Baby Supplies Checklist for First-Time Parents

Planning ahead for parenthood can be a daunting task for a first-time parent, especially when it comes to knowing what to buy for your new family addition. It is no wonder that the most common question I am asked by pregnant families is "What am I going to need?"

This check list covers everything that a first-time parent will want and need to purchase. I have used every one of these products during the first few months at home with my newborn. Hopefully you find the level of detail to be helpful - I tried to be as descriptive as possible for you about the products that worked for my family as well as provide safety advice and useful tips.

I have not been endorsed by any of these products. Before purchasing any of these products, please do your due diligence to find out if any have been recalled.

I hope you find this list useful and I wish you the very best on your journey into parenthood. 

BABY GEAR

£  Baby’s Crib

·         Do not put crib bumpers, pillows, toys, or blankets in the crib. They are a health risk to the baby before they are able to roll over by themselves.

·         Talk to your doctor once your baby can roll over and back on their own to discuss what you can place in the crib.

·         Do not put the crib over the wall or floor heater – you will want to keep the temperature in the nursery consistent and don’t want them next to the heater when it is on.

·         Tip: keep a fan in the nursery too.  Your baby will sleep better with constant white noise.

·         It is against health codes for a business to sell cribs with a drop-side (in the past there were cribs that lowered one panel so that you could easily pick up the baby. Too many accidents occurred though.)  If you buy a used crib, do not buy one with this feature.

£  Crib Mattress

·         Sold separately from the crib.

£  Fitted sheets for the crib

·         no other blankets until the Pediatrician gives you the OK.

£  A Crib Mobile

·         These days you can find any theme you like on sites like: amazon.com; etsty.com; zulilly.com.

£  Baby Monitor

·         You can purchase the traditional audio monitor or a modern video monitor.

£  High Chair with Booster Seat combo

·         For when your child starts to eat solids and can sit up on their own.

£  Diaper Bag

·         Choose one that is decent sized, has easy front pockets to quickly shove something in or pull something out, and that both parents wouldn’t mind carrying (or buy one for each parent).

£  Car Seat Canopy

·         I highly recommend the Mother’s Lounge because of the chic patterns, steal of a price (under $20), and they fit most car seat makes and models.

£  Car Seat Liner

·         This is a thin insert that you put between your baby’s body and the car seat that prevents less sweating for your baby by allowing more air circulation.

£  Bumbo Seat

·         This is a dense foam type of seat for when your baby can lift their head up but not sit up on their own yet.

£  A Jumperoo

·         For when your baby is a old enough to sit on their own and begins showing interest in standing. The baby sits in this and can strengthen her legs by bouncing up and down. They also are great for stimulation and play, as they have different sounds and moving parts for the baby to play with.

£  Baby Carrier and/or Wrap

·         I cannot rave enough about ErgoBaby Performance Carrier. Moby Wrap are great too.

·         This is my #1 recommended product. It allows you to hold your baby anywhere while keeping your hands and arms free. Your baby will love it because they desire to be held. You will love it because it not only makes it easier when you go out into the world but is nice at home too when you want to get some chores or activities done.

·         Tip: YouTube videos on how to tie.

·         Tip: Skip buying the infant insert for the carrier and swaddle your baby in a blanket instead. It works just as good, is just as safe, and saves you some cash. 

£  Baby Swing

·         Seriously.  This is my #2 recommending product.  It is going to save you your sanity.

·         Choose a model that comes with a wall-plug – most are battery only (yikes).

·         We love our model: Fisher Price Cradle ‘N Swing Snuggle Bunny

£  Pack & Play

·         We bought one with a removable sleeper and diaper changer and used them both all the time her first 2 months. Well worth the extra cost. 

·         They come in travel versions too, which are smaller and lighter weight and great for the family that lives in smaller quarters or visits other homes regularly.

·         Tip: purchase a fitting play yard sheet too. This way if there is a diaper incident or other mess, you can wash.

£  Rocker / Glider Chair

·         As a mom, I so enjoy my rocker. Babies crave motion, especially newborns. Rockers allow you to bond with your baby and give your feet its much-needed rest. There is nothing more peaceful than rocking my baby to sleep in my arms as we sit comfortably in the Glider chair

£  Stroller 

·         These days you can find a stroller & car seat combo package. The car seat buckles in to the stroller so that you can take your newborn on walks or out in public.

£  Car Seat

·         When possible, always buy new so that you are sure the car seat is not a recalled model.  If you buy or are given a used model, research online the specific model and try to find out the year your model is too.

·         Graco has a massive recall in 2013 and 2014. Research this.

·         Most infant car seats now provide a base that stays buckled in to the car and the car seat snaps in and out of it. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy.

·         Use the LATCH system whenever possible

·         ALWAYS seat rear-facing and in the back seat (research current stats for the age, weight limit, and/or height limit to when you can transition to forward seating seats and boosters.

·         When possible, position the car seat in the middle seat.  This is the safest spot for the baby.

·         Ask your doctor or the hospital about local “car seat installation” sessions – these are free and are instructed by certified people who can teach you the correct ways to buckle in your baby into the car seat and then how to correctly secure the infant seat into the car.

£  Infant bath

·         Bath time is such a fun bonding times for your baby and you.

·         Get hooded towels, a rubber duckie, and baby wash cloths and you are good to go!

·         Baby and I enjoy the “First Year’s Infant to Toddler Tub with Sling” model  because it transitions as your baby grows. Plus, it is designed to fit right on the kitchen sink, so you don't have to hurt your back bending over the regular tub.

£  Bouncer seat

·         Your baby will love this and so will you.

£  Activity Gym

·         For tummy time and back time. This is great for independent play time too.

£  Plush baby blankets

·         Super soft and work great on cold days or for laying out on the floor during tummy time.

£  Muslin swaddle blankets

·         Light-weight and work on warm days and for sleeping in the crib AFTER the doctor gives you permission. 

 CLOTHING

£  You will likely receive more outfits as presents than you may anticipate, because many people cannot resist the adorable clothes and teeny weeny sizes. 

£  Dreft baby laundry detergent

·         Wash everything before baby arrives. 

·         As you buy new clothes, wash them before you put them on the baby.

£  Baby hangers and / or a dresser for storage

·         I also bought some inexpensive bins for storing go-to’s like towels.

£  Swaddle Wraps & Sacks

·         Yes, a blanket works. But this is SO much easier and keeps the baby wrapped up better.

·         Get a Halo Swaddle Wrap. Trust me! For our first days at home, this was a necessity, therefore This is my #3 recommending product.

£  Sleepers size newborn & 0-3 Month

·         Long sleeve, pant leg, cuff on wrist to cover the hands.  (at least 6 in each size).

·         Babies tend to scratch up their face with their finger nails, so covering their hands is a good idea. My baby would knock off mittens, so I preferred these long-sleeve sleepers with the built in hand cover instead.

£  Onsies

·         Sizes newborn and 0-3 Month

·         Long sleeve and short sleeve (at least 6).

£  A Hat

·         At least one in new born size and one in 0-3 months.

·         Your baby cannot control its temperature yet. Keep a hat on him/her for her first few days; you can remove it after the 3rd day or so.

£  Socks

·         For their little toes and feet that you will kiss over and over again.

·         Socks work great as hand mittens too – they stay on longer than mittens.

GENERAL CARE AND HYGIENE

£  Diapers – Pampers Swaddlers

·         I LOVE Pampers brand the most.

·         Buy in sizes Newborn and 1 first .      

·         These are my favorite. When the diaper is soiled a blue line appears, so you know when a new one is needed with just a glance.

·         Check out Diapers.com… we order a case of diapers and wipes and have it mailed to the house.  Stocking up is always a good idea. It is cost-effective and you don’t end up going to the store every week.

£  Wipes

·         Pampers Sensitive is the brand I like the most, but each parent has their own preference

£  Diaper Genie and bags

£  Diaper pad (with diaper pad cover)

£  Disposable underpads

·         Place under the baby when changing diapers –especially for you first-time parents who will need time to change diapers in the beginning.

£  Thermometer 

·         Rectal works best (unfortunately).

·         Ear thermometers are OK but not as accurate.

£  Bulb Syringe Aspirator (the nose suction thingy)

·         Forget the cute little pink or blue ones at Target. You need the hospital-grade large ones.

·         Sometimes you need to suck over and over again to get the boogies out. Your little one may cry and scream, but those boogies need to come out. So when you are done, know that somewhere I am thinking “good job mommy/daddy!”

£  Mommy’s Bliss Gripe Water

·         This is a natural remedy if your baby has gas. Follow instructions on the box.

£  Gas Relief Drops

·         This is another remedy for gas relief. Follow instructions on the box.

£  Vitamin D in liquid drop form (talk to your doctor about this).

£  Baby bath towels and wash cloths.

£  Baby shampoo, wash, and lotion.

£  Diaper Crème

·         Buttpaste (yup, that’s what the brand is).

£  NO baby powder

·         It is for toddlers.

·         It is not for newborns and young infants as they are not supposed to inhale it.

ENTERTAINMENT & EDUCATION

£  Children’s Books

·         It is never too early to start reading to your baby.

·         Start with board books so that your baby can touch and grab without ripping pages.  Touch & Play books are fun too, because they provide the additional sensory feature of different fabrics and textures.

·         A few of my personal favorites:

§  Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Kate Toms

§  Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

§  Brown Bear Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

£  Music, Music, MUSIC

·         Pandora’s “Heavenly Lullabies” station. 

§  It plays music like Aerosmith, Adele, etc. in musical versions. 

§  We use an iPod speaker and play it all the time.

§  When you are up at all hours of the night comforting your baby, the music will soothe you both.

£  TOYS!  

·         Make sure they are age appropriate to avoid choking hazards.  For instance, avoid stuffed animals with bead/glass eyes: your infant loves to put everything in its mouth and could potentially get the eye off the toy and into its mouth and accidentally choke. 

·         Toys for your baby to chew and gnaw on.

·         Taggies

§  These are toys with little tags from ribbon placed all over, because one genius caught on that babies always seem to find the tag on a toy and suck on it. 

·         Toys that make sounds or play music

§  Like the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn puppy

£  A Harmony Lantern

·         Night-light Lantern with swap-out screens. http://www.harmonylantern.com/ .

·         We received this as a gift. It works wonderful as a night-light and I find it gorgeous.  The baby finds it mesmerizing as well.  They offer so many insert options, like ones for the holidays and others to match your nursery theme.

£  Crib Soother

·         This great for when your baby is a few months old and wants some calming music/sound and light to fall asleep to. Mine loved this Little Einstein Under the Sea soother.

BREASTFEEDING, PUMPING, &  FORMULA - OH MY!

Moms are going to do one of the following options: breastfeed exclusively, pump their milk elusively, formula feed exclusively, or find a combination of the three that works for them. I strongly urge you to be sensitive to other moms and how they feed their baby. You are entitled to your opinion on what you think is best, but don't forget that she is too and she may not believe the same method that you use is right for her family. Correct me if I am wrong, but one of the biggest annoyances is when someone else tries to tell you that your parenting method is wrong. 

 First, let me begin with this: Breastfeeding is hard at first. Nobody warned me about this! You and your baby are both doing it for the first time. Some babies latch on with no problem; others, like mine, have difficulty latching on. Some women produce enough milk and have the right flow. I was lucky enough to produce enough milk, but my flow did not accommodate baby’s needs. 

Second: Pumping for the first time is so comical. You will be amazed by how “the ladies” work, and proud of the quantity you produce. I hated to pump at first, but then I got used to it. So, stick with it even if you don’t want to… but then, if you still can’t or don’t want to continue, it is your decision alone to switch to formula.  My daughter responded the best to Similac formula, specifically the Sensitive product.  

£  Privacy cover – for feeding or pumping with privacy.

·         I recommend Bebe Au Lait, it has piping at the neck so that can easily see what you or the baby are doing. I’ve used one without and you end up holding the screen up the entire time.

£  Breast Pads

·         Wear these so that if/when you leak, your blouse and bra are protected.

·         I purchased a whole bulk order off of amazon.com.

£  Lanolin Cream

·         for sore or cracked nipples.

£  Nipple Shields

·         They help the baby latch on and they save you some of the discomfort.

£  Medela Double Breast Pump.

·         Check with your health insurance plan, sometimes your coverage provides  free or discounted breast pump.

·         Tip: Pump both breasts at the same time. This will save you a lot of time.

·         Tip: Buy an “Easy Expression Bustier”!!! Trust me, it looks silly but you will need free hands for your own sanity.

·         Tip: Buy multiple sets of pump shields. This way you aren’t washing bottles and pump supplies after every use.  I have a set of 5 and do a wash 2xs a day.

£  Bottles

·         You can purchase packs that come with 5oz bottles (you will not need an 8ox until at least after 3months), Slow flow nipples (for ages 0-4months), lids and caps.

£  Palmolive Baby Soap

·         For bottles, toys, and dishes (you can find them in the soap aisle with other sink detergents).

£  Bottle brush and wands

·         for scrubbing dirty bottles, toys, and dinnerware.

·         Stock up, because you will go through a lot over the months and they are inexpensive.

£  Bottle Drying Rack

PRODUCTS I SWEAR BY AND USE DAILY: