Things You Actually Need Before Baby Arrives

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.

You’re pregnant! And I’m sure you’re floating around in a bubble of bliss, Pinterest boards, baby name ideas, and piles of more clothes than your baby will ever wear from your baby shower. And suddenly, everything can feel extremely real and even overwhelming. 

Whether it’s your first pregnancy or your third, it can be hard to know (or remember) exactly what you will need to purchase before baby arrives, and what you can just get as you go. 

When to start buying baby stuff

When should I start shopping for baby? The best time to start thinking about buying baby items is while creating your baby registry- before any showers you may be having. This way, you can view it as your “shopping list” and hopefully get some of your most important items purchased as gifts before baby arrives. This also helps keep your registry realistic, and can help trim down on the excess “stuff.”

A great tool that I found with my second son, was being able to mark important items as “most wanted” – a feature many registry platforms offer. This way you can hopefully cross off necessary items like bottles, baby baths, or even a car seat instead of a 32 newborn sized outfits or a dozen stuffed animals that will just take up space. 

Use your registry as a checklist for yourself, knowing that you’ll be shopping from and crossing off the last few things after any showers and gifts.

But what should I actually put on my registry?

Great question! It is so tempting to add all the toys, every cute outfit you see, and all the latest gadgets. But this will not only overwhelm your registry, but will likely leave you with piles of “stuff,” some which you may never even get a chance to use. 

Instead, think of the first several weeks of your baby’s life, and milestones after that to come up with items like these!

Things you actually need before baby arrives!

Bassinet

Your baby will need a place to sleep when you get home- this is a nonnegotiable! A bassinet may be a larger item to put on your registry, but a seasoned parent may love to get this for you knowing it is something that will get heavy use for quite a while. 

Bassinets have come such a long way, and I highly recommend one like The First Years Portable Bassinet! It has breathable mesh sides, which also makes it super easy to see baby. 

I love the fact that this bassinet is easily portable too! We were able to hold off on purchasing a playpen since we could take it from room to room without having to completely take it apart. Just grab with one hand, and it can collapse for easy carrying. 

Car Seat

Another nonnegotiable- you will need a car seat to even leave the hospital, no matter how you are getting home. Depending on what you are looking for, it can be a money saver to get a stroller/car seat combination as opposed to separate items. Another plus when doing this is that the car seat will typically click into the stroller for secure travel. 

Baby Wrap or Carrier

I absolutely LOVED carrying my little ones, especially in the first several months. And when my husband went back to work, it made me feel a little more mobile and capable to be able to do dishes or other chores while still soaking in baby snuggles. 

I’d personally recommend adding both a wrap and a carrier, because there are different times and situations you’d use both throughout the first year and beyond!

Diapers, Wipes, & Diaper Cream

Repeat after me: “I cannot have too many packages of diapers, wipes, and cream.”

Nope! You can’t have too many, and thankfully with trends like diaper raffles, more parents are stocked up than ever. Make sure to get several sizes at a time, knowing that it’s easy to exchange them at most stores if you move out of a size too quickly. 

Diaper cream is another item you always want on hand. I forgot to pick any up before he was born, and the first time he got a bad rash was late at night, and every store around us was closed. It is something that you don’t want to be out of when it’s needed, so be sure to have several boxes around since it can be gone through quickly. 

TriplePaste is a great brand to help prevent and soothe diaper rash. It has just the right amount of medications and non-nano zinc oxide, without any unnecessary ingredients or fragrances that can irritate your baby’s raw skin. The small bottles make it the perfect size to keep in several diaper changing stations around your home, too! (Coupons available at TriplePaste.com!)

Bathing & Skin Care

• Bath Wipes

  • Did you know it’s now not recommended to bathe your baby at all up until their cord falls off and is totally healed?! My mom was surprised for sure- it’s crazy how times change! During these first weeks, bath wipes will be your best friend. Thicker and softer than baby wipes, and with a touch of soap, they’re perfect to clean up all the rolls your baby is surely adding onto their little bodies. 

• • Your little baby has soft sensitive skin, you you want to choose products carefully! My family has used Baby Magic for quite literally generations (as you’ve already seen me share a dozen times if you follow my on social media). Not only is it gentle, but it smells so good without being overwhelming. It just helps prolong that sweet, fresh baby scent. We love using Baby Magic Moisturizing Lotion and Baby Magic Gentle Hair & Body Wash because they are tear-free, hypoallergenic, allergy tested, dermatologist tested, and made without dyes, sulfates, phthalates, parabens. 

Nursing/Feeding Supplies

Nursing can be hard for many moms physically and emotionally, I mean, it’s called liquid gold for a reason. There are many products I recommend putting on your registry and purchasing before baby gets here (instead of after, like I did).

• Nipple Balm
  • Oh my GOODNESS, get all the nipple balm. I was not expecting breastfeeding to make my nipples so sore. This is a perfect item to add into your hospital bag since those first few days are typically the most rough on your breasts. Definitely go with a soothing brand that is 100% safe for babies like Bamboobies. This way, you don’t need to worry about wiping it off before feeding baby. It’s also organic, and contains no lanolin, parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, and is not animal tested.

• Nursing Pads

  • Nursing pads are another great thing to have on hand. When your milk comes in several days after baby is born, you’ll be leaking more than you probably expected! These washable nursing pads from Bamboobies are perfect. Not only are you saving money in the long run by reusing them, but they are so much more gentle against sore nipples than scratchy disposable pads. Plus, the heartshapped design makes them less noticeable under clothes!

    • Use the code BABBLEBOXX valid 10/15/21 – 12/31/21. Only valid on full price items at Bamboobies.com. Offer cannot be combined with other coupons. Not valid on previous purchases. Discount not valid on Gift Cards. Offer valid 10/15/21 – 12/31/21

• Breast Pump

  • This is another large item you’ll need- but check first if your insurance covers it! Ask your OBGYN for information around your 30 week appointment!

• Bottles & Accessories

  • Whether formula, bottle, or breastfeeding, odds are you’ll need baby bottles at some point- and you’ll want to make sure you have them on hand when that time comes around! How many baby bottles do you need? I recommend purchasing or adding a couple packages of different types of bottles to your registry. Some babies can be picky about what types of bottles they like. Once you know which one your baby prefers, stock up on that brand! 

• Bottle Warmer

  • I got a bottle warmer with my second son, and it was a *life changer* for middle of the night feedings. We had to supplement with formula after a few months, eventually switching over entirely. And boy was he demanding! When he joined his brother in their own room, it was so nice to have a bottle ready to go so his brother wasn’t disturbed for too long. The First Years Bottle Warmer was a dependable choice, with precise control over several warming options. Whether warming formula, or breast milk (fresh or frozen), we got  excellent results. 

Postpartum Supplies

Thankfully the hospital should provide you with your main postpartum supplies like pads, mesh underwear, and prescriptions. But there are a few more things that can make the postpartum period a little more comfortable. 

• Nursing Pajamas/Shirts

  • Some of your “regular” pajamas and shirts may not be the most accessible for nursing, especially while you’re learning. Add a couple nursing tops or button down pajamas to your list!

• Heating Pad

  • A heating pad will feel SO nice on your back and stomach after giving birth. It can also come in handy if you encounter and pain with breastfeeding or the dreaded mastitis. 

• WishGarden Herbal Blends

  • WishGarden has a selection of herbal blends to help with postpartum care. AfterEase is an in the moment tool that helps soothe afterbirth contractions and discomfort. And the Baby Blues blend is a powerful but gentle combination of herbs that provides nourishing nervines, liver tonics, and herbal balancers to support healthy hormone levels. Like a big herbal hug, Baby Blues provides in-the-moment and long term emotional and hormonal support for new mothers when they need it most.

Baby Clothes 

Alright, we finally made it to clothes! Now it’s time to be realistic. Your baby probably does not need 52 pieces of newborn clothing. In fact, more babies than you realize grow out of them in a matter of weeks, and some may not even fit into newborn size at all! 

My suggestion? Sleepers! Add several multi-packs of sleepers in 0-3 month size (and beyond) to your registry, or have this be the majority of what you purchase. They will fit your little one for quite a while (even if it’s a little big at first), and they will be the most comfortable things for your baby to wear. Because let’s face it, no matter how cute that dress, bulky jacket, and baby cowboy boots are, it isn’t realistic for the first several months of life. 

Also, be sure to keep season vs. size in mind when purchasing/adding things to your registry! I was so sad when someone bought my son an adorable snowsuit the would of course fit him….. in the middle of July. 😂

Swaddles

My little ones went through several phases with swaddles! From the stretchy hospital blankets, to velcro and zip up swaddles, then finally to arms free snug swaddles. Make sure to have a couple options on hand so you can find out what your baby likes!

Of course there will be more items that are cute, fun, or just a personal want- but these are some of the items I have found to be most necessary to have in your home from the moment you bring your baby home. Happy shopping!