FINALLY! You’re pregnant, and the initial rush of excitement is followed by the doom of all that you need to accomplish in the next short 9 months.
If you are anything like me, you want to start making lists and preparing while you still have a bit of sanity left.
If you are anything like my husband, you will sit back and wait to worry until you are rushing out the door to the hospital.
When I found out I was expecting my 3rd, it had been 13 years since my last baby was born. I had tossed everything, or stowed it away in the girl’s memory boxes. So I had to start from scratch again.
I had a whole host of things I absolutely knew I didn’t need or want to buy. Baby business, is business after all, and everyone creates these giant lists of things that you absolutely need, and most of it is utter bull-shite.
I knew I wouldn’t need to buy clothes, I wanted to wait and see what we would be gifted from friends and family, and cute tiny clothes are everyone’s favorite thing to gift.
But, this opportunity to start over left me making a list of what we actually would NEED in those first few weeks.
The less the better in my opinion, as babies quickly outgrow things, and often don’t even like all the gadgets that you buy to keep them entertained.
My oldest loved the baby swing, my youngest daughter hated it.
That being said, the first thing I did for things like swings and bouncers was to check out my local “buy nothing” Facebook group. This has been monumental in saving me tons of money. I would do a quick search to see if there is one of these that serves your area. If there is not, I would start one!
So here it is, my list of things I knew I absolutely wanted to have ready at home.
Feeding Time Essentials
- Breast Pump
There are so many options to choose from when it comes to breast pumps. I went with my tried and true from my previous kiddos this time around and went with the Medela Pump in Style. However, I didn’t love it this time around. With my much older chests and the way my breasts have changed in the last 13 years, it didn’t work as well for me. If I could choose again, I would go with the Spectra S2. It has great reviews, and from all my research most people who have purchased this love it!
BEFORE YOU BUY Most insurance will cover the cost of your breast pump! Talk to your provider or insurance about the steps you need to take to secure yours.
2. Milk Storage Bags
3. Booby Ice Bags (not an official name)
I forgot how painful those first days of milk growth can be. My breasts swelled up, and I couldn’t expell milk fast enough. The engorged flesh felt like I was carrying weights on each side and my only relief was a warm shower, and it lasted for moments before the pain was back again. Until my amazing husband brought these home to me.
There are a million options to choose from, but we loved the Lasinoh Breast Therapy Packs.
There is also a generic option here from Amazon that looks exactly the same. As long as they are able to heat and ice, they will be able to provide those moments of relief you will be needing!
4. Bottles, Bottles and MORE BOTTLES!
My best advice for preparing to feed with bottles is to start with more than one type, and have just a couple of each of those. All of my babies used different bottles, as they all suckled slightly different. Although I know many moms that used one type with all their babies.
My oldest was a Medela bottle baby. But of all my children, she was the chillest in general for feeding gear. My middle child used the Phillips Avent bottles, and my youngest started with the Mam Bottles as a newborn, and we transitioned to the Dr. Brown’s which we are still using and were best for his gassy little belly.
Bottles are EXPENSIVE, but we signed up for all the free baby boxes from Target, Walmart and Amazon, and so we had multiple samples sent to us to be able to determine which one would be best for our youngest. I highly recommend doing this, as the samples were paramount in helping us determine which products worked and were worth investing in when we brought him home.
5. Bottle Cleaning Brush
You need to have a way to clean and sanitize all the parts of your bottles. We purchased this one from Munchkin and it has worked very well for us!
We were given one at the hospital when it was determined that we may need to supplement with formula, and that generic one has quickly become my favorite. The number one thing that it has that Munchkin brand doesn’t is the ability to suction to our sink so we aren’t constantly knocking it over! This option from Amazon is the most similar to the one we were given.
6. Burp Cloths
I have never had a burp cloth I didn’t like! For my first two babies, we bought cloth diapers in bulk and they worked amazing.
This pack from Gerber is all you need! They are ultra absorbent as they are made to hold much more, and have plenty of real estate to be used for multiple burps!
For my son, we went with this large multi-pack from Amazon that were super cute, and fit my current mood at the time for cuteness.
The one problem! THERE WAS NEVER ENOUGH! I couldn’t wash them fast enough for our ultra gassy guy, and so my husband got the brilliant idea to bring in his unopened bag of workshop rags, so all cuteness was out the window. These neon babies were floating around the house for far too long, but they did serve their purpose. So, don’t make the mistake I did and not get enough! STOCK UP!
Baby Care Essentials
- Baby Wash and Shampoo
That delicate baby skin is so sensitive and the products we use to wash them also need to be just as sensitive!
I waited until the last day to have my infant bath at the hospital as I wanted those natural oils and the protection they bring after birth to last as long as possible. You should do what you feel best for you and your baby!
Once we got home, we used 3 different baby washes, but only bathed him about once a week for the first 2 months of life.
For nighttime bathing, we use Honest Company’s Calm 2 in 1 body wash. With it’s soothing lavender, this helps our son calm down and get ready for bed. We do this every other night now that he is 10 months old. We have the 4 B’s(Bath, Book, Bottle, Bed) that we follow for our routine and that works so well for him, but every kiddo is unique.
For day time bathing we have 2 brands we use.
This soothing wash from Shea Moisture, with it’s clear ingredients was the one we chose for ourselves. And it has been very gentle on his skin and doesn’t irritate his baby eczema! I absolutely love this.
We were also gifted this wash from a friend, and have loved the scent and the natural ingredients. Tubby Todd’s wash and other items are quite pricey, but there are 2 products that we did not get the same results from any where else, and I will tell you about those a bit later!
2. Creams and Lotions
We used matching lotions to all of our baby washes, and the nighttime Honest Co. lotion with lavender is part of our care routine after bathing.
Our son, starting getting small eczema spots pretty early on, and I was able to recognize them right away to start treating and ensure it didn’t get out of control. With my oldest, I didn’t know what to look for, and as she grew her eczema became fairly extreme, needing steroid creams and constant attention with oatmeal baths.
This time around, I knew that I need to moisturize and treat immediately. Overbathing can exacerbate so that is one reason we do not do daily baths.
This ointment from Tubby Todd’s literally just knocks out every patch that shows up in a matter of hours. I don’t even know that it’s what the intended purpose is, but I just decided to try it on the first spots I saw and they disappeared, so now I use it religiously as they come.
It is EXTREMELY expensive, but it was purchased in a gift set for us, and you only need a tiny dab for spots. It would be a good item to add to your registry.
3. Nail Clippers
4. Nasal Aspirator and Saline
I will swear by the Nose Frida forever. My husband fought this one forever, until the first time he used it. He was grossed out by the concept. But it is so much more gentle than the traditional aspirator and works very quickly to get the stuff out!
If the concept grosses you out, DON’T FEAR, they do now make an electric version! You can find that here.
5. Gripe Water
This was not a product that was originally on my list, and I did not have this when my first 2 came along. Our son was born as a constantly fussy little guy. Tummy trouble and sleep issues abounded from day 1. We had a sample given to us in our Amazon welcome box, and the first time we gave in and tried this was the first time he seemed to find some pain relief for his tummy troubles.
We used Mommy’s Bliss from then on before bedtime!
6. Thermometer
7. Cool Mist Humidifier
This was a must have for our space. With winter approaching, it was getting very dry!
We had one that we borrowed from our parents, but on my list was this one from Frida baby. Definitely do your research, as ours had to be cleaned daily to prevent mold build up!
8. Baby Towels and Wash Cloths
You don’t need to overbuy these! We now have quite a stash of towels, but started out with 2 towels and 8 washcloths.
I love these cute wash cloths from Amazon!
We had these on our registry and still have not had to make any additional purchases as I snagged a bunch more from our Facebook Buy Nothing group.
9. Pacifiers
Just like with bottles, all of my kids used different pacifiers!
My oldest loved the Nuk brand, and that was great since they are very nice on the wallet compared to some other brands. They also come in so many different designs!
My middle child would only be calmed with Phillips AVENT brand pacifiers, and we somehow survived on the 2 that we were given at the hospital when she was born for quite some time.
Then here comes along our rock star boy, and he would only be calmed with MAM brand. Unlike the AVENT, these also come in a variety of colors and options. Unlike my middle child, however, we lose these so often it seems like it shouldn’t be possible. I think half my income has gone to pacifier purchases since August.
By the time he came along, I had learned to have multiple options available when I packed my hospital bag, and we tried all of them to see what worked best! Another place where the samples in those free boxes were lifesavers in the early days.
10. Blankets and MORE Blankets
Swaddle blankets are essential, and honestly, my favorite are the ones straight from the hospital!
I use these in lieu of changing pads in my purses, use them as cool covers for travel, spit rags when in reach and nursing covers.
I also stocked up on plenty of fuzzy soft blankets for laying baby on the floor for tummy time.
There a million options and all of them work. Blankets are maybe on the best multi-tools to have on hand.
Diaper Changing Needs
1. Diaper Pail
A diaper pail is an essential! However, this can look however you like. I knew that I didn’t want to have to invest in buying the inserts for any of my babies, as we just didn’t want to take on the extra costs needed for that.
When my girls were little, Walmart had an option for this, and I can’t even remember if it was a brand name or generic, but it did the little twist on the top to block the smell.
This go around we went with the Ubbi and I absolutely love it. It holds in the smell, and uses regular garbage bags. Plus it comes in cute designs! It is still not a cheap buy, but I figure we are saving with being able to use any bags we have on hand!
2. Diapers
Take as many of those newborn diapers as you can from the hospital!
We also stocked up on Honest diapers at home for those first few months, and then transitioned to Costco brand diapers.
I love the Honest Brand, but it’s just not in our budget to be able to stay with them through the next few years. If I could though, they would be my go-to!
3. Wipes
Honest brand wipes are also my favorite! I would have a few boxes of these ready to go so you don’t have to worry about them in the first few weeks.
We had both these and the diapers on our registry, so were pretty lucky to be gifted enough to last us almost 4 months.
We now use Costco brand for this, as it fits our budget.
4. Diaper Cream
There are many great options out there for this, and a little goes a long way. When our little had his worst diaper rash, the only one that seemed to clear immediately was the Tubby Todd’s. But, now we exclusively use Boudreaux’s!
5. Vaseline
Heavy Equipment
1. Bedside Bassinet
The number one item on m new baby gear list was a bedside sleeper. I co-slept with both of my older 2, and wouldn’t trade that for the world. BUT I really love my husband, like crazy, insane, love. The thought of losing our time together in the evening really was nagging at me this time around. The idea of having a sleeper right there, that could transition into a bed in our room just a step away as he grew seemed like the perfect solution.
This was maybe one of the best purchases we made. There are many great options, styles and colors! Just make sure you have somewhere safe close by for baby to dream.
We have this one from Baby Delight!
I would 100% recommend it. It does come in other colors, but gray worked well with our room color scheme. It also attached strongly to the bed for safety.
2. Travel System
We love our travel system from Safety First! We lucked out and got this on sale from Target by having it on our registry and watching for when pricing went low.
I recommend putting all items, even the ones you are purchasing yourself on all your registries. Most offer a discount for items purchased through the registry for yourself.
Amazon offers the best discount, as it’s unending purchases up to a certain date. With Target you get 2 purchases within a certain time at 10% off, so it’s best to do all the big purchases at once if you go that route.
My favorite part of the stroller is how easy it is to open and close with one hand…I remember this being such a pain with my first 2!~
2. Pack N’ Play
This one piece of furniture is multi-talented and irreplaceable!
We use our as a bassinet, changing table, play pen, and crib! Once he grew out of his bassinet in our room, this was what we used until he transitioned to his big boy crib he has now.
It is also wonderful to have somewhere safe to put him when you need to run to the bathroom. If your kid is anything like ours, he is able to find trouble no matter how safe you think the room is.
I have owned many different brands for this, and there hasn’t been one I didn’t like. Baby Trend has incredible pricing and offerings, and since it includes a cradle as well, this is your one stop shop if you don’t have all the separate pieces in your budget! BONUS – they have so many options for patterns!
3. Baby Lounger
We waited and hoped that this would be purchased from the registry, as it didn’t really seem like a necessity, but would be nice to have. After all for weeks, they don’t really move and can be laid just about anywhere without worry.
It wasn’t purchased, but I did find one finally in my Buy Nothing group!
I would recommend purchasing this affordable option from Baby Delight!
I love that in comes in multiple colors and muted tones for those that aren’t crazy about bright colors everywhere.
4. Baby Monitor
I would say, you don’t necessarily need this before you come home. Once baby is starting to spend time alone though, this tool helps to ease your mind while you try to get anything done around the house.
My husband is big into security and privacy, and so we knew we did not want something connected to our phones, or that someone else could somehow bust into.
We went with this one from HelloBaby, and it works well for our simple needs.
5. Sound Machine!!!!
I forgot about this before bringing Jax home and it was a huge regret! At first, it was not a huge deal, but he became fairly finnicky when sleeping and now, even with daycare training, wakes up at the slightest sound at night.
There are a million options and they all work to do the job. There is even this adorable cloud shaped travel size one!
Cozy Momma Post Pregnancy
1. Nursing Robes
I don’t think I actually wore clothes for 2 months. I lived in my robes. From hospital to home, this was the most comfortable existence for the constant nursing, surgery dressing checks, and quick potty breaks.
If I did it over again, I would purchase even more options because they are still the most comfortable thing I own, and somehow make you feel pretty when your body feels all torn up.
This is the one I grabbed from Amazon!
2. Wireless Nursing Bras
F*** wires! Seriously, it’s the last thing you will want touching you as your milk comes in! Find the most comfortable set of nursing bras possible off Amazon. Get the cheap ones! Buy the set!
This style works well.
3. Loose and Soft Leggings
And I don’t mean yoga pants. This is not the time for control top, or possible rubbing in the wrong places. Get them a size too big, maybe 2 sizes too big.
This isn’t a fashion show, but black leggings will make you feel slimmer, and the looseness of the fabric will make you think you’re losing baby weight, even if you are living on take-out and frozen pizza.
4. Post Birth Binder
My post-surgery binder was monumental in my recovery. It created stability for standing and walking, and eased the pain from coughing and sneezing.
I still wear mine to this day if I have been up all night with Jax to aid with support on my back.
I bought many different options. But this affordable, easy to use, wrap is my favorite!
AND THAT’S IT!
I mean, it’s not even close, but these were my “must haves”
What did I miss for you?
I would love to hear if you have a product that I haven’t even thought of.
Thanks for stopping by!
This post contains affiliate links which means that I will make a small commission if you purchase a product after clicking on any of them, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.
