Best For Toddlers: Tealbee Dreamsuit
This Tealbee Dreamsuit is an excellent choice for youngsters 12 months up to three years old thanks to its movement-friendly design. The open-foot sleep sack is made with two layers of bamboo cotton and lightly padded with polyester filling for extra comfort. There are two size options12M-2T and 2T-3Tand different playful prints available, including alphabet and stripes. Shoppers say it holds up after many washes, feels extremely soft, and helps prevent accidental trips.
To buy: $40
What A Newborn Baby Needs
If babies could talk, they would probably tell us that they have very simple needs. They need to be loved, to be fed, kept warm and safe.
There are a lot of items you can buy for a new baby. This can be overwhelming for new parents. When you come home with your newborn, you won’t need too much. Plan in advance to have some essential items ready.
Final Thoughts On The New Baby Checklist
In the end, its to each their own. Your essentials for babies list might look different from mine. Do what works best for your family and budget.
If youre pregnant, congrats! Youre in for an amazing adventure.
Being a mom is so rewarding. Take care and all the best!
Related Note: I found this baby essentials list worked well for not just the first 3 months, but also 3-6 months.
However, when my baby turned 6 months, she had different needs with starting solids and being more mobile. Here are my must haves at 6-12 Months.
If youre planning ahead, here are my 1 year old toddler essentials.
If this is your second child, heres my second baby checklist, which includes recommendations from 18 second-time or third-time moms.
In case you missed it above, to help with managing costs, dont forget to sign up for:
Amazon provides you with a one-time 10% discount on select items from your registry, 60 days before your childs arrival date.
If you are an Amazon Prime member, the one-time discount is 15%! Amazon Prime also comes with 20% off diapers and baby food when you have more than 5 subscriptions. The best part about this membership: 2 day FREE shipping and FREE access to movies, TV shows, music and books. You can cancel your other subscriptions!
There are also FREE 90 day returns on baby store purchases. Get the , which you can cancel at anytime.
2) Rakuten
Before purchasing items on Amazon, go through Rakuten first!
Rakuten is FREE to sign up.
For Canadians, its a
Also Check: What Does A Newborn Baby Really Need
What Does A Baby Need
The amount of products available for the tiniest of humans is massive. Trying to decide on what you really need before your baby comes home can be overwhelming, as you don’t want to miss out on any vital need when baby arrives.
Many baby items are quite frivolous and serve no purpose. A “pee” guard for little boys? You’ll never use it. You’ll use the diaper as a shield instead. A wipes warmer? Another unneeded baby supply. So what do you need for baby? Check out the following suggestions to have the basics in place before your little one comes home.
Best Overall: Halo Cotton Sleep Sack
As the holy grail of sleep sacks, Halo’s wearable blanket goes beyond expectations without breaking the bank. The under-$25 sleep sack is made of 100 percent cotton, so it’s gentle on delicate skin, and has an inverted zipper that closes from the bottom for seamless changing. Available in sizes small, medium, and large, it’s designed to leave enough room for leg movement but secure enough to stay on. “Use the weight and height guide to help for sizing, it is accurate,” one reviewer said. On chilly nights, you can add a long sleeve underneath the sleeveless design.
To buy: $22
Read Also: How To Take A Newborn A Bath
The Baby Medicine Cabinet
Discuss the use of over-the-counter medications or treatments with your doctor.
- Thermometer: There are many types available. Some doctors prefer that you use a rectal thermometer to get the most accurate temperature. A digital, plastic thermometer that you can place under your baby’s armpit may be easy for you to use for the first six months, but a rectal temperature is the most accurate in the first 3 months of life. Ear thermometers can be used after age 3 months.
- Pain reliever/fever reducer medicine: Do not use aspirin! Acetaminophen is the only pain reliever/fever reducer approved for for the first 6 months of life. Ask your pediatrician about the proper dose based on your babyâs weight.
- Teething rings to soothe teething gums.
- Small gauze squares to clean wounds.
- Cool mist vaporizer. Good for when baby has a cold.
- Pedialyte or Ricelyte to be used as directed by your child’s pediatrician for fluid replacement during diarrhea or vomiting.
- Infant sunscreen. If your baby is younger than 6 months, keep them out of the sun as much as possible. But no matter how old they are, apply a baby-friendly sunscreen if they’ll be exposed to sunlight.
Keep your baby in the shade as much as you can. Their skin is thinner and more sensitive. Cover them up with clothes and a hat, limit their time in the sun , donât let them get overheated, and get them out of the sun right away if they show any signs of sunburn or dehydration, including fussiness, redness, and excessive crying.
Summer Contoured Changing Pad
Sure, you can get a changing table or you can put a simple pad on top of a dresser. The budget-friendly Summer Contoured Changing Pad can be wiped clean, comes with a safety belt, is contoured to help prevent baby from rolling, and has crazy-good reviews. Just be sure that you thoroughly secure it to the surface you choose , and NEVER leave your LO on it unattended.
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Are Sleep Sacks Safe
Sleepsacks, or wearable blankets, are safe for babies and are a great way to keep a baby warm as long as they are appropriately sized. Sleep consultant Aubrie DeBear, Psy.D., tells Verywell Family that parents should ensure your child is wearing the correct size and that the sack is not too small or large, which can lead to rising up to cover the face, or inhibiting full movement. To do this, she says parents should check the age and weight specifications of the sleep sack to make sure it’s the right fit for your child.
In order to create a safe sleeping environment and reduce the risk of SIDS, parents should follow the Safe Sleep Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics . Babies should sleep in their own crib with a firm mattress free of soft objects and loose bedding like blankets, pillows, toys, or anything else that could cause suffocation. Additionally, it is important to note that the AAP strictly advises against the use of weighted sleep sacks or blankets for babies.
When Do Babies Start Wearing Sleep Sacks
Appropriately sized sleep sacks are safe for a baby to use as soon as theyre born. However, because of the startle reflex, many newborns like to be swaddled, so you will likely want to consider a swaddle sleepsack that has flaps with velcro which can be wrapped around the babys arms.
If your baby starts to break out of the swaddle, or obviously wants their arms free, many of these sleep sacks allow you to wrap the flaps around their torso so their arms are free but theyre still getting the feeling of light compression to help soothe them.
Recommended Reading: How To Get S Newborn To Sleep At Night
Sunglasses And Sun Hat
When the babys under 6 months, he/she cant have sunscreen. When youre going for walks or lounging at the beach or outdoor pool, a good hat, sunglasses or combination are essential for protecting babys skin.
We used both a hat and sunglasses. Her grandma gifted her cute sunglasses.
Before she was 6 months, she didnt bother trying to remove the sunglasses.
After 6 months, it became a bit tricky to get her to keep them on. Like everything, you just have to be persistent about it. It took quite a few days, but eventually she knew that when mom puts on her sunglasses, she has to keep them on.
Along with sunglasses, its a good idea to get a baby hat that protects your babys face and neck for those sunny days at the park or beach.
Best For Newborns: Love To Dream Swaddle Up
If your little one sleeps comfortably with their arms up by their face, check out this version thousands of shoppers rave about. The Love to Dream sleep sack is basically a hybrid of a sleep sack and a swaddle, covering their arms minus the restriction to their sides. The unique design ultimately helps light sleepers stay asleep because it allows them to self-soothe, whether they like to touch their face or bring their hands to their mouth. It’s so safe and effective that one NICU nurse says she wraps her own children in them. Each style is made out of cotton, comes in a handful of color options, and is available in three different sizes.
To buy: $30
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Do You Need A Sleep Consultant
Babies younger than 3 months need to eat every few hours. For that reason, sleep training isnt appropriate for newborns.
However, you may choose to hire a sleep consultant when your baby is a bit older, usually around 4 months. Sleep consultants will consult with parents about their babys sleeping habits. They also may need to observe your baby in your home.
A sleep consultant will help you create a sleep schedule. They may help teach your baby to self-soothe without a parent comforting them until they fall asleep.
Theyll also recommend a method of sleep training for your child. Not every sleep consultant recommends the same method, so make sure youre comfortable with a consultants sleep philosophy before hiring one.
And remember, when baby is old enough to sleep through the night, you dont have to hire a sleep consultant. Your pediatrician can give you resources and tips to do it yourself.
Note that sleep training isnt usually safe for babies with certain health concerns or who were born prematurely. Talk to your pediatrician to confirm sleep training is safe for your baby.
Best With Feet: Halo Early Walker Sleep Sack
Once your toddler can stand and walk with ease, it’s a good idea to switch from a closed-foot sleep sack to an open-foot design. This version by Halo is made with plush microfleece that gives them plenty of comfort without too much warmth. Parents praise the fact that their toddlers can wear it to bed, and then can continue to wear it while cruising around in the morning or after naptime.
To buy: $25
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Baby Items You Don’t Need
The following list of baby items are things you will not need:
This content is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
How Many Outfits Should I Have For My Newborn
Waiting for a baby, it is essential for every parent to be prepared as much as possible. How many newborn clothes do I need? This is one of the most common and reasonable questions. However, there is no single answer to this query. Why? The main reason is the different lifestyles and habits of parents. Thus, before compiling a newborn clothes checklist, answer the following:
- Am I an active parent that will travel from the first months of its life? The answer influences the number of outfits you need.
- Are we going to attend diverse venues and festivities with our baby? For diverse occasions, you will need clothes in different styles and designs.
- Will we co-sleep and use carriers for strolls? If yes, there will be no need to foresee warm sleeping clothes.
- Who will help us in the first months? If a home-stay mum will be the only one who takes care of a newborn, outfits have to be easy and quick to put on. Besides, laundry shall not be required too often.
- How many outfits should I have for my convenience? This is a subjective feeling. Some parents have several pieces of each item and that is sufficient. While others feel the need to change outfits even while staying outside in summer.
Answering these questions, you will already understand if you need to foresee a large wardrobe for your baby or a basic baby clothes list that will be sufficient for you.
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Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper
Okay, yes. The Snoo is very expensive, but if youre lucky, you can catch it on sale. And it seems that every single parent who invests in one cannot stop raving about it. The Snoo swaddles your baby to sleep and responds to fussiness with white noise and gentle motions that mimic your own. Babies end up getting 1-2 more hours of sleep than they normally would.
Just read this raving testimony from : I really did not want to buy this since we were trying so hard to be minimalists and all-natural with our first baby girl. Then she came in like a wrecking ball. In her first 6 weeks I could count on one hand the number of times I got any more than 1.5 hours of sleep. Then one night at 3 am I started getting worried about what life would be like when I had to go back to work at 11 weeks. I have a one hour commute each way and I work in patient care and got more and more nervous about the potential of getting in a car accident or making a terrible mistake at work because of sleep deprivation. The internet led me to the SNOO. I couldnt say no to the possibility of 1-2 extra hours of sleep a night, plus it was on sale and they have the 30-day guarantee. The Snoo came when she was 7 weeks old, and on the 7th day of using it, she slept a full 8 hours. By the time I had to go back to work she was consistently sleeping 9-11 hours every night. NINE TO ELEVEN HOURS EVERY NIGHT.