My Top 10 Baby Essentials: Give These a Try If You’re a New Mom
Everyone has a list of their top baby essentials for the first few months with their newborn.
Aside from the obvious items that you’ll need, like a stroller and crib, there might be some items you’re not sure about or have even thought of.
Preparing a baby registry can be incredibly overwhelming and it’s hard to drown out the noise of different companies or influencers telling you that you need everything and anything for your newborn and the postpartum period.
So, in this article, I’m going to list my top baby essentials for the first few months postpartum.
By no means is this an exhaustive list and I certainly don’t want to pressure you into buying these items. I just thought I’d share some of my favourite items in case you find them useful.
I also want to tell you that babies don’t need much.
As new moms, we often get things twisted and assume that we need so much to take care of a baby.
The reality is that newborns mainly just need you to feed them, help them sleep, keep them clean, comfort them, and help them when they’re gassy.
Also, make sure to consider your budget and think about what you’re most worried about when bringing your baby home. Take the time to consider what you value.
Keeping all this in mind will help you make decisions when creating your baby registry.
OK, here comes the list of my top 10 baby essentials!
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1. Baby Monitor
When leaving your baby alone in the room in their bassinet and crib, it’s easy to suffer from paranoia.
You might have an intrusive thought like, “What if my baby stops breathing?”
A baby monitor stopped this intrusive thought for me because I had the peace of mind of knowing I’d hear my son if he was awake or crying while I was in a different room.
Since I live in an apartment, I didn’t buy a monitor with a screen to keep an eye on my baby because I could just quickly look in my room to check on him.
But you might want to invest in a monitor with a screen if you live in a bigger home.
That way you don’t have to go up and down your stairs anytime you want to check on your little one.
The baby monitor I bought was this one by VTech
2. Sound Machine
I’m so happy I decided to purchase a sound machine for my baby.
Because I live in an apartment, it’s easy for sound to travel into my room while my baby is sleeping.
A sound machine helps drown out the noise and prevent my baby from waking up.
Plus, the sound of white noise is super calming, even for me.
One study found that white noise is significantly more efficient at helping colicky babies sleep compared to a swing.
If you have trouble putting your baby down to sleep, a sound machine like the Yogasleep Duet White Noise Machine or the Hatch Rest Baby Sound Machine might help.
3. Play Gym
In my opinion, a play gym is one of many baby essentials that is overlooked.
Because swings, bouncers, jolly jumpers, and the like are restrictive for babies, I often leave my baby on the floor so he has more freedom to stretch and move around while I do different tasks.
A play gym makes floor time entertaining for babies.
You can get ones that allow for mobiles and some like Lovevery’s play gym can offer many sensory activities for your baby.
When buying things for my baby, I wasn’t familiar with the Lovevery company, but I got this play gym by SkipHop and my baby has loved it since he was a newborn.
Want more product ideas? Check out this article with 5 unique product ideas I wish I had for more newborns.
4. Mobile
In another blog post, I talk about different ways to play with your newborn.
A mobile not only was a great way to engage my baby, especially during the first few months, but it also helped me stay sane while changing his diapers.
What I did was hang a mobile from the Looker Play Kit by Lovevery above his changing table.
By doing this, he no longer would cry during his diaper changes and he had something beautiful to look at while getting changed. Having a point of reference for regular activities also helps babies feel more secure.
You can find handmade mobiles on Etsy. There are also some nice Montessori mobiles on Amazon if you’re OK with the price point.
I just don’t recommend mobiles that make too much noise or are flashy.
Give your baby something calm to look at, not chaotic.
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5. Nursing Pillow
A nursing pillow is the most convenient product out of all the baby essentials on this list.
Whether you’re a breast-feeding mama or a formula-feeding one, a nursing pillow like My Brest Friend’s nursing pillow is extremely useful.
While nursing my baby, I could use one hand to hold him and the other hand to do something else.
It’s nice to be able to nurse your baby and still be able to use your other hand.
My Brest Friend’s nursing pillow is also nice because it helps support your back and prevent you from slouching too much.
My baby is a 20lb, 7-month old and I can still hold him on this nursing pillow, though he’s going to be too big for it soon.
6. Nursing Bras
If you breastfeed, you know the struggle of feeding your baby on demand and scrambling to pull down your regular bra to feed your little one.
Nursing bras are nice because you can unclasp the cup of the bra and hand it down for easy access.
I got a set of 5 nursing bras from Amazon and this nursing bra from Babies “R” Us.
Many different types of nursing bras can even work with your breast pump, so make sure to look into a couple of options and give them a try.
7. Hands-Free Pump
I was given a Medela breast pump set similar to this one by my Aunt.
It worked well but I wouldn’t say I liked the fact that I had to sit around and hold the pump.
That’s why I decided to buy a hands-free pump.
I could do things like brush my teeth and make breakfast while pumping.
The Momcozy hands-free pump set was the most affordable for me. It works for my purposes but many out there can suit your specific needs.
If you're OK with the price point, Medela also has a hands-free pump set.
Most pumps you can find on Amazon.
Keep in mind that you’re going to produce more oxytocin and have more let-down when you’re relaxed so don’t overuse the convenience of a hands-free pump.
8. Changing Table With Changing Pad
This may be obvious to some people, but at first, I didn’t think a changing pad would be necessary for diaper changes.
I thought I would mostly be changing my baby on the floor or couch anyway.
Boy was I wrong.
I quickly realized that I was hurting my back by trying to change my baby on the floor. I was also at risk of getting poop and pee on my couch and bed.
So, I finally caved a bought a changing pad that fit nicely on my changing table.
I have a changing table with drawers like this one and I got this changing pad by Munchkin.
You can even have fun and purchase cute changing pad covers to suit your nursery if you like.
9. High-Contrast Cards
High-contrast cards are another fun way to entertain your baby when they are a newborn.
You can use the cards to tell stories, describe the images, attract their attention during tummy time, and have them practice visual tracking.
Another way you can use the cards is to hold them up one at a time and put them in front of your baby’s face. When they look away, that’s your cue to pull out another one and get them interested.
They’re very simple but are an effective way to hold my baby’s attention even for the shortest time.
I used the cards from the Looker and Charmer play kits by Lovevery. These black and white cards from Amazon are nice as well.
10. Baby Nasal Aspirator
The HydraSense aspirator starter kit was a huge help for me when my baby had a cold.
It’s one of the things that you may be tempted to put off buying but appreciate having when it’s needed.
I had a pretty bad cold that I passed on to my baby when he was only a couple of months old.
He was super congested and had a hard time settling at bedtime.
The aspirator cleared his nose right up.
Make sure to buy this or add it to your registry because you never know when you’ll need it!
Every mom has a different list of their top favourite baby essentials.
Remember to sit with yourself and take a brief moment to think about what you want most when you have a baby.
Again, reflect on your values and budget as these factors will help guide your decisions.
I hope you find this list helpful. Sign up for my FREE pregnancy guide to discover even more items I recommend you check out! You can find the form below.
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