It’s always a challenge for new parents to narrow down on a list of items they need to be ready with once their little one arrives. The sheer amount of information available online can be overwhelming and leave you a bit confused.
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Recently a pregnant friend of mine asked me to help her out with a newborn essentials list and hence the inspiration for this post. I have curated a list of products that have been tried and tested by me on my baby.
I have categorized products as per the need they serve. Some points that apply to all baby purchases are:
- Babies grow fast; in the initial months, the entire wardrobe changes every 2-3months. Be judicious with the number of clothes you buy for any given size.
- Buy clothes with natural fabrics and minimal dyes to prevent rashes.
- Always test a new skin care product by applying it to a small patch on the baby’s arm. If there is no breakout or reaction within 24 hours consider it safe for use.
Motherhood has a very humanizing effect. Everything gets reduced to essentials. ~Meryl Streep
Let’s get started:
Clothing
The number of clothes you need depends upon the weather and your washing routine. I’m providing a rough estimate of the numbers:
- Jhablas [Baby Vests] – 12. Jhablas come in cute colors and are made of light cotton fabric. They keep the skin ventilated and your baby comfortable in hot climates.
- Sleep Suits – 4, Onesies – 10. Buy front opening or Kimono style sleepsuits and onesies. They are easier to slide-on a newborn.
- Caps – 3. It’s a good idea to be cautious when buying caps, as some babies don’t take to them. Start off with buying a couple and gauge whether your baby finds them comfortable.
- Socks and Mittens – 3 pairs.
Recommendations:
Sleep
- Baby Blanket – 5. My son was born in the summer. I bought organic cotton blankets by Nino Bambino. They are soft and have lasted my rigorous washing routine. For colder weather, I recommend knit blankets by Pluchi. They are thick and good quality material. Get 3 soft summer friendly ones and 2 winter blankets.
- Swaddles – 7. Muslin swaddles are easier to handle compared to cloth swaddles. You may even try readymade swaddles.
- Quick Dry Sheets and Bed Protector – 5. Babies pee all the time – everywhere, enough said.
- Baby Monitor.
Recommendations:
- Pluchi Knitted Cotton Flamingo Baby Blanket
- Baby Bucket SwaddleMe Adjustable Infant Wrap
- Quick Dry Waterproof Bed Protector Large
- Quick Dry Baby Bed Protector Twin Pack
- Motorola Video Baby Monitor
Feeding
- Breastfeeding Pillow – All new mothers should have one. I have already spoken about why you need a breastfeeding pillow and I can’t stress on it enough.
- Nipple Butter – My recommendation is Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter. It’s an all-natural formula and very effective in treating sore nipples.
- Breast Pump – Electric breast pumps are far more user-friendly than manual ones. They save a lot of work and contain fewer parts making them easier to assemble and clean.
- Sterilizer
- Bottles – Keep 6 for exclusively pumping or formula feeding. If you are only pumping occasionally then 3 should suffice.
- Breastmilk Storage Bags – These will come in handy when you start to build your stash.
- Burp Cloths – 3 muslin burp cloths
- Bibs – 3 cotton/muslin bibs
Recommendations:
- Baby Bucket Breastfeeding Pillow
- Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Nipple Butter
- Medela Mini Electric Breast Pump
- Philips Avent Natural Feeding Bottles
- Medela Pump And Save Breastmilk Bag
- Philips Avent 2-in-1 Electric Steam Sterilizer
Bath
- Hooded Towels – 3
- Baby Bath Chair – The first few weeks we gave baby bath the traditional Indian way. Once he was a little bigger in size we moved on to the bath chair. The chair comes handy from about 2 months of age to more than a year. We still use it at 17 months.
- Baby Wash – My hospital recommended Sebamed baby wash for newborn baby. This wash has a very light fragrance and mild on baby’s skin. It helps maintain the pH balance of the delicate newborn skin. Later, I moved on to other more natural products like Earth Mama Angel Baby Shampoo And Body Wash and Puracy Natural Baby Shampoo And Body Wash. I love both these brands. They are made using natural ingredients, so you don’t have to worry about the baby coming in contact with harmful chemicals on a regular basis. Both of these worked well on little ones skin too, with no irritation.
- Natural Diaper Balm – I don’t use a lot of products on my son’s skin. I use diaper cream only in the night before bedtime. The rest of the time I just make it a point to clean him properly ensuring that the diaper area is dry and change diapers often. We have never had a case of diaper rash because of this routine.
- Virgin Coconut Oil – Since I didn’t feel comfortable using too many products on my son’s skin, I stuck with virgin coconut oil for his massage and to help moisturize his skin from time to time.
- Baby Lotion – On the occasions when I did want to use lotion on him I used Sebamed or Aveeno. Both of these brands are a good choice as they are made for babies delicate skin. A plus point about Aveeno baby lotion is that it has no added fragrance.
- Cotton Balls – Mothercare cotton balls are the best for baby’s soft skin. They are in a larger size compared to other cotton balls in the market. This helps make cleaning easier. We stuck to using cotton balls and warm water to clean diaper area for about 7 months of baby’s life. Once he started getting wiggly we moved on to natural wet wipes.
- Washcloths – You will need lots of washcloths at least 24, to begin with. Washcloths are used for everything from wiping baby’s drool to bathing them to helping wipe off those runny noses. I have tried a few varieties and the best ones in the market are Mothercare washcloths and Mumma’s Touch washcloths.
- Baby Care Kit – You will find baby care kits in the market that contains all the essentials like a suction bulb, nail clipper, thermometer, comb and sometimes even a toothbrush. These are a great buy.
Recommendations:
- Sebamed Baby Wash Extra Soft
- Mumma’s Touch Organic Baby Wrap Towel
- Earth Mama Angel Baby Angel Baby Shampoo And Body Wash
- Coconess 100% Natural Baby Oil
- Sebamed Baby Lotion
- Aveeno Baby Daily Moisturizing Lotion
- Mothercare All We Know Baby Cotton Wool Balls
- Mumma’s Touch Organic Baby Face Towel Assorted Pack
- Mothercare Baby Grooming Set
- Earth Mama Angel Baby Angel Baby Bottom Balm
- Mastela Deluxe Baby Bather
Diapering
- Diapers – You will need Pampers Newborn diapers to start out with; at least 2-3 huge packs.
- Langots – 24, In the initial days baby pees and poops a lot, you need at least 24 at hand if you want to have an alternate day wash routine. I liked the langots that come with padding in the center. Though it can’t absorb the complete pee, it lasts longer than regular non-padded langots in my opinion.
- Changing Table – A designated changing table is highly recommended as you can keep all the nappy changing essentials at hand.
Recommendations:
- Mi Dulce An’ya Reusable Nappies Set
- Tinycare Baby Nappi Comfy Junior – New Born (Padded langots)
- Pampers New Baby Diapers
- Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad
Out And About
- Stroller – We personally didn’t buy one, in our situation it didn’t make sense having one. But it may differ for you especially if you plan to travel with your baby.
- Baby Carrier – A baby carrier made more sense in our case, as this was a hands-free way to carry the baby and also the more portable option for us in our city.
- Car Seat – A car seat is a must! Get the baby into the habit of sitting in a car seat from the very beginning it helps in the long run.
Recommendations:
- Anmol Baby Hybrid Wrap
- Rattle – Shumee Combo of wooden rattle for babies
- Car seat – Chicco Keyfit Eu Baby Car Seat
- Graco Evo Snugsafe Car Seat
Other Things You Might Want
- Baby Rocker or Baby Bouncer – To keep baby in a safe place when you are busy.
Recommendations:
Phew, that covers the newborn essentials any new mom should need. Hope this helps you too!
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This is a wonderful list of essentials. I love how you organized the information into categories. Passing the information on to my sister who’s expecting.
This is a very thorough list! But don’t forget the car seat! ?
Yes, Car seats are a must! I had already included them in the Out and About section Recommendations list.
The list of newborn essentials will be a real help to new parents I am sure. Thanks for sharing.
This is a great list for new mamas 🙂