When a new baby is coming it can be overwhelming trying to think of all the things you need. Here is a list of 10 newborn essentials for the first week.
We keep these 10 things and a few other postpartum essentials in a tote in the basement. Right before a baby comes this tote is all we bring out. Then after the baby is born and we know if it is a boy or a girl we go about getting out some more clothes and things, but for the first week, this is all we need.
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1. Blankets
Blankets are essential no matter what time of year your baby is born. Different kinds of blankets are nice too.
Thin blankets big enough for swaddling the baby in the first few days are good. Most babies are calmed by swaddling as being wrapped tight reminds them of being in the womb. Thin blankets also work well for keeping the sun off of the baby in a car seat or a stroller, however, do remember that they can still get sunburnt through a blanket, and be sure to check the temperature of the stroller or car seat often. I love these swaddle blankets because they are super soft and are very large. We got ours from a yard sale and they are my favorite summer blankets.
Fuzzy blankets are good in the spring, fall, and winter for going on walks outside. Or tucking them around them in the car seat to keep them warm because they shouldn’t wear coats in their car seat.
2. 10 Zippered Gender Neutral Outfits
If this is your first baby and you don’t know if you are having a boy or a girl, then having about 10 gender-neutral outfits is a good idea.
10 gives you a good amount for the first few days without having to wash any. I get them in size 0-3 months because we have pretty good-sized babies. If you are on the smaller size and think you will have smaller babies then you should get mostly size newborns. But maybe get a couple 0-3 months just in case.
I highly suggest getting outfits that zip with feet. Zippered outfits are the handiest for when you have to change the baby’s diaper. When the baby is crying you don’t want to have to snap 20 snaps. Shirt and pants outfits also aren’t as handy because you have to be careful of the umbilical cord stump until it falls off and pants will typically ride right where it is.
We also picked one designated boy and girl outfit before the baby was born just for fun.
3. Diapers And Wipes
Obviously, these are newborn essentials. A couple of small packages of newborn diapers are a good idea, most babies fit newborn diapers at least for a couple weeks. We get a package of Huggies newborn diapers and then will switch to size 1 of Parents Choice after we finish the newborn size.
If you are planning on using cloth diapers you will want a good bit of them as babies mess their diapers a lot in the early days and you will find yourself changing the diaper almost hourly sometimes.
We use cloth diapers, but not for the first several months. I find it difficult to cloth diaper a newborn and difficult when they are really chubby. So we use paper diapers for the first few months. We started cloth diapering our first around 4 months and we are about to start with our second around 7 months.
You will also need some wipes. You can either make your own or buy them. We were going to make our own for our kids but haven’t done so. So we use Huggies non-scented wipes or Parents Choice (whichever is cheaper when we are buying) and buy them in bulk.
*****I do want to note that babies can react to certain brands of diapers or wipes. Our first couldn’t use Luvs diapers and our second can’t use Pampers. There was also a brand of wipes that caused them to react, but I don’t remember which one.
4. Baby Wrap Carrier
A baby wrap carrier is a necessity for me. My husband and I carry our babies everywhere for the first few months. It’s good for babies to be close to a parent to help with their transition into the outside world. It keeps them calmer and happier and is shown to reduce crying and even things like colic. Babywearing also helps regulate the baby’s breathing and temperature.
It also makes it easier to get things done and go for walks. I use a wrap the first few months anytime we go anywhere because it keeps the baby more content and gives me more freedom to do things, especially with other children.
I love this baby wrap, it is super easy to put on and adjust. Having an easily adjustable one is a must for us because both my husband and I wear the baby and sometimes just need to switch quickly.
5. Red Light For Night Feedings
Having a red light for late-night feedings is a newborn essentials for me. In the first few months when you are trying to figure out feedings, you need a little light to help you out. Red light can help increase melatonin and it doesn’t mess with your circadian rhythms
My husband got me this little light and base I use it every night. It has a red light and remembers which light color you turned it off on so it is always on the color you need. I can also easily switch it to a white light if I need to.
6. Burp Cloths
Burp cloths are versatile and can be for more than just spit-up. I carry one everywhere for the first few weeks and not just for the baby. I use it for napkins, tissues, etc. when I’m feeding the baby and trying to do something else because they eat a lot those first few weeks.
They also are handy because babies spit up a lot. Our first spit up a ton and we went through so many burp cloths a day.
7. Bed And Sheets
Baby will need a safe place to sleep during the day when you aren’t holding them and at night. We use a mixture of an old cradle from my grandparents, this small foldable bed, and a mini pack-n-play.
The small foldable bed fits in our bed against a wall for the first couple of days and is usable pretty much anywhere. It works to put the baby in it in the bathroom so you can shower, outside, and it is easy to take with you somewhere in case you need a place to lay the baby. We don’t use it much beyond the first couple of months, but it is very handy for the first few weeks.
Any sort of bed will work, a crib, pack-n-play, bassinet, etc. But a safe place for the baby to sleep is a necessity. And don’t forget the sheets for whatever bed you decide to use.
8. Pacifiers
I have to admit, I was one of those people who was never going to give their baby a pacifier because I thought they were useless and unnecessary. That lasted about a week with our first and then we used pacifiers. You may or may not use them, but we find them to be very helpful.
Sucking is a natural pain reliever for infants and sucking is also calming for them. While you can just nurse your baby every time they seem to be in pain we found pacifiers helpful when they couldn’t be nursed at the moment or dad is holding them.
Our babies also seem to be very sensitive to teething and take a very long time to get teeth in. Pacifiers have been a great help during that time.
We prefer the Mam pacifiers as they have a flatter nipple. A flatter nipple allows the baby’s mouth to close more naturally and reduces the risk of misaligned teeth. Even though pacifier use before the age of 2 doesn’t typically do much we wanted to be on the safer side anyway.
Neither of our children automatically took to a pacifier, we had to help them take it for a while. However, after a couple of weeks, they started to take it on their own.
9. Freezer Meals
Okay, so this isn’t something for the baby, but they are so, so helpful. I can’t tell you how important they have been for us. I always stock the freezer with meals for breakfasts and suppers and then we will eat leftovers for lunch. While my husband can cook (and cook quite well) it isn’t something he needs to be worrying about. During the first few days when no one is getting much sleep and everyone is exhausted, it is better to have less to do.
Having meals he can just throw in a pot or the toaster oven to heat up gives us more time to spend together as a family. When our second was born our oldest child also needed him a lot so it was especially handy.
We also get a package of paper plates, bowls, and cups before a new baby is born so that we can just throw the dishes away instead of worrying about washing them.
10. Carseat
A car seat may or may not be a necessity for you in the first week, but for many it is. If you have the baby in the hospital you are going to need a way to bring it home. And even if you have a home birth, you may have an unplanned trip somewhere.
We had homebirths with our children, but with the first, we still ended up going fishing the first week after she was born and with the second we had an emergency trip to the hospital after he was born. With the first, we could have done without the car seat, but with the second we needed it a few hours after they were born and I would highly recommend getting the car seat before the baby is born.
We chose to get one car seat that would last from when they are newborns until they were able to move out of a car seat. We love our Diono all-in-one-car seats, they fit 3 across the back of the car and are very sturdy seats. They are somewhat heavier than regular car seats as they have a steel reinforced frame, but that is the only possible ‘con’ we have with them.
Is This List All I Need?
Maybe, and maybe not, it will depend on you and your situation. We don’t bathe our newborns for the first couple weeks, but if you do bathe them then you will need stuff for that.
We also don’t use any ‘products’ on them for a while. So I don’t have things like diaper cream, moisturizing cream, or anything on the list. But everyone does things differently, so if you plan to use those, then you will want to have them.
If you bottle feed you will need more things too, but I haven’t bottle fed a baby so I can’t write on that.
What are your newborn essentials?
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