As a fourth time mother, I know that sometimes we collect more for our new babies on the way than is necessary. I found myself giving away items, or never using after I had my first baby. Now, I feel seasoned and as if I know exactly what I need before I bring my baby home from the hospital. It has been 1 month since I delivered my fourth baby, and these items are the things that I actually used. Check it out.
This is such an important monitoring tool to have on hand in case you need to take a temperature. You never know when your fragile little baby may have a cough or anything that could alarm you enough to call your pediatrician. It is helpful to know if the baby has a fever or not. So make sure you have this in your home before coming back from the hospital.
Those cute little fingers can have very sharp nails. A nail clipper is helpful with removing tiny little claws that will scratch your baby’s face from time to time because they cannot control their limbs very well. In addition to this, you may want to purchase little cotton hand mitts to keep them from scratching themselves as well. Some people aren’t fans of nail clippers because they fear cutting the baby’s nails altogether. I think the best time to do it is when they are asleep.
One of the things that moms tend to have a lot of questions about is cradle crap. It is completely harmless, but unsightly. It is useful to begin gently brushing the hair and scalp with a little bit of oil (I like to use olive oil or coconut oil) to help decrease cradle crap from the beginning. I also use this gentle scalp scrubber to minimize cradle crap appearing as well.
For newborns who are tiny like mine (about 5 to 7 LBS at birth), I purpose cloth baby carriers like the K’Tan baby carrier for in and out of the house. The K’Tan baby carrier is one of my favorites, because it is so much easier to put on than some of the other wraps. Also, you can check out shirts that carry the baby in them as well. It is much easier to do things with two hands free than to do thing with only one. Plus, the baby is more calm and happy if they are being carried by you while you get things done (and there will still be things to do, because a mom is never without a To-Do list). Later on I use the baby bjorn carrier. There are always a ton of new and functional baby carriers on the market, so choose your favorite.
Breastfeeding/Feeding Essentials
This section needs to be an entire post. I will briefly state that having items you will need to feed your baby is a must. For me, I always breastfeed my babies so I usually need a breast pump, milk storage bags, nipple cream, soothing gel pads, a nursing bra, and bottles.
You need onesies and lots of them! This is the time of many diaper explosions, and having fresh onesies on hand to change your baby into is a must! Of course, all of the cute outfits are fun to dress up the baby in, but make sure you still have comfortable onesies as well. In another post, I will discuss the importance of tummy time and having the proper attire on to get it right.
Some people like bathe their babies in a sink. If this is you then move right along to the next item. However, I prefer to place an infant tub inside of my bathtub. At first, I had one of those fancy tubs that generated a suitable temperature reading for baby. This time around I purchased a simple tub without all the technology, because I can feel what is the perfect temperature at this point. If you are a little nervous about determining the correct temperature yourself then I would recommend finding a tub with the thermometer. The one that I used in the past was the 4 Moms tub, but it has since been discontinued.
Although I can forgo a crib in the very beginning, what I cannot do without is a changing area. It is so much more efficient to have a specific area with all of the items you need to change your baby’s diaper. You will need diapers, wipes, changing pad covers for replacement, diaper cream, diaper pail, and a change of clothes. I also keep lightweight changing pads around frequently used areas of the house so that I can quickly change a diaper where I am located.
This is always at the top of my list. I want to keep a very close eye on my baby. For those moments where the baby is napping and you want to jump in the shower, you will feel more comfortable knowing that you can see and hear your baby from afar. The HeimVision Baby Monitor with a 5″ HD LCD screen is what I purchased this time. I thought it was a great purchase to have all of the features I prefer (temperature detector, sound detector, wifi, and large range of camera movement). A camera that can move quietly is a must! Once I had a camera that was not completely silent and I feared adjusting it from the monitor because it may have interrupted my baby’s sleep. So, make sure that you look out for this when looking for a monitor. So far my HeimVision Baby Monitor has been very silent.
A white noise sound machine can help to improve your newborn’s sleep, because it will mask sudden noises. Inside of the womb is pretty loud, so the white noise creates a calming environment that is similar to the comforts of the womb. I thought this was key in helping my babies settle into their proper circadian rhythm much faster. I created bedtime routines from the very beginning. I used the sound machine and a very dark room (blackout curtains) as a cue that this is the time when we sleep for a longer hours.
I currently have a diaper bag from Freshly Picked and it is my 1st real diaper bag. I have to say that I do prefer this diaper bag over my large luxury bag that I turned into a diaper bag. It has the best compartments for everything I need. It is much more functional. I like the larger diaper bags for the beginning of baby’s life, because I need to carry around more things.
Your itsy bitsy baby will need their own washcloth and towel to get clean. Don’t forget a non-toxic soap like Puracy.
In general, I like to buy non-toxic detergents for my children’s clothing. However, newborns have even more sensitive skin. I like to use ECOS or Puracy, because they have great ratings on the ewg.org website. This website is a great resource for moms who are trying to make the switch to products with less harmful chemicals.
This is a no-brainer. Personally, I have used Pampers Diapers and Pampers Wipes the most. I have liked Bamboo Nature Diapers because they are marketed as non-toxic, but they are more expensive. You also need a diaper pail to throw away these diapers. I have tried a bunch of different ones, and my favorite still is the munchkin diaper pail.
Bassinet or Sleeping Area
For newborns I prefer bassinets over cribs. The crib just seem so large for such a tiny baby. My first two children had bassinets, but I switched to a Montessori style sleeping area for my third (and now fourth) baby. What I mean by Montessori style is to have a thin mattress where the baby will be able to get on and off of the sleeping area once they are mobile. Personally, I do not use a bed frame for this, but solely a mattress. I have purchased one from Ikea before and one from Amazon. I choose a firm, twin size mattress and place it in my room. I baby proof my room to make the environment safe for exploration. I really fell in love with this setup, and it made co-sleeping easier for the nights we had cluster breastfeeding sessions during growth spurts.
Although I am not a big fan of swaddling (more on this in a post about Gross Motor Development), from time to time I find it useful in the early stage of newborn life. It also serves as a barrier on the couch whenever I lay the baby next to me on the sofa. And it is useful for times when it gets a little chilly when we take walks outside in the summer. You can also try the newer swaddles like this one by Ollie.
You can’t leave the hospital without it. I always purchase Britax car seats for all of my children because they annually rank as one of the safest car seats available. Safety is very important, especially in the car.
These are the 16 items that I must have before the baby comes to feel prepared. Anything else is purchased after the baby’s arrival. And with online shopping being as easy as it is these days, mom life is much easier. For things I need the same day, but I do not want to pack up all of my children to leave the house, I use the Shipt app. A shopper will do all the work for me. Honestly, once I factor in the cost of gas for my large SUV, this isn’t a very expensive service. A stroller that is a good pair for the car seat is also essential.
This is a new essential item for me, because I didn’t have it with my other children, but this technology can give moms a peace of mind. Every night I find myself checking to see if my baby is breathing well. There has never been an issue, but it is a worry. This sock monitors the baby’s breathing and heart rate. A true peace of mind.
Here is the full list of items I mentioned with their affiliate links to purchase from Amazon (my favorite place to shop).
- Ear Thermometer
- Nail Clipper
- Hair Brush
- Baby Scalp Scrubbie Brush
- Baby Bjorn Carrier
- KTan Baby Carrier
- Medela Breast Pump
- Dr. Brown Baby Bottles
- Nipple Cream
- Baby Formula
- Baby Onesies
- Diaper Bag
- Infant Tub
- Infant Towel
- Infant Washcloth
- Baby Wash
- Diaper Changing Pad
- Diaper Changing Table
- Diaper Pail
- Changing Pad Liner
- Changing Pad Cover
- Baby Monitor
- Owlet Sock
- Sound Machine
- Baby Detergent
- Diapers
- Water Wipes
- Montessori baby bed
- Infant Lounger
- Swaddle Blankets
- Ollie Swaddle
- Britax Car seat and Stroller
Share any tips or items you can’t bring home a baby without in the comment section, and send this post to your mom friends.
