Are you expecting a newborn anytime soon? It’s natural to have a long to-do list.
Getting your little one comfy on arrival should be chief among your preparations. And trust me, it’s not an easy task. But with correct information, it becomes less tricky to get everything your baby needs.
That’s why this baby essentials guide provides detailed information to help you welcome your newborn without hassle.
Also, you’ll be getting an expertly-put-together nice-to-haves list to make your baby care experience livable.
And several tips in this piece will help you maintain catering to your newborn baby, keeping you both happy.
What Kind of Checklist Do You Need?
You need a checklist for multiple needs for your newborn baby.
Dozens of essential items go into caring for your baby. And what works in one scenario may not for the other.
So, is it ideal to use one long list of items?
Not necessarily!
You’re going to need a checklist for nursery set-up, diapering, clothing, feeding, and lots more.
Getting your list set up in segments makes shopping for the correct items less troubling.
What’s in this Article?
Undoubtedly, you want the best for your little one.
That’s why this guide relies on information from reputable sources, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, for example.
Drawing info from such sources makes it a lot easier to trust your choices. And with such reliable information, you can be sure your little one gets the best care possible.
Ultimate Baby Essentials Checklist: Must-Haves for Every Need
A. Checklist for Clothing
Baby clothes serve several needs. With this list, you’ll know what to get to make your baby look classy and get much-needed protection.
Your baby’s first wear
When your little ones are out, they’ve got to look the part.
Clothes your baby will wear for the first time may not fit several weeks after. But it’s a great choice to give your new baby a swell time when he/she’s just arriving.
- T-shirts
With T-shirts, you get your baby excellent fitting with leggings, shorts, or pants, depending on the weather and wardrobe choices.
Consider getting T-shirts of different sizes, as your baby will likely grow out of small shirts anytime soon.
- Rompers
Rompers are must-haves for your newborn and work in different ways in your baby’s wardrobe. With rompers, your baby could go out for a stroll or get more warmth at bedtime.
- Stretch pants
Stretchy pants or leggings are a great fit for your baby’s wardrobe. Add style to the mix by shopping for pants with beautiful designs to give your baby an elegant look.
- Sweatshirts/Hoodies
Clothes for stifling out the cold are must-haves to keep your baby protected. Many options are in store, but consider hoodies that provide adequate protection for your baby’s forehead and ears.
Even if it’s warm indoors, it’s essential to take a sweatshirt along whenever you’re out with a little one.
- Booties/Socks
Baby items are incomplete when you don’t have the right feet protection in your checklist. That’s why you’ve got to get your little one a good amount of socks and booties.
Thick socks are preferred for cold weather, and booties help keep your baby’s feet clean.
- Mittens/Snowsuit/Bunting Bag
Parents consider cold weather protection as a mainstay when shopping for baby items. That’s why it’s essential to get your newborn quality mittens and other protective gear. When you bring your baby home and after, these items are super handy to stave off the harsh cold.
- Swaddling blanket
If you’re planning to swaddle for the first few weeks, adding some special blankets to baby items is less hassling. Options with a hook-loop fastener are available, and you can max out caring for newborns without hassle.
Also, swaddling blankets serve as an excellent alternative for receiving blankets.
- Sleeping sacks, pajamas
Most hours of your baby’s early life, particularly in the first few weeks, will be spent napping. That’s why you need to select proper sleeping clothes to cover your new baby. Several sleeping clothes cover your baby’s feet. Go for such options.
- Headwear
When it comes to the right gear for protecting your baby’s head, several items are essential. Get your little one a knit hat or miniature sunhat. With such gear, it becomes easier to protect your baby from harsh sun rays.
Also, head warmers serve as essential gear for protecting your baby when it’s cold.
Generally, your baby’s choice for headwear largely depends on weather conditions and how much protection you need for them.
B. Checklist for Bathing
It’s bath time! Depending on your new baby, it could be an enjoyable experience or an all-out battle. (also read How to do first bath?)
Regardless of how your baby feels about a bath, she’s got to be clean. Make the most of items in this list below to get all bath necessities set up:
- Bath seat, tub
Your new baby will take several positions throughout their bath time. With a bath seat, it becomes much easier to get your baby a nice wipe-down any time. And here’s the catch – you can use a bathtub for many months, even after your baby can stand.
- Soap/Cup
Mild bathing soap for babies is a mainstay to get their bodies cleaned without hassle. Also, you need to get a bathing cup to pour water for rinsing your baby all-around during a bath.
- Bathing towels
Soft towels work best for cleaning your new baby after a bath. And when you want their hair dried faster, opt for soft, hooded towels.
- Soft sponge/washcloths
Sponge baths are ideal for your new baby and remain vital several months after birth. Gentle wipes may not be suitable with a sponge. So, it’s essential to add a soft sponge to bath necessities for easier skin cleaning.
C. Checklist for Hair and Skincare
With these items, your infant will have the best hair and skincare you’ve always wished for:
- Lotion
If your baby has no dry skin patches, lotions made for newborns are an ideal fit. With these lotions, your baby’s skin gets spot-on nourishment to become suppler and radiant.
- Shampoo
Special shampoos for babies should be among your baby gear if your newborn happens to have any hair. Properly washing your newborn’s hair is essential to protect against adverse scalp conditions.
- Moisturizer
Special moisturizers rank as a top baby essentials add-on, particularly for babies with dry skin. And it’s one of the must-haves on several experienced mum’s checklists.
Using baby moisturizers gives most babies ideal protection against dryness. It’s also noteworthy that most mothers don’t use moisturizers when they have a baby lotion and vice-versa.
- Powder
Some moms rely on baby powders to prevent rashes when diapering up their newborn. It’s best to select a less-scented powder and adopt a sparing application on extra-moist bums. (also read Does baby powder expire?)
- Oil
Hair oils are ideal for getting your newborn a sleek appearance. Applying baby oils to your newborn’s hair makes combing more fun for you and less painful for them.
- Baby detergent
Detergents with mild concentrates are an excellent fit for laundering baby clothes. Use trace amounts whenever you can, even with the low composition of harsh concentrates.
- Hairbrush
You really need a hairbrush for your newborn. But you can’t settle for hard hairbrushes. You’ll be able to brush up your newborn’s hair without stress.
- Sunblock
If your infant is coming to your next beach or outdoor trip, sunblock is a must-have for derma protection.
D. Checklist for Setting up the Nursery
Allow your babe to rest easy with these necessities for setting up the nursery:
- Crib
A rigid crib is permanent among necessities for your new infant. Consider getting a solid crib that could last for several months after purchase. With the correct width, you won’t have to shop every other month for a sizeable crib to guarantee your infant’s rest.
- Humidifier
Humidifiers in your infant’s nursery help provide moisture, keeping the air less dry. Such gear comes in handy to increase comfort for your baby and avoid aggravating colds or coughs.
- Rocking chair
Even if some may not consider this item a high ranker among baby essentials, it’s still a handy fixture.
With the rocking chair, you can quickly get your baby rested when it’s nighttime, among other handy uses.
- Nightlight/mobile
Entertainment items are indispensable for setting up your baby’s nursery.
- Bassinet
Getting a sizeable bassinet could come in handy, especially when you need to work with the baby close by. Placing your baby in a bassinet provides you with more comfort to handle other pressing needs.
- Monitor
Getting a Wi-Fi-enabled baby monitor will help you watch your baby from anywhere without much stress. Smart monitors help you see and hear everything in your baby’s room.
With such a handy baby monitor, it becomes less hassling to handle other stuff knowing your baby’s asleep and comfortable.
And if you’re extra concerned about how well your baby’s resting, some smart cams offer humidity and temperature information.
- Crib mattress
A waterproof crib mattress has to be among the baby products you buy first. Setting up the crib to be much comfier is a walkover with this item.
- Bedding
Clean beddings, free from any form of contamination, ranks high in your baby essentials list. It’s a great fit to cover your infant’s waterproof mattress and help provide increased comfort.
E. Checklist for Feeding
Use these items to get your baby a filled belly and healthy utensils every time:
- Feeding bottles
Milk, formula, and much more, the baby feeding bottle has to be with you everywhere you go. Engage proper maintenance to keep your baby healthy. And it’s a top recommend to change feeding bottles over a 12 – 16 week period.
- Formula
Consult your pediatrician for the right formula your baby needs to take. Most formulas aren’t ideal for consumption after they’ve been made for over 1 hour.
- Storage bags
Milk storage and safely keeping other essentials is the primary function of this item. Most storing bags come with several compartments and offer much more than milk storage.
- Bottle Sterilizer
With a bottle sterilizer, keeping essentials like nipples and bottles is more comfortable. And in some newer models, a bottle sterilizer could also come with a warmer. Buying such a two-in-one item comes as a top recommend if you’re keen on more functions for better hygiene.
- Bottle drying rack
Drying your infant bottles for the next meal is less troubling with this item.
- Breast pump
If you’ve got little time to give breast milk to an infant regularly, think about getting a breast pump. Some models are currently available to get breast milk from both breasts simultaneously. Storing up milk for later becomes more manageable with this item.
- Bibs
Spilling formula and natural milk all over her clothes will be less likely with this item.
- Burp cloths
These cloths help prevent a little or large spill when you’re burping your infant.
- Blankets
Versatility is what parents get from receiving blankets. These thin cloth pieces can work as a nursing cover, burp cloths, or even for swaddling. Most packs are sold in threes or multiples of twos.
- Cushy nursing pillow
A nursing pillow helps infant care. If you feed your baby while she’s resting on your lap, these pillows help maintain better positioning.
And don’t forget such pillows could come in handy for setting your infant to sleep during nap time.
F. Checklist for the Outdoors
When you’re snapping up baby essentials, you can’t skip preparing for the outdoors. Your baby needs to explore what the world has on offer, and you’ve got to have proper gear for that adventure.
- Stroller
When you’re outdoors with an infant, car seat carrier strollers are most popular. Many other stroller styles, like full-size and travel baby carriages, are also available. (also check bets strollers for flight list)
- Diaper bag
Going out with your infant without a diaper bag isn’t possible. Many items have to come along for the trip, and these baby-centric bags make packing less hassling.
- Car seat
With a baby car seat, you get more value for money and comfort for your infant. Car seats can get your baby a comfortable ride home right from when she’s just arrived. And it will remain handy for every other ride in your car, even when she’s several months old.
A rear-facing car seat ranks as a top recommend for parents always on the go. The right car seat supports outdoor nursing, feeding, sleep, diaper changing, and other related needs.
- Car windows shade
Protection from the sun is necessary when you’re nursing a little one; that’s why car windows shades are top necessities. With a car window shade, your baby can enjoy feeding, sleep, and other related activities on the go.
- On-the-go crib
Portable cribs are necessities to bring along if you’re spending a long time outdoors. You’ll be able to set it up without hassle and get your little one a nice nap almost anywhere.
- Changing pad
It’s less challenging to change a disposable diaper with a changing pad in tow. And if you’re really up for single-use items, some disposable changing pads are available.
- Portable pail for disposable diapers
Trapping odors when you’re outdoors is essential, mainly if there’s no trash can around. That’s why you’ve got to get a portable pail for your next outdoor trip.
- Rain cover for strollers
If you’re getting your baby out on a stroller, you can’t be sure if it will or won’t rain. That’s why you need to select a stroller with a rain cover or buy one that can fit onto your baby carriage.
- Baby carrier
One of the essentials for your outdoor trips is baby carriers. With a baby carrier, you get extra mobility with the little adventurer in tow.
G. Checklist for Health Care
Maintain your infant’s overall health with these necessities:
- Bulb syringe
With the bulb syringe, removing mucus from your infant’s nostrils can’t be any easier.
- Nail clippers
Keeping your infant’s nails clean is not negotiable, and that’s where nail clippers come in.
- Baby proofers
Do you have an agile baby to deal with? You’ve got to consider getting essentials on how to engage baby-proofing. You don’t want your infant getting injured from a sudden fall.
H. Checklist for Diapering
Diapering could be challenging. But it’s not something to cringe at when you’ve got the right tools.
Changing diapers could be comfier than previously thought. Follow the unique baby registry for diapering below:
- Disposable diapers
Getting a quick diaper change makes life easy. Many diapers are available from several brands, so you don’t have any choice problem here.( Best Overnight diapers here)
- Baby wipes
With diapers wipes, you get easy changes, even when you’re outdoors. Most scented baby wipes are ideal for use whenever diapers need to get switched.
- Disposable diaper pail
You need to get a disposable diaper pail for easy link-up with your trash. In some cases, getting a ring-fitted diaper pail helps keep the odors out better than regular flip-close pails.
- Diaper sensor
Products like the Lumi from Pampers help you know when your baby needs a change. Sensors on such products indicate if there’s too much moisture build-up in your infant’s diapers.
- Diaper change/disposable nursing pads
These pads help you care for your baby diaper changes without much hassle.
- Diaper rash cream
If you’re not a believer in using powders or jelly, rash cream is a perfect fit for treating and preventing bum rashes.
I. Nice to Haves
Several nice to haves are great for your checklist. But if you’re not all out for spending too much, it’s better to have a baseline nice to haves list.
Consider getting nice to haves for your newborn baby with what’s recommended below.
Alternatively, do you have any tremendous nice to haves not on this list? It could be an excellent fit for your baby all the same.
- Special Outfits
Don’t want to leave your baby at home with the nanny for that special event? Get your newborn baby something special to go on that occasion with you.
You’ll want your little one looking their best whenever they head out.
- Co-Sleeper
If you fancy sleeping close to your baby, several co-sleepers are in stores to try out.
- Petroleum Jelly
For delivering extra moisture to your baby when there’s too much dryness, petroleum jelly could be a life-saver!
- Nipple cream
When you’re irritated by suckling, feel pains, or anything nipple related, this cream could come in handy.
Last Item
Getting set to welcome your newborn is fun. But it could be stressful at times.
With the ultimate baby registry, you’ll have more than a head-start to get must-haves to care for your baby.
One thing to note, though – your new baby may need other items. When you’re used to getting baby gear, trying something new shouldn’t be hassling. And when you’ve got everything you need to cater to your baby, it becomes a comfortable experience.
And, oh, before I forget, congratulations!
