Dear Future Parents, 

Both of you mom-to-be and dad-to-be are preparing for the biggest change in your lives. 

Are you in the sweet expectation of having your first Baby and yet you don’t know what things you need? Don’t stress! You’re not alone in this game. Future parents are often in doubt about how much things they actually need for their baby. We all (first-time parents!) have been there.

One year ago my husband and I had the same dilemma. For a few months, we have tried to figure it out. We have talked to other young parents, we have google stuff and yet, it seemed so confused.

The number of baby supplies a Newborn requires can take any parents-to-be by surprise. Eventually, I’ve decided to make my own Newborn Essentials Checklist! (You can grab it at the end of this post).

Use my essentials checklist to stock up on supplies for your newborn. Generally, it’s a list of things you need from birth to baby’s first year. But a list of clothes is for the days from birth to the third month of life. Some things will be useful for a much longer time than one year, but you will only realize it on the go.

BABY NURSERY ESSENTIALS:

A baby’s room is the place where she spends the most months of her life. That is why it is very important that this place is decorated with special care. You can find plenty of adorable decor stuff, but you’ll also need furniture and baby bedding that will make infant care easier and safer. The baby essentials for any nursery are:

• Crib & Mattress
• Changing Table  
• Swing
• Bathtub
• Dresser
• 2 Bedding Sets
• 2 Bumpers
• 2 Wearable Blankets
• 2 Bath Towels
• 2-4 Sleeping Bags (Winter/Summer)
• Mobile Music Box
• Baby Monitor/Phone/
• Camera

BABY WARDROBE ESSENTIALS:

Almost every brand of baby clothing has a slightly different way of marking the size, but what you need for a newborn generally is wardrobe size 50-56. Yet, if your newborn is more than 4,5 kg at birth, then you will definitely need size 62. My baby girl was a pre-term baby and weighed 2,180gr so for her 44 was an adequate size. Keep in mind that sizes vary considerably from manufacturer to manufacturer. Additionally, when choosing clothes that your baby will wear every day, think of convenience and comfort in the first place. It must be easy to dress and undress (most babies don’t like dressing to last long). And you will often need to change your baby several times a day. These are the baby wardrobe must-haves:

• 10 Long-sleeve Bodysuits
• 10 Short-sleeved Bodysuits
• 5 Rompers  
• 4 Shirts  
• 12 Socks
• 2 Soft Caps 
• 1 Fleece Suit/Snow Suit
• 2 Cardigans/Jackets
• 7-10 Bibs
• 3-5 Mittens
• 3 Pants
• 4 Pajamas

BABY FEEDING ESSENTIALS:

Breast milk is certainly the best food for a newborn baby, but sometimes breastfeeding is not possible (usually for health reasons). In my case, the girl was unable to swallow because she was diagnosed with so-called long-gap esophageal atresia immediately after birth. (Read more about it in my post: Long-gap Esophageal Atresia Without Tracheoesophageal Fistula: Our Story (Part I)). On the other hand, sometimes it happens that the mother does not want to breastfeed. Either way, these are basic things when feeding the baby comes:

• 6 x 125ml Bottles (Size 0 or 1)*
• Silicone Nipples
• 4 Pacifiers
• 5 Burp Cloths 
• 1 Bottle Brush*
• Bottle Sterilizer*
• 1 Thermos Bottle*
• Nursery Pillow
• Bottle Warmer* 

                                                                               *Only needed if not breastfeeding.

BABY HEALTHCARE ESSENTIALS:

For the baby care in the first days, pediatricians recommend only water with chamomile and a mild, neutral baby soap/shampoo. Paraffin or ordinary baby oil can be used to nourish the skin and scalp after bathing. I find it somehow too oily, so I used the lotion. Baby powder, sterile compresses, and alcohol are required for navel care. Although, you’ll get all the necessary information about that in the hospital. When finally at home with your little one, you will definitely need the following:

• Bath Thermometer
• Healthcare Set (Nail Scissors, Hair Brush, Baby Thermometer)
• Starter Care Set (Shampoo, Lotion, Oil)
• Skincare Cream
• Nappies (Size 1) (as much as you think you will need, it’s never enough!)
• Wet Wipes (a whole bunch of it!)
• Cotton Swabs  
• Baby Powder

OTHER BABY ESSENTIALS: 

Finally, there were a few essentials I couldn’t put into the categories above, so I decided on another category – Other. These include: 

• Baby Stroller 2 in 1 Set
• Car Seat
• Changing Bag
• Baby Sling

FREE PRINTABLE CHECKLIST: You can download it by subscribing to my blog in the form at the end of this post and get the password for my Free recourse library right in your inbox. That way you get access to my huge variety of other freebies such as birthday card decor printables, printable Easter greeting cards, baby card stickers printables, mini polaroid frames, miniature vintage letters form, a formal letter template and much more.

I believe that future parents will find something I forgot to put on the newborn essentials checklist. You can always add or subtract, it’s up to you. Because in the end, it’s always up to you to decide whether or not to buy something. If you are not sure about something, buy it only when you need it or if possible borrow from relatives or friends.

If you can borrow, don’t buy, save money for something else! 

Enjoy shopping first cute little things for your baby! 

Lots of Love, 
Selena

The post Newborn Essentials: 46 Items You Need To Have On Your List + Freebie appeared first on retro-sparks.