Baby pregnancy

What you actually need for the first 3 months with a newborn

I’ve said it once and I will say it again. Why do babies need SO MANY THINGS. Like literally, all the things. And they’re so tiny. And there are so many things out there about newborn essentials.

But third baby, third time’s a charm, right? I’ve been around the block and I know what I really need and what I can live without when it comes to a newbie baby.

When it comes to registering for your baby shower or baby sprinkle, always register for things they’ll need down the road. Ie; high chair, bouncer, walker, etc. Because even though they won’t need it for awhile, they’ll need it eventually.

But it can be overwhelming when you look at everything… what things do you actually need for your first 3 months with a newborn?

Car seat: You cannot leave the hospital without one so this will be one of the first things you need to buy! I always go with a travel system (carseat/stroller combo). This go-around we have a Chicco Bravo Trio Travel System (we’ve heard wonderful things) and it always makes me feel better using a brand I know is loved and trusted.

Diapers: My favorite diapers have always been Pamper Swaddlers, especially when they’re super tiny and pee all the time. That yellow line that changes to blue when they’re wet? Game changer. You will be given diapers in the hospital (most of the time they use Swaddlers) but I recommend these until at least size 3. Then you can switch to Baby Dry or a different brand if Pampers isn’t your jam. This becomes something you can experiment with and take cues from baby. But that’s what we’ve always used.

Wipes: We always go with the Pampers Sensitive ones because baby bottoms are well, sensitive!

Whether you’re choosing to breastfeed or bottle feed, this will vary slightly. So I’ll break it down in general and then throw in some items I LOVED when it came to breastfeeding.

Bottles

Bottle cleaning brush

Drying rack

Breastfeeding essentials:

Medela Hydrocare soothing pads- these things were a freaking LIFESAVER. It’s super painful the first few days and these will help relieve some of that pain.

Medela Tender Care Lanolin- your nipples will be chapped the first couple of days/weeks and this cream helps tremendously.

Breast pads-You’ll leak until your body gets the hang of how much milk to produce. They make disposable and reusable ones. I stocked up on these ones.

Support pillow- The Classic Boppy felt like I was hunching over too much and it hurt my back, so I preferred the Dr. Browns Gia Nursing Pillow. I felt much more support with that one. I also have a Boppy travel nursing pillow but I couldn’t find a link so not sure they still make those anymore.

Nursing cover: if you are out and public and want to cover up (totally your right not to but if you do), you’ll want a nursing cover. These 4-in-1 covers from Covered Goods look like scarves and as you can tell with the name, have multiple uses.

Nursing bras: You’ll be “whipping it out a lot” (for lack of better words) So find some good nursing bras! I’ve been living in these during pregnancy and I’ll be using them after to nurse as well.

Bassinet- You’ll most likely want your newborn in your room for the first few weeks/months due to how much they eat. We’re going with a Halo Swivel Sleeper Bassinet for this baby and we’ve heard nothing but great things about it.

Bath tub: We opted for this one that goes in the sink this time instead of an actual bathtub. But we used regular infant tubs with the other two kids. Regardless, just need something to lay them in and get them clean!

T-shirts: Something I learned the first go-around was that little t-shirts and diapers are best until the umbilical cord falls off. So these t-shirts are perfect with a diaper for the first weeks.

Baby washcloths and towels

Diaper bag or purse insert: I didn’t buy a diaper bag this go around because I received this amazing contraption from Tote Savvy that turns any purse into a diaper bag. Genius, right? But I do have a backpack diaper bag for my husband when he needs to go out with the baby (which let’s be honest, won’t be happening for awhile haha)

Sleep sacks or blankets to swaddle: We didn’t use sacks with either of my other kids and that’s probably why they sucked at sleeping. Or I sucked at swaddling. Or a combo of both. Regardless, babies like to feel constrained when they sleep since that’s what they’re used to (being all cramped in the womb). We’ll be trying out an Ollie Swaddle and HALO Sleepsack so I will report back!

Newborn essentials: What you actually need for the first 3 months with a newborn

Diaper pail + refills (this is the one we have)

Laundry basket: depending on spit ups, blowouts, whatever, you may want to wash laundry right away. But regardless, you’ll need a laundry basket at some point.

Sound machine: Not only does this help drown out sounds from the outside world, it helps soothe a baby who has heard white noise while growing inside your tummy! This is my absolute favorite and no joke, we have one in every bedroom!

Something for day time naps: You’ll most likely want something somewhere else in the house other than your bedroom for naps during the day. We will be trying a DockATot and mamaRoo4 this go around. But something like a swing, Pack’n’Play, etc. can also do the trick!

Some other suggestions that I wouldn’t say are necessary but may help:

Baby carrier: Whether you go with Tula, Boppy, Moby, whatever, it may help you if you have a super needy child. P literally wouldn’t let me put her down and I was chasing another toddler around. So this thing was a lifesaver for me.

Diaper rash cream

Burp cloths

Bulb syringe (for runny nose or mucous)

Nail clippers (their little nails grow so fast and are so sharp!)

Pacifiers: My kids didn’t take pacifiers so this may be something you want to wait to buy stock in. Plus, some may work better than others depending on the kiddo.

Sterilizing bags: You can easily do this another way but if we’re talking about convenience, these are amazing!

And there you have it! A lot of the other things they NEED won’t be used for a few more months. However, I still highly recommend you register for it so 1) people have a variety on what to purchase for you and 2) you get the discount coupon at the end 🙂

Did I leave anything off the list? Anything else you think is an essential for the first three months of birth?!

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2 COMMENTS

  • Keating

    FINALLY! A list I can actually relate to hahaha I see these lists and they’re always never-ending with items you really don’t need at all. This may sound like a long list, but to me these are the bare minimum essentials and it’s all we ever used! lol we didn’t buy the Halo Bassinet, but I too have heard really good things about it. I may consider it for baby #2 (whenever that is haha). For Allie, we used a pack n play. It worked great and lasts so much longer. So that was a huge win for us lol

  • Abbi @ Pomsly

    This is definitely accurate! Even after 2 little ones I could think of anything to add! Great article. 🙂

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