What To Pack In A Diaper Bag
Anytime you leave the house with your newborn, youll want to be prepared with a well-stocked diaper bag. Diaper bags come in all shapes, sizes, and patterns. They range from a simple, over-the-shoulder bag to the trendy, fashionable bags that celebrities use.
A diaper bag is meant to hold necessary baby items when youre on the go: diapers, wipes, changing pad, baggies for dirty diapers, diaper cream, extra clothes, bottles, bibs, and burp cloths. Some come equipped with extra pockets for pacifiers, keys, phones, or other small items.
Keep the bag packed and ready to go . Itll be easy to grab when youre ready to leave the house with the baby.
Products You Need To Buy When Having A Baby
Right after you learn that you’re having a baby, you learn that babies seem to need a lot of stuff! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. This list will help you figure out what to buy for baby. There are millions of products available for purchase, but the following products are the most common needs or wants for newborns.
What Are The Baby Essentials For The First 3 Months
The first three months are both exhilarating and exhausting.
Youre excited to finally care for your little one, but theres a huge learning curve. You want to arm yourself with all of the best newborn baby gear and necessities.
But
Newborn baby shopping is expensive! You dont want to break the bank with your baby checklist.
With so much selection, deciding what to buy can be overwhelming.
What do babies actually use in the first 3 months?
When I was pregnant, I looked through many baby essentials lists and spoke to a lot of parents. There seemed to be two opposite schools of thought:
- Babies only need diapers and clothes
- Babies need every product available on the planet
I knew I was somewhere in the middle of both camps. While I aspire to be a minimalist , Im more so in the frugal category.
Not cheap, but frugal in the sense that I prioritize value over price. I will buy a more expensive item if its better quality and I will get more longevity for it.
Read Also: How To Lay Newborn Down To Sleep
Newborn Baby Checklist The Must
Having a baby is a massive blessing for parents, and they are a bundle of joy for them. Unfortunately, this blessing comes with a lot of responsibility. To fulfil their needs, babies need some essential products and gadgets. It can be overwhelming with all the options and the variety of baby products available in the market. This article provides you with a checklist to help you stay organised during this daunting time and provide you with the most important and best items you need for your newborn baby.
Before you have a baby, ensure you already have all the necessities to make the first few days comfortable and easy with your baby. If you’re a mom or mom-to-be looking for a list of products to get you started, you’ve come to the right place. This list includes items your baby will need in the nursery, clothing, items for feeding, diapering, and bath time, and helpful gear for when you’re out and about with your little one. Here are a few essential products categorised to make your post-pregnancy days easier.
Everyone Tells You: Stock Up On Postpartum Essentials
No one will tell you: Get items designed specifically for new moms.
Your body is working hard to bring baby into this world, and its going to need some time and TLC to recover postpartum. For ages, moms have been hitting the pharmacy aisles to stock up on things like ice packs, witch hazel pads and peri rinse bottles. Theyre all super-useful post-birthbut the thing is, most of these supplies were never made with new moms postpartum needs in mind. Frida Mom solved that, so now you can line your pad with a single witch hazel pad instead of a million, slippery rounds, and squirt your peri bottle with your hand above the stream of dirty water instead of below. The brand offers everything youll need all in one handy kit.
Try this one: Frida Mom Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit, $50, Target.com
Don’t Miss: How To Get Newborn To Like Bath
How This Newborn Must Haves List Is Different
Most of the comprehensive newborn must haves lists are from big companies, not real parents who zombied their way through sleepless nights with a newborn.
And some of the newborn must have lists feel like they were put together by someone who saw something random on Amazon and thought, Hey, thats cool! as opposed to a parent whos trying to decide between onesies and sleepers because theres not enough money to get both.
Ive had four babies in ten years, so I have a pretty good idea whats a must and what you can skip. Ive made the mistake of spending money on things I thought were newborn must haves, only to kick myself when we were well past the newborn phase and those things were still sitting in a corner collecting dust.
Nothing beats the firsthand experience of tired parents, and thats exactly what you get in this list written for parents .
Feeding Bottles And Sterilisers
For bottle-feeding, youll need bottles and teats, infant formula milk and a steriliser and a bottle brush to make sure your babys bottles are clean and safe to use.
Its very important to keep all the bottles you use sterilised so your baby doesnt get an upset stomach or any unwanted bacteria in their system. There are lots of different designs to choose from but all tend to do the job efficiently.
If youre planning to breastfeed your baby, you might be tempted to do without bottles and feeding equipment. However, you might find yourself choosing to give your baby formula milk or expressing your breastmilk. Its much easier to make these adjustments in your feeding plans if you have all the necessary equipment in the house it can be stressful to go shopping for such things under pressure with a hungry baby. If you dont end up needing the feeding equipment, you could always return it unopened or sell it on.
Anti-colic bottles are designed to reduce colic symptoms by reducing the amount of air your baby swallows during feeding. Some mums find these very effective but, again, its a matter of personal choice as to whether you find them suitable for your baby.
You May Like: What Rights Does A Father Have To A Newborn Baby
Calming Light Projections: Fisher
This Smart Connect Soother has everything you need to calm and comfort your little bundle, including soothing light projections and a variety of gentle songs and sounds. It plugs into the wall for all-night soothing, no batteries required! Everything is fully customizable and controllable via the Smart Connect app on your device, so you can adjust the lighting effects and music from anywhere in your house without disturbing your baby.
Keeping Your Baby Happy
6. The Teachers Edition
When it comes to calming down a fussy baby, this book has all the answers.
The Happiest Baby on the Block will teach you how to get your baby from cranky to calm in minutes. You cant put a price on the knowledge youll get from this book.
And if youre short on time, it has pictures to show you all the techniques and handy reference pages to save you from having to read the book cover-to-cover.
The newborn stereotype is that theyll sleep anytime, anywhere. But I was blessed with one newborn who did not want to sleep. Since week one, my second child never fell asleep on her own. We had to WORK to get her to sleep. And she fought it like hell.
But we discovered a trick that got her to sleep about 95 percent of the time, without much effort on our part: the Baby KTan carrier. When we noticed her eyes looking a little red or shed yawned a couple times, we plopped her in the Baby KTan, walked around for 5 or 10 minutes, and shed be OUT.
If youd prefer something a little more structured than a wrap-style carrier, my babies also loved the Ergobaby Adapt. What I appreciate about the Ergobaby Adapt is that unlike similar carriers, it works from newborn to toddler and doesnt need an extra insert to work for the newborn stage.
The Ergobaby Adapt is my go-to carrier for outside the house when were grocery shopping, running errands, or grabbing a meal at a restaurant.
You May Like: How To Get Medical For Newborn
If You Are Using A Crib:
- Approved crib and crib mattress
- 3 waterproof mattress covers
- 4 light blankets that fit in the crib
- Sleep sack
- Firm mattress
- 4 fitted cribsheets
- 3 waterproof pads to place under baby
- Light comforter
- Sleep sack
- Approved infant safety seat for car
- Stroller that reclines so newborn can lie flat
- Nail clippers or scissors
- Bulb syringe for suctioning mucous
- Baby thermometer
- Eye dropper or medicine spoon
- Medication in case of fever
- Baby monitor
- Change table
- Rocking chair for feeding and swaddling
- Playpen
Magical Newborn Must Haves You Need On Your Registry
Inside: In the early weeks, a handful of tools are absolute newborn must haves. Make sure you have these baby must haves before babys born, and youll be ready.
After having four babies, Ive heard it all when it comes to newborn must haves.
Some people insist youll need every baby-related gadget ever invented to keep your baby happy and healthy. And yet others say the only real newborn must haves are your boobs, some diapers, and a comfy bed to sleep in with the diapers and bed being optional.
I fall somewhere in between the two schools of thought. My default setting is frugal and minimalist, but if theres a gadget that will make the exhausting newborn phase easier on me or my baby, Im all over it.
For example, can you survive without a changing table? Of course.
But after a couple weeks of changing 20 diapers a day while bent over your baby on the floor or your bed, you may end up looking a bit like the Hunchback of Notre Dame and wish youd at least gotten a changing pad to go on your dresser.
Related: 36 Awesome New Mom Gifts That Shell Actually Appreciate
Recommended Reading: What Do I Need For My Newborn Baby Checklist
Wearable Smart Breast Pump: Elvie Double Electric Wearable Smart Breast Pump
This wearable, smart, wireless breast pump is small, light, and quiet, so you can pump anytime, anywhere. It is worn inside a standard nursing bra, making it truly hands-free. You connect to the free Elvie Pump app to monitor milk volume in real-time, tracking pumping history for each breast, and control the pump remotely. It’s auto-responsive and will automatically switch from stimulation to expression mode when it detects let-down, and will pause when bottles are full.
Everyone Will Tell You: Get Swaddles
No one will tell you: Some are easier than others to get a proper wrap.
Ah, the swaddle blanket, comforting babies everywhere for centuries. By wrapping up baby snugly, youll not only help your little one self-soothe, but itll also ease them off to sleep faster, since being swaddled will remind them of their days back in the womb. But when its 3 a.m. and youre trying to get baby changed, swaddled and back to skeep, the last thing you want is to spend an hour trying to get a nice tight wrap, only to have it kicked off in a matter of seconds. Many parents prefer using swaddles with Velcro closures, so you can quickly get baby snugand trust theyll stay that way.
Try this one: The Ollie Swaddle, $65,
Don’t Miss: How To Get Newborn To Sleep Better At Night
Bedding And Sleep Needs
Whatever bed you choose for your newborn , it is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that your baby sleep in the same room with you for the first 6-12 months of life. In addition, bumpers, blankets, pillows, and soft toys are no longer recommended in baby beds. Talk about going minimalistic!
Although the AAP doesnt recommend sharing a bed with your baby, most breastfeeding mothers will fall asleep with their baby in their bed at some point, so its wise to keep a checklist of safe bedsharing guidelines on hand.
Baby Clothes Checklist 0
You might be wondering What baby clothes do I need for the first 3 months?
Here is a complete list of my baby clothing essentials for the first year. This article includes a checklist broken down by sizes for newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months. Youll also find a list of baby clothes that are NOT recommended.
For the first 0-3 months, heres my baby clothes checklist:
Also Check: What Can I Give My Newborn To Poop
Things You Actually Need For Your Newborn
May 29, 2018 By Sydney Horton
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase the item, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own. Thank you for supporting this blog!
In this post, discover the things you actually need for your newborn so you can keep your must get list to a minimum as well as your stress!
Getting ready for a new baby is pretty stressful and overwhelming, especially if its your first baby. The list of things you need to get seems never-ending. While there a lot of baby things that are fun to have and might make life easier, there are only a few things you actually need for your newborn those first few weeks.
Of course, if youre having a baby shower you can register for all the things! I actually have a post on everything I recommend soon-to-be mamas shouldadd to their registry. However, we all know that people love buying the cute stuff and most of the real essentials are left for us to check off the list.
More Must Have Baby Items
12. A Handy Camera
When youre on the couch with your baby in your arms and she flashes you her first gummy smile, that fancy DSLR is going to seem an awful long way away. But I bet youll have your phone on you or at least within reach. Splurge on the 99-cent Camera+ app to kick your phone photos up a notch, or ten.
Then check out these tips for using the Camera+ app.
Don’t Miss: How Long To Let Newborn Cry
Everyone Will Tell You: Baby Toys Are A Good Distraction
No one will tell you: Youll want to secure them to whatever baby is sitting in.
Teethers, rattles, clutching toys and other fun playthings are a great way to stimulate babys senses and boost healthy developmentnot to mention keep little ones entertained when youre busy tending to other important matters, like making your second pot of coffee. But just because you hand baby a toy doesnt mean itll stay in their hands . If youre not exactly in the mood to play fetch all day, pick up a few toy straps to attach items to your childs stroller, car seat and high chair.
Try this one: Baby Buddy Secure-A-Toy, $6 for four,