I’ve been preparing for my second baby’s arrival and in doing so I’ve realized that you don’t need that much. This is a list of the products you really need to welcome a new baby. Keep in mind, lots of baby products can make life easier, but aren’t essential. This is for the minimalist mama, the mom who is feeling overwhelmed making a registry, or the mom who’s just not trying to spend an arm and a leg welcoming a new little one.
Baby Products you NEED:
1.Car seat. You can’t even leave the hospital/birth center without this.
2.Stroller. You don’t need anything expensive or fancy and you definitely can get away with something cheap or even something used. Keep in mind, you can also find travel systems that work with your car seat so that it clicks right into the stroller to make your life a little easier.
3.Baby carrier. Sometimes you just need to be hands free. A carrier or wrap will do just the trick and there are plenty that don’t break the bank. There are also a surprising amount of carriers that can hold up to 30-45 pounds, meaning you can continue to use it as your baby gets bigger, not just in the newborn phase.
4.Diapers. Pretty obvious, but definitely a product you’ll need.
5.Clothes. But not as many as you think. You don’t need a ton of newborn sized outfits, they’ll grow out of them super fast! I would recommend getting newborn pajamas and a couple onesies. Our son lived in pajamas during the newborn phase. Its just not practical to put newborns in an actual outfit everyday. Focus more on size 0-3 months and larger.
6.Burp cloths. If you’re trying to be minimalistic or save money, you can also just use rags that way when baby gets older and you don’t need burp cloths as often, you still have rags that you can use for cleaning.
7.Crib/bassinet. If you’re wanting to cut costs or just save space, you can opt just for the crib. Baby will likely sleep in your room for at least the first six months or so, but you can move their crib to your room for that time frame and move it back to the nursery when you’re done. Bassinets are great, but you’re supposed to stop using them (at least the one we had) once baby can roll over.
8.Feeding essentials. This will look different for every family. But basically, bottles, formula, a breast pump (which you can likely get from your insurance for free with a quick phone call), or items to help with nursing like nipple creams and nursing pads.
9.Bath seat. Some way to safely bathe your baby.
10.Thermometer. The most accurate way to get a newborns temperature is with a rectal thermometer. You can get one for just a couple bucks at any grocery store or pharmacy. An ear or forehead thermometer won’t be accurate until your baby is older.
11.Infant Tylenol. Get it before you need it that way when you do, you’re not driving to the store with a sick baby in tow.
12.Diaper cream. Again, get it before you need it. You can also get away with vaseline but I did find that your little one can get faster relief with the medicated creams.
Baby Products you DON’T need:
1.Changing table. Honestly, I used the changing table for our first just a handful of times. More often than not I laid him on the floor to change his diaper.
2.Diaper pail. It is convenient to have one, but not a must have by any means. I had one for a while before it started to stink and we couldn’t seem to get the smell to go away. We stopped using it and started putting pee diapers in the trash inside and taking poop diapers to the trash outside. It worked great and took up less space in the nursery.
3.Baby towels. Adult size towels work fine. They’re not as cute, but they get the job done.
4.Baby loungers/floor seats. They can be nice, but absolutely not necessary. You can always find a safe spot on the ground to lay your baby down on a blanket. As newborns they can’t roll and when they get big enough that they can, these items aren’t recommended anymore anyways.
5.Gloves/mittens. My son used to scratch his face relentlessly as a newborn. We tried little newborn mittens but they can get those right off and they get lost so easily. Instead, get long sleeve onesies and sleepers with the built in hand covers.
6.Bath toys. My son could play for hours in the bath with nothing but a red solo cup. Don’t worry about buying bath toys.
Don’t get overwhelmed!
Companies love to market their “must have” products to expecting moms. While there are plenty of items on the market that can make life with a baby easier, remember, they are not things that you need. Most of these baby products are only useful for a few months at a time because your baby is changing and growing so rapidly in that first year. So don’t feel overwhelmed by the marketing if you are getting ready to welcome a new baby. Trust your gut and adapt with your baby’s needs as they grow and you’ll do just fine.
