Newborn Essentials Every Baby Needs

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Waiting to meet your baby is one of the hardest things to do, but it doesn’t have to be the spendiest 9 months of your life. The internet will tell you there’s a long list of essentials you must buy for your baby, and baby books do it too! No wonder everyone says having a baby is so expensive.

If you talk to most parents after their baby has had his or her first birthday, most will admit that they went overboard with shopping during pregnancy and that they didn’t need or use even half the stuff they thought would be “essential” for their newborn. Of course it seemed adorable to put a five month old in a three piece suit when they bought the outfit, or when Grandma gave it to them, but exactly one diaper blow out later they only wished it was easier to take off and wash. That fancy changing table seemed perfect when they ordered it, but once baby started rolling over they felt a lot safer using a change mat on the floor, and the change table turned into an overpriced storage unit. Or what have you.

A few weeks ago I saw a couple shopping at Shopper’s Drug Mart, the woman obviously pregnant, with a printed shopping list and basket full of creams and lotions, pacifiers, wipes, teething ring and other “essentials for baby” as defined by some marketer.

I remember when I was pregnant with my son, I loved the idea of having a list of essentials, but every list I found seemed padded with quite a few non essentials. Years later, I still have 1.5 litres of baby oil under my bathroom sink because… I didn’t actually use this essential product on my baby. I’ve used it to shave my legs when I ran out of shaving cream, but even that was a last ditch effort to get some use out of it.

It’s easy to worry that if you don’t have all the right gear, if you don’t have the essentials, that something horrible will happen. Take a deep breath, step back from that thought for a minute, and realize that it is simply not true. If you are lacking anything your baby needs, you will find a way to get it. Seriously. Mama hormones make for very strong and determined women. Dads and aunties and friends also love to be put to use in the early days of a baby’s life, because what a new baby needs most in the world is his or her mom. Feeling a bit anxious and unprepared is okay! These feelings will make it possible for you to spring awake from a dead sleep for the third hour in a row because your baby needs you. The worry that comes with realizing you love someone enough to die for them and you want to do everything you can to keep them safe and help them grow up well? That isn’t something you can fix with a credit card. And it isn’t meant to be fixed with a credit card – that’s why after you buy all the things on all the lists and have your baby clothes washed and folded in perfect rows in their brand new dresser, you still have a bit of a knot in your stomach.

Do you still want to know the absolute essentials for a new baby? Here you go:

Clothing

• 6 sleepers/onesies 0-3 months
• 12 sleepers/onesies 3-6 months (some babies fit these when they’re born, some get there in two weeks, some take 3 months)
• 1 newborn hat

Tell me what you don’t see here: socks! Baby socks are hilarious, but not essential, and likely they will not stay on your baby’s feet any longer than it takes them to throw a kick. Get footed onesies and pat yourself on the back.

Also notice that there is no mention of pajamas. Before your baby is born, you might imagine yourself getting your little one dressed for the day and later changing them into their pajamas for night time, but in fact newborns sleep and feed according to their body’s needs, not according to the time on a clock, and you will be more likely to change your baby’s clothes due to them being soiled than the time of day.

Sleeping

• Safe, soft place (could be a crib or bassinet, could be a folded towel in the bottom of a laundry basket. My son slept his first night in an empty drawer on top of our bedside table. This article has a ton of info about safe co-sleeping which I recommend reading even if you don’t plan to bed share because life happens, and you just might end up dozing off next to your baby in bed.)
• 2 sleep sacks or warm blankets
• 6 receiving blankets – these will be not just for sleeping, but this seems as good a place as any to mention them

Feeding

• If you plan to breastfeed, the only essential you need is the information for breastfeeding support in your area, should you run into any challenges. Your doula will also be able to provide this information as part of her support to you.
• Lanolin ointment is wise to have on hand, but it does not turn out to be essential for every woman. This is one item I do suggest to buy pre-emptively even if you end up not needing it, just because if you do need it, it will be a life saver.
• If you plan to bottle feed, you’ll need at least 2 bottles. Most moms prefer to have up to 8 in order to minimize how often the bottles are washed, but essentially you need two. Keep in mind that different styles of bottle nipple allow for faster/slower flow, are shaped differently for your baby’s palate, and may be softer or more firm, which may affect how comfortably your baby is able to drink. You may need to experiment a bit to find the best brand of bottle and nipple for you and your baby, and you won’t be able to do that until after baby is born.
• Bibs are often listen on lists of baby essentials, but it’s really up to you. Babies do spit up and drool a lot, but a bib won’t necessarily be in the right place at the right time to save you needing to change the whole outfit. Receiving blankets can often do the job of bibs more effectively and with greater versatility.

Washing

• Based on marketing, you may think that babies need their own designated soap, shampoo, lotion, laundry detergent, and (I just discovered) dishwasher detergent. Tear-free shampoo is a great idea, for the sake of your baby’s comfort, but the idea that babies are so delicate they require extra-gentle organic everything is… overdramatic. If every product in your home is based on harsh chemicals, artificial dyes and perfumes, buying special items for your baby won’t insulate them from the residues left on your own skin and clothes. As you prepare for your baby’s arrival, you may wish to evaluate the level of chemicals in your home and address that issue overall, but unless it turns out that your baby has particular allergies or sensitivities, you can safely wash them with the soap you use on your own body.
• 5-6 baby washcloths – usually these are sold in a package, and one package should meet your basic needs. Technically, you can use any washcloth to wash a baby, but baby washcloths are particularly thin and soft which is good for getting into all the little folds babies have, and they’ll be gentle on their skin.
• 1 hooded towel – again this is not strictly essential, but it is truly adorable, and baby towels are thinner than most bath towels, so they can dry and swaddle a small baby more effectively.

Diapering

• baby wipes
• diaper cream
• newborn size diapers
• size 1 diapers or cloth diapers*

Until your baby is born and you know how big they are, you won’t know how many newborn size diapers you’ll need! Some babies are born big enough to wear size 1, although most do fit in newborn size for at least a few days (or a few weeks). Diaper size is based on weight, and different brands have different features and fits, so while one mom swears by Huggies, another mom swears by Pampers, and another mom is totally satisfied with her Costco brand diapers. You may find that a brand you always thought was the best of the best simply doesn’t fit the shape of your baby as effectively as another brand (and believe me, you want a diaper that will contain a mess, not just a pricey brand that will give you street cred with the other moms at playgroup). I never recommend going overboard buying diapers before a baby is born, although if you have the storage space and there’s a great sale or someone wants to buy you boxes of diapers, I’d say go ahead and buy bigger sizes for down the road. Your baby will spend much longer in diapers that are size 2 and 3 than they will in size 1, so don’t “stock up” on tiny little diapers before you actually know what your diaper situation will be (which is to say, how big your baby is and how quickly they grow).

*Cloth diapers are an environmentally friendly and often frugal alternative to disposable diapers, but they deserve an article unto themselves. If you plan to use cloth diapers, then kudos to you, and I’d be happy to connect you with some great online resources! There are so many different options though that it’s not possible to nail down the “essentials” without knowing more specifics of your particular situation. Even if you plan to cloth diaper, I suggest you buy a package of newborn diapers for coming home from the hospital until your baby has passed all of his/her meconium.

• Car seat – most hospitals require you to safely buckle your baby into a car seat before you take them home. Even if you don’t drive, having a car seat for your baby will be essential if you ever plan to travel by car with them. A used car seat is not recommended unless you really know the person who is selling/giving it to you and are sure it has never been in any type of accident. Also keep in mind that car seats expire due to safety regulations and wear on the belts, so be sure to check the manufacturing date before you accept a used car seat.
• Stroller – depending on the season and where you live, you’ll likely want a stroller in order to get outside with your baby. Consider what features are most important – fitting it into the trunk of your car or folding it up for storage in the house? Stability if you plan to take it off road regularly or use it during Winter? Storage capacity if you plan to use it to run errands and do shopping? Try to brainstorm your own key qualities for a stroller before you start shopping, because there are endless features to get excited about.
• Soft shell carrier or fabric wrap – after spending 9 months growing inside of your body, your brand new baby still wants to be close to you. A lot. Like every waking hour would be good. Many moms and dads find that wearing their baby in a carrier is a perfect solution to bonding, keeping their baby happy, helping their baby nap, and having their hands free to accomplish anything at all with their day. A carrier can also be an alternative to using a stroller when you are out and about. In terms of brands and features, it really depends how you expect to use your carrier, so do some research online and discuss it with your doula 🙂

Okay, I think that covers it. Feel better? I swear, this is a monster that only gets worse when you feed it. Remember, the biggest essential your new baby needs is YOU! Everything else is gravy.