17 Newborn Must-Haves
Now that Lincoln is almost four months old, I feel sufficiently qualified to share my list of newborn must-haves! These are the items that I considered lifesavers during his first couple months of life. Fair warning: all babies are different and what works for my baby definitely will not work for all. Some items are worth buying and trying out for yourself, but definitely do your research before buying the pricier ones (or simply return them if you don’t like it!). Keep in mind that this is not a newborn check-list, so it doesn’t include many of the obvious necessities (diapers, burp cloths, wipes, nail clippers, diaper cream, etc.). I only included the items and brands that I feel are exceptional. If there is a newborn necessity that I did not include, it’s because I’m still looking for that perfect brand! I’ve included the Amazon links for every item so you can shop with ease or quickly add them to your registry. You can also click HERE to view my Amazon idea list that includes all these products. Without further ado, in no particular order, here are the baby items that have made the newborn stage infinitely easier.
1. Snuggle Me Organic | $156
I was lucky enough to snag one of these through Facebook Marketplace for only $50. We got so much use out of this for the first two or three months! Whenever we needed to set Lincoln down without him waking up, we just grabbed the Snuggle Me and plopped it on the floor, couch, bed, or wherever else we were sitting. We also used it in his bassinet (which was next to our bed) during the night for the first few weeks. Yes, I know the instructions say not to do this. However, he would not sleep at all if we didn’t, and a new mom will do almost anything for a couple uninterrupted hours of sleep. As soon as he began getting squirmy (around a month old), we immediately stopped using it at night in case he rolled on his side in it. Luckily he transitioned perfectly to sleeping in his bassinet with nothing else inside.
2. Baby Björn Carrier | $190
Again, I got lucky with this one. My sister generously gifted us her Baby Björn carrier after her youngest grew out of it, and I am insanely grateful because this is the best carrier! I can walk miles with Link in this thing, and my back doesn’t feel it at all (and he’s almost 14 pounds at this point). It is made of such high-quality materials, the clasps are easy to use, and I can already tell this is going to last through multiple children!
3. Cozy Cover | $40
This car seat cover is especially useful if your newborn is due during the winter months. Lincoln was born in November, and the weather in Minot, ND gets well below zero during this time. Whenever we left the house, this cover was perfect for protecting him from the elements as we walked to and from the car. It is easy to use, washes well, and we still use it to this day.
4. Copper Pearl Swaddle Blanket | $25
There are about a million swaddle blankets on the market, and I can bet your baby will not like many of them. Heck, your baby may not like to be swaddled, period. For the two or three weeks that Link enjoyed being swaddled (yes, he got over it very quickly since he likes to kick his feet like crazy), the Copper Pearl blanket was amazing. The butter-soft material is super stretchy, which makes it so much easier to get a tight swaddle. With muslin or regular blankets, I struggled to get it tight enough so he wouldn’t wiggle out of it. With this one, I mastered the art of the swaddle on the first try (see photo). Plus, you can also buy the cutest matching hats! There are so many designs to choose from, so I linked one of the two that I purchased. It is also large enough to use as a light blanket, or even as a nursing cover (tie two adjacent corners together and put over your head).
5. Doona Car Seat Stroller | $500
This one was quite the investment. I stared at pictures of it for months before Link was born, and it took weeks of talking it over with Austin before we decided to pull the trigger and buy it. We were about to leave on a trip to Florida and were faced with the fact that we’d have to lug our huge jogging stroller, car seat, and car seat base through the airport and on vacation. The Doona stroller is an absolute lifesaver if you plan on travelling frequently with your little one in their first year because it is a stroller and car seat in one! Click the link and watch the video—it’s amazing. Plus, you don’t have to have the car seat base. We used the base when we first got to Florida (the Doona stroller folds down into the car seat, and then clicks into the base like a normal car seat), but when Austin flew back to North Dakota, he took the bulky base with him in his checked bag. I stayed behind to enjoy the weather for a few extra days, and the Doona worked perfectly fine without the base (it folds down into the car seat, and then you use the seat belt to strap it in). We plan on traveling three or four more times in the next few months so we’ll get a lot of use out of it, but I would honestly say that this was well worth the price for the convenience we got during that one trip.
6. Bamboo Waterproof Changing Pad Liners | $16
I’m sure these would be perfect as changing pad liners, but we don’t use them for that purpose. It comes in a pack of three, so I kept one in the baby swing and in the Snuggle Me at all times. If Link ever had a blowout or leaked out of his diaper, we simply switched out the liner instead of having to wash the whole contraption. I also cut one in half, sewed off the edge, and used it as a car seat liner. It definitely comes in handy when you have your little one on your lap and can hear/feel/smell them pooping. I can’t tell you how many times I yelled for Austin to toss me a liner, and I would quickly position it under Link’s butt so I didn’t end up covered in the nastiness—total life saver!
7. Gerber Baby Washcloths | $9
These come in a 6-pack on Amazon, so we bought two of them to keep on-hand. The uses are absolutely endless—cleaning spit-up, washing his face, washing during bath time, cleaning up a blow out when baby wipes just don’t cut it, carefully cleaning baby boy when he’s still healing from a circumcision, covering up his you-know-what during a diaper change so you don’t get sprayed—the list goes on and on. They’re not super fancy, but they get the job done.
8. Sleep and Play with Zipper | approx. $5-$20
For the love of all that is good in the world, DO NOT get snap-up sleepers! You will regret this purchase during your hundreds of middle-of-the-night diaper changes. Get your preferred brand (I like Carters, Amazon, Old Navy, and Burt’s Bees) and material (it’s good to have both cotton and fleece on-hand), but please please make sure there is a zipper, it has fold-over mittens, and that it is footed!
9. Side-Snap Long-Sleeve Shirts | $8
These are great for baby when their umbilical stump hasn’t yet fallen off. It doesn’t rub on their tummy like a onesie would, and the long-sleeves have those fold-over mittens that prevent baby from accidentally scratching their face. The hospital sent us home with one of these, and I had purchased one as part of Link’s going home outfit. I think having two or three on hand would be more than enough, especially since we only changed his shirt when it was time for a sponge bath or when he got dirty (every day to every other day).
10. MAM Newborn Pacifiers | $8
I waited until Link had a well-established breastfeeding routine before introducing a pacifier (about three weeks old). I was terrified of nipple confusion and that he would never breastfeed again if I gave him a pacifier. I’ll tell you right now that it did not interfere whatsoever with his feeding routine. We tried to give him a pacifier as a last resort (if he wasn’t consoled by feeding, a diaper change, or rocking). We also used it at night time since research indicates it helps reduce the risk of SIDS.
11. Socks | approx. $5-$15
Socks are essential for newborns, and I don’t mean for keeping their feet warm. I quickly found that the baby mittens do not stay on tiny hands for more than a minute, tops. Socks, on the other hand, are snug enough to stay on baby’s hands throughout the night and prevent him from scratching his face in his sleep. The brand doesn’t really matter (we have both Gerber and Carters), but get the long socks, not the ankle socks. When you can pull them up nearly to baby’s elbows, they are more likely to stay on all night.
12. Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine | $60
We love our Hatch Baby because you can control it from an app on your phone! You can change the sound it makes, the volume of noise, the color of light, and the brightness. Find your favorite combinations, and then save them to your “favorites” list. When you tap the top of the machine, it cycles through your preset favorites. This was great for middle-of-the-night diaper changes and feeds. The light was just bright enough for me to see what I was doing while feeding Lincoln, but not so bright that it bothered Austin while he was sleeping. I plan on using this for years to come, as I’ve heard of others using the Hatch Baby as a wake-up call for their toddlers. In the app, you can set it to change colors and make a different noise at a certain time of the day, which can indicate to little ones that it’s time to wake up or go to bed.
13. Travel Changing Pad | $6
There are lots of fancy travel changing pads on the market, but I have been nothing but satisfied with this simple one. It doesn’t have any compartments or pockets, but I have found that I don’t need any of that. As long as I have my diaper bag handy, that can hold everything I need during a diaper change on-the-go. It’s large enough to fit a growing baby, quick to wipe down, folds up easily, and stores compactly in any bag.
14. Black and White Accordion Board Book | $8
I bought a few black and white books during my newborn shopping spree because babies focus very well on high-contrast images. However, the only one I ever ended up using was this Animal Parade accordion book. It has black and white images on one side and color images on the other, has a mirror on both sides, and stands up easily. When Lincoln was laying on his back, we would put this up for him to look at, and during tummy time it helped distract him from the fact that he hated tummy time!
15. Dekor Classic Diaper Pail | $32
I was baffled to see the price of most diaper pails, and that doesn’t even include their expensive bag refills. I love this one because it is affordable, hands-free, and keeps out the stink 100%. Instead of individual bags like a traditional trash can, it has one continuous loop that is inserted at the top. You pull it down and tie it off, creating the bag. When it’s full, you pull it down and cut it using the built-in blade on the door and then tie it off and toss it. The black arrows on the bag (pictured below) indicate when it is about to run out. It comes with one bag refill already installed, and we purchased one refill box ($14) that includes two packs of bags. Just these three bag refills lasted us over two months, which is saying something because newborns make upwards of 15 dirty diapers each day!
16. Lucy Darling Baby Book | $35
There are so many baby books that have sections for you to write pages and pages about your little one. I’ll tell you right now—you probably won’t have the time or energy to do this. I love the Lucy Darling baby book because each month is only one page: you answer four fill-in-the-blank boxes, add a picture, and you’re done. Austin and I fill this out together every month, and it takes us less than 10 minutes to complete. So simple, so cute, and such good quality!
17. La-Z-Boy Rocker Recliner | $520
You don’t have to get the exact recliner that we did (pictured below; Wayfair link included above), but I highly advise you to invest in the comfiest chair possible for your nursery! You’ll be feeding baby in this chair, rocking him to sleep in it, and even spending a few (and by few, I mean many) restless nights in the nursery trying to get some shut-eye in it once your little one finally falls asleep and stays asleep when you set him in the crib.
What are some of your newborn must-haves? Comment below!