Life with a newborn can be very overwhelming, especially if you are a brand new parent. Here are our Top 5 Favorite (and most essential) baby products we used with our babies when they were brand new.
I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t have survived without these in our arsenal.
And look, there are a lot more things you may find that come in handy, but consider this your oh-crap-the-baby-is-coming-four-weeks-early-and-we-need-the-bare-minimum-to-survive list (ask me how I know). If you have these items purchased and in your possession, you will truly, truly be able to survive at least the first day or two at home with your new baby.
Then you’ll gradually figure out exactly what you want/need to make life a bit easier (spoiler alert: it’s not really going to be very easy. If people are telling you that, you should reconsider your tribe for this little adventure you’re about to embark on, and then read my post on The 100 Days of Darkness for a nice dose of reality.).
Don’t get caught up in society’s need to have everything!
It’s hard not to get caught up in thinking you need to have every.single.thing the baby could ever need ready to go, neatly organized and folded, and in it’s place before baby arrives. I get it, I was so totally there (more so with our second because she was five days late, not four weeks early!). But, these few items can be considered your Capsule Baby Essentials List to get you started with the very basic needs met, and you can add to it from there!
It’s also important to note that these are (in my opinion), the creme-de-la-creme of their respective product categories (for average people of the world – we’re not made of money over here!). These are great quality products that my family actually uses that have become favorites because of their practicality, ease of use, and efficiency.
Basically, they’re making life easier.
And before I forget: *This blog post contains affiliate links. This means that I may receive a commission (at no extra cost to you), should you use one of my links to purchase a product. I use these funds to feed my herd of cats, which has recently grown from three to ten. Thanks for the cat food. I also use these funds to run this blog. Thank you for your support!*
your capsule baby Essentials list
1. Owlet smart sock Baby Monitor
Our Owlet Smart Sock Baby Monitor was gifted to us. However, it would be at the top of our list if we were starting over again and preparing for our first baby (or any new baby for that matter).
Eric has even said this would be the number one thing he’d purchase or register for in preparing for a new baby. Now that’s saying something! It is absolutely worth the investment, and more importantly, peace of mind.
We began using the Owlet when Myles was about five months old, and he wore it through his first birthday. Gracelyn has worn it since day one and continues to wear it today.
I hate the first night home with baby. I can’t sleep (but I really need to sleep). I’m constantly jostled awake by every tiny peep and grunt and oh-crap-the-baby-is-choking noise. It’s awful.
The mom instinct and incessant worrying over a newborn just stresses me out. However, my mind (and Eric’s too) is instantly put at ease once the Owlet Smart Sock is on and the monitor is live.
It’s like we’ve got someone else in the house with us that is staying awake all night watching our new baby… except it’s even better because it can track things we’d never even be aware of – heart rate and oxygen levels – and then it will notify you if these fall outside the preset levels.
Why the Owlet smart sock?
The Owlet Smart Sock Monitor does have a fairly hefty price tag, but it’ll be the only monitoring system you’ll need, especially if you get the Cam to go with it. We don’t have the camera with ours (because we got ours before it existed), but it is a brilliant all-in-one system that’s a no-brainer for anyone in the market. You could easily spend as much on another monitor. But what provides the peace of mind is the heart rate and oxygen level tracking and notification features, which other monitors don’t provide.
Because we didn’t have access to the camera when we got our Owlet Monitor, we’ve since purchased a video monitor. It would be super handy if we had a system where everything is talking and working together. This is what Owlet has created with their Owlet Smart Sock Monitor + Camera.
Another cool feature of this monitor is that when one of us was away, we can still check in on the baby no matter where we are. This could also be handy if you leave the kids with grandparents and want to check in to ease your mind before going to bed. You just download the app, register your monitor, and you’re in business.
One of the newer features allows you to check sleep history. This is really helpful if you need to know how much sleep, and what quality of sleep, your baby is getting. I kind of geek out to stuff like that, so it’s fun to go in and see the stats!
Do yourself a favor and get the extra rest you’ll so desperately need and register for (or purchase) the Owlet Baby Monitor. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
The Knox Blocks Foundation
I’d also like to take a moment to highlight a foundation that has been making tremendous strides in getting the Owlet Smart Sock Monitor into as many hands as possible across the country – the Knox Blocks Foundation.
The founders of this program tragically lost their son, Knox, at 3.5 months old to SIDS (You can watch and learn more about their story here). They now work tirelessly to gather donations so that they can provide families with an Owlet Smart Sock. How awesome is that?!
What is even better is that Owlet Care has partnered with the Knox Blocks Foundation on this endeavor by matching each Owlet purchase 2:1. With every sock purchase the Knox Blocks Foundation makes, they will provide Owlets to TWO other infants in need. So Amazing!
To donate to the Knox Blocks Foundation, please start here. If you would like to apply for the donation of an Owlet Smart Sock to your family, please start here. If you would like to purchase an Owlet Smart Sock for a baby in your life, please click here.
2. MUSLIN BLANKETS & SWADDLING/SLEEP SACKS
Muslin Blankets
Both of our babies liked being swaddled as infants (some don’t so don’t go crazy buying a whole bunch of these ahead of time!), especially those first few weeks after birth. With Myles we used these muslin blankets all the time, and then we gradually moved on to the swaddle sacks. Gracelyn used the muslin blankets when she was itty-bitty, but she really liked/likes the swaddle sacks and still sleeps in a sleeveless one each night now (at 9 months old).
The muslin blankets are so stinking soft, super stretchy, and the perfect size. They are much bigger than typical receiving blankets, and the extra give and stretch provides for an awesome swaddle every time!
Side note: If you don’t know what a swaddle is yet, or aren’t sure how to do it, you should watch this video right now! Super simple and great to know ahead of time.
Swaddling/Sleep Sacks
For the swaddling/sleep sacks, I like the Halo brand. They have an inverse zipper for easier diaper changes in the middle of the night. They are also super soft and great quality material. Gracelyn absolutely loved being swaddled in the sleep sack. She needed the confinement of her arms being wrapped tight and secure like a mummy. That was the only way she’d fall asleep.
Thankfully, she’s now graduated to the sleeveless sleep sack and no longer needs to be tucked. In fact, she’s now pretty obsessed with having her arms above her head no matter where she’s sleeping. So cute!
Using sleep sacks is an excellent way to practice safe sleep with your baby in the early months and throughout their first year when they are rolling and somewhat mobile. You won’t need to worry about having other blankets in their crib or over-dressing.
3. Sleepers
No matter what season you’re in when your baby arrives, you’ll need plenty of sleepers. These are one-piece suits that zip up. This is pretty much the only thing our babies were in the first month or so after birth.
Babies like to be warm and cozy coming out of the womb. These sleepers are a perfect match for all the cozy vibes! There are two things you should be mindful of when registering/buying sleepers:
- Only buy sleepers with zippers! Buttons are just a pain, extend changing sessions, and aren’t super easy for sleep-deprived parents to line up correctly!
- I specifically would suggest sleepers that feature an inverse zipper. Cloud Island and Cat & Jack both carry this type of zipper, plus they have the cutest designs! You can find these specific brands at Target.
What I have linked above are normal zipper options (which work just fine for a more affordable option), and then I’ve also included a brand I have yet to try but would like to! ZippyJamz has an inseam zipper (the crotch area, haha!) which looks like it would also be a game-changer for diaper changes (see photos below)! These are a bit more expensive, though.
I’d suggest getting around 10 of these sleepers in a couple of different sizes. Maybe 2 in Newborn, 5 in 0-3 Month, and 3 in 3-6 Month to start out. These are the perfect clothing choice for any new baby. Two-piece outfits don’t work really well in the early days because they are constantly bunching up and baby will get cold and uncomfortable. You also don’t have to worry about socks with these types of outfits, which is nice.
4. Burp Cloths
We had two fairly spitty babies. It’s gross. Make your life a little bit more manageable by getting stocked up with the right burp cloth (not the cutest!). These burp cloths are our favorite. They are the best and check off all boxes – soft, super absorbent, the right size, affordable, and wash up well.
Yes, these were originally created for use as cloth diapers (no wonder they are super absorbent!), but trust me when I say they are the best burp cloths you will find. We had a few with our first baby and quickly learned they were going to be our best friends, so then I went and got another pack.
We have about 15-20 of these in our inventory. You don’t need to have this many at the start, but if you end up having a spitty baby, you’ll likely want to grab more as you’ll be doing laundry very frequently! I’m pretty sure any photo of us with our kiddos in the early days has one of these burp cloths nearby (yep… see below!)!
If you have to have cute burp cloths, here are some options that work well from Ziggy Baby:
We have the first set above, and they are also favorites of ours. The neat thing about these burp cloths from Ziggy Baby is that they have snaps on both ends to turn it into a burpy bib. Dual-purpose = parent win!
5. Dr. Brown’s Bottles
Narrow 9oz Bottle Wide-Neck 5oz Bottle Narrow 4oz Slow Flow for Breastfed Babies
I breastfed both of our babies in the early days (you can read more about my breastfeeding journeys here), but did eventually need to move on to formula and bottles. I did quite a bit of research and review-reading prior to having our first, and Dr. Brown’s Bottles always stuck out.
I ended up registering for these, and have used them successfully with our babies. Dr. Brown’s worked the best for both babies, hands down, so we didn’t really have to try any others out.
With Myles (our first), he had some tummy issues with different types of formulas, so we tried a couple of different bottles out during that time to see if the bottle made a difference. We definitely saw improvement with Dr. Brown’s bottles, and we also found that he needed a sensitive formula for a while.
Once you look into these bottles, you’ll likely notice that they are engineered a bit differently to allow for air ventilation that can help with air bubbles during drinking. They are also supposed to help with Colic.
Because of this, there are two extra parts of the bottle. That means that there are two more parts to wash and keep track of. Yes, this takes a bit more effort from you, but it’s really not a huge deal. Especially if/when you find that it is helping your baby.
3 BONUS FAVORITEs (and obvious essentials!)
1. Pampers Swaddlers Diapers
For some reason, I prefer Pampers diapers over other diapers for the newborn stage. We specifically used Pampers Swaddlers (not 100%, but I’d say 80%-90% of the time) with both kids when they were itty-bitty. I just like them.
Some reasons why I like them are because they aren’t bulky, have good absorbency/leak protection, and I like their blue line “wet” indicator. You can find these features on other brands, but for some reason, I just like Pampers the best.
I’d recommend getting just one box of newborn diapers (100-200 diapers), and then multiple boxes of number one diapers (probably 500-600 diapers). This will get you through the first month or two.
2. Pampers Wipes
Now, wipes are a different story. I do much prefer Pampers wipes over Huggies or any other brands I’ve tried (which isn’t a very long list because I just really like Pampers!). Here’s what I like about them – they’re thin, really moist, and glide easily over the bum. Ha! I just feel like the Huggies wipes are really thick (which is a selling point for some people, understandably) and I can never glide over the bum like I want to. Haha!
But, Huggies have one thing up on Pampers in the wipes department. And that is their refill options. I have a few big containers around the house (changing station, bathroom, kitchen, etc) that I like to keep filled with wipes at all times. I really wish Pampers wipes would come in the bulk packs of refills like Huggies has.
It is a pain in the butt (and also a big waste of packaging) to have to cut multiple of the small on-the-go-packs to fill up my large diaper containers. Maybe I’m missing something (please let me know!), but that would be really awesome if they could produce bulk refills like Huggies does.
3. Pacifiers
Myles is a thumb-sucker now, but for the short time that he did use the pacifier, he really liked the ones from the hospital. They are the Avent Soothie brand.
Gracelyn uses her pacifier to this day, and we started her on the Avent Soothie from the hospital, but she now uses these Nuk pacifiers and much prefers them to anything else.
I don’t have strong opinions on pacifiers, I just go with what works. My only suggestion would be to make sure that you buy the right “size” or age range, as the nipple on the pacifier does change and I believe this will benefit the oral development of the baby. And don’t forget to continue to upgrade as your baby gets bigger.
final thoughts
Okay, there you have it. I hope this Capsule Baby Essentials List has been helpful for you and provided some real insight into what you’ll actually need to “be prepared” for your sweet little one’s arrival.
Remember, you’re going to be a great parent regardless of how much stuff you have for your little bundle of joy. Sometimes buying smaller quantities of greater quality products will be better in the long run.
Keep it simple and buy only what you really need and use. You’ll learn very quickly what is essential to your sanity and survival and what isn’t! Clutter becomes a big issue once children are in the picture. Make sure you’re thinking realistically and buying for practicality, and things will remain (relatively) under control.
I’d love to hear what you think is a “must-have” item for a newborn. I’d also be interested in learning what you thought was a silly purchase in hindsight? I know we had a few of those! Please let me know in the comments…
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