The New Baby Essentials From a Mother with Experience

When you first have a baby, you think you need everything in the world. However, the more babies you have, the quickly you realize that not that much is needed. In fact, the more kids you have, the less stuff you want.

I asked my friend and main Gym Craft Laundry contributor, Jessica, what she thinks are the essentials.  She and her husband added a baby girl to their family of three boys a few months ago.  Our goal is a total of four kids so I love to find ask moms of four or  more kids how they do it!

 

Here is a list of new baby essentials from a mother with experience:

Comments in italics are from me, Herchel, because I can’t help but interject! I also have a couple of affiliate links of my favorite products in this post.

Diapers & Wipes

Let’s face it, you can’t say no to the diapers and wipes. This is one baby essential that you can’t do without. You might want to make sure your baby isn’t allergic to any diapers before you begin stocking up.

Side note from  Herchel–both of my kids were only able to wear Pampers for the first year.  All other brands gave them rashes! 

Swivel Swing

Your child isn’t guaranteed to like the swing you purchase, but it’s one of the best baby essentials to have. A lot of swivel swings also turn into a bouncy seat, so you can have the best of both worlds.

The baby bouncy seat is magic. It really is.

Bassinet/Pack n’ Play

I love how they double-use everything nowadays, so it’s super easy to purchase an item and use it for more than one thing. For newborns, you won’t need a crib right away. Focus on purchasing a pack n’ play with a removable bassinet. You’ll notice that pack n’ plays take up a lot less room than cribs as well.

Not as Many Clothes As You Think

When you first think of having a baby, you probably think you need a ton of baby clothes. You couldn’t be more wrong, babies don’t use up as many clothes as you think. Think along the lines of 10 or so outfits per size and even that is a generous amount.

Bottles & Breast Pump

Whether you decide to breastfeed or not, you will still need bottles.

If breastfeeding doesn’t go as smoothly as you expected, you’re not alone. Many moms deal with challenges like nipple confusion, latch issues, and maintaining milk supply during those first few weeks.

Breastfeeding moms will need a breast pump to help keep the milk flowing. If you decide to freeze breastmilk, you will need storage bags.

Different breast pumps are more effective for different women.  Believe it or not, the single manual Medela pump for under $27 would yield more milk for me than the fancy thousand dollar pump that I rented from the hospital. 

One of the biggest lessons I learned was that protecting your milk supply becomes especially important when nursing isn’t going according to plan.

Burp Cloths

If you think you can skip the burp clothes and bibs, you’re wrong. You’ll need these to help keep your own wardrobe lasting longer. If you had to choose a real essential this would be on the top of the list. The best part is that burp clots and bibs don’t have to be fancy, so they are an inexpensive item to put on the list.

I used burp cloths for everything from covering up my son while changing him so that he didn’t shoot pee into my face to shielding his face from the sun. My daughter used to love putting them on her head as a hat when she was an infant.

Carseat and Stroller

Yes, the car seat is one of the most important items to purchase on your quest to having the best baby essentials for new moms. While you are at it, make sure you get a stroller that also matches what you need. These two items are probably what you will spend the most money on when it comes to prepping for baby.

Hopefully, you don’t end up with a “stroller problem” like I did.  I went through at least 20 types and brands of strollers before discovering the Britax B-Agile. I absolutely love this stroller. 

The moral of the story is keeping it simple is the best tactic for prepping for your new baby. The more stuff you buy, the more cluttery things get. What do you consider a “must-have” item for baby?

Looking for more postpartum and newborn survival tips? These articles may help make those early weeks a little easier.

• What You Actually Need After a C-Section
• Weird But Effective Way to Overcome Nipple Confusion While Breastfeeding
• How to Overcome Nipple Confusion Caused by a Nipple Shield
• DIY Postpartum Wipes
• Toilet Paper Spray for Postpartum Recovery