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The ABCs of Motherhood

building time for what really matters, family connection

The Ultimate Newborn Essentials Checklist

Last updated on March 6th, 2024

Inside: A list of all the newborn essentials that you’ll need during your baby’s first year plus how to set up your home for a newborn. This is a HUGE and comprehensive list so pin now to refer back to as you create your baby registry and prepare your home for baby’s arrival!

Preparing for Baby

Ya’ll this is a HUGE post. Pro tip: save this post now and go back to it later as you work on your registry and get your home ready. Babies bring about so many new changes to your life and one of those changes is allllll of the stuff you’ll accumulate. You’ll be buying and stocking up on a ton of new baby gear as your due date approaches.

And to be honest, it doesn’t stop once baby is here. I can guarantee that you’ll still be buying things as your baby grows and life happens. Amazon Prime will become your best friend as a new mom. (As if it already wasn’t your favorite).

I’ve created this super detailed post to help you navigate through preparing for your newborn. I want to preface this list by saying that every baby and every household is so different. So that means what worked for me, may not work for you. And what MY baby or your best friend’s baby LOVED, your baby may not be into at all.

I’ve broken the list down into categories:

  • sleeping
  • diapering
  • feeding
  • clothing
  • bathing
  • toys + gear
  • travelling
  • medicine
  • baby proofing

The Nursery

Getting the nursery ready is your first step to take when preparing for baby’s arrival. I’m talking clearing out a room, painting if needed, and overall cleaning the space. This room is not only the one your baby will grow into and make their own, but it also will house all of the items you’ll be purchasing.

Try to make a big effort to get this room ready well before your baby shower and due date. Ideally getting it ready in the beginning of your second trimester is best, as this is when you’ll have the most energy. This will allow you to find ‘homes’ for all of the baby gear you buy and receive instead of just accumulating bags and bags of stuff with nowhere to put it.

Your second biggest goal should be buying and setting up all of the big items, such as your crib, dresser, rocking chair and bookshelf BEFORE your baby shower (i.e. all the furniture). This way, once you have your baby shower, you can simply wash the bedding and clothes, remove tags, and put things where they need to go. It’ll make things much easier in the long run, especially as your belly grows and your energy wanes.

Disclaimer: The ABCs of Motherhood is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.

Sleeping

Let’s begin with items your baby will need for sleep. Contrary to all of the sleep deprivation comments you have no doubt been receiving (eye roll), newborns sleep A LOT. You’ll want to learn about safe sleep habits before you bring your newborn home. Here are three great evidence based resources to check out.

Sleep Items Checklist

Bassinet

The CDC recommends babies sleep in the same room as you for at least 6 months (ideally one year) to reduce their risk of SIDS. Now, your baby won’t fit in a bassinet for that long, but they are still very helpful to have. Some parents will choose to keep baby in a pack n’ play in their room, but for us, we didn’t have the space in our bedroom, so we used a bassinet.

I preferred using a bassinet because:

  • I could easily reach and see baby from my bedside for MOTN feedings and checking
  • the one we bought was very affordable
  • the one we bought could collapse for easy storage and travelling
  • it allowed me to utilize the pack n’ play downstairs which was super helpful
  • it didn’t take up much room in our bedroom

One super important reminder with your bassinet: do NOT leave it so close to your bed that you run the risk of your bedding falling into baby’s bassinet. I have read some horror stories about this happening and blocking baby’s airway. Be aware of this and be vigilant with whichever bedside sleeper you choose to prevent this danger from occurring.

Crib

Pick a crib that you love and that is nice, but don’t spend a HUGE amount of money on it. You want to find one that’ll last, but know that your baby, at some point, will likely try to chew on the top rail and leave teeth indents in the wood. It happens!

Most baby sleep experts recommend that your toddler sleeps in their crib until they are 3-3.5 years old. You also want to consider that you may reuse the crib you buy for your next baby as well. Our crib was around $200 and besides a few teeth marks, looks and functions as new as the day we bought it over 2 years later, for reference.

Bedding

Back when we were babies, cribs were always loaded up with blankets, stuffed animals, crib bumpers, and more. But experts now agree that nothing should be in the crib except for a tightly fitted sheet on a firm mattress to reduce the risk of SIDS.

As far as bassinet sheets go, I like to keep extra on hand that I store in a basket in our bedroom. You’ll have a lot of accidents in the early days, whether that be from leaking diapers, spit up, or spilled milk. It’s nice to have plenty of extra sheets near, especially as you may not be as vigilant about getting to your laundry pile when you have a newborn. The last thing you’ll want to run into is no clean sheets in the middle of the night.

Once you do transition to the crib, I recommend using a crib mattress protector to help with any accidents such as leaking diapers, potty training mishaps, or vomit in the middle of the night. You won’t want to worry about a wet soiled mattress that needs cleaning at 3 in the morning.

Keep an extra basket of crib sheets in your linen closet too, once your baby transitions to the crib. How many extra sheets you need will just depend on your family’s lifestyle. Factors include whether your kiddo gets illnesses a lot (which require frequent sheet changing) or if you just don’t have time to do laundry regularly. For us, having 3-4 is plenty.

Monitors

An audio-visual monitor is a must. I prefer this monitor because it isn’t connected to wifi so there is no worry of it getting hacked. Using a visual as well as audio monitor is helpful for a number of reasons.

  • you can be sure your baby is safe
  • you can tell if your baby is sleeping or not

It can sometimes be controversial, but for my family, we use the Owlet Smart Sock. This is something that has given me the peace of mind I need in order to get quality sleep myself and lower my PPA. It’s not for everyone, but I would buy it again in a heartbeat and always recommend it to new moms.

One feature I loved about it, is that it tracks your baby’s deep and light sleep patterns. I just find this super interesting! It also helped me readjust our sleep schedule as our baby grew because I could track sleeping patterns with it. It is synced to your phone, so even if you are away from the house, you could peek on baby’s stats; again, this helped my PPA when I returned to the night shift at work.

Perfect Sleep Environment

Creating a cozy, calming sleep environment will go a long way towards your baby getting good quality sleep. Just like us, babies have an ideal sleep environment: quiet, dark, snug, and cool. It’s pretty easy to recreate this with a sound machine, blackout curtains, a swaddle, and a ceiling fan.

Use a Sound Machine

The Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine mimics the sounds your baby heard while in your womb (the whooshing of your blood). This can help calm them down and lull them to sleep because it is a comforting sound. *Pro Tip: avoid using lullabies or other sounds – you want it to be boring white noise as music can be stimulating and prevent sleep from occurring.

The Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine is something I recommend for all moms. It can be synced to your phone so that you can control it from outside of their room, which is nice. Say, for example, the neighbors are blowing off fireworks or the city decides to start a construction project in front of your house at 6am; you can simply increase the sound level on your hatch with your phone without even entering your baby’s room.

The other features I love about the hatch sound machine is that you can create ‘programs’ so that your sound machine automatically turns on and off during naptime and bedtime. This is super helpful when other people are watching your baby or toddler. They don’t have to write down waketimes or guess – it just automatically goes off.

The time to rise feature has been a game changer for my toddler. When our programs for nap and bedtime end, I have it set to begin bird chirping sounds and rainbow lights emit from the hatch when the white noise turns off. This gently wakes my toddler and helps with post-sleep grumpiness.

Use Blackout Curtains

Ya’ll, blackout curtains are a must for baby sleep. This is another thing mimicked from the womb – darkness. You’d be surprised at what a huge difference a super dark room can make towards a daytime nap or for summertime bedtime when it is still light outside. It can really help them nap easier and nap longer. A total game changer for us. We actually use them in our room too, which is helpful when I want to take a quick daytime nap.

Use a Swaddle

Swaddling can also make a big difference in length and quality of sleep for newborns. Swaddling is yet another technique used to mimic life in the womb. Think of how snug and cozy your baby was inside of you – the swaddle is meant to simulate that same sensation. Velcro swaddles are my favorite for sleep because they are dummy proof and quick to do.

Use a Ceiling Fan

Lastly, adding a ceiling fan can help with temperature regulation in the nursery. A cool environment can really aide in baby’s sleep. Not to mention that using a ceiling fan can reduce the risk of SIDS. Our nursery ceiling fan is left on all year long.

Diapering

You’ll become a diapering pro in no time when your bring your newborn home. I laugh looking back at myself when I was pregnant with my first; I had never changed a diaper before and I was nervous about it. It took one diaper change to ‘get it’, it honestly comes very natural. You’ll (literally) be able to do it half-asleep before long.

Diapering Checklist

Diaper Changing Furniture

It’s helpful to set up a diapering station on each floor of your home. For us, this is the nursery and the living room. They are the two areas we spend the most time in.

One of my favorite nursery tips is to use the dresser top as your changing station. Keep this in mind when purchasing your dresser, and opt for a short + long one versus a tall + skinny one. Using the dresser top will save you room and money.

We used the dresser for diapers and getting dressed for probably the first 12 months or so and now we just use the floor. I would hate to have purchased a whole changing station for just one short year.

For our downstairs living room, I like to use our pack n’ play. We bought one that comes with the changing station attachment and diaper storage caddy. I love having a designated spot in the living room for diaper changes. You could always use the floor, but it’s helpful to be able to stand up for diapering when you’re healing postpartum.

Diaper Changing Pad Set-Up

Using this diaper changing set-up hack will help immensely with blowouts throughout your baby’s first year.

First, use a changing pad with a changing pad cover on the dresser. Did you know that most changing pad covers use the same covers as bassinet sheets? They are usually the same size! Makes it easy when shopping.

Next, lay out a super soft and cozy bamboo changing pad liner for extra support and comfort for your baby.

Lastly, lay a cheap flannel receiving blanket on top of your liner. This is what your baby’s body will actually touch during diaper changes.

This trick is gold. The flannel receiving blankets are cheap enough that you won’t get upset when a giant blowout leaks all over them and you can easily throw one in the laundry as many times a day as you want without taking apart the entire set up. Amazing for overnight leaks and blowouts, especially.

It’s handy to have this multi-layer technique because if your baby totally trashes the receiving blanket (and they will), you can clean them up, remove the soiled diaper, pull the receiving blanket away, and set them on the clean changing pad liner while you put a new diaper on. Otherwise, you’d have to try to fold up the soiled end so they can be laid down in a clean spot or set them on the floor so as not to get them dirty with the soiled linens.

I set up my nursery dresser top in this way as well as the pack n’ play changing station. Really works wonders!

MOTN Diaper Changes

For MOTN diaper changes, I’ve got two more set-up hacks for you.

You don’t want to turn on bright lights at night while changing and feeding your baby because you don’t want to totally allow them to become wide awake. You also don’t want to use your phone’s flashlight because you’ll need both hands.

I like the motion sensor lights the best because you can set one at your baby’s butt-end of the diaper changing station on the dresser and wave your arm over it as needed during a change. Leaving it at the butt-end will keep it as dark as possible in the front by their face. Then, once you’re done and moving on to feeding, it’ll turn off, leaving the room nice and dark to nurse to sleep, whereas a plug-in in the nursery would leave the room constantly illuminated.

The hallway plug-ins should be low enough to the floor and a quick enough walk that it won’t wake up your baby and will be just enough to navigate back to the bassinet in your bedroom without waking baby or your partner.

These nightlight tricks served us well during the newborn stage and made MOTN wakings that much easier and faster to deal with.

Diaper Sizing + Brands

I like to buy the smaller packages of diapers in multiple brands for new babies because you won’t know which brands and sizes will fit best until your baby is born and you also won’t know if your baby will have a negative skin reaction to a certain brand until you try them out.

The hospital will supply you with a bunch of the NB sized diapers, but you could buy an additional small package just in case. For us, we transitioned immediately to size 1 at home because my son was 9.5lb at birth. Whereas, my friend’s baby was in NB for so long because she was born small. Every baby will be so different.

What’s nice is that most stores will allow you to exchange unopened diaper packages and boxes so don’t be in a rush to open everything and organize your drawers until you know for sure what size and brand works for your baby.

You’ll know within the first few weeks which brands you both love and you’ll also be able to better gauge how long your baby will be in a certain size by then. Once you are sure of brands and sizes, I do recommend setting up Amazon Subscribe and Save and buying diapers in bulk. I have my Amazon Subscribe and Save set to send diapers to our house monthly so it’s something I don’t even have to think about.

Once your baby is STTN, you’ll want to use overnight diapers to help keep them dry and prevent leaks. I’ve always loved Huggies Overnight Diapers best. I know some moms double up on daytime diapers or use Sposie pads – so just figure out what works best for you.

Wipes

With wipes, it can be similar to diapers, in that you’ll learn which brands you love and hate and which brands will be best for your baby’s skin as you go. Certain brands can cause a skin reaction, so again, not something you should necessarily stock up on until your baby is a couple weeks old and you’ve tried out a few packages.

These wipes are my all time favorite. They are suuuuuper soft and gentle and I’ve loved them since day one. No fragrance or anything in them. Once you figure out which brand you love, I recommend signing up for Amazon Subscribe and Save and just having these delivered to your house in bulk. I buy a giant box every 6 weeks for my toddler. Babies will likely go through a lot more though.

Diaper Creams

Having a good stock of diaper creams on hand is an absolute must. You don’t want to see a rash develop only to realize you don’t have any special creams for it. I recommend keeping three diaper creams on hand:

Personally, I hate A&D ointment because of the smell and texture, so I don’t use it.

Aquaphor is a great preventative barrier and has so many other uses such as helping drool rash, skin rashes, or a raw nose from a cold. I always say, when in doubt, put Aquaphor on it!

I’ve got an Aquaphor hack for your newborn that one of the L&D nurses passed on to us. Use a nice good glob of Aquaphor (or even just plain jelly lubricant) all over your baby’s rectal area and butt cheeks ESPECIALLY in those first few days to prevent the sticky dark meconium from getting all stuck to your baby’s butt.

This will prevent you from rubbing vigorously to get the poop off and leaving a rash. Seriously, this tip is golden. Poopy diapers will literally just glide right off your baby’s skin preventing any sort of rash or scrubbing of their skin. We used this tip for months and months and it worked wonders and made diaper changes so much easier and faster.

The Boudreaux Butt Paste is going to be your go-to for a sudden diaper rash. This stuff is great! If I’ve seen a rash pop up, I’ll use it during a diaper change, and the rash will be gone by the next diaper change. It’s good stuff.

Lastly, for the really stubborn and nasty rashes, you’re going to want to have Pinxav Healing Cream on hand. This is the go-to stuff for the really ugly and ouchy rashes. Think diarrhea illness rash.

Diaper Storage

For diaper storage, I like to have two different set ups. One for everyday use and one for my bulk supplies.

For everyday use, I like to dedicate one dresser drawer for this. For newborns, I keep plenty of diapers, wipes, and creams in the drawer. But I also will keep an extra changing pad liner, a few changing pad covers, and a bunch of receiving blankets. One extra thing I store in the drawer is a few wash cloths – you just never know when you’ll need one – whether from your baby suddenly starting to pee mid-diaper change or needing somewhere to wipe your hand or just cause!

I keep the same items downstairs in our pack n’ play diaper storage caddy attachment for everyday use.

For bulk storage, I like to use a rack in the closet similar to a shoe rack or mini storage shelf. For us, I keep daytime diapers on one shelf, nighttime diapers on another shelf, and wipes on the bottom shelf. It’s helpful to keep them organized this way for two reasons:

  • you have a quick visual of your stock for shopping purposes
  • you can stock your dresser drawers quickly with them opened and on a shelf

Feeding

There are a lot of decisions when it comes to feeding your baby from how to feed to which products to use. Whether you choose breastfeeding, exclusively pumping, formula feeding, or combo feeding, always remember that fed is best. No matter how you choose to feed your baby or which products you end up going with, every mom is going to have to stock up on feeding supplies of some sort.

Again, this is something that will be very unique and personal to you and your baby’s needs. I EBF my son and only had to pump a few times during the 3 evenings I worked (roughly 6-9 times per week). This meant that we didn’t need many bottles, for example. Whereas if you are exclusively pumping or working full time and breastfeeding, you will need a lot more supplies for pumping.

Alternatively, if you formula feed, you’ll need way different supplies than a breastfeeding mama.

This is something that is hard to plan in advance because even if you have intentions to EBF, it might just not work out. Or you may have plans to use a certain brand of formula or bottle brand and realize that your baby rejects them or has a reaction to the formula.

So try to be flexible here. Buy a couple of bottles and nipples in different brands and shapes and see what ones your baby prefers. The same applies to pacifiers – try a few different kind. You might even find that your baby rejects pacifiers completely, despite your best attempts at offering one. Babies are all so different.

Breastfeeding Supplies Checklist

*I didn’t formula feed, so I can’t, in good faith, make recommendations to you on this area as it is one I’ve never navigated through. I only ever make recommendations or write tips based on situations that I have experienced in my motherhood, so it wouldn’t feel authentic for me to tell you what a formula feeding mama needs.*

Breast Pump

Buying a breast pump doesn’t have to be difficult. With my first, I struggled playing phone tag and waiting on hold with insurance being transferred a hundred times trying to figure out how to qualify for a breast pump and where to buy one at, until I learned about AeroflowBreastPumps.com.

This website takes all the work out of dealing with doctors, insurance, and approval and does it all for you. Once you submit your information, they will contact all the appropriate parties and then notify you which pump you qualify for through insurance and you can buy it right off their website.

I buy my extra pump parts off brand through Amazon because they are loads cheaper and work just the same! If you are able to, it isn’t a bad idea to have 2 pumps. I liked having 2 because I could keep one in my work pump backpack so that I’d never forget it (some just leave it at their desk or locker). The other one, I kept at home for the random pumping I’d do for building a freezer stash, helping a clogged duct, or if I wasn’t home and missed a feeding.

The haakaa is helpful for collecting milk on your unused or over-engorged side during nursing sessions. It’s a nice tool to have to build up a little freezer stash and also relieve some of your discomfort. Once my baby was STTN at 3 months, I’d use the haakaa on my unused side during our morning nursing session because I’d have so much just in one side from going all night without nursing that he’d fill up from the one side. Instead of having to get my pump out and deal with cleaning parts, I’d just use my haakaa to collect and empty my unused side.

Pumping At Work

Here is another pro tip for you about pumping: you don’t need to wash your pump parts after every single use throughout the day. Simply store all of your parts in the fridge or in your ice cold pump backpack and use them throughout the work day. Once you’re home, wash all your parts and let them dry. This will save you so much time (and space in your pumping backpack).

You’ll 100% want a hands-free pumping bra. When I would pump at work, I’d multi-task and eat my lunch or browse my phone. I always got a better suction using the bra too.

Nursing Clothing

I didn’t invest in any special shirts or dresses during the 15 months I nursed my son, just nursing bras and nursing tanks. I simply used the ‘two shirt method’ for nursing in public. There’s nothing wrong with investing in nursing tops, I just didn’t find it necessary during my breastfeeding journey.

For the two shirt method: Wear a nursing tank under your shirt. When nursing, pull your shirt up, leaving your nursing tank on to cover your stomach. Unhook one side at a time to nurse. Your baby’s head positioning and your bunched up shirt will cover your exposed breast. Once they finish nursing on one side, clip that side back together and switch. When done, just pull your shirt back down.

This is such a subtle way to nurse in public, especially. Most people will hardly know what you’re doing, if you’re self conscious about nursing in public. You could use nursing covers if you want, but they can be annoying and get in the way. Not to mention, hot, when it’s summertime and you’re nursing outdoors.

Nighttime Nursing Bra

Okay, this one deserves it’s own little category because I love this nighttime nursing bra so much. It has to be the softest thing that I’ve ever worn, which makes it so comfortable you don’t even notice it’s on. For me, I had to wear a nursing bra at night because I was an overproducer and required nursing pads or I’d leak like crazy. It was important to me to find a bra that didn’t feel like a bra so I’d sleep comfortably. This one really is wonderful!

Nipple Cream

I swear by this nipple cream. It is all natural and doesn’t have fragrance or leave a sticky residue like the lanolin can. My pro tip: bring it to the hospital. My second pro tip: use it before and after every single nursing session in the first few weeks.

This method totally saved my nipples during the early breastfeeding days. We did good with nursing right off the bat, but I had ONE nursing session in the hospital where he didn’t latch correctly and it nearly ruined my nipple. It practically had a bloody small sore and was incredibly painful.

I used this cream and it really helped heal and lubricate them and made nursing sessions easier. The constant saliva from nursing can dry out your nipples. I would also recommend squirting a little bit of your milk on any sore spot after nursing to help heal them faster.

This cream especially came in handy when we went through cluster feeding / growth spurts / comfort nursing. I remember once in the early days, my baby comfort nursed for 40 minutes only to take a quick 10 minute break and suckle for another 40 minutes. The cream saved me during those phases. This article is super helpful and explains how babies find comfort at the breast early on.

Nursing Area Supplies Checklist

In the early newborn days when you’re feeding like crazy and healing from labor and delivery, you’ll want to set up a few nursing stations throughout the house to make feedings easier and more comfortable for you. Later on, you’ll just have your ‘rocking chair area’ in the nursery, most likely.

Rocking Chair Nursing Station Checklist

I’ll first share what my rocking chair area looks like.

Rocking Chair Nursing Station

Find a rocking chair that is super comfortable. You’ll want one that has comfy arm rests and that can recline. We mainly practiced independent sleep, but I definitely indulged in a lot of cuddly rocking chair naps while my son was in his first year and it was nice to recline back with him on my chest and doze off together.

I like to set up my rocking chair area with a blanket storage basket filled with comfy blankets and muslin blankets for snuggling at a moment’s notice. It’s nice to just reach next to the chair and grab a blanket if your baby falls asleep on you and feels chilly. I also will tuck a good handful of burping cloths inside the basket for any drool, spit up, or spilled milk.

These burping cloths are my all time favorite. They are incredibly soft and gentle and hold up well in the wash. The best part about them is that they are BIG. So many burping cloths are too small to even be helpful, but these are fantastic. I recommend ordering a bunch and leaving them in every room (plus the diaper bag!).

For my rocking chair area in the nursery, I like to have a small end table right next to the rocker. On the table, I keep a small lamp, which is helpful for when your baby is older and you read bedtime books together. I also keep our Hatch sound machine on this table.

I also keep the bottle of Vitamin D drops tucked in a safe out-of-reach from baby spot, but still easily accessible to me. Vitamin D drops should be used once daily for all breastfed babies. I loved this kind because all you have to do is put one drop on your nipple during one feeding a day.

The rocking chair is still something we use every single day at 2.5 years old to read books together in. So you will have longevity with this purchase, not to mention, you could always use it for baby #2 depending on the spacing of their ages.

Newborn Nursing Stations

For the early newborn days, I like to have a basket of stuff at each station for any need you might run into. I had a nursing station in the nursery, in the living room, and in my bedroom during the first couple of months with my newborn.

Some things that you might want to keep stocked near your nursing area are:

  • burp cloths
  • baby wipes
  • baby blankets
  • muslin blankets
  • snacks for yourself
  • water bottle for yourself
  • phone charger
  • kindle
  • pacifiers + clips
  • nipple cream
  • Haakaa
  • nursing pads

In addition to a basket, I like to make sure I have a boppy or other sort of pillow for aiding in positioning and your comfort as well as a blanket for myself. Sometimes a feeding can lead to a nice long snuggly nap on mom and there’s nothing worse than sitting there uncomfortable or cold for the next hour because you get ‘nap trapped’.

Always keep snacks and water around because nursing makes you super hungry and thirsty! Plus, as mentioned, sometimes you’ll get nap-trapped or stuck in a comfort-nursing cycle that can last for a good hour or so. Have a few items handy for yourself to keep you nourished and entertained.

Feeding Solids

Offering solids won’t happen until your pediatrician recommends it, which can be anywhere from 4-6 months old, but it’s nice to stock up on some stuff now.

Feeding Solids Checklist

I’m totally obsessed with these long-sleeved and sleeveless Bumkin feeding bibs. I know some moms will just strip baby down for feedings (to each their own), but I always felt that that would make my baby a little cold or uncomfortable, plus it was an extra step I didn’t feel like taking. Using these bibs helps contain the mess and protects the outfit your kiddo is wearing.

The Munchkin weighted straw cup is my favorite ‘first cup’. Feeding and speech experts are no longer recommending spouted sippy cups (check out Feeding Littles and Speech Sisters for the research behind this!).

I also love the Contigo straw cups for their leak resistance. They make the perfect cup for smoothies too because the straw is wide enough for the smoothie to pass through but they won’t leak smoothie all over your house.

Clothing

Buying baby clothes has got to be everyone’s favorite part in preparing for baby’s arrival. It’s always so fun to pick out cute outfits and picture your sweet baby wearing them. I always find washing, folding, and organizing baby clothes very therapeutic during pregnancy and it helps me connect to the pregnancy and get excited for birth too!

If you’re a first time mom, you may be wondering what exactly you need or how many of each item you need. I remember when I was pregnant with my first child, I was lost and googling what the difference between a onesie and a bodysuit was (FYI it’s the same thing!).

All the baby clothing terminology (sleep n’ play, pajamas, sleepers – again – all the same thing!) was confusing and overwhelming for me. Plus, I found myself wondering, ‘how do you dress a baby for each temperature?’. I know I’m not alone in these thoughts so I’m going to break it all down for you and make it easy on you.

Clothing Supplies Checklist

  • dresser
  • hangers
  • storage bins for outgrown items
  • hamper (optional)
    • if using one, get one lined with plastic inside so you can clean as needed

Check out my Dresser Organization Post for details on how I organize my kid’s clothes.

I don’t use a hamper in baby’s room because of four reasons:

  • our laundry room is upstairs right next to the nursery so I just walk the clothes there
  • most hampers are cloth and will get disgusting from soiled outfits
  • I often do laundry when my baby is sleeping and don’t want to go in there and wake them to get it
  • my baby would for sure play in the dirty clothes hamper and make a mess

Fall / Winter Baby Clothing Items Checklist

Spring / Summer Baby Clothing Items Checklist

Clothing Sizes

I’d only invest in a couple of newborn-size clothing items. Chances are, 0-3 months will fit just fine, even if they are a little baggy for the first few weeks. Of course, if you have a smaller baby, you can always order some more outfits online and have them shipped to your house. Alternatively, you could buy a handful of newborn clothing items and not take the tags off until you know you’ll use them and just exchange sizes if you end up not using them.

You’re going to want to stock up on a pretty good amount of 0-3 month clothes. For my firstborn, we didn’t last long in these – about 6 weeks max because he was born big (9.5lb), but I still liked having a good rotation of options.

Get a handful of 3-6 month clothing – but keep in mind that your baby might not actually wear the clothes at the age listed on the size. Meaning, you might have a 4 month old still wearing 0-3 month clothes but you also might have a 6 week old in 3-6 month clothes. So if you are buying shorts in 3-6 months size because your baby will 4 months old in July, know there’s always a chance that your baby won’t be in 3-6 months until September when it’s time for pants. Every baby grows so differently!

Newborns will have many accidents – between spit up, spilled milk and formula, and diaper leaks. You also might be too busy to constantly be washing clothes in those early weeks (sleep is more important than laundry!) so give yourself some wiggle room with options. The worst feeling is noticing a leak in the middle of the night and realizing you have no more clean swaddles or zipper jammies. Do yourself a favor, and have enough of each clothing item that you won’t run into this.

Quantity of Clothing

The rule of thumb I typically follow is 10-15 of each item. I’ve followed this rule since the beginning, and I still use it for my toddler now. So anytime he sizes up in clothes or a season changes, I typically will stock up on 10-15 onesies, 10-15 jammies, etc. Everyone is different with this – some are more minimalist and some have HUGE baby wardrobes. I’d say if you want to play it safe, have at least 7 of each item to begin with and you can always buy more or for the next size, buy less.

Seasonal Clothing Items + Accessories

Don’t forget about seasonally appropriate accessories such as bathing suits and sunhats, or winter beanies and snowsuits. A word on bathing suits: I love the rash guard long-sleeved kind. These are perfect for babies and even young toddlers because they are usually equipped with protection from the sun, which is important as babies are not supposed to wear sunscreen for at least the first 6 months of life.

Also, try to plan for the first holiday or two, if needed like July 4th or Halloween – it’s always fun to buy cute holiday-themed onesies and outfits for the minor holidays even.

Clothing Storage

I like to use the closet as a temporary home for outgrown clothes and future clothes. Keep a clear plastic storage bin for anything outgrown and once it is full, package it up for the basement or attic. I also will store the next size up of clothes or the next season of clothes in the closet to be pulled out when ready.

Bathing

Bathing your newborn is not something that you should or have to do daily, but you do still need to have bathing supplies ready. It can become more of a routine when they are a couple weeks or a couple months older and you are establishing a good nighttime routine.

Bathing Supplies Checklist

Body Washes and Lotions

I probably sound a little like a broken record at this point, but bathing supplies are another area that are going to take trial and error. You’ll likely go through a handful of different brands before you find one you love and that your baby’s skin will tolerate.

Also, what once worked well, may end up causing issues later on. For example, we used a certain brand of soap since my baby was little, but during his first winter, he developed eczema and we ended up having to switch to a more gentle and less fragrant body wash. The same goes for lotions.

One product that you’ll see rave reviews about all over the internet is Tubby Todd All Over Ointment. I truly feel it is a miracle product. When my first baby was just a couple of weeks old and started to develop baby acne (super normal!), I stumbled upon this ointment. I bought the Tubby Todd AOO and used just a tiny amount and it cleared up the blemishes within a day or two! I used it for drool rash and other random skin rashes as well with much success.

Nail Trimming

I highly recommend getting used to and comfortable with nail trimming early on. When your baby is young, you can totally do it while nursing or while they nap on you. But I would keep this habit up as they grow older and eventually do this while they are awake.

I trim my toddler’s nails once a week so that it stays routine for him and have been doing it since early on so that he didn’t become fearful of the nail trimmers. They were just always a part of his weekly routine. Now that he’s older, I sit him on my lap and offer screen time during this weekly event. Don’t forget those toes too!

Toys + Gear

It’s always fun buying your baby new toys. In the beginning, they will interact with very little, so don’t be disappointed when they don’t engage in the toys you buy at first. Eventually, they will grow to love their toys!

Toys + Gear Checklist

First Toys

The first toys that your baby will be interested in are likely crinkle books, rattles, and other toys that have different textures and noises. My kiddo didn’t really grasp playing with stacking cups, blocks, and balls until much later on, so you could honestly probably just wait on those.

The first true toy my baby loved was the activity gym. We used it every single day. Buy one with lights, sounds, and a lot of fun visuals such as dangling toys. You an use it a couple of different ways:

  • during tummy time facing the keyboard
  • during tummy time kicking the keyboard
  • on their back kicking the keyboard
  • on their back looking up and grabbing the dangling toys

Teething toys will come into play around 3-4 months old (and the drool too!). I like to have a bunch of options – some for on the go, the living room, etc. My guy constantly chewed on these.

Baby Gear

The next big toy that your baby will enjoy is the jumper, from about 5 months old. Some babies go crazy for the jumper, while others just aren’t that into it. So don’t get your hopes up if baby isn’t a big fan.

The same goes for the infant swing or bouncers. Some babies enjoy them immensely and will sleep in them while you get some stuff done whereas others hate being in them. All babies are very different! These are things I personally would buy second-hand in case your baby isn’t into them as they usually come with a big price tag.

I loved using the sit me up seat. It was a nice safe place that baby could sit while I got some stuff done. I’d set some toys in the tray (and later on, some puffs) and I could get one or two things done. I’m not big on immobile baby devices because I think babies should be able to move freely, but sometimes it is necessary for everyday life. My kiddo enjoyed his immensely!

The activity learning centers are fun for a baby that can hold themselves up by ‘cruising’ along furniture or a baby that can walk. My son was cruising along furniture pretty early on and we started using this toy around 8-9 months old. It was a big hit for a long time!

Bookshelf

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t have toys in our nursery. But I do keep tons of books in there! We read books every single day. I’m a huge advocate for reading to/with your child every single day and this habit should start as early as the baby stage.

Nothing will make you more proud than the moment your kiddo learns to walk and will walk over to the bookshelf to choose the book they want each night. I like this bookshelf because it doubles as a stuffed animal storage for us. We are always looking for more spots to store stuffed animals so this works perfectly!

Be sure to check out my post about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library where you can sign your baby up to receive free books by mail once a month for the first five years of their life! Such an amazing program!

Travel

Travelling with your baby doesn’t necessarily mean a beach vacation – it just means a simple trip to Target or the Zoo. You’re going to need a whole list of things just for a quick trip to the store or pediatrician’s office now.

Travel Supplies Checklist

Taking Baby Out

The first time you take your baby out of the home can be a daunting task, but it’ll become easier with time. You’ll have to take your baby out within their first week of life to visit the pediatrician, so you’ll want to be prepared right away. Not to mention that you won’t be able to leave the hospital without your baby in a car seat. All of the other items can be slowly accumulated though. A lot of it will depend on where you live / what season it is and personal preference.

Medicine

It’s hard to even think of your new baby becoming sick with their first cold or tummy ache, but trust me, it will happen. And you don’t want to be without any supplies when that first fever or sniffle starts. I recommend having a baby medicine cabinet prepared BEFORE you actually need anything, that way you aren’t running to the pharmacy late at night grabbing items when you should be home with your sick kiddo.

Medicine Supplies Checklist

  • infant Tylenol
  • infant Motrin
    • not for babies under 6 months
  • gripe water
  • gas relief drops
  • liquid children’s Benadryl
  • Cortizone cream
  • Neosporin cream
  • band-aids
  • small soft ice packs
  • bulb syringe aspirator
  • nose frida
  • boogie wipes
  • saline drops
  • Pedialyte
    • always keep 1-2 bottles stored in your pantry
  • Zarbee’s chest rub
  • Zarbee’s cough syrup and mucus
  • humidifier
  • distilled water for humidifier
  • thermometer
    • rectal + temporal or ear scanner
  • thermometer probe covers
  • lube / Vaseline for thermometer
  • sunscreen
    • not until at least 6 month old

Medicine Cabinet

Most of these items can be found at your local pharmacy, Target, or Walmart. You can easily find bulb syringes and ice packs on Amazon too. Every few months, go through your medicine cabinet and check for anything expired and replace as needed. I’d rather spend the money replacing expired items than be without medicine during a health crisis in the middle of the night.

Pro tip: at your first pediatrician’s visit when baby is a couple days old, request a handout of a medicine dosing chart. Store this chart with your Tylenol, Motrin, and Benadryl. This will save you a good 5-10 minutes calling the nurse line the first time you need to treat a fever or allergic reaction. *For Benadryl, I store a bottle in the kitchen cabinet too with the doses written on the bottle, so that way if we have a major reaction to food, it is right on hand.

Baby Proofing

Baby proof the nursery and your home and than baby proof some more! Take this step very seriously. Try to pretend you are a curious and roaming baby who isn’t aware of everyday household dangers. Do this while slowly walking through every part of every room of your house and make a list of dangers that need addressed. Purchase your baby proofing items based on your list. Every household will be a little different.

Baby Proofing Checklist

Baby-Proofing the Nursery

I have heard of so many near-horror stories about baby monitor cords wrapped around baby’s neck during sleep. Do not let this happen to your family. I see so many monitors that are just resting atop the crib rail when baby is little (I was guilty of this too). But babies grow so fast and get curious and those monitors can fall down so quickly with a little tug or a kick to the the crib rail. Mount the monitor from day one. And then secure the cord to the wall and cover the outlet.

Secure all heavy furniture to the walls as well, such as dressers and bookshelves. These items can become top heavy when climbed on and can result in fatal injuries. Take this step very seriously. Be very vigilant when preparing your nursery and always think long term because your baby will quickly grow into a curious and climbing toddler.

Other Household Dangers

Don’t leave a ton of pretty (and dangerous) decor items atop your within-reach surfaces. A better solution would be to mount shelves to the walls and put knickknacks high up on those shelves out of reach. Even if you’ve got candles on your kitchen table, which is out of reach, know that your baby will eventually learn to climb the kitchen chairs to reach those items. Or they will be able to pull a table runner down thus reaching candles or other glass items.

Really try to put yourself in their curious little shoes and work hard to take steps necessary to protect your child.

Congratulations and Good Luck!

After reading this REALLY big post, you may feel very overwhelmed. I know that it seems like you have SO much to buy and prepare and learn before baby’s arrival. But I can promise you, you’ll do great. Even if you don’t get every single thing before baby is here, relax. You’ll acquire everything eventually and your baby will do great. In those early days, all your baby will want is to be fed, changed, and cuddled to sleep. So don’t stress too hard about buying every single item.

And most importantly, remember, that every baby is unique and every household is different. What works for 5 of your friends, may not work for your baby or your parenting techniques. This is just something that you’ll learn over time as you grow into your motherhood. I can promise you, that you will become a pro in no time and learn just what your baby needs to thrive. Good luck on your journey through motherhood!

Be sure to check out my 15 pregnancy must-haves to stay comfortable throughout your whole pregnancy – you’ll want these items, especially near the end of pregnancy!

Already had your baby or preparing for postpartum? Be sure to check out my 5 postpartum secrets that nobody told me about. They will surprise you!

 
     

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