Philips Avent Ultra Air pacifier with steriliser case, 0 to 6 months (2 pack)
Light, lots of air holes so his chin didn't get soggy, and the case sterilises in the microwave. The case is the reason to buy this one.
Philips Avent Ultra Air, 6 to 18 months (2 pack)
Same design, bigger shield. We bought it when he outgrew the first and started cutting back at the same time.
Philips Avent 3-in-1 electric steam steriliser (SCF284)
Six bottles in one cycle, and it took pump parts and pacifiers too. Check the current manual for cycle time and how long contents stay sterile with the lid closed; I'm quoting our routine, not the spec sheet.
A long-handled bottle brush with a teat brush on the end
The step the research says matters most: washing before any sterilising. Replace when the bristles splay.
A 3- or 4-plate steel idli stand (Pigeon, Lifelong or any)
You probably own one. One katori of baby food steams with the family's breakfast. Our actual food maker for two years.
Small steel katoris with lids, set of 4
Steam in it, mash in it, store the leftover in it, carry it. Steel, so no staining from dal and carrot.
A silicone suction plate
Not for the food, for the physics. He couldn't throw it. That alone earned it a place.
Mee Mee 2-in-1 spout and straw sipper, 150 ml
The survivor. Two mouthpieces, every part comes off, nothing hides. Plain and it worked for ten months.
A small steel tumbler (any kitchen)
The actual goal. We started offering it at a year with a finger of water in it. By twenty months he preferred it.
A small steel snack box with compartments
Three compartments, one each for fruit, something dry and something he'll actually eat. The bribe, the backup and the vegetable.
Large cotton muslin squares, pack of 3 (LuvLap, Haus & Kinder, Mom's Home)
Swaddle, towel, burp cloth, sunshade, mat. Dries in an hour on a Bengaluru balcony. The most-used thing we own.
Silicone bib with a catch pocket (LuvLap or similar)
For the solids phase. Rinse, dry, repeat. Buy two.
Muslin drool bibs, bandana style
For the teething months. Dry fast, don't sit wet on the neck. Four is enough.
A basic plastic high chair with detachable tray and 3-point strap (R for Rabbit Jelly Bean or similar)
Upright, wipeable, and small. Everything a meal needs and nothing a flat doesn't have room for.
LuvLap 4-in-1 convertible high chair
The middle option: converts to a toddler chair, folds, and the tray comes off. Good if you want it to last past three.
Mother Sparsh 99% Pure Water Unscented wipes, 72 pulls
Passes the rule: no fragrance, no alcohol, no MI, and a thick sheet. The unscented 99% pack, not the scented 98% one.
Cotton rounds and a steel bowl of warm water
Free, perfect, and what fixed the rash. Our at-home default for the first three months.
Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture lotion
The one of the four that is actually fragrance-free on the label. Oat-based, light, absorbs fast. Our winter cream.
Plain petroleum jelly (any pharmacy brand)
Boring, cheap, fragrance-free, and what the dermatologist uses on dry patches and under the chin. Keep a small tub.
Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream, 60 g or 125 g
The yellow lid. Thick zinc-oxide barrier that fixed a bad rash in three days and has kept them away since. Buy the 125 g; it lasts a year.
Cetaphil Baby Diaper Cream
Zinc oxide base, smoother than Sudocrem, easier to wipe off. A good alternative if you prefer less grease.
Sebamed Baby Diaper Rash Cream
Panthenol and zinc, pleasant to use, widely stocked in Indian pharmacies. Works well as the everyday preventive layer.
Pampers Premium Care pants, size M
Softest and most absorbent; our overnight diaper. The most expensive per piece, so we rationed it to nights.
MamyPoko Pants Extra Absorb, size M
Cheapest of the three and fine for daytime in cooler months. We had occasional overnight leaks.
Huggies Wonder Pants, size M
Good fit on chubby thighs, breathable enough for summer days. Our monsoon daytime diaper.
Plain cold-pressed coconut oil (kitchen grade, no fragrance)
For the massage. Cheap, fragrance-free, and what the grandmothers agreed on once mustard was off the table.
A fragrance-free baby wash (check the list, not the front)
Used twice a week. Brand matters less than the absence of parfum. I've listed what I could verify below.
A plain wooden cot with a firm, well-fitting mattress and two fitted sheets
Flat, firm, bare. The rules matter more than the brand; measure the gap between mattress and frame (two fingers, no more).
A firm floor mattress with a waterproof cover
Where he's slept since eighteen months. Nothing to climb out of, nothing to fall from.
Large cotton muslin swaddles, pack of 3 to 5 (Haus & Kinder, LuvLap, Mom's Home)
Thin enough for an Indian bedroom, big enough to actually swaddle, and they become towels, sunshades and mats afterwards.
A lightweight cotton sleeping bag, 0.5 TOG or thinnest available
From ten weeks, once swaddling stopped. No blanket to kick off, nothing to pull over the face.
A dim, warm-toned plug-in night light
Orange, not white; dim enough to leave on. Found at a hardware shop for less than the baby-shop version.
A pacifier in its steriliser case, on the shelf
See the pacifier story. The research-backed thing to reach for at 3am.
Stacking cups (any ISI-marked set)
The gift I now ask for. Stack, nest, bath, sandpit, kitchen. Used daily from six months to three years.
Board books (any; Pratham and Tulika for Indian stories)
Chewable, washable, and the research says books get parents talking more than any toy.
Stacking and nesting cups
The toy we've used longest. Still in use at three.
A wooden ring stacker or shape sorter (Skillmatics or any ISI-marked wooden one)
No battery, three ways to play, lasts to three. Check the rings are too big to swallow.
Washable crayons and a roll of plain paper
Washable is the word. Walls, floor, him. All came off.
A folding indoor slide
Six square feet of our flat, used every day for two years. The purchase I resisted longest and regret least.
A cardboard box, masking tape, steel katoris
The real play kit. Free, and he preferred them to everything in the toy basket.
Pratham Books and Tulika board books
Indian stories, Indian faces, bilingual editions, and inexpensive. The books we reached for most.
A cloth book with crinkle page and mirror
For the four-to-eight month window. Washable, chewable, and the first thing he 'read'.
Thick board books, one picture per page
Survive teeth. Buy a few, then let the library or a swap group do the rest.
LuvLap Royal hip-seat carrier, 6 to 24 months
Four positions and a hip seat that saved my back on long days. Used almost daily for a year and a half; check the weight and age range on the current model.
A structured newborn-safe carrier or an ergonomic one (LuvLap Galaxy or similar)
For the first six months, a carrier that holds baby upright and high, with proper head support. Check the chin-off-chest position every time.
Pacifier in its steriliser case
The take-off tool. Also the landing tool. Also the reason the second flight was silent.
A backpack diaper bag with a wipeable changing mat
Hands free on stairs, under the seat on the plane, on your back on the platform. The shoulder-bag kind is for a different life.
A small steel snack box and a bottle of makhana
Doesn't crumble, doesn't melt, doesn't choke if he's sitting up. Our flight snack for two years.