Are you having a new baby and want to be prepared for when they come? Check this insanely short, but perfect list of the actual essentials you’ll need for baby.
Hi, I am due in a few short months with baby #5, and we are so excited!
We were a little surprised at this, and had already given away all of our newborn baby things, so once again I am starting over with getting the things we need.
So of course, I have been going through the “must have” baby lists that are on the internet, and you’d be surprised at how many things you don’t actually have to have!
I promise, by the fifth baby, I know what I need to get, and what not to waste my money on, and I realize that if no one else on the internet will put it down to bare basics for you, then I would.
These are the only things I am getting for this baby, this is truly the basics.
And as a bonus, I will tell you what are the absolute most useless things to not even bother getting as extras!
11 Items Essential Newborn List:
1. Newborn Diapers
Get the SMALLEST package there is. . . Or even reach out to a neighborhood Facebook page, or a friend who has recently had a baby to see if they have an already opened package of newborn diapers lying around. They are great for the first little while before the umbilical cord falls off, but my babies always outgrew them pretty quick. . . Many hospitals load you up with newborn diapers. . . so if you want to see if what they give you will last till you need size 1, maybe don’t even buy the newborn package until you are almost out.
2. Diaper wipes
Yes of course. Buy these suckers in bulk, you’ll need them for the next 3 years or longer (even with no babies in diapers, I still would use them all the time).
3. 2-6 receiving or swaddling blankets.
These double as burp and spit up rags, so it’s ok to get a few extra of these. Learn how to swaddle your baby good and you won’t need to get the specialty swaddlers that will only last a couple of months.
4. Pack’N’Play
This is also something you can probably get on the cheap by looking at child consignment stores, garage sales, or Facebook marketplace. Many of them have a newborn bed that can convert to a lower baby bed later when the baby starts moving. I have never had a legit crib, and it’s not needed. The great thing about pack’n’plays, is that if this is your normal crib, then the baby is already used to it when you go visit other places. And like the name says, you can pack it up for wherever you go.
5. 4-6 sleepers in 0-3 months size.
(a few more if the newborn is during the cold winter months and you run your house cold.
6. 1-2 dozen onesies in 0-3 months size.
They’ll be spitting up and pooping out of their onesies A LOT.
Optional: ONE (ok, maybe two) cute baby outfit for pictures or going out.
I had so many darling outfits for newborns that i gave away that literally still had the tags on them because I never went anywhere fancy with the baby. Doctor’s visits will want to take the baby’s clothes off anyways, so just dress them normally.
7. Boppy Pillow
This to me is a must even if you don’t breast-feed. . . now you can just stuff pillows under your arms to help support your arms that are supporting the baby. . . So I guess it isn’t exactly essential. . . But some sort of pillow to help is important. lots of these are at consignment stores, and they all (should) come with a zipper pillowcase that you can throw in the wash.
8. Vaseline
For baby’s bum if it gets irritated (you may need stronger stuff if it gets worse).
9. Newborn pacifiers.
. .but we got a couple at the hospital so didn’t have to buy them.
10. Car seat
Clearly you have to have one of these! If you are birthing at a hospital, they won’t let you take the baby home without one.
Optional: Nursing shield if you are planning on breastfeeding.
A long, light-material blanket would work too, but I like ones that go around my neck so that it doesn’t fall off when the baby gets wiggly. The ones that go completely around you and the baby are the best.
11. Baby Bouncer and/or Baby Wrap
Some sort of plan to keep the baby nearby while you are on the move. . . either a baby carrier if you want to wear the baby, or a baby chair like this one. . . please don’t buy these new. Your baby will last in these such a short amount of time, that you can get a used one that has hardly been used at all. So I keep my pack’n’play by my bed for night time and some naps, but I keep one of these in the living room for my day-today living. . .Since I have other children, I usually just carry the baby around with me. That way I know that he is safe from his sibling’s energetic play. But if this is your first, with no one wanting to hold the baby unsafely, get the baby chair.
That is literally it. You are set! Everything else you get on top of these things, are for fun and not essential. There are a ton of different products out there that might make your life easier for those first few months, and by all means, get those if you want!
Now for my ‘please don’t bother buying’ list.
Crib
I know I mentioned this before, but the cribs with big wooden slats, and are uncomfortable to put the sleeping child down into. . . useless when you can have a nice, soft pack’n’play that can go with you everywhere! If you do insist on getting a crib, at least get one of the kinds that can convert into a toddler bed as your child grows.
Changing station
Really? A whole piece of furniture, stuck in ONE ROOM IN THE HOUSE that you think you will use often to change the baby’s diaper and clothes? Just lay a recieving blanket on the ground, couch, or bed. . . wherever you are. . . and take care of the baby there. You won’t be wanting to take the extra time to go to the changing station.
Baby Wipe Warmer.
I was GIFTED this to me last time, and I still didn’t use it. If you really want the wipes a little warmer, take one, cup your hands around it and breathe your hot air on it. It works about the same.
Ok, so that DO NOT BUY list was really short. I still stand by it though.
What else have I missed? This is truly everything I plan on having on hand for when my newborn arrives. Goodness knows that as they get older, there will be a lot more expenses, so no need to go overboard at the beginning.
Good luck with your baby and please share your thoughts on my list of 11 Essential items for newborns!
