Once you’re close to your delivery date, you should start stocking up on supplies that are essential for your baby. You and your partner will be pretty occupied in the upcoming months so it is best if you use this checklist and prepare ahead.
You can start shopping for the essentials around the same time you start preparing for your baby’s nursery. You can use the checklist below as you prepare:
Wardrobe and clothing essentials
Baby clothes are one of the cutest things imaginable but you need to remember that your baby will grow out of them in just no time. While buying the clothes, make sure to buy different sizes for every 3 months as your baby grows. When you are buying clothes for your baby make sure to add the following:
- Multiple pairs of onesies, pajamas, sweaters, T-shirts, undershirts and rompers.
- Multiple blankets for receiving and holding.
- Mittens, socks and booties.
- Hats or caps.
Apart from these you can buy any additional outfits or add ons you want. Buy the clothing items according to the weather and climate of the place you live in. Remember to buy clothes that are soft and warm.
Sleeping and bedtime essentials
If you haven’t already set up your baby nursery, start planning for one.
- You need to set aside a baby crib and mattress for your baby.
- Get multiple mattress covers and bed sheets for the crib.
- Set aside blankets such as sleep sacks that are specially designed for babies to cover the baby while they sleep.
- Additionally, you can also get a nightlight, humidifier and a white noise machine that can improve the sleep of your baby.
- Get pacifiers to help soothe your newborn baby.
Feeding and Nursing essentials
If your baby is not sleeping, it is probably eating. So, make your life easier by investing in supplies that will help you feed your baby. Either you choose to breastfeed or use formula you will need certain essentials that you can buy and store beforehand:
- Burp cloths and bibs to catch spit or drool from your baby to keep them dry.
- Breast pumps will help you store milk for your baby and also help to prevent engorgement.
- Storage containers/ bottles to store breast milk.
- Nursing pillows to support you and the baby while feeding.
- Nursing pads that will soak any leaks in between pumps or feeding.
- Bottles and nipples.
- Lotions to keep you from getting sore and rashes after breastfeeding.
- Nursing bras for easy access and comfort.
- Cleaning supplies for your bottles and its nipples.
- Optionally you can also get a sterilizer for your bottle to help disinfect the germs. You can also boil them.
- Additionally you can get bottle warmers to warm the bottled milks.
Diapering Essentials
Diapering might not be the best part of having a baby but certainly is the most important thing. Here are some crucial things you need to prepare for:
- Stock up on a lot of diapers because you need to change a baby diaper almost every 3 hours. However, make sure to buy small packs of a few newborn sizes for a few weeks because you won’t know your baby’s size ahead of time.
- Get some cloth diapers as well.
- Along with the baby diapers you will be using a ton of wipes to clean your baby. Make sure that the wipes that you use on your baby are gentle, unscented and soft.
- Time and again you will need to use washcloths to clean, so have it handy as well.
- Stock up on some rash creams since newborns are prone to getting rashes.
- Get a trash can to store the used diapers. You can get the diaper pails that are specifically designed to hold baby diapers.
Cleaning and Bath essentials
Bathtime can be both fun and nerve wracking for the first few months. Newborns require only about 3 baths a week up until a year. It will be helpful to have these essentials before you start giving regular baths to your baby:
- Soft wash cloth.
- Baby tubs.
- Cleanser or soap.
- Soft hair brush and sponge for soft scrub.
- Multiple towels.
- Baby lotion to apply after the bath.
Grooming, safety and health essentials
These are things that you might not require on a regular basis but you will surely once in a while. Therefore, it is best if you already have them for when you might need it.
- Nail clippers or files that are made for babies.
- Baby thermometers in case they are a bit under the weather.
- Have a first aid kit for your baby with things like, eye dropper, medicine spoon, bulb syringe.
- Pacifiers.
Travel gear essentials
You might not plan a long distance vacation immediately. But it is good to go out to catch fresh air at your local park. You might need some baby gears when you decide to such as:
- Stroller to move easily.
- Baby carrier for you to hold your baby.
- Play mat for your baby to sit.
- A backpack to carry all the baby essentials when you are going outside of the house.
- Infant car seat that is approved.
Baby Playtime essentials
Your baby will spend most of its early months sleeping. However you can get some baby gear items to help them sleep in the beginning. Once your baby starts to move around, you can add to the collection of toys. You can start with the following essentials:
- Get a baby swing to rock or sway them to sleep.
- Play mats for tummy time.
- Get pacifiers for your baby.
- Although in the early months it will not be of use, you can start adding to the collection of patterned books and non hazardous baby toys that sing and rattle.
References:
- Newborn Baby Checklist—The Must-Haves and More: https://www.pampers.com/en-us/pregnancy/preparing-for-your-new-baby/article/newborn-baby-checklist
- Your Ultimate Checklist of Baby Essentials: https://www.thebump.com/a/checklist-baby-essentials
- Baby product must-haves: A list for first-time parents: https://www.babycenter.com/baby-products/lists-and-tips/baby-products-must-haves-for-the-first-year_59
- Newborn checklist: https://www.todaysparent.com/checklists/newborn-checklist/
- Everything You Need for Your Newborn Baby: https://www.verywellfamily.com/bare-necessities-basic-baby-needs-293962
