Things Needed for Newborn Baby
Exactly what things ARE needed for a newborn baby?
Actually, it may be easier to ask what you don’t need for a baby instead.
All joking aside, having a new baby is a wonderful experience, but it’s also a lot of responsibility.
Editors Note: Most of the items I’m going to list below are available on Amazon.com, Create your Amazon Baby Gift Registry now and take some of the stress out of your life 🙂
Babies require constant care and attention, and there are a lot of things you need to have on hand in order to provide this care.
While it can all seem a bit overwhelming, keeping organized and planning ahead can help you to keep your sanity while you are dealing with a newborn.
In fact, one of the best things you can do as a parent is to get everything you need ahead of time before your baby is born.
This will allow you to focus all of your time and energy on your new baby when he or she arrives rather than having to scramble to get the things you need to care for them.
Changing Supplies
Diapers
One thing you are going to need plenty of when you have a new baby is diapers.
So you can do yourself a big favor by stocking up on them whenever they are on sale in the months leading up to your baby’s birth.
One common mistake that new parents make is getting too many newborn diapers.
Babies grow quickly and the last thing you want is to end up having a bunch of diapers that your baby has outgrown. It’s better to be a little conservative here because you can always go out and buy a few more packages of diapers should the need arise.
Pick up some diapers from Amazon.com:
Amazon Mom 50% Off Huggies Diapers & Wipes
Baby Wipes
Diapers are a must, but so too are the baby wipes that you are going to need to clean up your new little boy or girl.
There are many types of baby wipes available, the best ones to get are the ones that are free of perfumes.
While the perfume may help to mask the odor a bit when you are changing your baby, it’s also possible that the perfume will irritate the skin of your little one. So do him or her a favor and stock up on perfume free baby wipes.
My PERSONAL favorite are these water wipes, also on Amazon:
(Trust me, you’ll use A LOT of these, so stock up on the bigger packages of them, they’re cheaper to buy in bulk and there is no such thing as having too many!)
Baby powder & diaper rash cream
Diaper rash is a parent’s worst nightmare.
Well okay, it’s not that high up there on the list of potentially bad things that can happen, but it’s still something to be avoided if at all possible.
Diaper rash leads to a fussy baby, which leads to more crying and less rest for you.
Using baby powder every time you change your baby will help to prevent chaffing, and when they do get diaper rash having diaper rash cream can help to soothe their sensitive bottoms.
A Baby changing pad is probably also a good idea, as it’ll give you a safe, secure and comfortable place to change his or her diaper!
You Need A Healthy Supply Of Baby Blankets
Any parent will tell you that one thing that all babies do on a regular basis is spitting up.
They spit up on everything including their baby blankets. Well, having a lot of baby blankets is a great place to start!
- You need baby blankets to wrap your baby up at night when they go to bed.
- You need to cover them up during naps.
- You need them when you burp them.
- You need them when you lay them down to change them.
The point here is you need lots of baby blankets, so having a lot of them on hand is a great way to prepare for the challenges of parenthood.
Amazon.com has TONS of baby blankets of all types available, so stock up now – i’d suggest (honestly) at least 20 or more to start!
So – what ELSE do you need for a baby…?
You Need Plenty Of Baby Clothes
Much like you need lots of baby blankets to deal with a baby that spits up, you are going to need a lot of clothes as well.
Unfortunately spitting up isn’t the only thing you are going to have to deal with in terms of what a baby does to soil their clothing.
Diapers leak, and you are going to discover very soon that when they do it means quite a mess. So make sure you have plenty of changes of clothes for your new little one because you are going to need them.
Your baby will thank you later!
Yvette’s Favorite Places for Baby Clothes:
Baby Laundry Detergent
As you probably know, Baby’s have very sensitive skin so throwing all of their soiled blankets and clothing in with the rest of the laundry is never a good idea.
You need special laundry detergent designed specifically to be used on baby clothes.
This gentle detergent is more expensive than regular laundry detergent, but it really is worth it.
THIS is what my wife and I use and we love it!
Baby Shampoo And Baby Lotion
Baby Shampoo And Baby Lotion Will Keep Your Baby Clean And Smelling Pleasant. Babies are cute, but they are also very messy and need to be bathed frequently.
Well, if you want to have a clean baby that smells nice you are going to need baby shampoo and baby lotion.
Baby shampoo is designed to be very gentle so that even if it gets in your baby’s eyes it shouldn’t irritate them. This is also beneficial when it comes to the effect it has on their skin.
One great thing about the baby shampoo is that you can actually use it for bathing your baby’s body as well as their hair.
You may also want to consider getting a little baby bath that you can use in your sink or your bathtub, this can make bath time much easier for you.
A Baby Bouncer And Baby Swing
Next up, You need a baby bouncer and a baby swing, and I promise – these 2 things can Be Your Best Friends!
Actually, if I can be honest for a minute – these are more for you than they are for your baby, but I won’t let your baby in on our little secret. 😉
Any parent will tell you that a few things babies excel at are:
- Being fussy
- Refusing to sleep
- Generally causing parents to suffer frequent headaches
A baby bouncer and a baby swing can help to soothe a fussy or tired baby, and solve all 3 of these problems at once!
Now don’t get me wrong here, babies are wonderful, but they can be very taxing to care for.
If you can find a good baby bouncer and baby swing, then these two things can come in very handy and help you to get your fussy little one to nod off to sleep.
Pro Tip from Jeff: When Babies are crying, it’s (usually) because of one of 3 things:
- They’re Tired
- They’re Hungry
- They Need their diaper changed
If you find yourself going crazy trying to find out why your newborn is crying, it’s GENERALLY one of these 3 things.
But sometimes, they may just want mommy (or daddy), or somebody new to hold and soothe them. You’ll find that as parents, we don’t write the rules, we just live by them. 🙂
A Car Seat
An absolute necessity for any parent is a car seat . In fact, many hospitals won’t even let you take your child home until you show them that you have a car seat for your baby and that you know how to use it.
There are two types of car seats, the first is rear-facing seats that you use for newborns and young babies.
The next kind is front-facing seats that you can usually switch over to using once your baby is capable of sitting up on their own.
There are even car seats available now that are able to transform so you can modify them for the different stages of your baby’s life so that you don’t have to go out and buy a new car seat each time it’s time for the next step.
(A travel system stroller is a good idea too, but that can wait a little bit)
For our family, we use the Baby Jogger Go Infant Car Seat. It works with the City Select stroller system, which can be ‘built out’ to hold 2 car seats & 2 kids!
Here’s a video (not ours) showing how it works:
A Comfortable Bassinet
As a new parent, you probably want to keep your baby close all the time.
A Comfortable Bassinet (essentially, a smaller cradle or crib) can help you to keep your baby close, but not TOO close.
You may even think about putting your baby to bed with you at night so that you can keep a close eye on them all the time. Well, keep in mind…Your baby is tiny and fragile and it’s far too easy to accidentally roll over on top of them while you are asleep.
Note: See The 7 Best Baby Bassinets Your Money Can Buy!
This can result in a serious or even fatal injury for your baby. Obviously, you want to avoid that from happening, so a great alternative is to have a bassinet.
A bassinet is small enough to fit in most bedrooms easily, and you can keep it right next to your bed. This allows you to have your baby close by without the risk of having them in the same bed as you.
Editors Note: If you DO insist on having your baby in bed with you, like many parents do, I HIGHLY suggest this Side Sleeper on Amazon.
  
A Baby Crib
A Baby Crib Can Help To Keep Your Baby Safe Once He Or She Start Crawling Around.
There is no substitute for supervision when it comes to caring for your baby, but unless you plan to spend every waking moment watching your child you are going to need some help.
A crib is a way to keep your baby safe and confined to an area so that they can’t get into trouble when you turn your back.
This doesn’t mean that you should leave your child alone, but if you have to run to the bathroom, or check on dinner, or put the laundry in the dryer it’s nice to know that your baby won’t be crawling around wreaking havoc when you have your back turned.
I’m not even going to go into my ‘best crib guide’ here as it’ll be far too massive, check out Amazon.com for a GREAT assortment of cribs of all sizes, types, and colors.
I will suggest, however, considering a convertible crib – they’ll make life easier (and more affordable) over the years and convert from a crib into a toddler bed fairly easily.
Note: See Our Post: 7 Best Baby Cribs for Awesome Sleep
Check THIS one out on Amazon, it has great reviews and is surprisingly affordable!
Baby Proofing Your House
Just a heads up on this – you WON’T need to do it until your little one starts crawling and exploring on their own, so you have a few months – just don’t neglect it!
You can’t do anything to make your house completely safe for your baby, but as a responsible parent, you should do everything you can to eliminate as many potential threats as possible.
That means that getting electrical socket guards, and some type of devices to baby proof the drawers in the bathroom and kitchen.
While you’re at it you may want to get baby proof doorknob covers, and baby gates to keep your child out of areas of the house you don’t want him or her getting into.
Baby Bottles & Supplies
Having The Right Bottle Feeding Supplies Can Make Your Life Much Easier
Whether you are planning to bottle feed your baby with formula, or breastfeed, you are going to need the right supplies.
First, you need a healthy supply of baby bottles and nipples, and a breast pump too.
Here’s a simple list to get you started:
- For Newborns, we love the Philips Avent Natural Newborn Baby Bottle Starter Set
- Don’t forget extra nipples!
- For our Toddler, we can’t say enough good things about the Comotomo Baby Bottles
- As for a breast pump, my wife used the Medela Pump, works like a champ!
Try Not To Get Overwhelmed
So, in closing to the question asked: What Things are Needed for Newborn Baby?
Apparently, you need everything! LOL
Well, at least it probably seems that way right now.
What you have to remember is that having a baby is a very joyful experience, but it’s also a lot of work. You need to be well prepared and have the right supplies, and planning ahead will help you to keep your sanity.
Having said that, I promise – you got this, new Mom & Dad! 🙂
Jeff & Yvette
P.S. Don’t forget to keep a pot of coffee handy.
