As a first time parent, putting together a baby registry can be overwhelming because it’s difficult to tell what is truly a necessity. Sure hooded towels are cute, but they’re certainly not a necessity.
We’re going to post a 7 part Ultimate Baby Registry series in the coming days, and before you get overwhelmed, I thought we’d put together a list of the absolute newborn essentials first. A newborn just needs you, a place to sleep, milk, diapers, and clothes those first couple of weeks. And you don’t need to have absolutely everything you might possibly need prepared in advance — if you need something after the baby is born, you can always go out and buy it!
This is what I think are the absolute newborn essentials you need when you bring your baby home:
Sleep – If you’re using a bassinet, pack n play or cosleeper, you can hold off on buying a crib for a couple of months. There were a couple of items I debated adding like fragrance free laundry detergent, baby shampoo, and baby lotion, but ultimately I left them off the list because those were all things our parents lived without.
Feeding – In case breastfeeding doesn’t work out, you’ll want to have at least 2 bottles on hand.
Changing – Diapers, wipes, and diaper cream are all you’ll need, although back in my mom’s day, they just did a lot of butt washing and didn’t use diaper cream!
First Aid – Infants under 2 months old shouldn’t be given pain medicine, so the only items you’ll need are clippers to trim those razor sharp claws that grow super fast, as well as a digital rectal thermometer so you can tell when your baby has a fever.
Layette – It’s easy to go overboard on the clothes, but newborns outgrow 0-3 month sizes so quickly. I think some onesies and sleepers are all you need those first couple of weeks, and the basic brands like Carter’s are just fine.
What would you add/remove/change about this list? What were the absolute newborn essentials for you?
Newborn Essentials part 2 of 13
1. My Top 15 Most Used Baby Products by Mrs. Bee2. Absolute Essentials for a Newborn by Checklists
3. Newborn Essentials by Mrs. Hopscotch
4. Mrs. Markers' Newborn Essentials by Mrs. Markers
5. Newborn Sleep Essentials by Mrs. Checkers
6. The Essentials: Newborn Edition by mrs. tictactoe
7. Mrs. Sketchbook's Budget Gear Faves: Newborn to Six Months by Mrs. Sketchbook
8. Twin Newborn Essentials by Mrs. Blue
9. Top 10 adopted newborn essentials by Mrs. Jacks
10. Newborn Essentials by Mrs. Tea
11. New Mom Tips by Mrs. Bee
12. Newborn Must Haves by Mrs. Sea Otter
13. Mrs. Rabbit's Top 10 Newborn Must-Haves by Mrs. Rabbit
apricot / 302 posts
I’m not a mom yet, but I’ve been around enough babies to know you probably need either a bulb-sucker thing or a nose frieda in case your baby gets congested.
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
ah yes we didn’t use one for the first 9 months of charlie’s life since he never got sick.
persimmon / 1255 posts
A million burp rags. We use cloth diapers as burp rags cause they are absorbent, inexpensive, and has so many other uses around the house.
pomegranate / 3053 posts
Great list! For me, having a bunch of cloth diapers as burp clothes as well was such a life saver since N spit up a lot the first few months. No reflex or anything…think he just ate too much. Those things do absorb more than anything I’ve used.
pea / 11 posts
Oh my gosh! As we try to prepare for baby in February, this is a lifesaver! Yay
kiwi / 718 posts
I’ve said it before, but I LOVE these lists! Thanks so much for providing them!
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
One of our must haves is a video monitor. We have a 3 floor condo so having one definitely makes life easier!
bananas / 9227 posts
I’m loving the list, so helpful for a new-Mom-to-be, thank you!
cantaloupe / 6146 posts
This looks about right—but my mom recommended lots of burp cloths (like the above said).
guest
these lists are a lifesaver! Thanks for posting them, and glad I came across them! I’m expecting a baby in February and had no idea where to start…