I hesitated to title this post “Newborn Essentials,” because what I’ve quickly learned about newborns or having a baby in general, is that NO baby is the same. Why does this matter when you’re buying things for a new baby? Because what I THINK is a newborn essential or was for my own, may not be for your little one. So, when I was coming up with my top 10 list, I tried to think of the baby products that I have heard worked best while talking to other moms and what I relied on for my own daughter too. Because when you’re preparing for a new baby, you must expect the unexpected, but you can try to be prepared as much as possible. Believe it or not, there isn’t much you need for a brand new baby. You would be fine with just a place for them to sleep, diapers, a few pieces of clothing/onesies, and food (boobs, pumped milk, formula, or a combination). But, wheres the fun in that!
These 10 products I have found to be complete lifesavers, not just for my baby but for my own peace of mind. Things that made our lives just a little bit easier as we were trying to adjust to our new roles as parents while at the same time, taking care of this new opinionated and picky little person. Every product I am suggesting, we have personally used. I truly believe these essentials helped baby C adjust to new life more easily and help us adjust as well.
1. Boon Gras Drying Rack in White is an absolute essential for any formula feeding or pumping mamas. I love the white color so it can blend in with your kitchen and countertops and still give you the drying space you need for all of your bottles and pump parts. I use this drying rack for all of C’s bottles, pacifiers, toys, bowls, you name it, it dries on this rack.
2. Dock A Tot The Dock A Tot was one of our more expensive newborn purchases that we made but once it arrived, it was a game changer. C needed to be snuggled closely in order to be soothed and sleep. She did NOT like to be swimming in the bassinet without any support. We tried to swaddle her without any other support in the bassinet and she didn’t sleep well at all. Once we got the Dock A Tot, that all changed. She would nap in it on the couch, on the bed, and inside the bassinet. For safety purposes, there should be an adult supervising sleep in the Dock A Tot at all times. However, I know that the sides are breathable and therefore I personally was comfortable having C sleep in it overnight. BUT that is a personal preference and I’m not advising for you to do that at all. It’s just what worked for us.
3. Marpac Hushh White Noise Machine, Portable For most of C’s little life so far, her bedroom has been on a main road in a city. Garbage trucks, car horns, and pedestrian arguments were her bedtime lullaby. So, you can imagine that as she got older, the noise got more distracting and disruptive to her sleep. This portable white noise machine is the perfect size and so convenient. It’s small so it can fit anywhere, we keep it on C’s bookshelf. But it can also be attached to a stroller, carseat, or crib so we take it EVERYWHERE! It can be charged from any outlet, it’s so convenient and for its small size, packs a great punch! I don’t know what we’d do without it!
4. White Cloth Diapers When my mom insisted I buy these, I said NO WAY! I admire people who can use cloth diapers but I just knew that wasn’t going to work for me. She looked at me like I had three heads. She explained that you didn’t use these as diapers but as burp cloths. They came several in a pack, were super soft and durable, and would wash well. Other burp cloths we found while cuter, weren’t as durable and we didn’t use as much. I HIGHLY recommend you grab a pack and see for yourself.
5. Owlet Smart Sock 2 Baby Monitor This is the most expensive, yet most valuable baby item I have gotten thus far. I had a very anxiety filled pregnancy (of my own doing) and was convinced that something bad was going to happen. That anxiety hasn’t dissipated and only increased during those first few weeks of newborn life. I would stay awake all night and just stare at C sleeping next to me in her bassinet, watching her chest move up and down to make sure that she was breathing. After too many nights of no sleep, I finally purchased the Owlet after having it in my Amazon cart for weeks. I needed something that would be able to give me some peace of mind while I slept. I know that it’s costly, but it has been the one reason I can sleep at night, knowing that if anything were to go wrong with C, I would be alerted. Hands down, my favorite baby purchase.
6. Boppy Tummy Time Pillow C absolutely hated tummy time when we first started. I would put her down on the mat and she would start wailing after five seconds. This Boppy tummy time pillow saved us and we used it every day to help little miss conquer her tummy time trauma.
7. Changing Pads These disposable changing pads have been such a necessity for us. I’ve used it on top of her regular changing pad to make clean up easier and I also take a few with me in my diaper bag to use on changing tables while we’re out and about. They’re so easy and helpful, I love having them on hand.
8. Swaddle Me Pod I hope my husband and I aren’t the only ones, but we didn’t exactly master the swaddling tasks at the baby prep courses. Those beautifully tight burrito blankets were hard for us to master and little miss wanted to be cuddled tight and kept snug. These Swaddle Me Pods were perfect for us. There was no tricky snaps or loud velcro pieces to wake or startle her. Just a simple zipper that kept her snug as a bug. I was so sad when she grew out of these!
9. Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags I am SO glad I found these sterilizing bags. Having a newborn means very little time to be hands free in between feeding, changing, and rocking. These quick steam bags require minimal management. All you have to do is put what you want to sterilize into the bag, fill it up with two ounces of water, close, and pop into the microwave. Three minutes later and you have sterilized pacifiers, bottle parts, bump parts, and toys. Seriously, a new mom’s best friend.
10. Aden and Anais Swaddle Blankets So, even though we couldn’t master the burrito blanket swaddle look with C, we still used these blankets ALL the time. We’d drape them over her while she napped in the Dock A Tot, in the Rock N Play, in the stroller, and in our arms. The patterns are subtle and sweet and their the perfect lightweight muslin. We still use them well past the newborn stage!
For any new mamas or moms of many, are any of these on your must-have or most-loved lists? I’d love to know of your newborn necessities!
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