. Their basic instinct of grabbing almost anything will now change to grabbing something they like. For starters you can give your baby gender-based toys and then move on with more gender-neutral toys to observe what your bub prefers.

All in all, know that shopping for you baby can be a truly gratifying experience as a parent. It not only strengthens your bond with the baby, but also gives you an opportunity to gauge at your own preferences and choices for your little ones.

So cherish this time and if you so like, take your little one along.

Please leave your comments in the box below. Check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful parenting tips. Don’t forget to take our readership survey to help us serve you better. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ and Twitter to stay up-to-date on the latest from theIndusparent.com!