25 Essential Items for Newborn Parents

1. Patience, Grace, & Support

Breastfeeding and pumping is extremely physically and emotionally taxing. Add on top of that, sleep deprivation, and mom’s hormones going out of whack, it’s A LOT. Make sure you have friends and family you can lean on for help or just advice and reassurance.

2. Healthcare Resources & Education

One thing I would highly encourage all new parents to do is check out and make use of all the resources available through your healthcare provider. We’re with Kaiser and they provide a lot of helpful resources such as an in-person due date support group, a multitude of classes, and newborn clinic visits with a lactation nurse after Baby arrives. There are also many online resources and classes.

• Pre-baby Courses Through Your Health Provider
• Due Date Facebook Groups
• Consults with Lactation Nurses post-baby
• Taking Cara Babies Blog & Sleep Course – We took the 0-5 mo sleep course and found it very helpful, the blog is also a great resource of free info.

3. Comfy Place to Sit

Feeding your baby will be your new full-time job. Having a good comfortable place to sit will be super important.  We bought this recliner but ended up opting for a section of our couch as our unofficial designated feeding seat.  Just make sure whatever you decide is comfortable as you will be spending many hours in it.

4. Pump

We haven’t found one we love but we use Medela pumps and they work decently. Check with your insurance provider as a lot of them allow you to rent out pumps as well as cover the purchase of pumps (we did both). Hands-free pumps are a game changer but are a bit more expensive and have more parts.

• Make sure to buy extra pump parts to reduce the amount of hand washing, most parts are on Amazon and some parts are universal between brand

5. Milk Storage

You’ll need to store pumped milk in extra bottles or bags. These are readily available everywhere.

6. Bottles

Dr Brown’s anti-colic bottles were recommended to us and are used by the hospital staff as there is “literature” backing it’s effectiveness. One thing to note is that a common complaint about these bottles is that they come with SO MANY parts which make it annoying to clean and they also slightly leak around the collar.  However, their effectiveness and high recommendation outweigh these issues.

• Our Pick: Dr Brown’s Bottles
• Get P (preemie) or No. 1 Nipples (0-3 mo) in 2oz & 4oz bottle sizes (you can get larger bottles later on)
• Make sure you can return if it doesn’t work out (some babies just don’t like this bottle/nipple)

7. Burp Cloths

We use burp cloths for every feeding so you’ll need a lot of these. We have about 20 of the ones below and we like them a lot. We’ve also heard of people having good experiences using cloth diaper inserts as burp cloths.

• Our Pick: Comfy Cubs Muslin Burp Cloths

8. Sterilizer / Dryer

This item was a necessity for us because of the dryer function. It can dry all your pump parts and bottles within 30 min compared to waiting half a day for things to air dry. This was super convienent since we were doing 8 feedings a day (every 3 hrs).

• We haven’t found one we love, but we use this Baby Brezza Sterilizer Dryer and it works fine.

9. Specialty Pillows

These weren’t techincally necessary but they were really helpful. I personally love the boppy pillow, even though it looks like just an oversized neck pillow, it’s super comfy and can be used in many ways.

• Boppy Pillow – can be used for breastfeeding, bottle feeding, sleeping, or a backrest for baby.
• My Breast Friend – great pillow for breastfeeding, most of the hospitals had this around for moms to use.

10. Foot Stool

This is one of those things that you don’t really know you need until you do. Trust us and get one if you don’t already have a stool at home.

• We haven’t found one we love, but we use these stools and they work ok: Foot Stool

11. A Place To Sleep

Crib, Bassinet, Pack N Play, lounger? Where and how your baby sleeps can he a hotly debated topic, but at the end of the day it will ultimately depend on your preference and situation. We personally used a bassinet and will eventually transition to a crib. Whatever you decide to get, just make sure to follow safe sleep practices as recommended by the AAP.

• We use this Cowiewie Bassinet and it does the job. We like it because it can be set at an incline to help with keeping down milk after a feeding, can be rolled around, and has some storage space at the bottom.
• We also purchased a travel bassinet (Baby Delight Snuggle Nest Bassinet) that we keep in a different room and use on weekend trips.
• We also purchased this Babyletto Crib along with this Mattress but have not used it as our baby is still small
• Don’t forget to get sheets for your bassinet or crib!

12. Swaddle / Wrap / Sleep Sack

Swaddles are difficult to recommend as they also really depend on you and your baby’s preferences. There are lots of variations of velcro, zipper, blankets, sleep sacks, etc. it’ll just depend on what works best for your situation.

• We use the Saranoni and Copper Pearl large swaddle blankets and like them.
• We’re in the process of transitioning our baby out of a swaddle wrap and have been using the Happiest Baby Sleepea swaddle. We like it and our baby seems to be doing well in it, however she doesn’t sleep in it as long as she does with the swaddle blankets yet.
• We gave the Love To Dream sleep sack a try but it didn’t really work for us.
• We’ve heard great things about the Ollie Swaddle that grows with your child but we haven’t tried it and it’s a bit pricier than the other options.

13. Sound Machine

We use a sound machine to drown out other noises around baby. Though people claim that using a sound machine helps enable the sleep reflex, we find that our baby sleeps pretty much the same with or without a sound machine.

• We use this Frida Baby Sound Machine & Nightlight, it can also be attached to a car seat for on-the-go travel.
• *Pro Tip: You can also ask google or alexa to play “baby white noise” and it will do the same thing as your sound machine, though it won’t work if your wifi goes out.

14. Baby Monitor

Baby monitors are difficult to shop for, we actually haven’t found one we love but here are some recommendations and things to consider.

What We Use:

• We use a V-Tech Audio Monitor that was donated to us in combination with a Wyze Cam. This solution works for us for now but we are still exploring other options.
• We’ve heard good things about the Nanit Cam but were put off by its price. Seems like it has recently been added as an FSA and HSA eligible item so we may try it out.

15. Diapers

The right diaper will really depend on you and your baby’s preference. We settled on Huggies and Kirkland snugglers. Huggies and Pampers are the two biggest brands with different types of diaper line’s within each brand.  Some will be more stretchy, some will hold more liquids, some will be designed for nighttime, etc. 

• We use this Huggies Snugglers and Kirkland diapers, we found Pampers to have a more unpleasant smell that we did not like.

16. Wipes

Like diapers, wipes are also a personal preference with a huge selection to choose from.

• We like and use Water Wipes and are still working through our initial supply.
• We’ll be trying Kirkland Wipes soon.
• We like using this OXO Tot wipe dispenser at home but it is definitely not necessary.

17. Aquaphor & Desitin

We like to use Aquaphor during every diaper change to help provide a protective layer on our baby’s butt. We’ll use Desitin occasionally for heavy poopy diapers as a preventative measure. We haven’t really tried other equivalent brands as these two seem to be the industry standard.

• Aquaphor for most changes (can also be used on baby’s body and face)
• Desitin (Zinc Oxide) for heavy poop diapers

18. Diaper Pail

We were a little skeptical about the need for a diaper pail at first, but once baby was here we definitely understood the value of having a diaper pail.

• We like and use the Munchkin Step Pail with this third-party refill by ChoiceRefill
• We have also heard good things about Diaper Genie but have not tried it

19. Diaper Cream Applicator aka ‘Butt Spatula‘

This is one of those items you can’t really appreciate til you’ve tried it. Trust us and just get one.

• We use and like this butt spatula

20. Changing Pad

A changing pad may not be super essential but it’s really convenient. Look for one that is wipeable so it’s easy to clean if need be, we also use this in conjunction with the next item.

• We use and like this changing pad by Papabalic
• If you want to splurge, the Keekaroo changing pad is very trendy and aesthetic

21. Disposable Changing Pad Liners

Liners come in handy when things get really messy. We like to line our changing pad with these just in case (it’s definitely saved us during a couple blow outs). We also make sure to stock our diaper bag with few of these so we can use them on the go.

• We use and like these liners

22. Carseat

Choosing a car seat can be SUPER overwhelming as the options are endless and it seems like every year there is a new safety feature being marketed. It’s also the one item you absolutely need before you can bring the baby home from the hospital. Below are some tips to guide your decision.

Shopping Tips:

• We’d recommend going in person to test and see the car seat. Back in the day, Buy Buy Baby was a great place to do this, but it’s since gone out of business. Now select Target and Nordstrom locations have physical display models that people can test out.
• You will need to shop for the stroller and car seat together to ensure they are compatible with one another. Oftentimes times people will buy a package that includes both, guaranteeing they are compatible. If you opt to purchase each item separately (like we did) you’ll need to ensure there are adapters that allow you to use them together (sometimes this is sold separately).
• Don’t get too caught up in all the safety marketing. Know that all manufacturers need to meet the same minimum safety specifications, everything else is icing on the cake.

Our Picks:

• We ended up getting the base model of the Nuna Pipa car seat from Nordstrom which we absolutely love.
• If the research and shopping are too overwhelming just know that the Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat is the tried and true option that’s been used for decades but thousands of parents. Chances are, you probably have a friend or family member who has used it for their child. It is also regularly sold as a package with the Chicco Bravo Stroller.

23. Stroller

Most of the tips mentioned in the car seat section apply to the stroller. If you thought car seats were overwhelming, know that there are even more options and things to consider when it comes to strollers, but here are some tips to guide your decision.

Shopping Tips:

• First, decide if you want a single stroller (holds one child seat) or a single to double stroller (one that can be expanded to fit two seats with add-ons). The single will always be more compact and lighter, while the double will be a little (sometimes a lot) more heavy and bulky.
• If you are testing out the car seat and stroller in stores pay attention to how the stroller folds, the ease of using the car seat and stroller together, how the stroller rolls, how heavy all the parts are, the height of the handlebar, etc. Basically, think about how it would feel to use it on a daily basis.

Our Picks:

• We actually ended up getting two strollers, the Cybex Gazelle S2 for most use cases and the GB Pockit All City for travel and times when we need a compact stroller. We are extremely happy with both, though both do have some minor annoyances.
• Again, if you just want something that works and has a good reputation, the Chicco Bravo Stroller travel system is a tried and true option.

24. Carriers & Wraps

There are two categories of carriers, unstructured wraps (fabric sheets) and structured carriers (with buckles and straps). There are pros and cons to both but the general opinion seems to be that wraps are better when baby is young as it creates a womb like experience (most babies seem to sleep best in a wrap carrier) and structured carriers work better when Baby gets older as it provides more support for both the parent and Baby.

• For the wrap carrier we use a Solly Wrap, we’ve also heard great things about the Boba Wrap.
• For a structured carrier we use the Ergobaby Embrace though have not gotten a chance to use it much yet.
• We also have the Ergobaby Omni Breeze carrier that we plan to use when Baby gets bigger.

25. Diaper Bag

Though you can technically use any bag as a diaper bag, having a dedicated bag that is always packed and ready to go makes things convenient.

• We are still looking for the perfect bag that fits our needs but so far have been using the KeaBabies Diaper Backpack and it has worked well.
• We have heard good things about the No Reception Club Backpack but have yet to try it.
• *Pro Tip: We pack all of our actual “diaper supplies” in a packing cube that stays in the backpack . This makes it easier during changes as we don’t have to dig through the pack for each item. Our packing cube holds: diapers, wipes, aquaphor, spatula, disposable pad liner, and poopy bag.