Top 10 Must Haves for a Newborn

Happy 8 days until the SuperBowl 😉

I thought I would (hopefully) help a few Moms to be out and make a few lists of baby must haves…starting with a list of things for newborns.

These are all just my opinion, of course. I know when I was pregnant I searched ALL over the internet for ideas, read THOUSANDS of reviews, but the BEST ideas came from my family. I had so many people to go to when looking for advice for items that I needed.

Not going to lie, it was SO nice having all of these family members to go to. Building a baby registry is a lot of work! I know that sounds silly, but there is SO MUCH research involved. It’s not like a wedding registry where you just register for things you like or want. Wedding registries are FUN, baby registries are fun, but also can be stressful because there are SO many products that it can be overwhelming.

Below are my favorite items that we got for Gabriella, they are not in a particular order, just listed as I think of them. 🙂

1. Fisher Price Rock N’ Play

These are actually recommended for babies with acid reflux. G did not have acid reflux (thankfully), but we used this as her bassinet. This is what she slept in when we had her in our room & it is what she continues to sleep in in her room. We had to move her out of our room at about 10 weeks because she is SUCH A GRUNTER. Craig & I went without sleep for three nights…and we were seriously delusional and we knew we needed to do something. We put her in her room (in her rock n’ play) & since then it’s been wonderful! I think all three of us sleep better. I had planned to keep her in our room until at LEAST three months, but it just wasn’t working.

2. Baby Bjorn

This thing has been LIFE SAVING. G LOVES this thing. I put her in it & she’s asleep in literally about 2 minutes. No lie. It’s how I clean the house, cook dinner, run errands, etc. She just sits in her bjorn & is one happy little girl. One tip is that I suggest upgrading to the more expensive Bjorn. This one was a bit more, but SO WORTH IT. My sister has the original Bjorn and it’s great for when they are in it facing you, but when you go to face them outward there is not much support on there little bottoms, so it’s pretty uncomfortable.

3. Pampers Swaddlers

Why Pampers Swaddlers & not another type of Pampers…the Stripe that changes color when they go to the bathroom. Why? The husband. 😉 I’m OCD about changing diapers, which is why G has never gotten diaper rash. (knock on wood) But Craig loves that it has a stripe so he knows when she’s ready for a change. Sometimes it may SMELL as if she needs a change, but the stripe will let you know for sure. This girl is a gassy little thing. 😉

4. PJ’s with a ZIPPER

Again, why a zipper? Same answer: Husband 😉 He HATES the snaps. I don’t mind them, but they are more of a pain. Much easier when changing a diaper in the middle of the night with a zipper rather than snaps. He will thank you 😀

5. Mustela Products for Bathtime

Yes, they are pretty pricy products, but it’s the only thing I use on G. My sister recommended these to me. I had never heard of the brand until I was pregnant. They are very gentle on baby’s skin & head, and they also have a nice fresh smell that is not too overwhelming. Another thing I like is that they have a ‘no rinse’ product that you can just use for a quick clean on days you don’t give baby a bath.(you don’t need to bathe them daily)

6. Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat

This is the car seat we have & we really like it. We have also seen the Britax, my sister in law has it, and we liked that one too. We just picked this one after looking at reviews on Consumer Reports. But either way, you NEED a car seat, just make sure it’s safe! This one came with an infant insert & a head rest, which was nice. Just make sure you remove the infant insert when they get bigger…otherwise it gets uncomfortable for them. I couldn’t figure out why G was SCREAMING when we put her in the car seat (aren’t babies supposed to love to go for car rides?!) well, it’s because the infant insert was still in there- and at 4 weeks I guess she was too big for it. Once I removed it she was like any other baby & will normally fall asleep on the car ride.

7. Automatic Nasal Aspirator

One word to describe this product: AMAZING. I LOVE this thing. Babies get boogers. A lot of them. And those stupid nasal aspirators that you get from the hospital do NOT work. They suck. (no pun intended 😉 Oh geez, did I really just do that?!) This thing straight up SUCKS those boogers right out. Never thought I would be able to go on & on about a boogie sucker…but I really could. BUY THIS! (& thank me later 😉 )

8. Boppy Pillow

I’m sure you have all heard of these. Great for breast feeding AND bottle feeding. Just don’t forget the protective cover (for spit up, and just normal feeding…babies drip out of their mouths 😉 ) and all of the cute slip covers!

9. Medela Double Electric Breast Pump (if breast feeding)

I am exclusively breast feeding & cannot recommend this pump enough. Yes, it’s pricy…but put it on your registry, maybe someone will get it for you..and if they don’t, use one of the coupons (usually 15% off entire purchase) you get from the stores you register at for the ‘remaining items on your registry’ for this pump. It’s worth it. The week I came home from the hospital I started pumping to start building up the supply in the freezer for later use. This pump makes it SO easy & super quick, not like you have a ton of free time with a newborn. 😉 Oh, and if breast feeding, don’t forget NURSING BRAS. Your boobs leak. Yes, they really do. You will see. My sister in law recommended THESE bras from Target, and I LOVE them. They are cheaper than Medela bras, and they are really comfortable. They are more like a sports bra. And you’ll need nursing pads to put in your bras. They are super attractive 😉

10. Burp / Spit Up Cloths

Ok, maybe I shouldn’t advertise this, but those striped blankets that EVERY newborn (see picture above) gets in the hospital are the BEST burp cloths I have found. We took EVERY one of the blankets that were in our hospital room home with us. Don’t know if we were supposed to, but we did. Oops?! 😉 If you can, take them!

Now these are things I recommend having RIGHT away. There are a TON of other things I can recommend once they are a few weeks old, but for the initial couple of weeks- these are MUST haves. (Swings, bouncers, etc. are some of the things I can recommend using after the first few weeks- because they probably won’t be interested in them right away.)

I hope this list helps someone out! I know how stressful making a baby registry can be.

If you have any other suggestions, please leave them below!

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