The Only 16 Items I Needed for My Newborn

I’m taking a little break from posting about art today to talk about new mom things, because that’s the world I’m living in right now.

When we found out last year we were expecting a baby, we were over the moon. I started making a baby shopping list early on and quickly became overwhelmed by all the things new moms could buy. As a minimalist, I wanted a short, simple list containing only the basics. I couldn’t find a list like this anywhere. As a result, I ended up buying a lot of things we didn’t need and missing some we did. That’s why, today, I’m sharing all the items we needed in hopes that I make someone else’s baby buying experience easier.

*Prices updated March 2024.

1. Stroller and Newborn Carseat

   A carseat is the only item you need to leave the hospital with your baby, so this item isn’t optional. To keep things simple, I wanted a carseat that fit into a stroller, but also a stroller our baby could grow into. I had my heart set on a jogging stroller for our long walks, until I stumbled across this system at a Buy Buy Baby closing sale. I’ve never experienced a lighter, more sleek stroller. I can walk miles with it because it feels like I’m barely pushing anything. Also, it folds up really small in the car trunk. This stroller is great for anyone who has to go upstairs with a baby. Also great if you just don’t want something bulky.

   Price: $899.90

2. Snoo Bassinet

   This was a last minute purchase. This bassinet came recommended to me by several people. However, I was hesitant to buy because the price is RIDICULOUS. I ordered this item late, so we received it several days after we brought our son home from the hospital. Those first days without the Snoo were horrible! He slept for less than an hour at a time. Once we got the Snoo, our baby was sleeping for several hours at a time. We joke that when you’re sleep deprived, this item is worth more than a car. It’s that good. If you don’t want to pay the full price, you can rent one from their website. Luckily, you only use it for the first 6 months.

   To use the Snoo, you will need these sleep sacks as well. I recommend two. They attach to the sides of the bassinet to keep the baby from rolling over. This feature gave me peace of mind. Also, you will need multiple sheets in case your baby spits up.

   A tip is to buy the Snoo on the black friday sale for $1100, which is what we did. The resale value for the Snoo is great, so you can always get your money back later.

   Bassinet Price: $1,695

   Sleep Sack Price: $26.21

   Fitted Sheet Price: $14.96

3. Changing Peanut

   I actually bought two changing tables. One was cushioned with a cloth cover for our baby’s nursery. I bought this Keekaroo for our first floor. I haven’t used the cushioned one once. Having a changing table you can wipe down makes too much sense. I love this changing pad so much I don’t ever see us using the other one.

   Price: $149.95

4. Rocker or Bouncy Seat

   I bought a swing too, as well as some other things to help us go hands-free with baby. This is the only item our son actually likes. We put him in it all the time. He’s so happy and content. I also love how easy this item is to carry from room to room. We take it all over the house.

   Price: $139.99

5. Carrier

   We have both the Baby Bjorn Mini and I borrowed the Solly (a traditional wrap carrier) from my sister-in-law. We use both, but you really only need one kind of carrier. I would just go with your gut on this one. For us, the Solly worked better for the first few months. As he gets older, we use the Baby Bjorn more.

   Price: $99.99

6. Blankets

   Blankets are perfect for going over the carseat to prevent germs and keeping our baby warm. We even use them for diaper changes or cleaning up spitup. We got lots of these as gifts but I think moms only need a few - maybe 1 heavier one and 1-2 lighter ones.

   Price: $20.69 for 2

7. 0-3 Month Onesies

   When I was shopping for clothes, I assumed gowns were the way to go. They’re most convenient for changing diapers right? What I didn’t consider is that gowns don’t work for carriers, swings, and carseats. We ended up barely using the gowns I bought, opting for zipper onesies instead. We tried Gerber, Kyte and Old Navy. This Gerber set of 3 was actually my favorite, despite being the least expensive. I would recommend going with 0-3 months to start unless your baby is super small. I would purchase 5-7 onesies depending on how often you want to do laundry. I know it’s tempting to buy cute clothes and we received plenty as gifts. However, we didn’t go out much in those first few months so he didn’t get to wear many of them. I had to exchange for larger sizes.

   Price: $15.00 for 3

8. Portable Sound Machine

   You wouldn’t think this would be considered a necessity, but for us it is! We bring this sound machine everywhere. I even hook it on myself when I have our baby in the carrier and want him to sleep. It instantly sooths him.

   Price: $25.28

9. Pacifiers

   These are what the hospital used and work the best for our newborn. I tried more trendy looking ones and he couldn’t keep them in his mouth as easily.

   Price: $8.94 for 4

10. Dr. Brown’s Glass Bottles (x3) and Sanitizer

    If you’re exclusively breastfeeding, you probably should swap this item out for a breast pump, which usually comes with a few bottle attachments. Our baby struggled with a tongue tie, so breastfeeding got off to a rough start. We got the procedure done to fix the tongue tie, but still needed to supplement with formula. If you’re doing any kind of regular bottle feeding, these bottles are the best! We tried all kinds of brands and couldn’t be happier with Dr. Browns. They were recommended to us by a speech therapist. The glass bottles are so high quality. They don’t break easily either. These bottles seemed to make our baby spit up the least.

    And don’t forget the bottle sanitizer, which fits six bottles. I used to think a sanitizer was overkill, until we were going through many bottles per day. We just keep a bin of soapy water in the sink and throw the bottles in there when we’re done. Then, we rinse them and throw them in the sanitizer. It’s nice, because you can throw other small toys in the sanitizer as well, including pacifiers. This system works great for us!

    Bottles Price: $41.97 for 3 Packs of 2

    Sanitizer Price: $79.99

11. Huggies Diapers (+ Unscented Wipes)

    We tried all the major diaper brands - Pampers, Honest, Target brand - the list goes on. In my opinion, Huggies are superior. They fit our baby best and were great at catching messy diapers. Kirkland brand was our second favorite. I would assume you’re going to go through at least 8-10 diapers per day in the beginning. We usually change his diaper with every feeding.

    Diaper Price: $8.45 for 31 ($.025/diaper)

    Wipes Price: $1.99 for 64

12. Newborn Saline Drops

    I was told by the doctor not to suction baby boogers unless absolutely necessary. I guess suctioning makes babies produce more congestion. By the way, you will probably get a snot sucker from the hospital. They said instead to use saline drops and the congestion will clear itself up. Our baby goes through periods were his nose is really stuffy, and these drops work great.

    Price: $3.27

13. Honest Baby Shampoo/Body Wash

    I only tried this one type of baby shampoo and body wash. I really just wanted something clean with a little scent to it. I have no complaints thus far.

    Price: $10.19

14. Baby Nail Trimmer

    I saw this recommended by many bloggers online. It’s much easier than trying to use clippers. I just sand down our baby’s nails while he’s sleeping and he doesn’t even notice.

    Price: $15.74

15. Baby Aquaphor

    We use this for everything - cradle cap, scratches, his lips, you name it. Fun fact, you can also use this on diaper rash which eliminates the need for diaper rash cream.

    Price: $11.02

16. Genexa Baby Acetaminophen

    We haven’t yet had to use this, thank goodness. However, they do suggest you have it on hand. This is a cleaner version of Tylonel, which came reccommended to us by the pediatrician.

    Price: $10.06

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And these items are nice to have, but not necessary…
Diaper Pail

The two options for dirty diapers are to either to throw them in a garage/outdoor garbage can or to get an air tight diaper pail. The second option is more convenient. I like this specific diaper pail because it fits all trash bags unlike some where you have to buy special bags.

Price: $69.99

Room Temperature Monitors

We live in an older house where the temperature is inconsistent in every room. As a couple who used to sleep with the windows cracked in winter and the air blazing in the summer, we had no concept of what temps were good for baby. Apparently 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit is the baby sweet spot. We keep one of these in the family room and one in our room to check the temperature frequenting.

Price: $6.98 for 2

Cotton Burp Rags

Really, you can just use a wash cloth or tissue to clean up messes. You don’t need rags specific for baby use. We have these and always throw one in the carseat and diaper bag just in case.

Price: $15.99 for 10

L.L. Bean Diaper Bag

What no one told me is that you don’t really need a diaper bag. And large backpack or purse will do. What’s nice is that ours clips onto the stroller and has a waterproof pocket for bottles. However, I would never label this as a necessity.

Price: $99.00

Wipe Warmer

In the beginning, our baby would FREAK OUT when we changed his diaper. Then, we started using a wipe warmer and suddenly we weren’t having any more freakouts. I used to think theses were excessive, but it made such a difference for us I thought it was worth mentioning.

Price: $26.99

Hand Sanitizer

Our pediatrician uses this “clean for babies” brand and we love it. We have the bigger bottles all over the house, and I keep the little bottles in our car and diaper bag.

Large Bottle Price: $17.82 for 3

Little Bottle Price: $21.83 for 6

Car Mirror

If you’re driving alone with baby in the car it’s hard not to have one of these. Not a must, but definitely nice.

Price: $17.50

Seasonal Gear

For us, we realized quickly that we could a snowsuit for our Christmas baby. We did okay without one for a while, bundling him up in blankets and hats. However, it was a nice to have item. We have a Baby Gap one. Also warm weather hats were essential. I like these. Other seasonal items for summer babies could be sunblock and a sunhat.

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What I didn’t need…

Nursery Decor: This is a broad category, but worth mentioning. I know it’s a big deal to create your baby’s nursery before they’re born. And this was really fun for me! However, we have used the room ZERO times thus far. I didn’t realize you have a long time before baby actually sleeps in there. The main things I’ve used in the room are the dresser and closet for storage. If I had known we had longer, I would have taken my time and slowly worked on the design.

Breastfeeding Pillow: I have both the Snuggle Me pillow and the My Brest Friend. While I much preferred the My Brest Friend, I found myself reaching for regular pillows as much as my breastfeeding pillows. For me, these didn’t feel necessary.

Lounger: I borrowed the Dock-a-Tot from my sister-in-law and I’m so glad I didn’t buy one. While it’s nice to have somewhere to lay your baby, our rocking seat (linked above) worked much better because it kept him upright to avoid spit-ups.

Swaddles: I purchased two Ollie Swaddles, but I didn’t realize you don’t need these if you have the Snoo sleep sacks. Maybe we will use them later. However, I have yet to get them out of their box. I have some sleep sacks we never got out as well.

Baby Towel: While these are super cute, you can easily just use a regular towel.

Diaper Cream: I found Baby Aquaphor works better.

Crib: I didn’t realized how non-essential a crib is for the first 6 months. The baby will sleep in a bassinet in your room until this time, so this item won’t be needed until later. We haven’t used ours once.

High Chair: Again, this item is not necessary until baby is 6 months old.

Swing: Our baby likes the rocker seat much better than the swing.

Baby Hair Brush: Our baby does not have much hair, so this item was totally unneccessary for us. Plus. I could just use our combs on him.

Warm Mist Vaporizer: This may be a controversial opinion. I heard these are good for babies, so I bought one. However, it just feels like more trouble than it’s worth. Ours accumulates mold so we have to clean it all the time. Who has time for this with a baby? Also, I don’t notice he does any better with one versus without one.

Baby Bath: We only used this for his first couple of baths. He now bathes with us and that’s just easier. In the beginning, however, he just seemed too fragile for that. This would be a great item to borrow from a friend for a few weeks versus buying.

Topponcino: I read about this item in a Montessori book and I was sold. You’re supposed to keep your baby in it when you hold them and it mimics the womb. However, in those first few months you are in survival mode. I kept forgetting to grab this item and put him in it. It was good in theory, but unnecessary in reality.