While newborns don’t require a lot of baby gear or toys, they are still a LOT of work! I really tried to research products ahead of time to determine what things I would need, but it’s impossible to prepare for everything ahead of time! (E.g., I did not expect to have a baby who spits up like it’s his job. We were not prepared for the amount of spit up our newborn would produce.) Today, I’m sharing some of my tried and true newborn must-haves to make those long days (and nights!) a little bit easier.

Sleeping

• Pack ‘N Play: Since the AAP recommends sharing a room with your baby until at least 6 months of age, we’ve had Jamie sleep in a Pack ‘n Play in our room since birth. We like the one with the bassinet attachment! (I don’t think the changer/napper inserts are necessary.)
• Halo Sleepsack Swaddles: Jamie has been a swaddle Houdini since day 1, and these ones worked best for us! Note: he did still get his arms out of these (…how?), but not enough that he could startle and wake himself up.
  • We switched to the Love to Dream arms up swaddles around 3 months, and we probably would’ve liked to switch earlier! They are great for babies who like having their hands up by their face.
  • We also have swaddles from Aden & Anais, Lou Lou & Company, and Solly Baby. We love them all and get tons of use out of these as blankets, but stopped using them for swaddles after a few weeks.
• Hatch Baby Rest: We’ve used this sound machine and night light every single night since Jamie was born – we use it for nap time too! It’s easy to use, and I like being able to control it with the app.

Clothing

• Zutanos Booties: These booties come in fleece and cotton, and they’re the only shoes we ever used during the newborn phase! (We used them even more than socks!) They stay on SO WELL and are good and warm.
• Cloud Island Sleepers: Target makes, hands-down, the best footed pajamas. They have the inverted zipper and fold over cuffs (both necessities, in my opinion!), and they’re ridiculously affordable.
• Lou Lou & Company Knotted Gowns: These super soft baby gowns were our favorite sleepers for the first several weeks! The knotted bottom makes late-night diaper changes easy, the buttons mean you can dress baby from the bottom up, and the fold over cuffs and buttery fabric are perfect for tiny newborns.

Spitting Up

Yes, I have a whole category for this, because Jamie spits up all. the. time, and has since the day he was born. If you have a major spitter, these products (along with lots of laundry) helped us survive!

• Bibs: These bandana bibs from AZ Baby are cheap and protect outfits well. It’s a lot easier to change a bib a few times each day than to change a whole outfit! We like solid color bibs rather than patterned ones because they’re way easier to match to outfits. (They also come in a neutral pack here.)
• Burp Cloths: We own a TON of burp cloths. We have them in almost every room of our house, in every diaper caddy, in the car, in my diaper bag, etc. These organic cloth diaper inserts from Gerber are our favorite ones!
• Waterproof Mat: This large waterproof underpad has been really helpful to protect our floors. We just laid it down under where Jamie would be playing! It’s also machine-washable, which is a must!

One note: we have never been the kind of people to change Jamie’s outfit 10 times per day or change his sheets every time he spits up. (We would need approximately 100 sheets and 200 onesies to be able to do this. He literally used to spit up about every 5 minutes.) As long as Jamie was happy and not soaking wet, we left him.

Extras

• Haakaa Pump: Especially in the first few months, I loved using this pump to build a freezer stash. It uses suction to catch milk that would otherwise be leaking. It’s a great way to store extra milk without needing to pull out a big pump!
• Boppy Pillow: I know that some people don’t care for nursing pillows, but I love my Boppy and still use it every day! It has made nursing easier and more comfortable, and now that Jamie’s older, we can use it for propping, tummy time, or sitting practice.
• Baby Carrier: We have a soft structured carrier (Ergobaby 360), a wrap (Moby Evolution), and a sling (Wildbird Single Linen). We’ve used and liked all of them! I think some kind of carrier is a necessity, but different people will prefer different ones! If possible, borrow some from friends to see which you like best.
• Diaper Caddy(s): We have 3 of these – one in the nursery (and our bedroom at night), one in our living room (that also goes with him when someone is watching him), and one in our car. I love having a portable diaper changing station wherever I am!
• Copper Pearl 5-in-1 Cover: This stretchy cover is perfect for covering an infant car seat to keep a sleeping baby asleep, and it doubles as a nursing cover! (For older babies, it can also be used in restaurant high chairs or shopping carts.)

And there you have it – all my newborn must-haves! It’s crazy to think that Jamie has been out of the newborn stage for a few months already – I miss those newborn days! Check back soon for a list of my must-haves for the 3-6 month stage. You can also check out some of my pregnancy must-haves in this post!

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