Curious about what you actually need to have on hand before your baby is born? Here I’m detailing the most essential baby things to buy before birth so that you’ll know you’re ready!
Now, this article isn’t meant to take the place of a full-blown registry checklist. Instead, I wanted to boil down the 10 baby things that are essential to have on hand before you bring baby home from the hospital.
These are the things that need to be set up and ready to use from day 1. And ideally, you’ll have a chance to practice using them a bit too!
So maybe you’re a mama that wants to double-check you haven’t forgotten anything essential, or maybe you ARE working on your registry and want to get started with the absolute essentials first.
Whatever the case may be, let’s get to it. I give you the top baby things to buy before birth!
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Many expecting moms, myself included, set up beautiful and well-coordinated nurseries, but put little thought into the space where baby will sleep in their parent’s room. The AAP recommends co-rooming, for at least 6 months with up to 12 months being ideal. Room sharing can reduce your baby’s risk of SIDS by up to 50%!
Room sharing means that baby is sharing a room with their parents, but in their own sleeping space. According to the AAP safe sleep guidelines, this sleep space should have a flat, firm surface and a tight-fitting sheet.
Think about what you want baby to sleep in that still adheres to these guidelines. A pack and play is a great option because it fits the bill in terms of safe sleep guidelines, and is something that will grow with your child.
Most pack and plays have a weight and height limit of up to 35 inches and 28+ lbs. This means that your baby will be using this from when they are born potentially through some of toddlerhood. Pack and Plays are a great portable sleep space for travel, which is why it is a versatile option.
Alternatively, you could go with a bassinet as long as it has a firm flat surface and a tight-fitting sheet. The disadvantage to using this is that the weight limits can be as low as 15 lbs (but some go up to about 20 lbs). Your baby may outgrow it quickly and sleep space transitions tend to be tricky for new babies.
However, bassinets are elevated making for easy transfers in and out of the sleep space. Their smaller and mobile sizes make it possible to put them right at your bedside for easy glances and checks during the night.
The Snoo is another option for your room – and is what I used with my second baby! It’s unlike any other bassinet because its design is based on the work of Dr. Harvey Karp. It has built-in features that mimic a womb-like environment to promote longer stretches of independent sleep.
These include:
Pros of the Snoo include:
But some drawbacks to the Snoo include:
In short, you don’t NEED a Snoo. But if you’ve got loved ones that want to splurge on a special gift, or you’re interested in exploring the rental option – I don’t think you’ll regret it!
You can check out my full review here.
As you probably know, you can’t leave the hospital without a car seat! You definitely want to purchase a car seat and have it safely installed before you are full-term, but a little lead time is even better.
As far as which car seat to get? Girl, there are SO many options out there – and it is seriously overwhelming. The good news is that when it comes to car seats, price does not equal a better or safer seat! All car seats have to pass the same safety standards here in the US.
When I had CPST Brigette Watson on the podcast, here were the tips she mentioned:
And if you’re still feeling overwhelmed (I know I was!) my friend Michelle at @safeintheseat has an amazing community of over 500k+ and a wealth of resources related to car seat buying, installation, and safety!
Her Infant Seat Courses are SO helpful for expectant parents. The Infant Car Seat Buying Kit answers every single question to make choosing a seat so much easier (including an amazing comparison database!), and The Infant Course teaches you how to use the infant car seat safely inside and out.
I recommend utilizing YouTube to get your infant car seat installed correctly and to familiarize yourself with how to attach the seat to the base. Once YOU think you have it right, I cannot urge you enough to go get it checked by a Car Seat Safety Tech.
To find one in your area, you can call your town hall – they will be able to point you to when and where car seat safety checks happen. If you don’t have any luck with that, your hospital and good old Google can also help.
Diapering supplies are something you definitely need to buy before birth. In addition to the actual supplies, I want you to go ahead and familiarize yourself with use and get it all set up too!
I recommend having a station set up on each floor if you live in a two (or more) story house. You will probably have the main changing station in the nursery or in your room.
For the main changing area you’ll want to have everything you need to get baby clean and comfortable at an arm’s reach while they are on their changing pad. You should NEVER walk away from baby while they are on top of the dresser or changing table.
You’ll need a changing pad with a fitted cover. It’s a good idea to also have backup changing pad covers somewhere in your changing station because they will inevitably get dirty and need to be stripped immediately.
If space allows, you should also have wipes, diaper cream, lotion, and a few clean diapers on the surface. If your table is not wide enough to accommodate more than the changing pad, make sure these things are in one of the top drawers or shelves – below the changing pad.
For my second baby, I actually set up a pack-and-play to use as a changing area downstairs, but for my first, a portable diaper caddy for downstairs worked great!
Basically, all you need is a rolled-up mat/blanket to change on, a few clean diapers, burp cloths, wet wipes, and cream! Just restock as needed.
For sizing, keep in mind that the weight ranges that are published on the box should be used as a guideline only. You will find that sizes do have some weight range overlap. These ranges do not take into account the unique size and shape of your baby. You may even need to try a few different brands before finding the one that is right for your baby’s body.
Remember that the most expensive is not necessarily the best. For sizing and stocking up ahead of time, don’t go crazy with the newborn diapers.
The exception to this would be if you are having twins or have a premature baby. Otherwise, your baby will grow out of them very quickly. In many cases, even newborn babies can use size one. This is true even if they aren’t yet at the 10 lb mark that most size one diapers recommend.
The hospital where I delivered only stocked size one diapers, and they worked just fine. I did prefer to use a pack of newborn diapers in the first week or two, but then we switched to size one.
As soon as your baby has a wet diaper leak or an explosion, it is probably an indication that it is time to switch diaper sizes. If you just sized up or the diaper was not on straight, then it is possible that it was a rogue explosion (especially if it was a poop). Generally, these along with weight are the way to know it is time to size up.
Something I would have never thought about before my baby arrived was if and when to change diapers at night. It just doesn’t occur to you. Had I learned this ahead of time, instead of in the first month, I would have saved myself some trouble.
As long as your baby doesn’t have a rash and you are using absorbent disposable diapers, you only need to do nighttime diaper changes for poops. Don’t cause unnecessary stimulation during the night over a wet diaper. Simply apply some diaper cream or Vaseline to their bottom before bed and they will be just fine until morning as long as they don’t poop.
If you do need to change a dirty diaper in the night, keep the lights as low as possible. Try to avoid eye contact with your baby, and do not speak. I know how tempting it is to coo and engage, but you want to help baby learn day from night.
Alright, moving right along with our list of things to buy before baby – we can’t forget baby clothes! But when I say this I’m really talking about the basics. If you (or your great aunt, ha) can’t resist an adorable ‘outfit’ or two, I hear you, but it’s essential to have, well, the essentials on hand before birth!
Most people will tell you not to waste your time on newborn size clothing, and while on the whole, I agree, I think it’s a mistake not to get any.
My guys were swimming in 0-3 month clothes for the first month of life, and I really liked having some simple options that actually fit my baby during that time. They are SO much easier to get on when you (and baby!) are first learning.
I’m not saying you should get hoodies, dresses, suits, and swimwear in newborn size, but having some bodysuits, footed pajamas, and soft pants in size newborn is a good idea.
Tip: If you and your partner were very big babies (9+ pounds!) or your provider suspects a large baby – you may want to err on the very low side of newborn clothes. But the average birth weight is a little more than ~7lbs – which is pretty tiny!
Tip: If your budget is tight and you really don’t want to get too much newborn size, then I would say the essentials are the bodysuits with snap-crotches and footed pajamas.
Again, we’re talking just the essentials here – but you’re basically going to buy all the same things as the newborn size! However, you should up the quantity because they’ll be in this size longer and, well, laundry is a b*tch.
Trust me when I tell you this is what your baby is going to live in! The cute outfits are fun and adorable, but you won’t use them as much as you think.
There are also some seasonal things you may need for summer vs. winter baby – but we’re just going to stick to the essentials here!
Tip: The above links are for Amazon for your convenience – but I also LOVE Carter’s for Baby Essentials and you can almost always get a good deal. Their sales are amazing!
Any veteran mom will tell you that no two brands are alike when it comes to weight and height associated with sizing! You will learn in the first few months what brands work well for your baby’s body type (and budget), but here are some things I wish I’d know:
Tip: You should wash all clothes (and bedding, swaddles, etc.) before using them with baby. Make sure you’ve got some baby-safe detergent, or just a scent-free sensitive skin detergent ready for this. Doing this before birth is a good idea!
I think this is an easily forgotten area of baby-prep but one that packs a big punch in those early weeks. It is such a benefit to have the things you need to care for baby when they’re sick or uncomfortable before it happens.
When your little one is uncomfortable, even a quick run to the store for what you need can feel like way too long. It’s all on one list right here, but let me break down what to have!
Tip: Use this pre-made list to make sure you grab it all!
I think that a lot of mamas who plan to breastfeed overlook the getting of bottle-feeding supplies! The fact is that breastfeeding can be really unpredictable in the beginning, and even if you ARE exclusive breastfeeding – you’re probably going to use a bottle at some point 😊
And if you know you’re planning to use formula from the get-go, then yeah, bottle-feeding supplies are essential!
Find my complete list of bottle-feeding equipment here.
Find my complete list of breastfeeding essentials here.
So, there you have it. My take on baby things to buy before birth! But before we wrap it up completely, I want to finish with a purchase that isn’t a thing per se – and that’s education!!
Having all the right baby gear on hand certainly goes a long way in making your transition to life with a baby easier. But education is what’s really going to drive it home. Knowledge is power after all!
Learn about Mommy Labor Nurse’s online birth classes – which all include 2.5 hours of newborn care that covers things like diapering, health and safety, feeding, and more.
Not ready to commit to the full class? Check out our FREE Birth Prep Workshop – a 45-minute, on-demand video course that teaches you the 3 secrets to an even better birth!