7 NEW-BABY, MUST-HAVE, GIFT IDEAS
I remember people asking me what I needed / wanted for Eddie before he was born, and honestly I had no idea what would be useful and what wouldn’t. I’d done my research online, read multitudes of blogs and visited stores. But I still didn’t really know what would be useful and what would not!
I’ve now had the benefit of having had my own baby, plus handling hundreds and hundreds more during newborn photography sessions; and I’ve finally compiled a practical, but somewhat unusual list of recommended items, based on these experiences. I haven’t included the more usual obvious items, unless there’s a particular reason to call out. Hope you find it helpful.
Super soft, large muslin cloths. I particularly liked Aden & Anais ones. Either the smaller ones like these which are perfect for burping and catching spills or the larger ones which are also fantastic for swaddling a newborn in. Although muslins seem like an obvious item to list - these ones really are of outstanding quality - they wash exceptionally well and are very soft to the touch - which made them my “go-to” muslin-come-swaddle every single time.
As an aside; Families who come to me for newborn sessions often ask me how I swaddle babies so snuggly, and although what I do to create a pretty swaddle for a newborn photoshoot is overcomplicating matters for at home; I do find that if parents have one of the larger sizes of muslin cloth with them, I can show them how I used to swaddle Eddie in one of those to recreate the snugness baby is used to experiencing from within the womb. (Technique learnt from Harvey Karp’s Happiest Baby on the Block video).The Sungglebundl - car seat carrier / blanket. This was a lifesaver for us. Eddie was a twitchy sleeper at best. One of the few places he would sleep soundly was in the car seat, but of we course could not leave him sleeping there, for long. But by moving him out of the car seat, I would wake him. Along came the Snugglebundl and changed my life. A blanket / liner for under baby, in the car seat, with handles built in, so you can just lift baby out of the car seat without disturbing them. I always advise my newborn photoshoot families to use a blanket / layer under baby in the car seat when they come for their photoshoots with me, precisely for the same reason, so I can gently lift baby out using the blanket rather than my hands.
White noise. Whether this is through an app or device. I used to use the Sleepy Sounds App for Eddie and continue to use this in the studio with my newborns; found on the Apple App Store here or on Google Play here). Alternatively there are some great baby shushers and this one comes highly recommended by other newborn photographers.
Pram rocking device. If you’ve got a twitchy baby or one that likes to be rocked to sleep, attach the Rockit Baby Rocker to the pram to jiggle baby, even if you’ve stopped walking / rocking / jigging. You can thank me later ;-)
Philips Avent Soothie dummies. I don’t know why these specific ones work so well, but this is the brand and model that was recommended to me by renowned newborn baby photographer, Ana Brandt, during a training session, and ever since I’ve had them on hand in the studio, just in case. At first I could only get these from America, but luckily you can now find them on the Amazon UK store too. (Even with shipping from America, they were worth it!)
Wipe warmer. Most newborns hate being undressed, and hate being changed - because they hate the temperature difference and feeling cold. In the studio (and when Eddie was little) I warm up my wipes or use cotton wool with warm water, for nappy changes, so that this creates the least discomfort and disturbance for baby. The only problem with heating wipes on a radiator is that if you leave them on too long they can dry out. And in the summer, we don’t usually have the heating on. Although you can warm wipes in your hand, it’s not as hygienic or convenient as using something like this wipe warmer, which not only heats wipes to the optimal temperature, but also maintains moisture.
Disposable change mats. For the same reason as number 6, since babies don’t like the change in temperature when they are being changed, placing them on something warm like a fibre, disposable change mat will make nappy changes that little bit smoother, than placing baby straight onto a plastic covered change mat. If you prefer something washable - try this soft, machine washable option, which I also use in the studio, under my fabric layers when photographing babies without a nappy on. You can also get adult incontinence pads but make sure you’re not getting mats for pets as these may contain chemicals which can be harsh on baby’s delicate newborn skin.
Hope you found this list helpful! Want to find out more about my maternity and newborn photography sessions? Click here.