Now, the very first thing you’ll ever need for your baby leaving the hospital is an acceptable newborn car seat. The nurse will want to make sure it’s safe for your baby to ride in.
You also need onesies, diapers, and wipes. But those are all obvious things.
Other than the obvious items; this is a list of very helpful things you’ll end up using every single day for your newborn.
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Boppy Nursing Pillow
While in the hospital, I didn’t bother bringing my boppy nursing pillow inside because o
Well let me just tell you, when I got home and finally used the boppy, I couldn’t believe that nurse told me a regular pillow was just as good! I found out that was not true!
Using the boppy made me so much more comfortable. And when you’re recovering from childbirth, all you want and need is comfort!
Breast Pump
Breastfeeding or breast pumping are the cheapest and most beneficial forms of feeding a baby (It’s also the best method for feeding a baby on a budget). Beneficial for both baby and mom in so many ways.
The new recommendations for breastfeeding from the American Academy of Pediatrics state: “The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for approximately 6 months after birth. Furthermore, the AAP supports continued breastfeeding, along with appropriate complementary foods introduced at about 6 months, as long as mutually desired by mother and child for 2 years or beyond. These recommendations are consistent with those of the World Health Organization (WHO).”
Starting from birth, you have a free, nutrient-dense, source of food for your baby in the form of breastmilk! I exclusively breastfeed (and pump), it’s always good to have a breast pump on hand if you need to be away from your baby for any reason (like appointments that run longer than expected, work, or emergencies).
If you haven’t gotten a breast pump yet, you can get a FREE BREAST PUMP through your insurance using AEROFLOW! I went through Aeroflow to get a Medela breast pump and the experience was very easy. All I had to do was enter the info it asked for, choose my breast pump and other pumping supplies and wait for them to send it to me (which didn’t take long at all)! Breast pumps can run you hundreds of dollars. Why spend that on your own when you don’t have to!? Let your insurance cover that!
Formula is expensive and adds up quickly. It also doesn’t provide the lifelong immune and digestive system support for your baby that breastfeeding does. Check out all my breastfeeding tips and information here.
Muslin Blankets/ Muslin Quilt
These muslin blankets are extremely versatile. I have about 8 muslin blankets (2 sets of 4) and one muslin quilt.
The quilt, we use all the time as her main blanket. The “muslin blankets”, we use mostly to change diapers on, use as a burp cloth, wrap baby up during a doctors visit (I haven’t really taken her anywhere but doctor so far
Swaddles
We started off using the SwaddleMe newborn swaddles, which worked well for the first two weeks..or so I thought. Until I couldn’t get my baby to sleep at night.
Then I tried the Love To Dream swaddles that enable your baby to have their hands up at their face.
My baby loves the Love To Dream swaddles
It helps her to comfort herself while still keeping the startle reflex under control.
I’m glad we tried both kinds of swaddles to know what she likes best.
They are both high quality and I would recommend them to keep your baby comfortable. It helps them feel like they’re still in the womb, and sleep longer.
And if the baby sleeps better, then so does mama!
Pack N Play
Our baby sleeps in this raised pack n play next to our bed every night. It was the less expensive option in comparison to the bassinet I really wanted.
I just couldn’t bring myself to spend around $200 on a bed that my baby would only be able to use for 3 months.
With the pack n play, once baby grows out of the bassinet attachment, you can detach it and use it as a regular pack n play. No money wasted!
Owlet Baby Monitor
The Owlet Smart Sock baby monitor is a must-have for peace of mind while you’re trying to sleep.
There’s no way I wouldn’t own an Owlet having a newborn baby.
The Owlet Smart Sock system connects to your smartphone via their app and wifi.
It will loudly alert you if your baby’s vital readings such as heartbeats per minute and oxygen level dip below or rise above average readings.
Also, if the sock has shifted or comes off of your baby’s foot, you will be alerted that the device isn’t able to get an accurate reading and needs to be adjusted.
In the app, it shows daily totals of how long your baby slept that night, their average oxygen level, and the average heart BPM (beats per minute).
It lets you know how many times your baby woke up during the night and the quality of sleep they got with a graph showing when they were in deep sleep, light sleep, and awake.
I love looking at the graphs and knowing exactly how much sleep my baby got. It helps when judging how long her naps may end up being during the day.
It was a no brainer for me and my husband when deciding to purchase this Smart Sock.
Rocker/Bouncer
I use this rocker as a comfy place for baby to sit for a few minutes during the day while I do the dishes or some laundry.
The rocker is easy to take around the house with me so I can keep an eye on my baby when I need to shower or anything else.
RELATED POSTS: Baby Registry Checklist | Most Important Items Newborns Need
Sound Machine
We use a sound machine every night. The first month of our baby’s life, we only played the sound that mimics a heartbeat. It seemed to be very comforting to her as if she was still in the womb.
The one night I forgot to turn this on, she stayed up all night long!
Mitts
It’s recommended to not trim babies nails for about two weeks after birth.
Some people are against mitts because they want their babies to be able to touch their face and feel their skin.
Although
Nursing Bras
Go ahead and get at least two nursing bras before you give birth.
Keep in mind that your breasts will most likely grow another cup size once your milk comes in.
You’ll want these right away for support. These are the most comfortable nursing bras I’ve found for around the house and even sleeping in.
Brush
You’re going to need to brush your baby’s hair at least once a day.
Newborns have a lot of dry skin. I liked to brush my baby’s hair every day with a soft bristle brush to get those little dry flakes out.
My baby loves her hair brushed so sometimes I even do it just to calm her down.
I also use it while giving baths. During the bath, I’ll put soap in her hair, then take the soft brush and rub it in circles on her scalp, getting the soap all through her hair strands.
I don’t know if this really helps anything, but it makes me feel like I’m getting her head more clean.
Baby Washcloths
A good soft washcloth has multiple purposes for babies.
When your baby is born, you will only be giving them bird baths until their umbilical cord stump falls off. You’ll want a few washcloths for these baths.
Also, when your baby gets milk all over their face, you can use a washcloth with warm water to wipe them off instead of a baby wipe of which has chemicals on it.
Another use is for wiping their eyes.
My baby got clogged tear ducts; which created yellowish gunk that covered her eyelids.
A great way to clean them off and unclog the ducts is to take a warm wet washcloth to clean their eyes off with.
These are the only items I used every single day for my baby in her first few months of life.
I ended up buying a huge list of items so I felt comfortable that I had everything I may need because if you don’t, good luck getting to the store with a newborn to buy it!
But for whatever reason you don’t want all of those baby items or maybe can’t afford it at the moment, feel at ease that this list is all you really need.
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