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I remember reading so much when I was pregnant with Kennadi; specifically, what items we would need to register for. It is true what they say, you don’t totally know what you are going to use until your baby arrives. So, as a first-time mom, I am here to share with you my absolute newborn must haves that will make the newborn stage a little easier!
What Newborn Must Haves Should I Register For?
Pretty much anywhere that offers a baby registry will also have a nice, detailed, and categorized list of everything you need on your registry. I am here to tell you, a lot of that will be wasted money and space! As part of newborn must haves, they don’t need a lot of material items! I will cover those items more in the 3-6 and 6-9 months posts. I also am not including furniture type items (bassinet, car seat, stroller, diaper pail, etc.) as I know that everyone knows they need those items.
Top 15 Newborn Must Haves:
- Diapers
After my baby shower, by looking in our garage, you would have thought we would have enough diapers for years. Well, they go quicker than you think! Make sure to register for diapers so that you can exchange for different sizes. One piece of advice, make sure you have Preemie, Newborn, and Size 1 diapers for right after the hospital. You won’t know what size your baby will need until they are born.
We had TONS of newborn size diapers but Kennadi ended up needing preemie and our family was going to the store to buy us preemie diapers for two weeks straight. It would have been nice if we had already had them just in case. Like I said, if they are on your registry, it is very easy to exchange them for other sizes. My favorite diapers ever are Huggies Special Delivery. They are SO soft for newborn’s fresh baby skin.
Obviously, you will need wipes. Lots of them. I personally don’t think you can go wrong with any brand of these. We used a lot of different ones and never really noticed a big difference. We have seemed to purchase the Huggies Natural Care Wipes the most.
Ugh, diaper rash. When it hits, it hits hard (at least for us it did.) We received so many different brands at my baby shower. And the one we love it one we didn’t receive or register for. I had to take Kennadi to the doctor for a horrible diaper rash that was not improving and that is when our pediatrician recommended Aquaphor (creates a nice barrier) and Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. Kennadi is one now and we still rely on just these two!
If you are having a baby shower, you will likely receive several different brands of baby lotion and soaps. We had five different brands we tested out and we fell in love with The Honest Company. It never irritated Kennadi and has always helped keep her skin moisturized. Another favorite, Tubby Todd All Over Ointment Cream. This stuff is amazing for ANY skin issues or concerns! You won’t regret having one of these in your nursery just in case.
So. Many. Burp cloths. Maybe every baby isn’t like Kennadi but my goodness, we used SO many burp cloths. I was so grateful we had a ton so we weren’t forced to constantly wash them. While I loved the cute design ones, these burp cloths worked way better!
Okay, I know I said no furniture type items but I had to include our favorite baby bath! I have seen all the flower ones you place in the sink but didn’t hear great reviews on those. We had The First Years baby tub and the sling was perfect! It made it so easy to bathe her as a tiny newborn.
An absolute newborn must haves! I swear by sound machines. It helps your newborn be reminded of the womb and the noise they heard constantly. If you want your newborn to sleep, use a sound machine! I recommend the Hatch for the nursery and by the bassinet.
Also, make sure to add this travel sound machine to your registry! We used it by the Dock a Tot for naps and on the go for her car seat and stroller. If you need one more reason to convince you on the portable one, it is amazing to have when you are at someone else’s house. We use it whenever we lay her down in a pack n play at someone else’s home.
You can’t survive newborn life without swaddles! Story time, Kennadi was the worst sleeper the first month (until we learned she wasn’t latching and eating well) but at the time, we swore it was a bassinet/swaddle issue. We purchased (no joke) every freaking single swaddle on Amazon and Target. Our favorite ended up being the Swaddle Me and Happiest Baby Sleepea Swaddle. Both of these keep baby’s arms down and snug.
I would recommend registering for a few different types but I think the Wub-A-Nub pacifiers are the best for newborns! My husband and I never understood the “stuffed animal” pacifiers until one night at 3 am. Kennadi loved her pacifier but once it fell out, she would be instantly awake and SO mad. While they are swaddled, the Wub-A-Nub pacifiers can rest perfectly on their chest and the weight prevents them from falling out. Once we figured that out, we had much more peaceful nights!
As expensive as it is, I really do think this is a necessity. Dock a Tot or the Snuggle Me. This was an item I was hesitant about, didn’t register for it, but a friend gave us theirs. I have no idea what we would have done without it! Kennadi took all her naps in this the first few months. It was amazing being able to set it on the couch right by us for her naps.
I registered for this for nursing but ended up exclusively pumping after one month of breastfeeding. Even though I didn’t use it long for nursing, it is a must have item because it was great to use for tummy time and supported sitting!
Because it is impossible to get much done with a newborn… and who doesn’t love a snuggly newborn up against their chest?! I used our Ergobaby 360 more than the Boba wrap, mainly because I didn’t like having to wrap the Boba perfectly each time. It was easier for me to use a carrier with buckles and adjustments. We had to purchase the newborn insert separately so make sure to include that on your registry!
I discovered this seat on Amazon when Kennadi was almost 3 months old. I saw pictures of young babies using it so I decided to try it out. Oh my goodness, it was amazing! I hated that Kennadi only had the Dock a Tot and Mamaroo for places to put her because this kept her on her head and I really didn’t want her head shape to be affected. Once we bought this floor seat, Kennadi could sit up whenever we needed to set her down. She also loved playing with the toy attachments.
The not so fun item, a rectal thermometer. Our pediatrician had us purchase one when she was 2 months old and having some sickness. It is the most accurate way to get their temperature. We purchased this one and still use at 1 year of age. Make sure to use Vaseline or Aquaphor on it before using.
You do not want to be running out to purchase these items when you need it! We used gas drops so frequently that we had an Amazon repeat delivery for the 3 pack. They helped Kennadi’s tummy issues significantly and made her a lot less fussy. Every pediatrician will tell you that you need to supplement breastfeeding or formula with Vitamin D drops. We didn’t know this so it wasn’t on our registry and we had to purchase each month. It would be worth it to register for a 6 month supply.
Newborn Must Haves Honorable Mentions:
While these items can make newborn stage a little easier and are helpful, they are not newborn must haves as you can absolutely get by without any of them! And I truly believe these items depend on your baby’s personality/temperament. For example, Kennadi hated the Mamaroo but she loved the traditional swing!
If you are an expecting Mom, I hope this list can help you narrow things down and help you decide what you absolutely will need for the newborn stage! Let me know if you have any questions! Found this helpful? Please comment below to let me know 🙂
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