Newborn Essentials Checklist: Your Baby's First Month at Home in Kigali

You will use far more than you expect in the first weeks, and babies outgrow the newborn size fast.

How to use it: Buy one pack of newborn size and one of size 1 rather than a big stock of one size. Fasten below the belly button until the cord stump falls off.

For quick clean ups at every change, and for hands when water is far away.

How to use it: Choose unscented, alcohol free wipes for newborn skin. For the first days, many midwives suggest cotton wool and warm water instead.

A thin layer at each change protects skin from wetness and helps stop redness before it starts.

How to use it: Apply a thin layer on clean, dry skin. If a rash blisters, bleeds or does not improve in a few days, see your doctor or pharmacist.

Gentle for cleaning eyes, the cord area and the diaper area with warm boiled water in the first weeks.

How to use it: Use a fresh piece for each wipe and each eye. Let boiled water cool to lukewarm in a flask cup before using.

Handy as a backup when disposables run out, and useful as burp cloths and changing covers.

How to use it: Wash in mild soap and dry fully in the sun. They take longer to dry in the rainy season, so keep a few disposables on hand too.

Keeps used diapers sealed away from flies and smells until bin day.

How to use it: Line it with a bag, empty it daily, and keep it near the changing spot but away from where you prepare food.

Regular soap can dry out new skin. A mild baby wash cleans without stripping.

How to use it: Use a small amount, rinse well, and pat dry, paying attention to neck folds and under the arms.

Tear free shampoo makes washing the scalp less stressful for both of you.

How to use it: A drop is enough. Many parents simply use the baby wash for hair in the first weeks.

A clean basin used only for the baby is safer and easier than the family shower.

How to use it: Test water with your elbow; it should feel warm, not hot. Never leave the baby alone in water, not even for a second.

Babies lose heat quickly when wet, especially on cool Kigali evenings.

How to use it: Have the towel open and ready before the bath. Wash baby towels separately from the family laundry.

Helps with the dry, peeling skin many newborns have in the first weeks.

How to use it: Use fragrance free if you can, and patch test a small area first. Ask your midwife if skin looks very cracked.

Newborn nails are sharp and grow fast, and babies scratch their own faces.

How to use it: Trim while the baby sleeps, in good light. A small nail file is gentler for the first weeks.

Malaria is a real risk in Rwanda, and a baby cannot use repellent. A net is the simplest protection.

How to use it: Hang it over the baby's bed or your own bed if baby sleeps beside you. Tuck it in at the edges and check for holes.

Cotton breathes well, and you will change sheets often after leaks and spit ups.

How to use it: Keep at least two so one is always clean. The sheet should fit tight with no loose fabric near the face.

Nights in Kigali can be cool, especially in the rainy season.

How to use it: Tuck a light blanket in at chest height, never over the face. Dress baby in one more layer than you are wearing instead of piling on blankets.

Small feet get cold at night and socks are easier than full sleepsuits for quick changes.

How to use it: Check they are not tight at the ankle. Keep a spare pair in your diaper bag.

Soft mittens stop a newborn scratching their face with sharp little nails in the first weeks.

How to use it: Use them for sleep and take them off when awake so baby can explore with their hands. Check inside for loose threads.

Adds protection for adults in the room at dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.

How to use it: Read the label and use only products marked safe for rooms with babies. Keep the device out of reach and air the room well.

Leaks are common in the early weeks and pads protect clothes, especially when visitors come by.

How to use it: Change them often to keep skin dry. Washable pads save money over the months.

Supports the baby at breast height so your back and arms do not ache after long feeds.

How to use it: Any firm pillow works. Sit with your back supported and bring the baby to you, not you to the baby.

Useful for expressed milk or formula, and for letting a partner or grandmother help with a night feed.

How to use it: Start with two small bottles with slow flow teats. Wash with hot soapy water and rinse well after every feed.

Milk residue hides in teats and bottle necks, and a brush is the only way to really clean them.

How to use it: Keep it only for baby bottles and replace it when the bristles flatten.

Some families need formula from day one. Having one tin ready avoids a panic if your doctor or midwife recommends it.

How to use it: Use a stage 1 formula for 0 to 6 months, follow the tin's measures exactly, and use boiled water cooled as directed.

Keeps boiled water warm through the night, so you are not boiling a kettle at 3 am or during a power cut.

How to use it: Fill it with freshly boiled water before bed. Use it for cleaning and, if you use formula, to mix as the tin directs.

Newborn immune systems are still developing, and everyone who holds the baby should have clean hands.

How to use it: Put a bottle by the door and one by the changing spot. Ask visitors who are sick to come back another week.

Fever in a young baby needs a quick call to a doctor, and you need a reliable reading first.

How to use it: Ask your pharmacist for an underarm digital thermometer. In a baby under 3 months, any fever is a reason to see a doctor the same day.

Some babies find sucking very calming. Others refuse a pacifier completely.

How to use it: Many midwives suggest waiting until breastfeeding is going well. Wash it often and never dip it in sugar or honey.

For wiping the changing surface and cleaning floors once the house fills with visitors.

How to use it: Dilute as the label says and keep it high up. Do not use it on the baby's skin.

Baby clothes and cloths need washing daily, and harsh detergent can irritate skin.

How to use it: Pick a mild detergent, rinse twice, and dry in the sun when you can.

Tiny clothes dry fastest in the sun, and a line inside or on the veranda helps in rainy months.

How to use it: Hang baby clothes in a spot away from red dust and smoke. Bring them in before the afternoon rain.

Night feeds and changes happen in the dark, and power cuts do not wait for a good moment.

How to use it: Keep it charged by the bed. A soft light is gentler than the main bulb and helps baby settle back to sleep.

Keeps dirty baby clothes separate and stops piles forming on the bedroom floor.

How to use it: Pick one with a lid and empty it daily. Soak stained items in cool water before washing.

Night feeds make you hungry and thirsty, and you will not always have a free hand to cook.

How to use it: Keep a water bottle, biscuits, peanut butter and fruit by your feeding chair.