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I’ve been getting nostalgic as our baby boy’s first birthday draws closer, remembering those first few months after he was born. As I’ve organized his clothes and gone through his tiny baby things, I’ve also put together a list of the most essential things we love and used from the moment he came home from the hospital!
I’m a minimalist at heart and I try my best to keep our home and spaces really organized and tidy, so I’m only sharing the most practical and essential things that we actually used (and still use in some cases) every day after our boy was born. I’m all about being resourceful with what you’ve got, so I plan on using everything I’ve listed here again down the road!
Below are the my favorite newborn baby essentials. I’ve also saved everything that we purchased on Amazon here on my storefront.
Sleep:
- Taking Cara Babies Newborn Sleep class. Worth every penny. Sleep is priceless. Take my money, Cara. Take it all.
- A real swaddle. Not the stretchy blanket kind, but one that secures and locks those little wiggly arms and legs down. You really only need one. We used this Miracle Blanket Swaddle, but I’d probably get this one for the future since the velcro might make it easier to secure.
- Sound machine. The key to uninterrupted baby sleep.
- A place for your baby to sleep near you. My parents got us a beautiful Plum + Sparrow Moses basket and Bassinet stand.
Nice to have:
My in laws gave us a Dockatot that we used inside the bassinet for the first couple months. After our baby got a little bigger, I just took the little pad out of the Dockatot and put that at the bottom of his bassinet.
Feeding:
- Muslin burp cloths that double as washcloths.
- Nursing pillow. I have used this every single day since he was born. When we’ve traveled without it I realize how much work it does for me to prop the baby up comfortably.
- Como Tomo silicone bottles. We tried four different types of bottles and these are the ones he’d take.
Changing:
- Ubbi Diaper Pail. You wouldn’t believe how well this sucker locks in the stench of a ripe dipe. One of the best gifts we received!
- Changing pad – Loved that we could wipe this clean when the inevitable neon blowouts happen.
On The Go:
- Atlas Supply Minimalist Penny Vegan leather backpack (diaper bag). We put this bag on our registry because it didn’t look like a diaper bag. We wanted something that would last for years and that both Cayden and I would be comfortable hauling around. We both love this!
- Solly baby wrap. I loved having him close to me when we were out and about for the first few months.
- Carseat/Nursing cover. For feedings on the go.
- Baby mirror for back seat
- Blankets…but I wouldn’t even suggest buying more than a few of those for yourself since you may receive blankets as gifts.
- Nuna Pipa Carseat. We love the dream drape that comes down out of the hood!
- We got the Baby Jogger City Select Lux Stroller and have really loved it so far. I always think of things in terms of “price per use”, and since we have used this stroller almost every single day since he was born, I’d say it is well worth the investment. For the first few months we used this pram and loved that he could be comfy and nap while we walked.
Bathing:
- Puj tub for the sink when he was itty bitty. We’ve since used this Angelcare bath tub and this Summer bath seat now that he’s bigger.
- Muslin wash cloths (double as burp cloths)
- Gentle baby lotion and body wash/shampoo. We’ve tried a bunch of different fancy/organic bath products but Johnson & Johnson are still my favorite! They just SMELL like bath time!
Every day essentials:
- Little Remedies pain reliever
- Gripe water. Bless his little gassy newborn self. This always seemed to soothe his tummy.
- Baby nail file. Way easier than trying to trim their little jagged nails!
- BabyBjorn bouncer. Our little guy loved this thing! It was the perfect place for me to put him when I needed to get ready, make dinner, or do some things around the house.
Clothes:
Though it was fun to put our baby boy in a few cute outfits every so often, I mostly used a few different onesies and rompers. My sister-in-laws (and veteran mamas) gave me this pack of neutral onesies (in ‘Neutral Basic’) and this is basically what baby wore every day for the first couple months. Loved them.
My favorite baby clothing brand by far is City Mouse. So timeless and classic.
You’ve also got to keep those tiny toes warm somehow, but socks never lasted long on our little guys feet! Enter our favorite slightly hilarious looking hobbit/dwarf shoe…the Canadian made Goumiboots. They come in great neutral colors and don’t fall off and can’t be yanked off easily by busy baby hands! Their velcro Goumi mitts are also great for keeping your preventing accidental scratches.
Trust Yourself!
While I was still pregnant, I read lots about pregnancy/birth/sleep training, etc., and let me tell ya. You can read about other people’s experiences all day long, but until you experience motherhood yourself, you really don’t know what will be most helpful and valuable to you. Though I hope you find my suggestions helpful, take them with a grain of salt, and trust yourself to get and use what you feel is best for your lifestyle and baby.
Once they’re here and safe and home with you, it’s just a whole lot of trial and error! Have confidence, mama! You’ve got this!
If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy this post on Postpartum Essentials! 5 things to get you through those first few months after your baby is born.