What do I really need for baby?
Definitely a popular question from moms-to-be, the baby store will hand out a three page list of stuff you “need”, but don’t believe it. (and check out used stores first!) With our second baby on the way, I got to thinking, what are the real necessities for a baby? Here’s my list of the TRUE necessities:
A Support Person
Absolutely necessary. Hopefully, that’s your husband. If not, it’s your mom or a sister, or a best friend, or a church lady. Someone you can trust who will be there for you, even if you are desperate and tired at 2am. Don’t have a support person? Find someone, you are going to want one.
Pacifier
If you are willing to use one, that is. A pacifier saved our sanity with Micah, it helped him soothe and gave me a break from soothing him myself. Try not to use one until baby has figured out nursing though. From what I’ve researched, pacifiers can confuse baby if he hasn’t figured out nursing yet, but once he’s got a latch down, no problem!
Nose Sucker
Babies make boogers and sometimes they need to be sucked out, so a nose sucker is super important. Don’t worry about buying one though, the hospital should give you one when baby’s born.
Place for baby to sleep
I’m not going to get into co-sleeping here, if you want to hear my thoughts leave a comment and I’ll write a post about it. No matter what sleeping situation you go with, baby needs a bed. A bassinet, a co-sleeper, a crib, a bouncer, something. Baby may refuse to sleep in it for a while, but you’ll need it.
Diapers/wipes
Everybody poops, especially babies, so diapers and wipes are a no brainer. Whether you go cloth or disposable, have them on hand.
Boob pads
Whether you plan on breastfeeding or not, you will leak. It happens. Be ready for it.
Clothes/blankets
Depending on what kind of weather there is, you’ll need clothes. Unless it’s Arizona summertime, then a diaper is plenty, haha. Check out second hand stores though, no one cares if it’s a brand new outfit or something another baby wore once before outgrowing it.
Carseat
The hospital won’t let you leave without making sure baby can sit well in the car seat. Whether an infant seat or a convertible seat that can handle infants, buy it new because you never know where a used one has been. An infant seat is super nice so you can take baby out of the car without waking him, but do what you can afford.
Ok, not TOTALLY necessary baby items, but very close:
Diaper Clutch
Honestly, a diaper bag is only necessary for all-day trips with food, toys, and everything. For an infant, especially a breastfed infant, all you need is diapers and wipes, so a diaper clutch is perfect.
Bathtub
Hot baths feel seriously amazing on sore areas. Some days I took two baths, definitely helped the soreness, which was way more than I expected but totally temporary. If you don’t have a tub, find a friend who does. Hopefully a friend who would be willing to watch baby for 20 minutes so you can soak! Baby will need a bath at some point too, but he’ll fit in a sink for a long time so don’t worry too much about that one.
Stroller/Sling/Front Carrier
At some point you will be out and about and need your hands. My sling is irreplaceable and my colicky baby needed holding so much, but I needed my hands, so my sling and front carrier were life savers. Again, check out used stores, you can find even brand-name carriers and strollers for WAY less than new.
Baby Bouncer
Huge lifesaver. Micah was both entertained by his bouncer while awake and would sleep in it way before he would sleep in his crib. Strap baby in every time though, they’ll learn to wiggle out sooner than you think!
Baby Safety
Mostly outlet covers. Baby won’t be mobile right away but you will need to baby proof your house within a few months so be prepared.
Comfy nursing chair and pillow
I spent a lot of time curled up with a pillow on the couch, but rocking chairs with arm rests are great for nursing. Try sitting with a doll or teddy bear and make sure you have something comfortable.
A BackSeat Mirror
Yes, they can reflect the sun and cause sunburn so be careful! But being able to see Micah in the backseat through my rearview mirror is spectacular!
There are way more things that are nice to have with a baby, and I’m sure to blog about many of them, so know your budget and pick things you need as you can. Baby really just needs you, all the items and fun toys will grow old and unimportant, baby will always need you.
Other mamas, anything I missed?
Great list Andrea! When I became pregnant and went to register, I became really overwhelmed with the choices!! I believe that 1st time mom’s should go shopping or to register with mom/grandma/experienced mom. They will let you know what you will REALLY use 🙂 (The rest is just clutter and lets face it, with children, the less clutter the better!)
What a great list of baby items. It sure does take a lot. I was a single mom, well still am, and for me having a baby swing was a life saver when mine were babies.
The best advice I was ever given was by my mom. Look for second hand clothes on eBay, in Facebook groups or on auction pages. Really newborn and 0-3 month clothes they going to grow out of quickly so purchase one or two things new if you want but save the money for diapers, wipes or a bigger purchase. Lots of used baby clothes look perfectly fine and no one knows where you got them but you.
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