Baby Essentials Checklist

When you are pregnant and getting ready for your baby’s arrival, it can feel completely overwhelming to know what you really need for your little one. You have probably found yourself wondering what is essential and what is extra?

As a parent of two and a postpartum doula, I have been in the homes of parents with newborns and seen what gets used in those early days, what ends up getting ordered later and what really works well. So here is my list of baby essentials!

If you are feeling overwhelmed with options, I’ve also included my recommendations for certain brands that I know have worked well for other families. But please keep in mind: there are just suggestions so make sure to do your own research and pick whatever works best for your family and your budget.

And one final reminder before you get to the list: at the end of the day, what your baby needs is food, warmth and comfort and a safe place to sleep. If you can snuggle your baby and make sure their needs for sleep and food are covered, you are off to a strong start!

Happy nesting!

Feeding is a bit of a tricky topic to make a list of “essentials” because there are so many ways your feeding journey may vary or change! Breast or chest feeding has different tools than pumping or bottle feeding formula.

So what should you do?

I suggest you make sure you have on hand what you need for how you plan to feed your baby at the start (for many, this is breast or chest feeding). If this is you, then you might want a pump and pump accessories and some bottles on hand or you may want to wait and order or pick them up if you decide to add bottle-feeding later. If you are planning on bottle-feeding from day one be sure to have lots of bottles along with brushes and soap and a bottle sanitizer.

So think about your situation and what makes you feel most prepared and go from there! You can also check out my other blog posts about what you need to breastfeed, pump or formula feed.

  • Changing table for nursery
  • Diaper bin
  • Changing pad
  • Changing Pad Covers, if needed
  • Wipes
  • Wipes dispenser (this is not as essential but it does work a bit better than the packaging the wipes come in!)
  • Diapers
  • Creams (I suggest you have 2-3 different type of diaper cream on hand as some will work better than other or switching up what you can be sometimes be effective)
    • Butt paste, Aquaphor, Desitin
  • Diaper bag (I don’t have a recommendation because this is very personal to your needs and may even change as your baby gets older!)
  • Diaper/wipe/cream/diaper pad for separate floor of your house, if needed

This is a fun one! You probably need less clothes than will be given to you at your baby shower but it is a good idea to have a decent amount of clothes so you aren’t doing laundry constantly. Babies do have lots of spit up and diaper explosions!

  • Onesies (6-8)
  • Pants (4-5)
  • Footie pajamas (5-6)
  • Socks (4-5)
  • Hats (2-3)
  • Carrier (I think it’s great to have one soft wrap type and one buckle structured carrier)
  • Car seat
  • Stroller
  • Bouncer
  • Swing

I don’t give out recommendations for car seats, or strollers or other types of gear because this will be so specific to your needs, your budget and your own research on safety. While I do suggest some carriers, please make sure you thoroughly research all baby gear items for safety recalls. Click here for the government website to check for recalls.

I always suggest parents take a baby first aid and CPR class. In a class like that, you can ask the instructor if there are any additional baby items they recommend for health and safety.

  • Thermometer
  • First Aid
  • Frida Baby Snot Sucker
  • Pacifiers (whether you use pacifiers or not is up to you but having some on hand may be helpful!)
  • Tub or insert for sink
  • Towels with a hood (1-2)
  • Washcloths (1-2)
  • Gentle, fragrance free shampoo
  • Baby oil and gentle fragrance free lotion
  • Nail clippers and file

Like clothing, you’ll probably get a lot of toys, books, and stuffed animals from friends and family. You don’t need much to entertain your baby at first (they love to watch your face!) but it can be fun to have some of these around to play with and enjoy time with your little one.

  • Activity mat
  • Toys
    • Check out Lovevery for their age appropriate activity subscription boxesStuffed animals
  • Books
    • Babies love black and white contrast books

While this list is technically essentials for your baby, you matter too!

Parents who are nourished, comfortable, and well taken care of are better equipped to care for their baby and be responsive to their needs.

So make sure you are taking care of yourselves!

  • Silverettes and nipple cream (if you are breast or chest feeding)
  • A better than what the hospital gives you peri bottle
    • Frida Mom makes a great peri bottle that many parents prefer
  • Padsicles
    • Click here for a great article explaining what padsicles are, how to make them and how to use them
  • Sitz bath
    • This article gives more info about what sitz baths are and where to buy them.
  • Comfortable place to sit (by tv, with a side table)
  • Comfortable clothes to wear and nurse in
  • Big water bottle
  • Freezer meals and easy to eat nourishing snacks
  • A list on your fridge of things that guests can help with when they visit
  • Name and contact info: IBCLC (if breast/chest feeding), mental health professional, and postpartum doula

We’re almost done! But I do want to give you a few more websites to use as a resource when you are looking into other baby items. As I said above, I have given you some suggestions of baby items that families enjoy using but you should do your own research to make sure it is safe, doesn’t have any recalls and is the best item for your family’s needs.

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Leah Schilling Seattle Postpartum Doula

Leah Schilling

NAPS, ICEA, CLE, MEd

Leah Schilling is a certified postpartum doula and childbirth educator. She teaches group and one-on-one childbirth, infant feeding, and postpartum preparation classes to expectant parents. As a postpartum doula, she provides in-home support and is a new parent support group facilitator in the Seattle area.