The List Of Everything You Will Need For Your Newborn Baby

If you’re preparing to welcome your newborn home, you might be wondering what you really need in the first few weeks.

Not only are there a lot of recommended items out there, but you’re probably already overwhelmed with the endless recommendations of your friends and family. So you might end up feeling like you need a lot more than you really do.

While you don’t want to go overboard and spend extra money on things you don’t really need, you also won’t want to risk not being prepared enough.

So we’ve put together this list of everything that you will really need during the first few weeks of caring for your newborn baby.

Newborn Clothing

Of course, you’ll need a wardrobe for your newborn. But when shopping for clothing, it’s important to prioritize comfort and practicality over adorable fashions. While you can get a few cute outfits, your newborn won’t enjoy wearing impractical items like tiny denim jackets or trendy dresses. 

Cozy baby sleepers, soft fabric bodysuits, t-shirts, long pants, socks, booties, gowns, and baby beanies are essentials. While stocking up on these baby clothes, remember the charm of customization. Consider personalizing their clothing with their name or initials. This adds a special touch to each piece, creating not just adorable outfits but also beautiful keepsakes. If you haven’t thought of a name for your newborn, considering unique and meaningful options can make these personalized items even more special.

Nappies, Wet Wipes, Diaper Rash Cream

Whether you use disposable diapers or reusable fabric nappies, having enough on hand is essential when your baby arrives. A newborn will use eight to twelve diapers daily, so you’ll need quite a few.

With this, you’ll also need wet wipes or soft clean fabric cloths and diaper rash cream to change your baby. Parents typically use two to three packs of wet wipes per week for a newborn baby, and a tub of diaper rash cream should last at least a month.

Bathing Essentials

Your newborn will need a few bathing essentials, and it’s best never to substitute these items for regular bathing products that might upset your little one’s sensitive skin.

Hooded towels, a baby bath wash product, a soft sponge or soft cloth, baby lotion or aqueous cream, and a baby bathtub are all essentials for your newborn’s daily bath routine.

A Crib, Cradle, Or Bassinet

Your newborn will also need a crib, cradle, or bassinet. Even if you have decided to co-sleep with your baby right from the get-go, you will still need one of these.

Newborns learn to roll over in the first few weeks, so it’s not recommended to let your baby nap on a regular bed without constant supervision.

While you’re preparing your newborn’s sleep space, it’s also essential to get a few soft muslin blankets, small fleece blankets, and at least one warm winter baby blanket.

Pillows are not safe for young babies, so avoid any pillows, even if they are advertised for newborns.

A Stroller

Strollers are also pretty helpful items. There’s a wide variety out there, so choosing the right one can feel overwhelming.

When choosing a stroller, you’ll only need to consider your budget, lifestyle, and comfort for your newborn.

Strollers can be a full-sized design, lightweight, umbrella, double carriage, part of a traveling system, or designed for jogging. But the most crucial factors to consider are newborn-friendly design, folding mechanisms, ease of use, weight, and practicality.

Car Seat

Car seats make it safe to transport newborns and tiny babies. These seats provide neck and spine support while ensuring your little one is secure and as comfortable as possible.

If you have chosen a stroller traveling system, the carriage can be moved from the stroller frame to the car seat installation, making it effortless to carry your baby to and from the car. The carriage can also be used as a baby carrier.

Care Essentials And Medical Supplies

Beyond bathing, changing your baby, and preparing their sleep space, you will also need some care essentials and medical supplies to care for your newborn in the first few weeks.

Baby nail clippers, a nasal aspirator, a baby brush, and baby scissors are all valuable items to have at home. Most of these can be purchased in a baby grooming kit.

In addition, you will also need infant fever medicine, gripe water, a thermometer, infant oral rehydration, a teething remedy, and saline nose spray or drops. These medical supplies can be helpful to have on hand.

Feeding Essentials

Whether you bottle-feed or breastfeed, a breast pump and bottles are helpful. When breastfeeding, you will still need to pump and store your milk, so bottles and cleaning supplies are essential.

A few bottles, a breast pump, a bottle brush, and a safe cleaning solution are all essential to feed your newborn. You can find microwavable bottle sanitizing systems online or clean baby bottles with a certified anti-bacterial and anti-fungal non-toxic cleaning product.

When purchasing baby bottles, glass is a good choice because it’s naturally BPA-free, easy to clean, and non-toxic, which is not always the case with plastic bottles.

Breastfeeding Pillow, Nursing Pads, And Nipple Cream

If you decide to breastfeed, you will need a breastfeeding pillow, nursing pads, and nipple cream.

Otherwise, if you decide to bottle-feed, you will only need a breastfeeding pillow to make feedings more comfortable for you and your newborn.

Optional Extras

Once you have everything mentioned above, you’ll be prepared to bring your newborn home. But there are some optional extras that you can consider.

Items like pacifiers are helpful for some parents, while others prefer to avoid these. At the same time, you can also get a few soothing accessories like a crib mobile, a night light, baby monitors, and a baby rocker. These items can all make caring for your newborn easier, even though they are optional.

You won’t need things like teething rings and texture toys in the first few weeks because your infant won’t yet find these items useful, but you can purchase a few soft toys for your newborn.

Once you have prepared everything you need for your newborn, you must start packing your hospital bag. It’s best to work with a checklist for your hospital bag. If your hospital has not provided a detailed checklist, you can ask your midwife or gynecologist or search for a detailed list online.