Everyday Alaska

Everyday Life in The Last Frontier

Baby Registry

The Ultimate List of Newborn Essentials

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What do you really need for a newborn? If you’re pregnant (Congratulations!), or shopping for someone who is, you’ve probably asked yourself this question. Luckily, being a new mom has given me some recent experience shopping for a newborn, and I’ve compiled this list of newborn essentials just for you.

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How do you determine what you need to buy for your newborn?

Trial and error. To save you some time I’ve already done the trialing and made the errors, so I hope this list will save you time and money, and help you determine what you really need. I’ll tell you what specific products worked best for us, and what to hold off on buying for now.

What ages is this list for?

I feel like I’ve seen “newborn” categorized as a wide range of ages. I’m really not too sure what the technical age is, but I’m making this list from the age of leaving the hospital to three months(ish).

What do I really need to buy for a newborn?

This is what you’ve came here for, so let’s get to it! I’ve tried my best to categorize like-items together so it’s easier to track and even create your registry with. Since this is a newborn essentials list, there may be things you’ll want to add that I didn’t consider essential (e.g. wipe warmer) or things I think are essential (e.g. car seat cover) that you may not need. And, as you can see, I’ve also included notes with some of the items to add little tips along the way and a few bonus items that have been so helpful for us. Happy shopping!

Feeding

A lot of this will depend on how you’re feeding your little one, so you may not need all of these items, but this will include breast feeding, bottle feeding, pumping, and formula.

  • Pillows-You don’t need to purchase a nursing pillow if you need to save money, but having some comfy pillows to situate yourself correctly for feeding is helpful.
  • Nursing Bras
  • Breast Pads
  • Nipple Balm
  • Nipple Shield-Meet with a lactation consultant if you’re having trouble with feeding (I met with mine four times!), and they may have recommendations like this for you.
  • Breast Pump
  • Replacement Pump Parts-Pump parts do wear out and need to be replaced so they work properly.
  • Milk Storage Bags
  • Bottles
  • Formula
  • Burp Cloths-Our little one was a bit refluxy, which meant a lot of spit up. These burp cloths were incredibly absorbent and worked fantastic!

Diapering

  • Diapers–These ones have worked best for us to far!
  • Wipes 
  • Diaper Cream
  • Rash Cream  
  • Changing Pad-We used one for a bit, but later just ended up changing baby on the couch, so having an inexpensive one on hand is good for a bit, especially in case of blowouts.
  • Bonus items!
  • Diaper Pail-This has been so handy for us. It really does contain the smell. Don’t forget scent and bag refills, too.
  • Wipe Dispenser-This wipe dispenser has truly saved us money. How? You get only the wipes you need; you don’t end up accidentally pulling a bunch out that you can’t fit back into the pack, and you don’t end up with dry wipes that are wasted.

Hygiene and Health

Aside from diapering, there are a few other newborn hygiene essentials that you’ll want to add to your registry.

  • Bathtub
  • Soap
  • Shampoo
  • Wash Cloths-I just use the burp cloths for this.
  • Towel-Just use one you have; you don’t need anything special for this.
  • Comb
  • Nail Trimmer
  • Nose and Ear Cleaning Tool
  • Thermometer-I purchased a digital thermometer and really regret it since I don’t think it is very accurate. Our doctor recommended a rectal thermometer, which I should have purchased instead.
  • Nasal Aspirator
  • Bonus item!
  • Robe-Seeing a little newborn in an adorable, cozy robe was too cute to pass up!

Safety

  • Car Seat-We have the KeyFit 35 and really like it.
  • Car Seat Mirror
  • Car Seat Safety Sticker-Definitely check these out! I had never heard of these before. My aunt got them for us, and they are a great peace of mind.
  • Car Seat Cover-This was necessary for us in the winter.
  • Baby Monitor
  • LifeVac-This isn’t really something you’ll need for your newborn, but I’d get it now to have it on hand later.
  • Safe Place for Baby to Sit–This baby bouncer was a great place to set baby when I needed to do house chores.

Clothing

This is such a hard category to judge. How much clothing you buy will depend on how often you’re able to wash your clothes and many other things, but I’ll try give a rough estimate of what you may need below.

  • Sleep and Plays-If you get convertible ones (with parts that fold over the hands and feet), they will last you longer so you can get more use out of them, and this takes care of needing mittens. I’d say plan for maybe seven to ten for a week since there will be accidents at night where you’ll need to use another outfit. But, if you plan on having baby wear theses during the day like we did, you’ll need more.
  • Outfits-This varies a ton, but having onesies and pants for baby, along with socks, is very handy. It’s nice to have something other than sleep and plays. Five outfits is a good place to start I think, and you can go from there and see what you need.
  • Hats-Keep baby warm with hats that are appropriate for the weather in your area.
  • Mittens-A couple pairs of separate mittens are helpful so baby does not scratch herself.
  • Weather Appropriate Accessories-Will your baby be a newborn in the California sun? Make sure you have sun safe hats and shade for little one. If you’re like us and have a winter baby in Alaska, be sure you have warm hats, mittens, and snowsuits for baby, too.
  • Sleep Sack-Having a couple of these on hand is great.
  • Bonus item!
  • Stain Remover-This stain remover will save your newborn’s clothes (and yours!) from all the stains that occur with having a little one. It’s worth the price!

Activities, Toys, and Gear 

Furniture and Bedding 

There you have it, the ultimate list of newborn essentials! Although this may seem a bit (or very!) overwhelming right now, a lot of these don’t take up a ton of room and are not too expensive. Don’t forget, you can always check for used items to save a bit, just check for recalls if you’re doing this to ensure you are getting items that are safe to use. Also, remember to start you registry here, and congratulations on your new bundled of joy!