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The few months prior to bringing your newborn home can be both exciting and daunting. Shopping for baby essentials, to be precise, brings insurmountable joy and also anxiety over whether you are really prepared to receive your bundle of joy.
Knowing the difference between what you need and mere extras can help to stay on budget and avoid filling your house with unnecessary stuff. To make this job easier for you, we have compiled a comprehensive list of baby essentials that will cover clothing, feeding items, bathing necessities, diapering, and stuff to make your life easier.
You have probably chosen the color for your baby’s nursery and even added some furniture and decorations. To make the room complete and functional, here are a few things you need to add;
For baby necessities, this comes on top every time. The AAP does not recommend babies to sleep in the same bed as their parents because it’s a risk factor for SIDS. To save some cash, go for a crib that can convert into a toddler bed later in life. Ideally, the crib should have a firm but comfortable mattress and several fitted sheets to keep your munchkin comfortable.
Though there is a debate whether a baby monitor is essential, today's parents find it invaluable as you need to keep an eye and an ear on your baby even as you do other things around the house. We recommend the Ring Indoor Cam by Amazon that allows you to see and hear your little angel and also tracks other features like the room's temperature and humidity.
As you train your kiddo to sleep throughout the night, a white noise machine will become the most essential feature in that nursery.
Switching on the lights will effectively wake up the baby, keeping you awake longer and giving you eye bags the next day. Yikes! A good night light helps you see what you are doing during those night feeds and diaper changes.
This may not really be essential, but it sure is a great addition to the nursery. It makes the perfect place for night feeds, and the rocking motion helps the baby sleep much faster.
Any mother will tell you the importance of a nursing pillow as it supports your baby when you are breastfeeding. This relieves your arms from getting tired.
When they are younger, babies don’t drink all the milk you produce. Expressing it will help stock up for when you go back to work. This is where a breast pump comes to play.
Bottles and nipples are essential you can't avoid. First, when the baby is young, your spouse can help feed the baby, so you take that well-deserved break and shower and comb your hair. Things you ever seem to have time for once your little one arrives. Secondly, they will come in handy when you start weaning your baby or decide to supplement breastmilk with formula.
This can be any clean cotton cloth really, and its job is to protect your clothing from the spit when your baby burps.
For clothes, you need items that are easy to put on and off and also easy to change the diaper. Onesies, sleepers, kimono tops, and rompers come to mind where ease of wear is concerned, plus they are comfortable. Be sure also to pick up some sweaters, socks, hats, mittens, stockings, t-shirts, and stretchy pants.
A little gem we found is Pocketbum which looks more or less like a onesie. The catch is, it makes it easier for you to change your little one without necessarily removing all their clothes. If you want to save time during night changes, then this is for you.
For those first few weeks, you also need a swaddle blanket or receiving blanket to keep your baby warm and comfortable.
For changing the baby, you will need;
This is a stable and safe space to place the baby when you are changing them. Often, the changing table comes with drawers and shelves where you can keep the diapers, wipes, and fresh clothes.
You can choose between disposable diapers and reusable cloth diapers. Whatever you choose, keep in mind that a newborn goes through at least 70 diapers a week, but this goes down as they grow up. Choose diapers and wipes that don’t have any perfumes or alcohol added, which can irritate the baby.
This is where you throw the dirty diapers because it will contain the smell until you take the trash out.
Because of skin shedding and cradle cap, babies need to take a bath every day. Baths also help them to sleep comfortably through the night.
Unless you are planning to spend the next five years in the house, you will need these on-the-go baby essentials;
In most states, you cannot leave the hospital without an infant car seat for safety. Choose a rear-facing car seat with the latest safety standards. From 4 months old we personally recommend the Maxi-Cosi car seat which is a 360 degree swivel car seat to easily get your child in and out the seat.
A stroller helps to carry the baby as you go for evening walks around the block, shopping, or traveling. You can choose a stroller combo that's compatible with your car seat so they can be used together.
While a stroller is great, sometimes wearing your baby on your chest is important for bonding and walking in highly populated areas. Baby carriers come in many styles, from wraps, slings, and backpacks.
Of course, you wouldn't walk out of the house without diapers, wipes, changing pad, warm water, a change of clothes, and a bottle. The best diaper bag has many compartments to fit all those stuff and still looks classy.
Some other important baby items you need include;
With this baby essential list, you can be confident you have everything you need for the baby before they come home. That said, expect to buy many other items as you go because a baby’s shopping needs never ends.
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