Minimalist Newborn Essentials
When I first found out that I was pregnant, I was all over Target and Amazon, putting together registries for my baby. I didn’t have an idea of what we really needed for baby, but I had loads of fun adding every little thing I thought we might have the slightest chance of using. Now that little Benjamin is here, I can definitely say that I went overboard on my registry! There's a small handful of products my husband and I both LOVE, and we consider essentials. Meaning, if you are looking to buy just the essentials for your newborn, these 9 products would be it!
Starting off with this Munchkin Waterproof Changing Pad. I cannot tell you how many times my son has continued to poop and surprise pee all over my husband and I! With that in mind, I can’t imagine having cute printed covers on this and having to change/wash them every other day. Too much effort for me! This changing pad is incredibly easy to wipe down and sanitize if he continues his business in the middle of a diaper change.
Short and sweet; Baby wipes, and a lot of them. In the first week after bringing Ben home, we ran out of wipes. Thankfully it wasn’t in the middle of the night changing a poosplosion diaper. We buy pack of wipes in the hundreds, and you can never have too many of them! These are for sure an absolute must-have for a new baby.
Next is the Avent Pacifiers. Ben loves these when it comes to soothing. Rather than him soothe himself with my breast (can I say, ow!) he takes one of these and suckles himself to sleep. I know a bunch of moms warned me about nipple confusion, but he does perfectly fine switching between paci and breast.
Nothing drives me crazier than being up at 3 in the morning, trying to unbutton Ben's pajamas to change his diaper while he screams. It’s maddening. I was gifted a sleep gown at my baby shower and let me tell you, these gowns are the BEST. It is SO much easier to change him at night and not have to undo his entire Onesie just to change his diaper at night. With the gowns, you just slip his little legs and booty out, change the diaper and slide the bottom of the gown back over his legs. So. Much. Easier. I went out and bought 6 more gowns after we realized how invaluable they are. Some brands have them sized so they last much longer than the pajamas do.
A bedside bassinet is another necessity of ours! We have the crib in a separate room, and I was (and still am) not comfortable with him sleeping in a separate room until he’s a wee bit older. I found a gently used bassinet at a secondhand store for a fraction of the original price and it does the job! You don’t need a super fancy bassinet that your baby is only going to sleep in for the first 6 months. Just something for them to sleep in right next to your bed.
Receiving blankets and cotton swaddles are another product we use on the daily. I tend to keep one around me at all times to cover him and burp him. And again, you can never have too many of these!
A baby swing has helped me more times than I can remember. Whether it be the swinging that helps calm him down, or the detachable bouncing chair that I strap him in so I can use the bathroom. Having the peace of mind that if I set him down for just a minute or two and know he'll be safe is so helpful for a new momma.
A nursing pillow has also been an item I have used on the daily. I’ve used it in a couple different ways: breastfeeding, neck pillow (when baby falls asleep on my chest and I doze off with him), makeshift baby bed, and a pillow to help family and friends hold him comfortably. The bed is what we use it for the most. Yes, it would have been nice if we had a Dock-a-tot or a Snuggle Me, but for how inexpensive a nursing pillow is compared to an infant sleeper, it does the job equally as well. (Side note: We were able to fill an entire cart at Target with the last of of baby necessities for the same price as a Dock-a-tot.)
Lastly, the Travel System! We found that purchasing a car seat stroller duo was one of the best products you can buy for your baby. We got this Graco Fast Action Travel System and we LOVE it! Since having Ben, we’ve been trying to go on walks daily, and having a stroller that is compact and easy to maneuver makes those walks so much easier. My favorite part has to be that the car seat clicks into the stroller so I don’t have to take Ben out of his car seat and disturb his sweet slumber. When looking at car seats and strollers for your baby, take into consideration that this product can save your baby’s life. Don’t buy cheap on this kind of product.
There we have it! I feel that if you have these nine things, you should be set to go! As nice as it would have been, I was not sponsored to put this list together. These are all products I bought or were gifted, and genuinely like using and recommending. Just here wanting to help out other first time moms like myself!
This is all for now my loves!
Tootles,
~ Izzy
