There are so many baby products out there that it can be overwhelming for a new mom. So what are my newborn necessities? Keep reading my friend because I’m breaking it all down and sharing my must have newborn items.
You’re going to see a common theme throughout this post: my husband and I were clueless that first week with Luke. Maybe other first time parents have more experience than we did, but we were one of the first couples out of our friends and family to have a baby so it was a learning curve for us.
Some things I nailed when setting up the baby registry and others I bought a week after Luke’s birth and absolutely fell in love. Ok here we go: my top 10 newborn necessities!
1. Pacifiers + Pacifier Clips
One of my biggest regrets is not bringing a pacifier to the hospital. I knew I wanted to try breastfeeding (that’s a topic for another day) and had heard that it wasn’t good to introduce a pacifier right away. Oh I wish I hadn’t listened to that advice… Once we introduced the Phillips Avent Ultra Air pacifiers at home, Luke loved it and it instantly soothed him.
I highly recommend also picking up a few pacifier clips too. Trust me, you’ll get sick of washing it a million times after it falls on the floor… I found some cute but cheap ones here!
2. SwaddleMe Swaddles
Fact: Blanket swaddles are impossible to perfect.
Or maybe my child is just a little Houdini… Either way, velcro swaddles are a newborn necessity!
The SwaddleMe brand is my favorite and comes in some really cute patterns. Just make sure you have several on hand. Think late nights and multiple outfit changes…
3. Zipper Pajamas
I laugh looking back on the baby clothing I bought while pregnant. Not only did I guess at sizing but I bought pjs with snaps. You live and you learn but they’re definitely not in my list of newborn necessities.
Picture this: you’re exhausted and getting up with the baby every few hours for feeding and diaper changes. The last thing you want to do is have to fumble with snaps. Insert zip pajamas and your life will be changed. They’re 100% the way to go in my book!
My son was born in June so we had a lighter set for the summer and transitioned to fleece in the winter. We always had good luck with sales at Carter’s (with coupons and sales I could get them for about $5 each) and really just loved the quality but I’m sure you can find good deals elsewhere too!
4. Sound Machine
This is yet another thing I didn’t bring to the hospital or have that first week at home but it is literally a lifesaver. Any baby class you take teaches you that babies are used to the whooshing sound of the womb and the quiet after birth is unsettling to them. We use this sound machine in the nursery (it has both a plug in and battery option- good to have in case you lose power) and we also picked up this travel sound machine for naps on the go. Highly recommend both!
5. Backpack Diaper Bag + Changing Pad
I never knew how much I could love a diaper bag and all of its compartments. Skip Hop really thought of everything! First, a backpack style was ideal for me since I needed hands free to carry Luke and/or the car seat. But most importantly, I needed compartments. There’s also an insulated pocket in the front for bottles, a small zipper perfectly sized for pacifiers, a place on the side of the bag for easy access to wipes and many other well thought out pockets.
Basically you can fit everything and anything you could possibly need. My one drawback was the changing pad that came with the bag. It was a little small for my liking so I picked up this Skip Hop changing pad and I love it!
6. Formula Dispenser
This was a game changer when we started using it both at home and on the go. We keep it stocked with pre-portioned formula and always have water in the bottles so when it’s time for Luke to eat, it’s as simple as pouring the formula into the bottle. We have a Dr Brown’s formula dispenser that came with Luke’s bottles but there are many other brands out there that would work just as well!
7. Glider with Ottoman
A comfy chair with a foot rest is something I’m SO glad we spent the money on. One of my top (but perhaps surprising) newborn necessities. It’s set up in Luke’s room and we use it several times a day for bottles and when we read books. We purchased a DaVinci Glider and used it multiple times a day with both of our children. I was hesitant to buy this item online but our local store didn’t have many in stock. Ultimately, I read the reviews and chose the one I thought would go best in the room. I’m so happy with it!
8. Cooper + Belle Bath Towel
This was a gift from a girlfriend and oh my goodness I’ll never go back…honestly! I had registered for standard hooded towels but I found that they didn’t absorb water very well and Luke quickly grew out of them. The Cooper and Belle towels are so absorbent and even have a strap system (think of an apron) to help you safely get your baby out of the bath and into the towel. It’s a little more expensive than a regular towel but it’s well worth the money in my opinion!
9. Car Seat / Stroller Travel System
This is a must have baby item in my opinion! We have the Chicco Bravo Trio Travel System and absolutely love it. The car seat can easily be taken out of the car and snapped right into the stroller. This came in handy so many times when Luke fell asleep in the car while we were out running errands. I would turn on his portable sound machine, put on cover over him and snap the car seat into the stroller. Luke wouldn’t miss a beat with his nap!
10. Baby Swing
It took Luke a little getting used to but a swing definitely helped calm him in the first few months. We used the Graco Simple Sway Swing. There are so many out there though so make sure you look around. I liked that ours could swing two different directions but it also took up a lot of space which was a con in my opinion.
And there you have it… a complete list of my newborn necessities. There are so many other products that have come in handy but looking back, these were game changers.
Would you be interested in my must have items as Luke got older? As he transitioned from 3 to 6 months and then 6+ months, he became more and more mobile and the products we relied on naturally changed.
Related: How to Get Sleep With a Newborn