Necessities for a New Baby

When I found out I was expecting, I was completely overwhelmed with all the stuff I had to buy.  I did not have much experience around babies so I turned to friends and the internet to come up with a list of the goods I would need, and slowly ticked things off the list.  I have since given my list to friends who have also found it useful.

So here is my list of necessities for a new baby.  Please note that everyone will find that different things work for them, but this is what I needed and this list is based on my experience.  It may look overwhelming (and it sort of is) but if you do little bits at a time you’ll get through it.

Feeding


Breast Pump – Try to borrow one if you can as they are expensive!  I borrowed a Medela brand pump from a friend.  BTW pumping milk is one of the most ridiculous experiences ever.

Nursing Pads – I use Lasinoh brand and find they are the best.

2 Bottles including Nipples – I bought Avent but turns out baby will only take Nuk brand.  This is perhaps why it’s good not to go crazy on one brand.

Bottle Brush

Formula – Even if you plan to breastfeed you may want to use formula from time to time.  We just have the ready feed stuff on hand, just in case.

Nursing Pillow plus extra slipcover – I use this thing hours a day, and ended up buying another one so I didn’t have to keep hauling it up and down stairs.

Milk Storage Bags or Bottles – You will need bottles anyways if you decide to pump and you can always buy bags later if you need them.

Breast Cream – I used Lasinoh and Medela.  They were both good.

Bottle Rack for Dishwasher

Drying rack – We got the Skip Hop grass drying rack as a rush purchase after baby was born.  We didn’t like the idea of his stuff mingling with the other dishes in our drying rack.

Gear


Car Seat – This is essential!  In Montreal they will not let you leave the hospital without inspecting your car seat first.  Make sure the brand you get works with the stroller, if your stroller is able to convert to carry a car seat.

Rearview mirror for car – So you can see what’s going on with little one while you drive.

Bouncy Seat and/or Chair and/or Swing – Try to borrow as you may find out your kid hates it.  Also, it may takes some months before he likes it.  Our baby only started enjoying the swing at 3.5 months.

Baby Carrier – There are tons of different brands out there.  Use the one that is good for you.  We use the Baby Bjorn but there’s some controversy surrounding it.  It works for us though.  Ergo is another popular choice.

Activity Mat – This is the thing that baby lies on and has stuff hanging down from it.

Diaper Bag – I used the Skip Hop bag and I like it because it can hook on the stroller.  But alternatively, you could just use any bag and throw in a diaper change pad.

Diaper Pail – This was a must for my husband!  We use the Diaper Genie.

Nursery Monitor – We went with the basic Graco.  Apparently Homesense sometimes has them for less.

Stroller – Check out various strollers, and choose well as you’ll be friends with that thing for years.  Check out my stroller accessories post as well.

Play Yard – This is the portable play pen.  We went with a basic Pack n Play which we put next to our bed for baby to sleep in.  Some people skip this and just use the bassinette that comes with their stroller, but we found he grew out of it quickly (after 2.5 months!).  Note that Kushie’s does a line of covers for a play yard and apparently Target does too.  Between the sheet cover and the base, I put a blanket or I cut down a crib sized mattress pad and sewed it.

Diaper Changing Pad and Table – Some people just buy the pad and attach it to an existing dresser or table.

Cover for Diaper Changing Pad – Get two in case baby soils one.

Note: We also bought about 10 of the Kushies brand diaper change pads.  We use them for everything! We put one over the diaper change table so we aren’t always changing the diaper change cover, and when he sleeps in bed with us he’ll sleep on one so he doesn’t soil the bed.  I also like to give him some diaper free time and I’ll line his crib with these.  They are unfortunately somewhat hard to find – perhaps due to their popularity.

Health & Grooming


Disposable Diapers or 24 Cloth Diapers – We liked Pampers Swaddlers as they have the line that changes colour when he pees.

Wipes

Face Cloths – We use these instead of wipes when we are at home to clean him when he is getting his diaper changed.  I bet we have 40 baby face cloths.  We use solid for bum and patterned for face – a trick a friend taught us.

Diaper Rash Cream – We have Vaseline for daily use, Sudocream if it looks a bit bad, and Ihle’s Paste if he actually has a rash.  We were told that the zinc content needs to be over a certain percent to get rid of diaper rash, and Ihle’s paste is the only one we found to have this content.

Pacifiers – We use both MAM and Avent, our baby isn’t picky.

Thermometer – We went with a digital thermometer that can be used under the armpit and rectally.

Nail Clipper – OK we have never actually used our baby nail clipper.  It scared me too much.  I went ahead and bought Zoli’s Buzz B nail trimmer which basically grinds down baby’s nails.  I use it daily and find it is well worth the atrocious $40 price tag.

Infant Bathtub Insert – I use this, but my husband just sticks baby in the bath.  I think it depends on your bath setup and arm strength!

Baby wash, shampoo and lotion – We just use Johnson & Johnson for the bath, and Aveeno baby for the lotion.  It works.

2 Hooded towels

Saline Drops & Aspirator – In my opinion those bulbs are useless.  Get the Hydrasense Nasal Aspirator for baby and use it to suck out the snot.  Sounds gross, but you get used to it.

Vitamin D Drops – My hospital gave me a prescription for this when I was discharged, but it is  an over the counter drug.  Place a drop on your nipple when you are breastfeeding.

First Aid Kit

Nursery and Bedding


Crib – After much discussion, we splurged on an Oeuf crib and love it.  No regrets.


Mattress – Make sure that this fits the crib!  You do not want gaps, or have to squeeze it in.


Mobile – We love our Wimmer-Ferguson Infant-Stim Mobile which was recommended by a friend.  Baby does too 🙂


Glider or Rocking Chair – I spend hours in my chair and it was well worth the price tag for me.


Laundry Hamper – We like to wash babies stuff separate from ours.


3 Fitted Crib Sheets – We just got the plain white ones from Ikea which come in packs of two.

2 Waterproof Mattress Pads

Crib Bumper – My mom ended up buying us a breathable bumper which is very thin but keeps him from getting his legs caught in the side of the crib.  Perhaps when he becomes more mobile we may go with something a bit thicker.

White Noise Machine – We used a Sleep Sheep

Bassinette Cover Sheet – I bought two of these (Kushie’s makes them).  I also made myself another cover for the actual foam cushion as I figured (rightly) that he might soil through the top cover.

Layette


8 short sleeve onesies

8 long sleeve onesies

4 receiving blankets

2 hats

6 pairs of socks – We like the thick ones from Gap which we also used as mitts, and the Robeez socks which don’t come off

6 footed pyjamas

3 bibs

4 pairs of pants or a mix of shorts and pants

2 sweaters (depending on time of year!)

Swaddling Blanket – Our baby hated being swaddled and we basically never used our swaddling blankets.  Maybe try and borrow before you invest.  You can also use the muslin blankets (see below)

Thin Soft Muslin Blankets – ie Aden & Anais  We have around 6 of these and use them for everything.

2 mittens to protect babies face – We never actually ended up using any mittens but I know for some babies it’s essential

Note: We actually had more onesies than just the 8, and I was happy with that but I think 8 could be OK.  I would also recommend buying clothes in a size up as well.  Our baby grew very fast and after a month he was out the tiny stuff, and after 6 weeks he was in clothes size 3 – 6 months.  It kind of came as a shock and I am grateful we had some stuff on hand.  Our favourite places for baby’s clothes: Old Navy, Joe Fresh, and Gap.  My favourite splurge brand by far is SmaFolk and El Sikke Lej.  We also really liked the cross over onesies (kimono style) in the early days as you don’t have to try and pull it over baby’s head.

Other


Ivory Snow – To wash babies stuff

Stain Remover

Storage bins – Both bins to store toys, and smaller tubs to use for diapers, wash cloths, etc.  For the toys we loved 3 Sprouts.  For the diapers, etc. we went to the dollar store.

Nursing Cover – I never ended up using the ones I made in the end except maybe once.  I preferred using nursing clothing such as the tops from the Boob Design.  I felt it was more discreet and less fuss.

Baby Book – To record all those memories!

OxyClean – We put the used cloths that were used to clean baby’s bum right in a solution of oxyclean to soak.  We have not had any stains yet!

Phew!  That’s a lot of stuff!!

Do you think I missed anything essential, or my list is too over the top?  There are only a few things we didn’t end up using such as the mittens, the swaddling blankets (but we tried!), and the baby nail clippers.  I was pretty happy to have everything else!