Newborn Baby Essentials List |

Newborn Must Haves

As a mom of 3, I wish I had known then what I know now-

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You DO NOT need to spend a boatload of money and buy a million products. In fact, newborns are probably the easiest stage (in some sense) of all of them, and the least expensive!

There are a few absolute newborn must haves but you can get by on minimal stuff.

Breastfeeding

Nursing Pillow

This nursing pillow isn’t too expensive and has an adjustable strap to raise your baby to the right height! I only used a nursing pillow with my first and second babies. I found by the 3rd I just didn’t need one. But I LOVED having a nursing pillow like this one with my first baby when I wasn’t as confident.

You can get a free nursing pillow by using my code NEWMOMMA20 but these really aren’t as good quality.

Nursing Bra

I searched high and low for the perfect nursing bra. I made do with some hand me downs that weren’t even the right size and really didn’t have great support.

When I finally found this nursing bra, I couldn’t believe the difference!! It’s comfortable, supportive and doesn’t have any wire that digs in. The clasps are super easy to use. I recommend this nursing bra to every mom to be, it’s that awesome!

RELATED: Realistic Breastfeeding Tips

Nipple Cream

This really is a must. If you are a DIY’er, try this recipe– just make sure to leave out the tea tree oil!

If you are short on time but still want to DIY- mix a drop or two of lavender in some coconut oil and voila, nipple cream.

And finally, if you couldn’t care less about making your own stuff cause babies- this is the cream I’ve been buying since my first baby. It smells like chocolate and is completely organic!

Formula Feeding

Bottles

This is a bit obvious for formula feeding. Decide on whether or not you want glass bottles. Some people are worried about using plastic vs glass but that’s up to you to decide! These bottles have over a thousand ratings for 4.5 stars on Amazon.

Nipples

Try grabbing a couple of different nipple sizes so you can see what flow works for your baby.

Dishwasher Basket

Dishwasher baskets are great for keeping things together and not getting lost in the dishwasher. You can buy a specialty one but the one in the dishwasher works just fine if it has a lid already!

Burp Cloths

Burp cloths are a must for feeding newborns, whether it’s breastfed or formula. Babies tend to spit up a lot.

The burp cloths we bought in the beginning with my first baby are still going strong 3 kids later- you’ll use them for everything!

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a product on Amazon with a full 5 stars- these muslin burp cloths are super absorbent and super soft and perfect for wiping up messes, spit up or even as a nursing cover!

Baby Sleep Items

White Noise Machine

This is not completely necessary but so helpful in the beginning and up until they are sleeping in their own bed. After you give birth to your baby, they are used to being inside you and hearing the muffled sounds of your heartbeat, voice and body. Having a background noise really helps them to stay sleeping, especially when you set them down! We’ve been using this noise machine for about 4 years and love it.

Bassinet

Using a bassinet is truly for newborns, it won’t last long. However, every time I have a baby, it’s one of the most used things simply because it’s nice to have somewhere safe to put them down and not worry about other kids, animals or rolls off the couch/bed!

This bassinet is portable and comes on a stand.

Crib

This is only if you decide not to co-sleep. Someone gave me a crib for my first baby and it ended up being a great place to store laundry!

If you’re curious about co-sleeping and it’s right for you, check out this article.

I’d really suggest you look for a crib second hand- they can be expensive and some people don’t end using their crib very long or only for one child. Shop around second hand or ask family members before you invest!

If you DO want to buy one new- this crib is super affordable!

Baby Diaper Items

The first question you need to ask yourself is if you want to cloth diaper or use disposables. We’ve done a mixture in our family, using cloth at home and disposables overnight and when we’re out!

That’s worked great for our family, but what makes sense for you? Are you going to be home with your baby or sending them to daycare? Do you want to be dealing with laundry all. the. time?

Cloth Diapers

To be honest, I loved cloth diapers when I had one baby. I enjoyed doing it and felt like it wasn’t really that hard. I still enjoyed it with two children. I cloth diapered my 3rd baby until she was 9 months and then I didn’t want to do it anymore. The days were so hectic- making time for that was something I decided to let go.

If you decide to cloth diaper, find a good price for a bundle- like these ones.

When I first started I bought these top of line diapers that were over 20$ a pop- yeah, not worth it. I found this website about halfway through my journey and just about fell over- they have prints from Disney to Star Wars to Unicorns and literally everything you can think of for less than $10 a diaper and the quality is awesome!

Make sure you find some good quality absorbent liners too.

Don’t bother getting all different sizes- buy a one size that’s adjustable from birth to toddler and if you need something smaller in the beginning, grab a pack of newborn disposable diapers for the first few weeks. The newborn stage is over FAST.

Disposable Diapers

Be careful when stockpiling diapers for a newborn baby- I usually grab 1-2 packs of newborn size and that is more than enough for that size! Babies grow extraordinarily quickly.

I found this awesome deal for you- Grab a diaper bundle from HelloBello for $16 off plus FREE shipping using the code SAVE16– there is an option to split the bundle into multiple sizes so you can grab newborn and size one 🙂

Setting Down/Carrying

Bouncer Chair

Buying this bouncer chair was almost the best money I ever spent and I only discovered it with my last baby! Being able to set your baby down safely while you shower, cook, grab something quickly, run downstairs for something- whatever!

This chair is such a great thing to have from 0-6 months. Worth every penny, and they do not have to be fancy or expensive.

Baby Wrap

I LOVE putting my babies in a wrap!

The reason is because having your hands free while your baby is safe and content is priceless. It’s also very helpful to help soothe a fussy or colicky baby.

Start with a fabric wrap for when your baby is small and then you can switch to a more sturdy one when they’ve grown a bit. These fabric wraps are perfect for newborns.

We’ve used and loved this sturdy wrap for all 3 of our kids and it’s held up great!

In the beginning newborn stage, throwing them in a cloth wrap keeps them snuggled up tightly (like they are used to in utero) and right next to your heartbeat can help with colic and sleep confusion.

Once they start getting a bit heavier, we switch to a more heavy duty wrap. So far this has been our favorite sturdy wrap because it’s forward, rear and side facing and machine washable. And it’s lasted through 2 kids from baby- toddler and still going strong!

Baby Clothing

The only thing I ever dressed my babies in from pretty much 0-6 months were sleepers. If you want to go all out and have cute little outfits- go for it!

I learned pretty quickly that the only things I cared about were if my baby was comfortable and I could change them easily. If it’s cold- grab full sleepers.

If it’s hot, grab legless and sleeveless like these ones.

Obviously, there is a bit more to clothing. It’s really your personal preference! 3 babies later, I’ve learned to simplify everything to do with babies, including clothing.

Also, if you are having a baby shower because it’s your first, don’t go buying too much clothing. You will get LOTS of clothing!

Related: Signs That Labor Is Only Days Away

Baby Travel Items

Car Seat

If you have a car, you must have a carseat! Check with family members to see if someone has one to pass down or ask family and friends to pool money to get you one. People love to give gifts, never be afraid to tell them what you actually need!

If you need to buy your own, I really don’t think one of those 400$ carseats is necessary. This one is mid-priced and has a 68 for a safety rating.

This car seat is inexpensive but has a ‘very good overall’ rating from consumer reports.

Stroller

I tried two types of strollers- a city stroller and a jogger. The jogger was hands down my favorite, not only because of going for runs, but because it was way more sturdy and went up and down curbs a lot easier. It also holds up better for when they’re older and heavier too. This jogger stroller is the one we’ve been using since my daughter was born 5 years ago, sometimes I even had my two older kids in it together!

BONUS

A Nasal Aspirator

Nasal aspirators are life-saving- for your baby and your sanity/anxiety levels.

With my first baby, she was extremely congested from being in the birth canal so long. When we brought her home we were up at night trying desperately to help her breathe, sometimes by holding her pointed toward the ground and tapping her back to try to loosen it and get it out.

Had I known about a nasal aspirator, I would have bought one. Let me repeat this- LIFE-SAVING.

All you do is put a tube in their nose, suck and the snot will come out into a separate chamber, nowhere near your mouth.

This is the one I’ve been using for newborns up to toddler when they have a cold and can’t breathe, especially at night or during feeding.

Baby Things To Buy Before Birth

This list of baby must haves is the basics of what you need to get by with a newborn! You could probably pare this down even further if you wanted. Having a baby doesn’t mean you need to go into debt or buy every single gadget out there, newborns are definitely the least expensive part of having children.

Get what you need, research so you’re not getting things you don’t. Assess the needs of you and your family and you will be fine! You can always get something after the baby is home, that’s something that took a long time for me to learn.

Newborn Baby Essentials List