Newborn Essentials Checklist

Recently I've been talking with my sister-in-law about all of the items needed for a newborn, as she is pregnant with #2 and I have a 10 month old. I have a handy list saved from when I was pregnant, and she thought it was so helpful and that others could benefit from it! (She is very sweet).
I know so many first time moms-to-be or other moms that are having their 2nd or 3rd (4 pregnant ladies and 2 that just had a baby in the last 2 weeks). No matter what # of baby you're having, there are always a few things that you need or have forgotten that you need!

I am not an expert in this department by any means, but I thought I'd post my must-haves and essentials and hopefully it will help another mom! I am a checklist girl and so here is my list (categorized of course):

Nursery:

• Crib
• Crib mattress
• Mattress fitted sheets (x2)
• Waterproof mattress pad
• Dresser/Change Table - love this one from IKEA. It is a great height and has so many handy drawers! I customized it by removing the original knobs and purchasing a variety from Anthropologie to match baby's room.

• Change pad
• Change pad cover
• Diaper pail - get one with a pedal so that you are hands free!
• Diaper pail bags
• Monitor - we have a video monitor by Motorola and absolutely love it! 
• Sound Machine - this is another must to eliminate other noise and help baby sleep. Look for one that has many sound options such as White Noise, Rain and Ocean. Ours also has a built in nightlight which provides a nice soft glow in the room.

Travel:

• Car seat
• Stroller - we purchased the Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Travel System and it is amazing! The stroller is jogger style so it is a little big for shopping, but we live in the country and go camping a lot and this stroller powers through any terrain!

• Playpen - this is great for travel or if you have friends over that also have kids.
• Diaper bag - this is a big personal preference but I love one that has an over the shoulder strap for hands free and easy access.
• Breastfeeding cover - I use the Milk Snob brand that can also be used as a car seat cover. They have lots of fun patterns to choose from!

Health:

• Diaper cream - Sudocrem by far is our favourite! 

• Vitamin D drops - babies need that sunshine vitamin!
• Infant Tylenol
• Nose sucker - Summer was often stuffed up and a friend of ours recommended this one by HydraSense. When they were in the hospital because their son had broncilitis, the doctors recommended it. It has been an absolute lifesaver. You can find this at pretty much any drugstore or the pharmacy section at your local grocery store. Warning: this is a very gross job but hey, you're a parent and thats the least of your worries! 

• Thermometer - you want to keep track of baby's temperature! 
• Baby nail clippers - many parents simply bite their baby's fingers but we found the clippers helpful. 
• Lotion - newborn babies have such sensitive skin and get dry so fast! Especially here in Alberta. We use Aveeno baby lotion.
• Baby wash/shampoo - our favourite is the tried and true Johnson's head-to-toe Baby Wash. It gives her that perfect baby smell.

Other basics:

• Diapers - we love Huggies!
• Wipes - My favourite are the Huggies Natural Care wipes. They are great for baby's sensitive skin and you can buy a box and refill the dispenser (which you have to buy separately).

• Sleepers - buy at least 10 of these! Newborns live in sleepers and it is so nice to have a pile so that laundry doesn't have to be as daunting.
• Bassinet - for the first few months Summer slept in our room with us and we used this moses basket and stand from Kidiway. It was amazing! It was the perfect height for our bed and is nice and snug for a newborn.

• Bottles - we found it helpful to introduce a bottle right away to Summer, so that dad could feed her as well and help out and have some extra bonding time. We love the Philips Avent bottles with the natural nipple.
• Breast Pump - if you are a breastfeeding mama you will want this! I never dealt with engorgement luckily, but it may happen to you and a pump will be a life saver. It is also great to help with supply, and so that you and your SO can have a night out to yourself!
• Breastfeeding Pillow - a friend of mine leant me hers and it was so nice to have. Of course a regular pillow can work under the arm, but the shape of the breastfeeding pillow is so nice to have to wrap around the abdomen area and hold baby in place as well as save your arms!
• Receiving Blankets - I am blessed with a mom who sews and was given a pile of these. They have so many uses! Swaddling, covering up, diaper changes, the list goes on. Make sure to get a ton of these because they are so handy. 
• Swaddle sleep sacks - Summer was a fussy baby and not a great sleeper, and I wish we had used these earlier. We finally bought one of these at about 3.5-4 months of age, and it was a life saver for sleep! 
• Bouncer seat - it is nice to simply have an extra place to put baby down. This was a great help when I needed to get ready to go out! 
• Swing - a MUST! We bought the Fisher Price Cradle N' Swing in Woodland and it was one of our greatest buys. It has 3 swing options, plays music and has a mobile with a mirror. I've also seen it in other colours and styles!

Items for Mom:

• Nipple Cream - the lanolin cream by Lansinoh is amazing. You will want this the first few months if you are breastfeeding. Cracked and sore nipples are not fun.

• Breast pads - another must if you are breastfeeding. Leaking boobs will happen, and you want to make sure you are covered.
• Nursing bras - you will eventually go out and need to feed baby in public. A few good nursing bras are needed! I actually love the sports bra style. They are comfy and easy to clip and unclip. One of my favourites is from Thyme Maternity. 

Postpartum:

• Stool softener - most hospitals offer this after labour. Take it and don't ask questions! Also make sure to have some on hand at home. Trust me on this one.
• Large underwear - the first week and weeks after are not pretty. Buy large underwear that is soft and comfortable to wear. My favourite were the Fruit of the Loom briefs. I bought a pack from Walmart and they were great. 

• Maxi pads - you will most likely only need these for the first few days, but make sure to have them on hand when you get home from the hospital.
• Lighter pads - after the first few days maxi pads will be uncomfortable and that much coverage won't be needed (hopefully). Have lighter coverage pads so that you don't have to run out and get some last minute (like I did!).
• Ibuprofen - this is a given but we didn't have any at home after the hospital because this isn't allowed while pregnant and I forgot to buy more in preparation. Labour causes pain and discomfort and ibuprofen will help to ease that.

Other tips:

• We bought almost every large item on this list on sale! Babies 'R Us has a large sale called Baby Fest a few times a year so look out for that! I signed up for the emails and was notified of all sales. We bought the Travel System, Bassinet, Crib Mattress and Diaper Pail during these sales. 
• Best Buy is another great resource! Who would have known that an electronics store sold baby items?! We bought our crib from them as well as our monitor on sale, both online and shipped straight to us!
• I did NOT buy all of these items at once. I gathered all of these things over the months leading up to baby. If I was going to Walmart or going to be out and about I would pick up a few items here and there. That way it was not so daunting and didn't rack up our credit card bills!
• Do your research! I read reviews of almost every item we purchased so that I knew what to expect. That way you know how well it worked for other moms and what might be right for you.

Thanks so much for reading and making it to the end! If you can think of things that you found helpful and I did not include, please feel free to comment below! I would love to hear your thoughts. Having a baby is a super exciting time and it is so nice to be prepared and hear from other moms.

Justine

*This post is not sponsored in any way. All opinions are that of my own.*