When I was pregnant with my son, I remember feeling overwhelmed by all the baby products out there. I wasn’t sure what I needed or even wanted for that matter, because there is just so much stuff. Honestly, what I feel like is an essential to have won’t be the same as everyone else. We’re all different, have different needs, and different lifestyles. But, I do feel like I’ve learned a bit a long the way after having my son and figuring out what I felt like was the most helpful and most used. I tried to keep the list short and sweet, as just a quick guide to some main essentials for newborns. There are definitely other things you will need like a car seat, crib, stroller, etc. If you want a more extensive list that you can use to prepare for your baby, check out my Newborn Essentials Checklist in my Etsy shop.
Pack N Play: Having a pack n play or portable crib is something I think is absolutely worth it and super useful. We used this pack n play when our son was a newborn to change his diapers on. It has a newborn insert that you can take on and off. It’s also great for travelling! When our son grew out of his bassinet, we used the pack n play for him to sleep in our bedroom until we moved him to the bigger crib. They’re a great sleep space solution when you’re working with a small space.
Portable sound machine: Hands down one of our most used baby items. We used this portable sound machine on the go so much when our son was an infant. It came in such handy when we wanted him to fall asleep in the car or stay asleep in a store. It’s rechargeable which is super nice. We actually bought two of them because we love it so much! It has 3 different sounds and you can adjust the volume up and down. The ring clip makes it easy to clip to a car seat handle or stroller.
Soft baby wrap: Baby wearing is very helpful in the newborn days. It’s very normal and common for newborns to require closeness often and to want to be held often. Having a baby carrier you like and that feels comfortable to wear can allow you to keep your baby close while also being hands free. For the newborn phase, I really enjoyed using a soft wrap like this one from Solly. They have a lot of great tutorials on their website to show you how to use it safely. Soft wraps are comfortable to wear and keep small babies snug. Another great company that has a variety of baby carriers/wraps is Hope&Plum. They’re a small women owned business and have a lot of great free resources on how to use their wraps as well.
Diaper caddy: Having a diaper caddy filled with all the essentials to have near by is super convenient when you have a new baby. When our son was a newborn, we lived in a two story house with the bedrooms upstairs. We spent a lot of time downstairs in the living room, so having the diaper caddy filled with diapers, wipes, and diaper cream was nice so we didn’t have to go upstairs every time we needed to change him. And if you don’t already know this, newborns need their diaper changed a lot! I also put nipple cream and nursing pads in the caddy so I had those available whenever I needed them.
2 way zip pajamas: Hear me when I tell you this. You are going to want 2 way zip pjs for your newborn. I know some pj’s are super cute with buttons, but just do yourself a favor and don’t buy them. Nothing is worse than trying to change a crying baby and fiddling with a million buttons or snaps. Not only do I recommend you buy pjs with zippers, pjs with 2 way zippers are so nice! They un zip from both the top and the bottom near the foot. So, if you’re changing your baby at night you can un zip the pjs from the bottom, so their top half isn’t open to the air. I’m telling you, it’s revolutionary. There are a lot of different brands on the market when it comes to baby clothing, but I’ll tell you about some of my favorites. A great affordable option is Old Navy. They come in a bunch of different colors and prints, they’re 100% cotton, and at a good price. Another great affordable option are these from Simple Joys by Carter. You can get 2 pairs for less than $20 and they’re also 100% cotton. My last recommendation is a bit more pricey, but they will last you a very long time because the fabric in stretchy so it will fit you baby for a long time. The zippy by Little Sleepies is one of our favorites. They’re made of bamboo, super soft and breathable, have the 2 way zipper, fold over mittens, fold over footies, and they stretch to fit a long time. For example, our son is 24 months and he still fits in his 6-12 month zippy. No really, I’m not kidding. We bought it for him when he was around 8 months old. So yes they’re pricey, but they last a long time!
Swaddle: We tried so many different swaddles with our son when he was a newborn. They vary so much and really differ depending on your baby and what you’re looking for in a swaddle. They come in super light 100% cotton, bamboo, muslin, fleece, and so on. Some have zippers, some have velcro, and some are the traditional ones you wrap around your baby. Our personal favorite through trial and error when our son was a newborn and not yet rolling over was the Happiest Baby Sleeppea Swaddle. The inner part has velcro and then zips up on the outside. We found this kept our son’s arms in the most. He still managed to get his hands out sometimes, but much less so than with other swaddles we tried. Remember, that you want to stop swaddling with hands in once your baby starts rolling. Some people choose not to swaddle at all and that’s totally fine! Another swaddle we liked to use once he started rolling was the Halo 100% Cotton Sleepsack Swaddle. You can use this one with hands in as well, but we preferred to use it with his hands out. Again, you will probably have to buy a few different swaddles and try them out to find which one you like best.
Boppy Nursing Pillow: I loved this pillow! Literally, I had three of them. One for upstairs, one for downstairs, and one for the car for on the go feeds. Not only can you use it for breastfeeding, but I also found it useful to prop my son up when he was awake or to practice supported tummy time with. My husband also used it when he would give our son a bottle. I like that it has a removable, machine washable cover. Remember, this pillow is not a safe surface for sleep!
Bulb Syringe: Hands down one of the best things you can have on hand is a bulb syringe. Some people really like the Nose Frida, but I’m personally not a fan and would rather use a regular bulb syringe. What I like about this bulb syringe in particular is that it comes apart so you can wash it! So, why do I think a bulb syringe is important? Infant’s noses are really small and they get congested easily. Using a saline mist and a bulb syringe is the best way to help with congestion and get any mucous out, since they’re can’t blow their noses themselves.
Saline Mist: As I mentioned above where I talked about the bulb syringe, I think having saline mist on hand at all times is a good idea as well. I’m a fan of using a mist versus drops. I felt like using drops was really hard and I struggled to actually get the drops in my sons nose when he was a young infant. Saline mist helps with congestion and loosening any dried mucous in their noses.
Pacifier: We tried a lot of different pacifiers and our favorite was the Tommee Tippee Ultra Light Silicone pacifier. Not every baby likes pacifiers, and honestly it can take some trial and error to find the right one for them. But, if you want to start somewhere, maybe start with these! I like that they’re easy to wash and pet hair doesn’t stick to them as much as others did.
Mylicon drops: These gas relief drops came in handy often when our son was an infant. We always had a bottle of this on hand. It’s fairly common for infants to be gassy because their GI tracts are not fully developed. Mylicon, or Simethicone is the generic term, is an over the counter medication that helps break up the gas bubbles in your baby’s GI tract and make them easier to pass. There are many different brands, but all of them have the same active ingredient which is Simethicone.
Newborns don’t really need much…
I know there are so many products out there for newborns and infants. But honestly, they don’t need much. If you want to buy all the things, then by all means do it! But like I said, newborns don’t really need much. Just remember what they really need the most is a loving caregiver. They just need you.
Hope you found this post helpful in figuring out what few items you need for your new baby! -Janelle
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