my newborn essentials

there are a million various baby products out there, and the ads make it seem like you need them all! but guess what? you don’t!! i’m going to share the things i’ve felt are necessary to have for newborns.

i’ll start with some obvious items for baby:

• diapers
  • don’t buy a lot of newborn size diapers! babies can begin wearing size 1 around 8 pounds. and if you have a large baby like myself, they can jump right into size 1.

• wipes
  • we’ve tried all kinds of wipes since we were graciously gifted a ton! i don’t have much of a preference. i’ve found a wipe is a wipe. so, i don’t think you necessarily need the “high end” brand.

• onesies
  • these are your best friend! again, i wouldn’t spend a ton of money on newborn clothing. we were gifted a couple items and they each were barely worn before he moved up sizes. no matter the size of your baby at birth, they grow so quickly!

• somewhere to sleep
  • we had a bassinet for the early days. typically bassinets aren’t the most comfortable for babies, so once you’re comfortable with your little one to sleep in a crib, i highly recommend doing that. you and your baby will both sleep better!

• car seat
  • i highly recommend getting a car seat that can be used for more than just the newborn phase.

• stroller
  • if you’re planning on having more than one baby, getting a stroller that can have attachments for more babies is amazing and so worth it! i linked our stroller, and i love it!

here are other items i’ve deemed necessary for my little guy:

• snuggle me organic
  • we used this everyday for the first month of hudson’s life. your baby lays in it and it kind of squishes them in to make them feel cozier and more like they’re in your womb still. you can also buy cute covers for them- not necessary but cute 😉

• electric nail file
  • baby’s nails grow insanely fast and they’re very sharp! this is quick and pain free way to trim your little’s nails. comes with different heads for different ages.

• sleep sacks
  • my son was not a baby who liked to be swaddled. so, the sleep sack was our night time best friend. they can wear it for a long time but yet it still kind of keeps them from excessively flailing. i like the hatch baby ones, but truly any kind has worked well for us.

• socks as mits
  • this goes right along with those sharp nails i talked about. babies scratch themselves so much, especially at night. you can buy actual mits, but i actually recommend just using socks (clean ones obviously). just make sure they get washed before and after they’re used as mits.

• pacifiers
  • now, not every baby is going to like a pacifier, but i highly recommend using one from the start! it’ll be your best friend when you’re in church or a restaurant and your baby gets slightly fussy. hudson doesn’t use one all the time and doesn’t need it to fall asleep, but he likes it enough that it calms him down sometimes, especially since he’s been teething. now, i personally wouldn’t go out and buy a ton before baby is born, because, for example, hud only likes one kind (of course it’s not the cute kind), but all the nipples are so different that babies tend to have preferences. using a pacifier clip is very handy for going out and about.

• burp cloths
  • my son loves to spit up- like alllll the time, so these are absolutely essential to save my clothes from being constantly wet. i love burt’s bees or honest ones.

• diaper genie
  • some wouldn’t deem this as essential, but i’m so glad we got one! it’s really nice to not fill your normal trash cans with stinky diapers, especially since babies go through a lot of diapers.

• activity mat
  • we use this everyday! once hudson grew out of the snuggle me, this became his new place to “hang and chill.” it gives him things to reach for and look at.

• baby monitor
  • might seem obvious but i love having a monitor! didn’t start using it until hudson was sleeping in his room on his own. for us, he was doing so by six weeks old.

• baby carrier
  • we have a couple types of carriers, but my favorite is the ergo baby omni 360. it is heavy duty and nice for hikes and walks. you never have to worry whether baby is secure or not.
    

here are some items for mommy:

• nursing pads
  • i found a pack off of amazon that are reusable and they’re wonderful!
    
• nursing bra
  • i have not caved and purchased a super expensive nursing bra but honestly, it might be worth it if you want to. i pretty much wear the same two but must wash after a day of wearing with all the leakage.

• comfy clothes
  • yes- these are essential. especially those first 2 weeks, you need cozy clothes.

• pillow
  • i do have a nursing pillow but honestly, any type of pillow can do the job too!

• breast pump
  • i have both a manual and electric pump. they both work great! the manual one is super convenient for taking on the go.

everyone is going to have different things they think are necessary for their baby. here is my compact list of what we truly needed not just found useful for our newborn.