If you have reached till here , congratulations!

Congratulations on entering the parenting game. It truly is going to be an adventurous ride!

While it is an exciting phase in itself , it can get overwhelming on many days! This also happens when you start shopping for your to be born baby. The options in the market stretch like Hanuman’s tail and can leave you confused with understanding what’s  best for your baby. Well , look no further.

We at Ahaana Photography not only create memories through pictures of your baby but also stock you with information that’s important in every phase! All the below mentioned recommendations are opinion of the author. Try and test what works best for you.

While the most important thing for a newborn is YOU (lots of cuddles , communication , rhythm , respect & multiple feeds) , she/he also needs few material items for a comfortable start to life on this side of planet Earth.  So , here is a quick check list on things to stock up before the little one arrives to steal your hearts!

  1. Baby clothes – Well , lets face it! Chennai isn’t going to have 4 distinct seasons for us to be season conscious while shopping. Onesies and jablas work well for most part of the year and for the monsoon/cold months , rompers would be the go-to option! Keep this shopping for the final few weeks when you know an approximate weight of the child to decide on the preemie or 0 size clothing for the child.
  2. Diapers – Disposable or cloth diapers is an article for next time. Choose what works best for your family needs , your time and patience. Diapers especially come handy during the cold months so that the child’s sleep is not interrupted due to multiple pees. Our recommendations would be for ATT (https://www.atoddlerthing.com/) , Superbottoms (https://www.superbottoms.com/ ) and Bumpadum (https://www.bumpadum.com/ ).
  3. Nappies – These are the modern version of traditional langots which must be changed after every pee. Pairs best with jablas for the hot months! Stock up on at least 2 dozen for the initial days. For the ones in Chennai , Naidu Hall store in T Nagar has the softest nappies in pocket friendly prices.
  4. Muslin cloth – These square cloths double up as towels , holding sheets and sometimes even blankets for a hot sunny day when the baby doesn’t want to be covered in multiple layers during naptime. Again , my go-to place would be Naidu Hall. For online shoppers , ATT (https://www.atoddlerthing.com/) swaddles suit best for these requirements.
  5. Burp clothes – Any number of burp clothes might seem less for the newborn stage when spit ups and burps are very frequent. There are several brands available on amazon and you can choose what seems most economical to you.
  6. Dhooli – After 9 months of womb time , the baby might need a similar cozy setup for his/her naps. Dhooli is the best choice for comfortable and secure naps. A one with mosquito net attached would be most suited both for summers and monsoons. Buy the one from Naidu Hall and thank me later! I have saved what I used for my son 3 years back for the next one arriving in a few weeks , that’s how good the quality is!
  7. Receiving blankets – These are slightly thicker than the muslin cloth mostly used to old the child and place under them for the floor/bed. Holding them directly on your hand might transfer your body heat/sweat to them whereas these receiving blankets will keep them comfortable irrespective of who is holding. My go to place for these would be Beelittle (https://beelittle.in/ )
  8. Muslin blanket–Now who doesn’t want a comfortable blanket to snuggle up and doze off? Shop them from ATT. I have used them for 3 years+ and have already added them in the purchase list for baby no 2!
  9. Other items include baby wipes , diaper rash cream , toiletries
  10. B/W cards/books – A newborn has limited vision and can only see black and white color for a period up to 3 months. Shop for a few books/cards to place them at their eye level. Even if they aren’t read to , they are great options for them to view on their own during their tummy time! The infant collection from ‘Making wild paper’ has great B/W options. Make sure to mention these when someone asks you about the gift you want 😀 (https://wildpaper.in/products/into-the-wild-foldout-book)