Checklist · 10 items
Hospital bag to month three — what you actually need, nothing you don't
Baby shopping lists online run to 60 items; the first three months genuinely need about a dozen. This is the paediatric-sensible version — each item with the reason it's here, so you can skip confidently.
8-10 changes a day in the first weeks. Start with one small pack — babies outgrow NB size fast.
The highest-frequency consumable in the house. Fragrance-light for newborn skin.
A zinc-oxide barrier at every change prevents the rash instead of treating it.
Ordinary soap is alkaline and strips newborn skin. One head-to-toe wash covers hair and body.
Applied within 3 minutes of the bath, it keeps dry patches and early eczema away.
For the daily ritual — bonding, calm, and it genuinely helps. Coconut-based or purpose-made.
Any fever under 3 months is an emergency-room visit — you need to measure, not guess.
Blocked noses ruin feeds and sleep; babies can't blow their own.
Evening colic is near-universal around weeks 2-8. Keep it on hand before you need it at 11 PM.
Newborn skin reacts to leftover harsh detergent in clothes.
Best Baby Soap & Body Wash in India
pH 5.5 and syndet bars beat traditional soap for baby skin. Sebamed, Cetaphil Baby, Aveeno Baby and Johnson's compared.
Best Diaper Rash Cream in India
Zinc oxide barrier creams that actually prevent nappy rash — B4 Nappi, Cetaphil Baby and Dermadew compared, plus when a rash needs a doctor.
Best Baby Diapers in India
Pampers vs Huggies vs MamyPoko vs Little's. Pant-style vs taped, day vs night, sensitive skin picks. How to actually pick the right size.
Best Baby Massage Oil in India
Massage is for bonding and calm — the oil just needs to be safe. Himalaya, Cetaphil Baby and Johnson's compared, plus the mustard-oil question.
