Baby Gear Essentials

What Do You Need for Your New Baby?


Before you welcome your baby home, you'll want to have everything in place. Along with diapers, bottles, and baby clothes, you'll need to get the "big 4": car seat, crib or bassinet, stroller, and -- thinking ahead -- a high chair. Use these tips to make smart, safe choices.

Have the Car Seat Ready

It's a once-in-a-lifetime trip -- your baby's first ride home! Install the car seat ahead of time so everything's ready. Newborns should ride in rear-facing car seats. Follow installation instructions, or find a child safety seat inspection station for help. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website lists stations, or you can call 888-327-4236. The middle of the backseat is the safest spot to install the seat.

Types of Rear-Facing Seats

Infant-only seats are smaller than regular baby seats. The seat may come out of the base and have handles so you can use it to carry your little one. You can make a convertible seat rear-facing and then change it to forward-facing when your child gets older. But this kind does not have a separate base or carrying handles. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat.

Buying a Crib Mattress

You'll need to purchase a separate mattress for the crib. Get a firm one that fits snugly inside it. A space greater than two fingers' width between the mattress and the frame means that you need a bigger mattress. To reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), only use a fitted bottom sheet made for crib mattresses, and keep the crib free of pillows, blankets, pillow-like bumper pads, and stuffed toys -- those items can smother a baby

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