If you just feel overwhelmed and don’t know what baby items you need to prepare for the arrival of your newborn baby, then this blog post is for you. I know what it feels like to be expecting a newborn baby as a first-time mom and not have a clue what my baby is going to really need. I didn’t want to have to buy baby items and have no use for them because my baby ended up not liking them.
So in this blog, I list only the absolute necessities that you need and left out all the other fluff stuff. You can choose to add more once the baby arrives. This way you know what your baby likes before getting more of that item. Let’s dive right in!
1-A pack n play.
I chose to get a pack-n-play for baby to sleep in because it works as a bassinet which is perfect for the newborn stage and it then transforms into a crib once they get older. I didn’t have to buy a bassinet and then have to buy a separate crib once baby grew out of it. It works as a play area and it also folds easily which makes it quite portable to take with you if visiting family. For the price, it was a good buy and I loved it.
2-Swaddles
Newborn babies love being swaddled. They tend to sleep better while swaddled and it helps with their startle reflexes. I started out swaddling with muslin blankets but I was so bad with swaddling that both arms would break free right away so I got this swaddle and it was so much easier. I also like the hospital swaddles they give. It works just fine with babies too.
3-Night light
For the first few weeks, I simply used my phone light for night feedings and diaper changes but then I realized that my phone light was too bright and was waking baby up from sleep. Putting babies back to sleep in the middle of the night tends to be harder after they have been exposed to bright lights. So, I got the night light and I loved it. It’s dim enough to not wake baby up and just right to help me see what I’m doing in the dark.
4-Sound Machine
Babies love sounds that mimic their previous environment in the womb. It just helps to calm them and hence they tend to sleep better. I got this sound machine because it was affordable and portable. I could bring it anywhere with me while on the go. It has different sounds and lullabies and it charges pretty fast. I don’t have to plug it in to use it, just charge it and it’s good to go. The charge holds pretty well and most times I don’t have to charge it again for like 4 or 5 days.
5- Pacifier
Pacis tend to soothe babies and most babies like them. There are however some babies that just don’t like them. Both of my babies used a paci for the first few months of their lives. My current 6-month-old used one from birth to about 4 months where he decided to just start spitting them out every time I gave him one.
Pacis are also tricky in the sense that they come in different sizes and shapes and babies tend to have a preference towards some and not others. So I’ll say don’t go out and buy a bunch of the same ones before the baby arrives. Wait until the baby arrives and test out 2 or 3 different ones and see which one they like best. Both of my babies had a preference towards the maam pacis so that’s the one I ended up buying for them.
6-Boppy
I love the Boppy! I use it to help support my hands while breastfeeding and it just makes my life easier. I also use it for tummy times and to help support baby to sit at 6 months. It does come in handy and it is very versatile. It makes a great baby gift item and a must have on your baby registry
7-Baby monitor camera
I got this one 4 years ago and I still use it to this day for my second child. It holds up pretty well. The signal is very good wherever I am in the house and I can keep an eye on baby while he sleeps. I have even used it while standing out in the front yard while baby slept in the room at the back of the house and it still worked just fine. I chose a closed system with no Wi-Fi capabilities just because I did not want to deal with any hacking problems.
8- Diapers and Wipes
This category is a personal preference one so just experiment with different brands and choose the one that works best for you. Just don’t get too much of the newborn diaper size. They grow out of it so fast. I love Huggies for my babies and I tend to stock up on sizes 2 and 3 whenever there’s a sale going on at Amazon or Target. I also like the Target brand diapers, they are affordable and tend to do a good job with poop blowouts and overnight sleep.
For wipes, I have experimented with a few brands and I have just stuck to Water wipes. They are my absolute favorite. I haven’t dealt with diaper rash at all ever since I started using them in the year 2020. I still to this day only use Water wipes for my 6-month-old baby. if you want to know how I avoid diaper rash completely, check out my Blog post on that.
9-Skip hop changing pad
I simply place this on top of my dresser and I change my baby’s diaper on it. It is really cute and easy to wipe down whenever the baby makes a mess on it. I don’t have to worry about stains or washing it whenever the baby pees or has blowouts.
It is very convenient and it has a cute dangling cloud and mirror stuff that keeps the baby’s attention while I change him. It comes with a buckle to keep the baby secure during diaper changes. I love it and the baby loves it. A win-win! lol seriously just get it. It will make your life easier.
10-Diaper trash
I use this diaper trash and I put it right next to the changing table area. It is very convenient to put diapers in and to empty the trash. My favorite thing about it is that it keeps the scent in very well. The only thing I would say that I don’t like is the fact that I have to get the trash bags it comes with. I can’t just use the regular 13-gallon trash bags I usually get for my kitchen trash.
If you would prefer to get one that you can simply use your regular trash bags then I’d recommend this one.
11-Onesies and zipper pajamas
I love soft, airy, and comfy clothes for babies. I got a lot of onesies passed down from family members and I also got the zipper pajamas for bedtime. Newborn onesies are convenient because they make it easy to change baby diapers. Newborn babies make a lot of mess and you are going to be constantly changing clothes so a lot of onesies were very practical.
So were the zipper pajamas, easy to take the feet off at night to change diapers without having to get baby naked and cold. Babies grow very fast so they grow out of their clothes quickly so just skip buying anything with newborn size on it (except for preemies) and go for the one that says 0-3 months/ 0-6 months (even better).
12-Socks, Mittens, bibs, burp clothes
Newborns tend to have a lot of startle reflexes and so are bound to scratch themselves (especially in the face). A mitten helps avoid this problem. I only used mittens for the first two months and I also trimmed his nails occasionally. I wanted the baby to have hands out as much as possible to explore his new environment. The mittens helped prevent a lot of scratches and a lot of cries.
Bibs are going to help with catching spit-ups during the first few months of babies life and reduce the number of times you have to change baby clothes. newborns spit up a lot lot lot really. Once the baby gets older the bibs are also gonna come in handy when baby starts eating solid foods.
13-Feeding bottles
If you plan on formula feeding, you are going to need bottles to put milk in. I love the Maam bottles just because of how easy it is to clean. I can uncap the top and the bottom to clean. I have tried Dr Bronner’s bottle and I Also like those but they tend to be harder to clean because of all the small parts involved.
Even if you plan to breastfeed exclusively, I would still recommend getting a few bottles to try out and keep because you never know when you might just need to run an errand without baby so having a bottle where you can put your breast milk for baby will come in handy.
I breastfed exclusively for the first month when my pediatrician told me I had to supplement with formula milk because my baby was not putting on that much weight. I was glad I had formula and bottles already at home.
14- Formula
This one is also a personal preference for both mama and babies. Don’t get too much of the same one before baby arrives. Just wait until baby arrives and test out which one baby does well with before purchasing more of it. I have only tried both Enfamil and Similac and my baby ate both just fine.
15-Gripe water
My newborn loves this brand of Gripe water. I call it gripeee lol. He tends to calm down after I give him this in the middle of the night during those terrible screams when I can’t seem to figure out how to calm him down. I like how it has chamomile, which tends to help baby sleep.
I use these simple and soft socks to keep baby feet warm when going out. they tend to stay on their tiny feet very well compared to the other ones that fall off a gazillion times. lol
16- Baby Thermometer
I used this thermometer to keep track of his temperature whenever he had a fever. I also used to check bath water to make sure it was not too hot or too cold. It worked just fine for its purpose. I left out baby bathtub because for the first few weeks baby comes home there will be no need for a bath until the belly button falls off and heals but if you want to go ahead and get one now. I recommend this one.
17- Nasal sucker
I used the hospital baby bulb nose sucker they gave me for about a month and it worked just fine but then my baby got sick and was super congested. It did a poor job of getting the snot out and the baby could not get a good night’s rest. I got this the next day and it got all the snot out and my baby was so relieved. It really made a difference that I was beating myself up about not getting it sooner. Just go ahead and get it. you will need it.
18- Saline spray
Saline spray helps loosen the boogies so that it’s easier to suck out. It also helps moisturize baby nostrils, especially during those dry winter months. I use this one because I don’t like the other ones that have scents or other unnecessary ingredients. For babies. I try my best to stick to simple and clean ingredients.
19-Nail Trimmer Kit
As I mentioned earlier, I moved to trimming baby nails to help prevent babies from scratching themselves. Baby nails grow pretty fast and they are as sharp as you can imagine. This nail trimmer is electric and comes with soft circle files that are safe and easy to use on babies. My baby loves looking at the light on it whenever I’m filing his nails.
20-Car seat
This one is also a mama preference but I highly recommend the donna car seat. It’s hyped for a reason. It easily transforms from a car seat to a stroller. You take baby out of the car and bam it’s a stroller! It will make your life easier for running errands and doctor visits. Having to take the stroller out of the trunk and opening it up and then having to take the car seat out and put the two together is so much work and you don’t realize it until you actually start doing it. Just get the donna, you won’t regret it!
21- Stroller fan
If you live in a hot place like Texas you know those summer heats are no joke. whenever I go out, I make sure I have this fan clipped to baby stroller. It really helps ease my mind especially when entering the car in the middle of the summer. It’s tiny and holds charge very well. They also come in different colors. so cute!
22-Diaper Bag
I got this diaper bag because I needed something to pack a change of clothes, diapers, and wipes whenever I was out and about. The diaper bag is super cute and I loved the color. It has different compartments inside to store different things which makes it easy to find everything you need inside. It also comes with a front compartment to store formula bottles to keep them warm.
23-Baby Carrier
I used one for my first baby but I would get hot during the summer months in Texas so I switched to the cloth one as it was more airy. So I started using the wrap carrier and It works fine and I can do housework around the house with baby.
24-Breastfeeding cover
This one is my favorite to use in public It stays on well and baby is airy and happy. I am also happy with the privacy it offers.
25 Car mirror
This is a really simple one I use. I got it from Amazon and it helps to see baby while I’m driving. Baby can also see your face.
26-Black out curtains
Babies tend to sleep better in a dark environment. Black-out curtains are going to help keep the room nice and dark to help baby sleep especially during daytime naps.
Thank you so much for reading 🙂
If you found this post helpful, please comment and share it with a new mom-to-be.
Check out my blog post on how to avoid diaper rash here.
