If you ask 10 veteran mamas what their must have basic necessities were to bring the baby home and survive you’ll probably wind up with 10 very different lists with a wide array of “must-haves”. My husband and I joke that there are only a few basic things you need to bring the baby home, somewhere for them to sleep, a way for them to eat, clothes and a car seat. Most first time moms get super overwhelmed with all the potential items they need on their registry and there are a bazillion lists out there, trust me just check Pinterest! So after a chat with a sweet friend who is going to be a first time mama, and reflecting back on both of my boys and what I needed for each one, here’s my advice for your most basic/bare necessities to bring baby home from the hospital.
*And one more thing before you jump into my list. My other piece of advice is to take this list (and all other parenting advice from well meaning mamas of littles up to grown) with a grain of salt. All babies/children are different and what worked for one might not work for another. I had two boys and they couldn’t be anymore different! (One loved exersaucers, one hated. One loved his wubanub, one hated. One loved the bumbo, one hated it. One loved a bouncer, one hated it and preferred mama instead.)
Stephanie’s Baby Check List
- 4-8 Onesies, 2-3 Pants, both of newborn + 3 months; anything 6+ would be great but not necessary to begin with (you’ll want to wash everything in baby laundry detergent before you have baby and have it in the nursery when you get home)
- Velcro sleep sack, just one or two for overnight, when they are small you can swaddle but as they get bigger you’ll want velcro)
- 7-8 footie pjs, as many as you can get! Even in the summer, it was nice to keep babies in these instead swaddle blankets all the time.
- Crib+mattress or something else to sleep in like rock & play, etc. (If you get a crib have 2 fitted sheets.) One of my kiddos slept in a rock and play for 6 months, the other straight in his crib from day 1!
- 2-3 soft, light receiving blankets aka swaddle blankets
- Diaper cream
- baby wipes
- diapers newborn and size 1 to begin with (Don’t open them until you need to! In case you get too many of one size you can switch them out for the next size you need)
- Baby bathtub, plastic tub works fine!
- Baby soap Shampoo like Johnsons Baby Wash (Get the big pumps! That way when you have a wet wiggly baby in one hand, you can get soap with the other!)
- Gentle laundry detergent. Don’t go overboard with this, after 6 months you can probably switch over to your normal, depending on the baby’s skin.
- If you breastfeed you’ll want a pump, milk storage bags, nipple cream and nursing pads (get the gel ones girl, you can put in the fridge!)
- If you bottle feed, start with one or two, you don’t know which one your baby is going to like. My oldest used Dr Browns, and they were tough to clean. My littlest used Comotomo and we LOVED Them, but they are expensive. Bottle brushes too!
- Burp cloths, if you don’t get these you can always use wash cloths or hand towels!
- 2-4 pacifiers (get one or two of different kinds until you figure out what kind your baby wants)
- Emergency kit with baby nail clippers, baby thermometer, vaseline, nose sucker
- Car seat
- Diaper bag (I highly recommend a book bag! All you really need in this are diapers, wipes, burp cloth, and baby change of clothes)
Would be great but not necessary:
- Rocking or arm chair
- Baby monitor
- humidifier
- Dresser
- Toy basket
- Soft washcloths & towels
- Changing table or cushioned changing pad for low dresser or bureau, with safety strap or railing. And some covers for it.
- Nursing pillow, like boppy
- 4-8 bibs
- Stroller or infant carrier
- Baby swing or bouncer
- Playard with bassinet aka pack and play
- High chair – You can wait until the baby is 4-6 months for this!
- bumbo – You can wait until the baby is 3ish months for this
- paci clips
- teether
- sippy cups, baby spoons, baby bowls, anything solid food related you won’t need until 4-6 months at the earliest!
- Sound machine
- Baby hairbrush
Other pieces of advice:
- Also, ask for gift cards if you can! Gift cards are great for diapers, and figuring out what your family actually needs when your little one gets here.
- Ask friends if you can borrow what they aren’t using! For example, you’ll only need the baby bath tub for a short time until the little one can sit up on their own.
- Shop second hand on some of the bigger items! Babies go through so much so quickly that usually bigger items are in great shape like bouncers or swings.
Most of all enjoy your little one! And know that the baby stage doesn’t last forever, it’s hard but you got this mama!
The Byrd House Blog 