Not sure if you have everything you need before your baby arrives? Here a basic, no frills list of must-have items to get so you are ready for your newborn.
My husband and I have been so blessed to recently welcome our third child into this world. Since this was our third go around, I figured we were good. I had chilled out big time. I no longer thought I needed to have every baby item I saw advertised. I was taking it in stride.
But then, about three weeks before my due date, I realized that I should probably get a car seat. I was reminded that they would not let us leave the hospital without it. Maybe I was a little too chill! I quickly ordered a car-seat and gathered up a few other things and once again figured I was ready.
When our sweet bundle arrived we were pretty relaxed. I have to say, I really enjoyed that day and a half at the hospital. Resting and enjoying our new baby. It was great. When it came time to bring him home we were set…at least we had a car-seat to bring him home in!
After about two days of getting out of the hospital, I began to notice a few things that I needed – things that it would have been really nice to have on hand. Some things we owned already, but they were still in storage, others I had gotten rid of at some point.
I was so chill, I hadn’t quite prepared enough! I didn’t think things through enough to cover all my bases.
- Where was a good blanket for swaddling? Did we even own a receiving blanket anymore?
- Where was that new battery for our Snooza? And by new I mean 4 years old. I did find it, only to have it last a whole two days. The angel care monitor? Um, in the garage.
- Burp cloths? Oh, boy they too must be in the garage somewhere.
- Newborn clothes? Well, we can just keep washing the same two sleepers, right?!
Anyway, that’s how I came up with this list. This is the list I wished I had covered before I went into labor. This is not a comprehensive must have list for babies. This is a bare minimum must have list for newborns.
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You will want and need other things. This list is just to ensure that you are all set for your newborn coming home and won’t need to make any mad dashes to Walgreens (or ask your husband to mad dash!). Honestly, if you are really not sure if you want an item, just buy it and don’t open it…then it’s in the house if you need it or it can be returned when you have time…
- Car Seat and Base
(we opted for this one because we had had this brand in the past and really liked how light it is, ease of installing, and the slightly smaller size)
- Car seat cover – if the weather is chilly
- Burp cloths at (least 5-6)
- Pre-made formula – (even if you are planning to breast-feed, just buy one small pack of premade bottles – just in case)
- Large receiving blankets or Muslin Swaddle Blankets
(update 6/26/2017 – I have come to absolutely love muslin blankets, especially in summer. They are light and wispy and offer comfort/coverage for a baby with out making them super sweaty…really great! At six months old we are using them every day. As long as I have one I can use it as a blanket, burp cloth and even nursing cover!)
- Pacifier (even if you don’t plan to use it, just have one hand!)
- Pampers Swaddlers Diapers (I am totally a store brand girl – saving money is a priority – except for newborn diapers! Nothing compares to the softness of Pampers Swaddlers – it’s worth it!)
- Pampers Natural Care Wipes
- Breastpump (if planning to breastfeed)
- Bottle brush
- Bottle rack
- Newborn and 0-3 sleepers (at least 5 of each size zip-up or snap or simple onsies if you live in a really hot climate and baby is arriving in summer – outfits are cute but sleepers are a must have!)
- Soft towel/Soft wash cloth
- Baby soap
- Arm’s Reach Co-sleeper
– I borrowed one from a friend and it’s so great! It goes right next to your bed so you can reach you baby, but not have the baby actually in the bed with you…wish I had had this with my first two babies! Can travel with you too – like a pack-and-play.
- Angel care or Snuza Hero
– these two items are very similar, this time around we are using an Angelcare Movement and Sound Monitor. They used to be more pricey, but they’ve actually come down a lot in price. Plus they offer me peace of mind, so they are worth it for me!
- Boppy Luxe Newborn Lounger
- Dockatot – never had this with my other two. But I have to say, it’s fantastic. We use it every day and most nights too. I think it works because it makes babies feel so safe and cozy…
(we opted for this one because we had had this brand in the past and really liked how light it is, ease of installing, and the slightly smaller size)
(update 6/26/2017 – I have come to absolutely love muslin blankets, especially in summer. They are light and wispy and offer comfort/coverage for a baby with out making them super sweaty…really great! At six months old we are using them every day. As long as I have one I can use it as a blanket, burp cloth and even nursing cover!)
– I borrowed one from a friend and it’s so great! It goes right next to your bed so you can reach you baby, but not have the baby actually in the bed with you…wish I had had this with my first two babies! Can travel with you too – like a pack-and-play.
– these two items are very similar, this time around we are using an 
Do you have a newborn must have that’s not on this list? I’d love to hear what it is and maybe even try it out myself!
Congratulations on your new baby! May God grant him many years!
I am totally with you on the Pampers diapers. We tried other brands, but they didn’t work nearly as well. (One of ours had really sensitive skin and would get a rash from different brands. Our youngest actually ended up in the emergency room as a one-week-old because of a staph infection gotten by a Huggies diaper rubbing against his leg until it became raw and infected.)
A Pack n’ Play would also be on my list. We used ours a TON with all of our kids whenever we visited family, went over to friends’ houses for dinner, etc. That was also how our kids slept in our room for the first few months.
Thanks so much! He’s really keeping us busy, but we are very blessed…
Oh, my goodness! I didn’t realize a babies skin could be that sensitive. Yeah, Pampers! And yes- a pack-play! When we had our second, we were in such a tiny apartment that our son needed to sleep in one until he was 2. But he didn’t mind a bit!
BTW, I’ve enjoyed reading your blog and watching it grow – thanks for the inspiration!
~Karina
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Honest diapers… if ya knew what was in the Pampers diapers and wipes you would take those off the list.
Soft? Then go cloth.
Same with soap. Honest. Or something organic. It’s important.
Speaking of what a in stuff.
If you HAVE to have formula, make it organic. Even Walmart has a store brand organic. Formula is the cheapest oil for processing and a heck of a lot of stuff you might wanna think twice about growing a human on.
I get it… most people can but choose not to breastfeed. But we could be doing better. Much better.
Hello – thanks for stopping by and thanks for your recommendations!
Funny how ever child is so different…I was absolutely determined not to put anything synthetic on my baby…I tried “natural” brands (I won’t mention which ones) for awhile and it caused the worst rash problems, also tried cloth and more rashes. I switched it out and the rashes were gone – it was crazy.
Love most natural, organic products though and we use as many as we can in our home!
Good point on the formula – most stores now carry organic (I just take it for granted that people will buy organic if they can!). I guess I should clarify, with all my kids, we’ve had to use formula for a few days when they are newborn…for some reason it takes my awhile longer than “usual” for my milk to come in and the babies lose too much weight if we don’t supplement. But after the first month we are back to all breastfeeding – wahoo!
That’s why it’s nice to have a little bit of formula available if you need it.
~Karina