26 Must-Have Newborn Essentials

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Is labor drawing near and you are still struggling to figure out which newborn essentials you must buy for your baby? 

The arrival of a newborn brings immeasurable joy and excitement, but it also ushers in a flurry of responsibilities and to-do lists for parents-to-be. As you eagerly await the arrival of your bundle of joy, it’s important to prepare a checklist of newborn essentials that will ensure your newborn’s comfort and well-being during the initial stages of life.

Navigating the overwhelming world of baby products can be a daunting task, especially for first-time parents. With countless options available, it’s crucial to focus on the essentials that will serve as the foundation for your baby’s care. I’ve had friends and family members ask me what items to put on their baby registries and I’ve ended up texting them PARAGRAPHS full of items, then being like, wow, do they actually need this much?

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So what do you REALLY need? What items should you prioritize when baby shopping and what can be left behind? 

Here are 26 ESSENTIAL items for a newborn:

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1. Bassinet

For now, you can skip out on a crib. Your newborn will be able to sleep in their bassinet next to your bed for their first few months of life. Having your baby next to your bed makes it easier for middle-of-the-night feeds and diaper changes. 

During the first few weeks postpartum, your body will still be sore and healing and you won’t be able to use your abdominal muscles much. I recommend getting a bassinet that has a side that zips down or can be easily pushed down such as the Arm’s Reach Clear-Vue Co-Sleeper Bedside Bassinet. I love this bassinet because it can attach to your bed to make safe co-sleeping possible while having large storage underneath for diapers and anything else you may need throughout the night.

2. Bassinet Sheets and Mattress Protectors

I recommend at least 2 bassinet sheets and 2 waterproof mattress protectors. I learned this trick from Pinterest and it has saved my husband and me tenfold during middle-of-the-night blowouts. What you do is place a mattress protector on the bassinet mattress, then place a sheet, then another mattress protector, then another sheet. By doing this, when your baby has a blowout or pees out of their diaper overnight, you can have these already layered over your mattress. Instead of having to completely replace the sheets in the middle of the night, all you do is pull off the top two layers, and viola! 

3. Swaddles

You can never have enough swaddles. Let me repeat. YOU. CAN. NEVER. HAVE. ENOUGH. SWADDLES. In the first few weeks of being home from the hospital, every time I turned around my husband and I were buying more swaddles. We had swaddle blankets, sleep sacks, Velcro swaddles, you name it. My husband had one type of swaddle that he could use well, and I had a different type that I used well. So depending on who was taking the majority of the night shift, we traded which swaddle we put our son in. Not to mention our son LOVED peeing outside of his diaper overnight, so having extra swaddles was a must.

4. Sound Machine/Night Light Combo

This is a must. Period. At first, my husband and I didn’t care for a sound machine, and our son didn’t need it, so we bought just a bedside night light for middle-of-the-night feeds. Fast forward a few months down the line and a few sleep regressions later, and our son could not sleep WITHOUT white noise. To this day, at 2 years old, he relies on the white noise to sleep. 

I suggest saving yourself the money of having to buy 2 items and just splurge on a combo noise machine/night light. The Hatch is a great option as it has both of these features and more. I especially love that the light is not bright, it is soothing and allows for an easy transition back to sleep.

5. Pacifier

I swore we wouldn’t use one of these. We did. Then I swore that by the age of 2, I’d have thrown them all out. Well, here we are, still using them hahaha. After my son was born, he had to go under bilirubin lights for a few hours. This meant I couldn’t pick him up and comfort him when he started crying and had to resort to other methods of soothing. Cue the pacifier, and we haven’t looked back since. 

However, we are starting to wean the pacifier use now to bedtime and naps ONLY. My goal is to have it eliminated in a few months, so I’ll keep you guys updated on how the pacifier weaning goes.

6. Nursing/Pumping Bras

If you are breastfeeding or pumping I highly recommend investing in some quality nursing bras and pumping bras. When looking for a bra, make sure to adequately measure your size as well. I didn’t expect my bra size to shoot up so dramatically postpartum, so I did a best guess for what size to purchase and ended up getting a bunch of bras that were too tight. Well, as you can guess I eventually ended up with mastitis and the rest is history. Literally, because my breastfeeding journey ended soon after that. 

7. Breast Pump

This is a must if you are a working mom who doesn’t want to use formula. But don’t go rushing to add a pump to your baby registry! Most insurance companies will cover the price of your breast pump, just call them and ask! 

I used the Spectra S1. This pump was amazing and I loved its different settings and the option to pump one or both breasts at a time. While I did love this pump and still recommend it to those who ask, I also believe that getting a more portable breast pump is essential. The Spectra kept me too tied down to one spot and would fall off when I tried to do something while pumping, even with a pumping bra on as the tubes would get pulled. For future babies, I plan to invest in the Elvie Double Electric breast pump or the Momcozy breast pump which are hands-free breast pumps. These allow you to get things done while you pump, and can be taken out and about with you as well.

8. Breast Pads

Another necessity if you are breastfeeding. Some women go without these, especially once their milk supply is fully regulated. I never got to the point of having my supply regulated and thus I needed these during my whole breastfeeding journey to catch any milk letdown that I had (and yes, there was A LOT).

You can purchase disposable nursing pads or you can invest in reusable ones that you can throw in the washing machine. I utilized both, but due to my oversupply, I preferred the disposable ones as they were easier for me due to how often I was having to change them out.

9. Breastfeeding Pillow

A nursing pillow may not be “essential” as you can easily use a normal pillow or a rolled-up blanket instead. However, having an actual nursing pillow will allow for better and more natural breastfeeding positions for both you and your baby. A nursing pillow will also not move around as much as a normal pillow or roll would, thus you could focus more on your baby and less on readjusting everything. 

One great option is the boppy pillow, which is what I used. I was able to use this pillow for more than just breastfeeding too and used it to help support my baby as he started learning to sit up on his own.

10. Nipple Cream

My son was born with a tongue and lip tie. For you experienced mamas out there, maybe you know what that means. For us, it meant poor latching and pain. This nipple cream SAVED my nipples. My entire breast would suffer from things such as engorgement, but the nipples were still like butter, no cracking or bleeding. I would lather it on after every feed, after the shower, and when changing breast pads to keep my nipples from splitting or worse.

11. Formula 

This is for those moms who either can’t breastfeed, choose not to, or need to supplement. Due to my son’s tongue and lip ties, an oversupply of milk, constantly engorged breasts, mastitis, thrush, etc., my breastfeeding journey with my son ended much earlier than I had planned. Thus, we ended up switching to a formula. 

If going this route, you will also need bottles, bottle soap, a bottle drying rack,  a bottle cleaning brush, a straw cleaner, sterilizer bags, and a bottle warmer. It’s good to invest in all of those things as well even if you are breastfeeding, as you never know when someone else may need to feed your baby.

12. Diapers and Wipes

I feel like this one is a given. As a newborn, our son would get rashes from pretty much all of the diapers we tried. Pampers pure and honest diapers gave him the least rashes and water wipes were 100% the way to go. Now that he’s 2 years old, his skin is slightly less sensitive, so we now use Costco diapers and wipes to save some money by buying in bulk.

13. Diaper cream

Not a necessity right off the bat, considering your baby likely isn’t born with a diaper rash. However, it’s good to have on hand so you’re prepared when your newborn sits in their blowout for just a minute too long. When our son was a newborn, I preferred the Earth Mama organic diaper balm. Now that he’s older, I switch between the balm and regular old diaper cream (Desitin).

14. Onesies

Babies poop, pee, spit up, etc. a lot. So I recommend stocking up on a bunch of onesies. A few newborn sizes, a lot of sizes 0-3 months, and a few size 3 months. I recommend getting a variety of short-sleeved onesies, long-sleeved onesies, and zip-up footed pajamas.

15. Socks

Baby feet get cold! Our body heat is said to leave through our feet, hands, and head first. No one told me how strong babies were either. My son ripped through his swaddles like it was nothing so it was good to have socks on his feet for when he poked them through so his toes wouldn’t get cold.

16. Baby Soap and Lotion

I highly recommend splurging on an all-natural and organic baby soap and lotion. Brands like Johnson and Johnson are so bad for your baby and for you, because they contain chemicals that damage the skin barrier and at one point even contained cancer-causing chemicals. I highly recommend Honest Baby soap and lotion for your newborn and I still use these products for my two-year-old son.

17. Car Seat/Stroller Combo

 

There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on the latest big brand-name car seats and strollers that you see influencers recommending. I used the Graco travel system and saved $200-300 dollars compared to what I would have paid if I bought the Doona or some other huge name brand. Check out the best newborn travel systems of 2024.

18. Baby monitor

You’ll want a baby monitor so that you can keep your eye on your baby while they sleep. My son is 2 years old and I still keep the baby monitor in his room so I can get notified when he is awake. It will continue to be helpful when we start transitioning him out of his crib as we’ll be able to see what he’s doing at bedtime. 

At first, I wanted a baby monitor that was via wifi through my phone so we could have it wherever we went. We ended up getting the $150 lollipop monitor for our baby shower and loved it at first. However, we quickly realized that having it only on our phones was troublesome and destroyed our phone batteries, so we went to Target and bought a cheap baby monitor with its own screen so we didn’t have to use our phones to view our baby. Turns out, this cheaper monitor is also via wifi and I was able to download the app so I can see my baby even while I’m not home, so it all worked out in the end and for way less $!

19. Glider Chair

A good old-fashioned rocking chair will do the trick just fine; however, I did splurge on a large glider rocking chair that also reclines and is super soft from Wayfair. I figured it would be a good investment considering I would spend a load of time sitting in it breastfeeding or rocking my baby to sleep. 2 years later, it’s still in my son’s room getting used every single night to rock him to sleep (I know, he’s 2 and still doesn’t fall asleep on his own. But hey, I love the snuggle time)

20. Dresser 

This was a necessity for us as I do not enjoy hanging up every piece of baby clothing. I also figured it’s a good investment as it can grow with my son and get used for many many years to come. Not to mention, we used the top of the dresser as a changing table rather than buying a separate piece of furniture.

21. Changing pad

Speaking of changing tables, don’t buy one. They take up space and are so unnecessary. All you need is a changing pad that you can throw on top of your baby’s dresser and change your baby there. I also have a cute little diaper caddy I put right next to it to hold his diapers, wipes, creams, etc, and 3 different changing pad covers to rotate between.

22. Baby Bathtub

 

This item seems silly considering you only use it for a few months before just throwing the baby in the bathtub without it. However, when babies are first born, they cannot sit up or do any movements on their own. They need something safe and secure to lay in while getting bathed. The baby bathtub we used came with a sling as well that we used when we were still waiting for his umbilical stump to fall off. This made it easy to bathe him without fully submerging him in the water. 

23. Humidifier 

You’ll thank me for this one when your baby gets their first cold. Stuffy and runny noses in babies and toddlers are the worst because they don’t yet know how to blow their nose. Using a humidifier will help keep the snot soft and flowing out of their nose so they can breathe easier throughout the night.

24. Grooming Kit

I like the newborn grooming kits that come with a multitude of different items so you get more for your money. When looking for a grooming kit I recommend one that contains a soft bristle hairbrush (you don’t want combs or hard bristles for a newborn’s soft head), a thermometer, a bulb syringe to suction their little noses, and nail clippers (although for the first few months I recommend a baby electric nail file so you don’t risk accidentally cutting your babies little fingers and toes)

25. Diaper Bag 

A diaper bag is essential for going out and about with your newborn. I loved the one I used because it has many different compartments, holds tons of items, has insulated bottle holders, and even comes with its own travel changing pad.

Check out my Free Printable Newborn Diaper Bag Checklist!

26. High Chair 

A high chair is not essential when a baby is first born as they will not be using it for months to come. Most pediatricians recommend starting to feed your baby “solids” around 4-6 months old or when they can sit and hold their head up. 

We use the Graco Table2Table LX 6-in-1 Highchair. We love that it has a soft and cushiony chair that is easily removable for washing. This highchair also grows with our baby as it transitions between 6 stages: Infant highchair with 3 recline positions, traditional highchair with a machine-washable seat pad, infant booster seat that attaches to a dining room chair to bring baby right up to the table, toddler booster seat for use at home or on the go, youth stool gives your growing child a seat at the table, and big kid table & chair perfect for snacks and activities for your independent big kid

In Conclusion

Welcoming a newborn into the world is an incredibly rewarding experience, but it also requires careful planning and preparation. There are so many more newborn items that I used, which I will soon share on my full baby registry checklist. However, if I had to cut it down to just the items I believe to be essential, these are it.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it has helped you gain a better understanding of the essential items needed for a newborn. As you prepare for the arrival of your little one, remember to trust your instincts and prioritize your baby’s needs. With the right products and a little bit of patience, you’ll be well-equipped to provide your newborn with the love and care they deserve