There are so many baby items out there. How do you know what to buy? What’s the best brand? What do you absolutely need? What won’t you use? It can be very overwhelming, especially for first time parents.
The other day I was at the grocery store with my youngest 2 children and was chatting with the other people waiting at the deli counter. A man who was also waiting commented that he was a new dad of 2. I congratulated him, of course! And while he expressed his happiness and joy for his new baby, he also expressed how challenging it was adapting from one to two. And, being a mom of 5, I can definitely relate!
As we were walking away, he approached me and asked me if I had any recommendations since I was an experienced parent. That inspired me to compile a list of all my favorite baby things that were serious staples when my babes were brand new.
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Top 20 things you absolutely need during the newborn stage
- Muslin swaddles: These blankets are the best to swaddle your baby and are perfect light weight blankets for any weather or season. They also work great to swaddle baby for bathtime and it makes bathtime so much better because it keeps them warm.
- Muslin washcloths and towels: My 5th baby is the first I used this material wash cloth and towels for BUT she is also the only baby who has not had any issues with eczema!
- Baby fabric wrap carrier: The wrap was heaven sent with my 4th baby! A wonderful gift from my sister, it made it so much easier to manage my other children as well as keep my baby comfortable. With baby #5, I think she lived in this wrap the first couple months of her life, and now at 7 months old it is still helpful to settle her. It’s like a wearable hug that allows you to still use your hands.
- Boppy pillow: This is my FAVORITE nursing pillow. It helped so much with feeding when baby is teeny tiny, and can then become a nice comfortable lounger for baby for floor time and belly time.
- burp cloths: I have burp cloths starched in all areas of my house for easy grab. For me they were essential to put on your shoulder to (kind of) protect your clothes and to have around to clean your tiny baby spit up. For my oldest 4, my favorite fabric was a flannel. For my 5th, I found muslin ones I loved!
- bouncer: This is an easy little seat for baby while they’re small. Not all of my kids enjoyed the swing, but this bouncer was the best place to be able to safely put them down.
- mommy’s bliss gripe water: This is on my top list because it was the only thing that helped my eldest daughter with colic and it was also great to help with belly upset as well as consultation. (When baby is ready for vitamins, I like Mommy’s Bliss D vitamins with probiotics)
- infant tylenol: Always good to have on hand just in case!
- Diapers and wipes: I like to have newborn and size 1
- diaper cream: I prefer to start with aquaphor diaper cream because it’s so gentle for baby’s new sensitive skin, but as they get bigger and if they do develop more diaper rash and redness Destin is for sure the best choice.
- Baby tub: Baby infant tub with removable sling makes it easy to clean baby safely and comfortably.
- bath wash + lotion: Of course you need wash to clean baby and lotion to keep their skin soft. Cetaphil is my favorite brand of wash since it’s so gentle and good for sensitive skin, and I love the bedtime Aveeno for the calming smell.
- onesies with mitten cuffs: These are essential because you can’t cut baby’s nails right away.
- footed pjs with zippers (not snaps!): I have learned over the years and with all my kids zippers are better than snaps! With the zipper sleep and plays you lost zip them up or down, with the snaps you have to individually snap every single one. No thank you!
- microwave sterilizer: This makes cleaning pump parts and bottles super easy!
- Bottle brush: Bottle brushes are a need to make sure you can reach all those tiny annoying parts and make sure your bottles are clean. Pair with this drying rack.
- sound machine: I’ve used this exact sound machine and night light with my youngest 3 and they have all loved it! The heartbeat sound effect is so helpful to settle tiny baby.
- Diaper bag: Yes you need a diaper bag. You’re going to be going places with baby and you need a way to carry everything. This Eddie Bauer diaper bag lasted me 6.5 years and 3 kids! I JUST had to replace it and am liking this BabbleRoo one as well, so many pockets!(On-the-go items for diaper bag: disposable bag dispenser , hand sanitizer, travel diaper cream, travel tissues)
- Portable diaper changing pad: This makes carrying wipes and diapers in the diaper bag convenient to have in one space. Then when you need to change baby, it’s all in one and you don’t need to take things out of multiple pockets of your diaper bag.
- Wet dry bag: I like to hang one by the changing table for soiled clothes and keep one in the diaper bag. (Also works great to hang in the bathroom for potty changing toddlers!)
For mom
- Water bottle: You’re going to be thirsty and need to stay hydrated. Having a water bottle that you can bring around with you helps so much!
- nursing tanks: There are clip down or lift up style nursing tanks. In my opinion, one isn’t better than the other it’s just personal preference.
- nursing bras: Nuraing bras are a must when breastfeeding and this one is my favorite! I haven’t always used breast pads with each of my kids so again this is personal preference, but when I did use them I did love how soft these were and the convince of washing them to reuse them.
- ibuprofen: Healing isn’t always comfortable. Motrin is your friend.
- Pads: Let’s be real…you’re going to have some bleeding. I really like these pads because they’re very discreet and comfortable (well as comfortable as pads can be).
Since I breastfed all 5 of my babies, I asked my sister for her list of necessities for formula feeding moms:
- Formula pitcher that mixes it: Makes sure to avoid lumps!
- small bottles: As a mom of 3, these are her top choice for bottles and I can tell you all my nephews love them!
- portion size formula carrier for when you go somewhere: This makes it easy to mix a quickly when on the go rather than having to stop and measure everything out.
- bottle warmer makes it much easier but not absolutely necessary.
For siblings
If your newborn is not your first baby, it’s important to make sure your first born still feels important too. You won’t be able to give them your undivided attention and that will for sure lead to some jealousy. They also might have some mixed feelings about having a new sibling. There are many different ways to make your older kids still feel special while welcoming their new brother or sister.
When I had my second child, I knew it would be a big adjustment for my oldest. I wanted to make sure he felt important and involved. I included him in as much as possible and made sure to do special things with him too.
He helped me decorate the baby’s room, made pictures to welcome his new sister, and he came shopping with us to pick out things for baby’s room. I also took him to a sibling class at the hospital his sister was being delivered at. He felt really proud and special to be a big brother!
I think the biggest and best thing I did for him was pack him his own hospital bag. Since you never know when baby will arrive and if your oldest will be hanging out at the hospital waiting or not (either voluntarily or without a choice!), it’s important to make sure they have everything they need too.
His bag included: crayons and a coloring book, chalk to color outside, bubbles, a deck of cards, some snacks, and a special big brother pin. All of these items I put inside a new draw string bag so it was also like a gift for him.
I also had some small gifts wrapped for him stashed at the top of the closet so whenever someone came over with a present for baby, he didn’t feel left out. This helped eliminate jealousy and to keep him busy and distracted with all the visitors coming to see his new sister.
The more kids I had, and one of them during the height of the pandemic, I was not able to always create a hospital bag for each of them. However, I did still make sure they had some special things to feel included and involved. They all had big brother or big sister shirts, and I always made sure I got them each one new thing as a big brother/sister gift.
The best gifts I found was something interactive you can do with them while you sit. When you come home, you’re not going to want to be running around after your other children. You’re also going to be spending a lot of time sitting and feeding baby, and also wanting to rest yourself! So having something you can do with your older children while still tending to baby has been a life saver over here!
Some of the things I’ve gotten for my kids is the game headbands, new coloring and activity books, play doh, a small toy for each of them like a truck or a doll they can play with at your feet, or a baby doll so they can also take care of their baby. Another great gift idea is a camera! Kids love to take pictures!
We love tye dye in our house (stay tuned for a dye post come warmer weather!)
Hope this list helps you prepare for your precious bundle! Let me know in the comments your favorite item, what you loved to use and didn’t love to use, or if I forgot anything!