Want to know the best newborn baby must haves that every parent should have on hand? Girl, here are the tested and approved baby products you need to know about.
Having a baby is extremely exciting and there is so much to prepare for. As a mom of 4 and a daycare provider, I am giving you the complete list of newborn baby must haves that I swear by.
You are going to learn about all the newborn baby must-haves from feeding, bathing, diapering, travel, and more.
After learning about all of these baby products, you are going to be very prepared when it is time to bring your new baby home.
Let's jump into the best newborn baby must haves that you need and will use.
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Best Newborn Baby Must Haves
First things first, having a baby can cost a lot of money. Diapers, wipes, clothes, car seats, they all add up.
Your baby will not need the best of the best, nor will they notice. Save those kind of items for when they are older.
If you are planning to have more than one child here is a money saving tip: purchase as many of the following items as gender-neutral as possible.
We had a girl first and then 3 boys. All of the gender-neutral products made it through them all and are still going strong with the daycare kids.
Best Newborn Baby Must Haves
Travel
1. Infant Car Seat
By law, if any baby is traveling in a vehicle it needs to be in an infant car seat.
You can NOT even leave the hospital with your brand-new baby unless you have one and show the nurses that you can properly strap your baby into it.
With our first baby we went with a Graco infant car seat. It is no longer available.
We went with this Graco infant car seat second.
I did love this one and recommend it if you are planning on having more than one baby.
Yes, we had to get 2. Infant car seats, all car seats actually, have an expiration date on them.
By the time we got to baby 4, the first one expired. That was disappointing since they are not cheap.
If I had to choose an infant seat now, I would go with this infant car seat.
It is a buy one-time car seat.
This car seat changes into whatever your child needs until they are old enough and big enough to use your vehicle's regular seat belt.
2. Stroller
The sky is the limit when it comes to all the stroller options. Some things to consider when trying to pick the right one is:
- Cost
- Weight
- Size - how big is it when it collapses down for storing or do you plan to always leave it open
- Length of use – some are only for infants while others infants cannot be in them until they are about 6 months or more
- Where do you plan to use it
- Are you just walking or do you want to run with it
I have used these 2 strollers and would recommend either one, all depending on your situation.
With this stroller the infant car seat can click into it. It is lightweight and has a nice storage basket at the bottom.
This is the stroller we bought with our first baby. It could be used as our baby grew.
We put so many miles on it before, and even after, we got the double stroller.
This stroller is the MACK DADDY and I would buy it again, and again!
We borrowed this stroller from a friend and test drove this it at our county fair. Even though it is a beast, it was like pushing a cloud. AMAZING!
We ended up buying it from them since their kids did not need a stroller anymore. Since I still do daycare, this is the stroller that has gotten the most use.
Best Newborn Baby Must Haves
Feeding
1. Bottles
Should you go with glass or plastic? What shape and flow of nipple do you need? There are so many options to choose from.
We went with these bottles and nipples.
These worked well for all 4 of our kids.
2. Bottle Cleaning Brush
If you have to hand wash bottles, you will want a bottle cleaning brush.
It does such a great job of getting into all the nooks and crannies of every part of the bottle.
3. Formula
If you decide to formula feed your baby, you will need a lot of it.
The best way to choose from all of the options out there is to get recommendations from your doctor, friends, family, and look on the internet.
While I mostly breastfed my 4 kids, my second baby had some nursing/growing issues and had to switch to formula. He also had problems with spit-up.
4. Breast Pump
If you decide to nurse and go back to work get a breast pump. There are so many great options to choose from now.
I used this breast pump and it worked really well for me.
While nursing baby 1 and halfway nursing baby 2, I worked outside of my home.
Then I used it with babies 3 and 4 in the morning when they started to sleep through the night so I could have so milk to freeze.
5. Milk Storage Bags
Milk storage bags are important for freezing breast milk. I never had any of these bags leak milk.
To store milk in the freezer, lay the bag flat to freeze and then store them like books at the library. Put them in order with the oldest ones in the front of the line.
This saves so much freezer space. We have a chest freezer and had extra space so I used a wipes box as a holder.
Keep a list somewhere of how much milk you are putting in the freezer. By doing this, you can keep track of how early you can start to cut back to make it to your nursing length goal.
Go get ‘em Mama!
6. Burp Cloths
Some babies spit up more than others, but they all spit-up.
Having a stack of burp cloths on hand to help with all the spit is a must.
7. Bibs
From the drool, spit-up, and eventually food, bibs are a must-have from the start.
The best kind of bibs have a snap closure instead of Velcro.
The Velcro eventually wears out from all the washing.
Best Newborn Baby Must Haves
Diapering
1. Diapers
The first big choice with diapers is whether to use cloth or disposable.
I went with the disposable for my babies. However, I have had 2 daycare babies that went with cloth diapers.
If I were to go back, I may have tried the cloth.
The snap closure and a flushable poop liner make them just as easy to use as disposable diapers. Helping out our environment is a plus too.
Maybe you want to go with disposable, there are a few things to consider when choosing which brand will be right for your baby.
Most importantly, does your baby has sensitive skin?
I went with Huggies brand.
They are unscented. I also like the way the straps have flex to them which seem to "hug" around your baby's little waist.
We were gifted another brand that had fragrance in it.
My baby’s skin had the worst reaction to it. She wore one diaper for 2 hours and got a terrible rash that took 2 days to clear up.
By being a daycare provider, I have experience with other brands. It seems to me that there are fewer poop explosions while using Huggies diapers.
2. Wipes
Once again, you do not know your baby’s skin sensitivity. It is best to go with unscented wipes.
I bought Huggies wipes over and over again. You use fewer wipes per changing time.
Even though my kids are done with diapers, I keep a small stash of these wipes on hand for outings.
Knock off brands don't compare!
4. Diaper Bag
You will find 2 main styles of diaper bags: backpack and tote/duffel. They both have about the same amount of room.
I started with a tote/duffel diaper bag similar to this one.
It did not take me long to realize that I wished I had the backpack kind.
If I had to bend down to help out my little one, the duffel would fall off my shoulder, every time.
This was especially true when I had more than one child.
I could have crossed it over my body but the added pressure to my chest was killer since I was nursing.
I switched to the this backpack style and was in love!
This style is the kind I recommend to everyone who asks me about diaper bags.
Best Newborn Baby Must Haves
Clothing
1. Clothes
Your baby needs clothes, same as you. The brand that is true to size is Carters.
Here is a list of the following clothing items you should have for your baby.
- Onesies
- Shirts
- Pants
- Socks
- Hats
- Pajamas/sleep sacks
- Winter hat and mittens – if it is winter
- Blankets – heavy and light – your baby loves to be warm and snuggled
Do not go crazy buying a bunch of clothes for your baby at the start.
I know, I know! They are all just so cute. But people will gift you baby clothes.
Instead, wait a bit, see what you get and then see what you need!
Otherwise, you will end up with bins and bins of clothes and have no idea where they all came from. Still not sure how this happened to us.
2. Hangers
There are small hangers made just for baby and kid clothes. These hangers make it so much easier to hang your little one’s clothes, and they do not cost that much.
Someone first offered them to me and I asked, do I need them. Yes, yes you do.
Best Newborn Baby Must Haves
The Nursery
1. Crib
Your baby is going to need someplace to sleep besides being snuggled in your arms.
A crib is the best place for a baby to sleep.
I cannot recommend our exact crib since my wonderful father-in-law built ours.
It is pretty much the same as this crib.
2. Mattress
There is a wide range of crib mattresses. And with this range, you can find hefty price tags.
We used this crib mattress. It made it through 4 kids using it every day for about 8 years.
3. Waterproof Mattress Pads
Grab 2 waterproof mattress pads.
Babies spit up or blow out of their diapers. While you have one in the wash, you can have the other in the crib.
My favorite was when a poop explosion happened in the middle of the night. Having the backup made it easy to change the bed, and let me go back to bed.
Your sleep is precious with a baby around.
4. Crib Sheets
Make sure you grab 2 – 3 crib sheets. You will want multiple of these for the same reasons as the multiple mattress pads.
Somehow, we ended up with 8. No, you do not need 8 crib sheets!
5. Dresser
You are going to need a place to hold all the cuteness that is baby clothes.
Using a dresser is a great way to stay organized.
I love this dresser.
6. Night Light
When you have to get up in the middle of the night with your baby, do you want to turn the top light on? That would be a big fat nope!
I wanted to get the baby back to sleep as soon as possible so I could go back to sleep.
We have these night lights in multiple rooms of our house.
They are dim enough to get a good night's sleep but light enough that you can see what you are doing.
Best Newborn Baby Must Haves
Bath Time
1. Baby Wash
The best baby wash you can go with to start is an all-over wash.
This will scrub them clean from head to toe. Another good thing to consider is tear-free.
We used this baby wash with all 4 kids.
Get the pump option if possible. Most of the time you will need to get soap 1 handed.
2. Baby Lotion
After bath time, give your baby a nice massage and apply lotion. Baby skin can dry out so fast.
Try out this fragrance-free lotion to save on irritating your baby’s sensitive skin.
3. Comb/Brush
Your baby may or may not have hair to start. Either way, you will want to comb their hair/head.
A gentle comb/brush will help stimulate hair growth and not irritate your baby’s skin on its head.
4. Nail Clippers
You are going to be absolutely amazed at how fast your baby’s nails will grow. I know I was.
Having a small nail clipper will help to keep your baby’s nails short and straight.
Best Newborn Baby Must Haves
Health and Safety
1. Thermometer
Unfortunately, your baby is going to get sick sometime and you will need to check their temperature.
We had an under-the-arm one to start, and what a pain in the butt that was.
When the battery went out, I went ahead and spent the money on a no touch thermometer.
2. Laundry Soap
Your baby may have a sensitivity that you are not aware of. They are completely fresh and have never been exposed to anything.
By starting with fragrance-free laundry soap you can help your baby and its sensitive skin.
We used, and still do, Tide Free and Gentle. We also tried Dreft which worked but the Tide was cheaper.
3. Gate
If you have stairs, you NEED to have a gate.
Once your baby starts rolling, they will be everywhere. Prevent a potential injury and get a decent gate.
We went with one that attaches to the wall and it can be opened and walked through.
It has been up for 10 years and opened and closed millions of times.
Best Newborn Baby Must Haves
Playing
1. Board Books
Books can play a huge part in a child’s development. Having board books on hand will help them learn and want to be good readers in the future.
Stocking up on an assortment is good for you, you won’t get bored of the same 5 books.
One of our favorite board books is the Little Blue Truck series. It is great for girls and boys.
At my sister’s baby shower, we asked the guests to bring a children’s book instead of a card. This gave her a small instant library with variety.
All my kids love books and we have spent countless hours with them.
2. Crinkle
These Crinkle books will keep your baby entertained for a long time.
They can be chewed on, are flexible, and make a small amount of noise to pique your baby's curiosity.
My kids and daycare kids both gravitated to these.
3. Rattles
Babies love Rattles and they are a multi-purpose toy.
They make noise and can be chewed on during teething.
It is better to get hard rattles instead of plush ones. They are easier to clean when they get spit-up on.
Congratulations on the newest addition to your family!
Enjoy snuggling up your little blessing.
This post is all about the top newborn baby must haves you should have.
Leave a comment below if you think I missed something.
I look forward to hearing from you and thanks for stopping by.