Top 10 Baby Products Needed When Having a Baby

It sure is difficult to narrow a list of baby products down to a Top 10 List of Baby Products Needed When Having a Baby, but I've come up with my own version, cheating a little by combining a couple.  But here's the list of the items that I think a new parent should make sure that they have before bringing your new addition home:

1. Diapers and Wipes:  Whether you use disposable diapers (there are so many brand available today including top brand names such as: Huggies Disposable Diapers, Pampers Disposable Diapers, and Luvs Disposable Diapers; generic versions, and even good discount warehouse versions!) or cloth diapers (there are cloth diapers and diaper bins that can be purchased, or, in many areas there are diaper services available) you MUST have an adequate supply of diapers ready for your newborn.  Ensure you also have the right size.  Wipes also need to be available for those diaper changes.
2. Infant Car Seat: 
   In most places in the US, hospitals will not allow a new mom to leave their hospital without strapping their newborn into a car seat when leaving their facility.  Make sure the straps are sized properly for your new baby and that the seat is properly installed.  (The DMV has provided guidelines which I think are good.  Click here for more.)  If you haven't bought a car seat yet, make sure you get one that will meet your needs.  Click here fore more considerations. Also, make sure that you keep car safety in the front of your mind.
3. Baby bottles:  Do you want to breastfeed?  Even if you do, you'll want at least one bottle for the convenience of feeding breast milk without having the baby to breast. If not, you'll want to decide if you want disposable bottles (where there are inserts for the milk that can be thrown away), plastic or glass bottles.  Nipple size and shape are also a consideration, although I always found that the baby will take what their given at some point!  Of course, if you're bottle feeding, you'll also want to decide which formula you'll want to serve and have some on hand.
4. Baby Crib:  Do you want a crib right away, or do you think you'd prefer a bassinet?  Do you want to wait to decide and start with a pack and play that has its own built-in bassinet that can be placed right beside your bed at night and wheeled around during the day?  Decisions, decisions...
5.  Sleepwear:  While most new parents love to go out and get a gazillion outfits for their infant prior to their arrival, after having several children myself, I can easily say that all of those outfits are not needed.  What you need to do is decide what is most comfortable for your baby, and what is easiest for you to manipulate when changing him/her.  Some of this depends on the season.  I loved the gowns when my infants were really small.  I'd use those with socks to keep their feet warm.  These nightgowns work for both boys and girls and make life a lot easier for the person changing the baby! When the baby gets older, the sleepers with the built-in footies work well. (My kids always used to take off their socks, fall asleep, and then have cold feet! These sleepers prevented that.)  If you get sleepers, consider if you like zippers or snaps.  Zippers were always much easier for me.
6. Baby blankets:  You only need a couple of these, but I found that ALL of mine were much happier being snuggly swaddled when they came home from the hospital.
7. Baby bath:  How will you bathe your child?  You COULD bathe them in the kitchen sink, but you'll want to make it comfortable and safe.  I always found that an inexpensive, foldable but leak-proof bathtub was best.  Click here for more considerations on bathing kids.
8. Baby Carrier(s):  How will you carry your baby outside of the house?  Do you want a baby stroller?  If so, what kind?  Do you want another type of baby carrier like one that straps on you?  Will you just keep him/her in the infant car seat? You might find reasons to use all  of these, but you'll probably want something to help hold your child when you're out and about.
9. Toiletries:  You'll probably want to have some petroleum jelly available for care of the belly button, some diaper rash cream, and incidentals like a baby brush or comb, bath soap, lotions, etc. 
10. Medicines:  I always wanted to have some acetaminophen and some ibuprofen on hand.  Often, when calling the doctor because I thought one of my babies had a fever, they would give me the recommended dosing of one of these to help bring the fever down.  

For more on toiletries and medicines, click here.

If you're preparing for a baby, this is an exciting time for you! There is so much to prepare for!  The list above is just my own list of necessities when I had my kids.  I do know that, with my first, I really went overboard in getting things that I thought I needed and really didn't.  I guess that's part of the fun and excitement of it all, but if you want, just stick to the basics and have more money left for later... with a child you will need it!

Is this list missing something big?  Let us know!  Write a comment below.

What Do You Need When You're Having a Baby?

For some, this phase is long gone -- the days of worrying with what to have on hand when the newborn is brought home.  These folks are now into dance lessons, batting practice, or their kids have grown.

For many who read these posts though, this is a new phase for them.

I have a friend who is expecting her first child. She asked me what she needed to do before her baby got here.  Wow!  What a question!  It sure did bring me back to the overwhelming excitement, joy, worry, and overall anxiety I felt before having my first child.  It is a great time, but one that can often be accompanied by feelings of concern for getting it all right.  (I remember thinking, "Oh, no!  Now I really HAVE to be responsible since someone else will be counting on me with their life!")

After having several kids, I can say that there is no need to worry.  If you're reading this, and if you're making visits to Positive Parenting with Purpose, chances are you are taking steps you need to in order to be as prepared as you can.  (You can never be fully prepared.)

You'll want to have a plan in place to keep your marriage strong, something you definitely want to give some thought to prior to giving birth (see the pages on Positive Marriage, and Positive Parenting, which both deal with keeping your relationship with your spouse strong).  You'll also want to acquire some really good parenting books, and after giving birth, you might want to try to take in some parenting classes.

But what about the "stuff" that you'll need to get before your little one's arrival?

These days, hospitals won't even let you pull out of the hospital drive without having your newborn strapped into an infant car seat. So obviously, you'll need that before you bring the baby home.  You'll also want to acquire all of the feeding accessories you'll need, which will change some depending on whether or not you decide to breastfeed or bottle feed.  (If you're still up in the air about that, you might want to look over the Pros and Cons of Breastfeeding.  I also have a page on just the Benefits of Breastfeeding.)  Anyway, if you decide to breastfeed, you'll want to consider renting or buying a pump, which allows others to feed the baby at times, but also enables you to store some milk in the frig and freezer for a time you might need it.  You'll want to look into getting some breastfeeding clothes, as well as a drape for when you are out somewhere and need to feed the baby.

Otherwise, consider which type of bottles you want to use.  There are SO many kinds, you'll really want to spend some time gathering information to determine the kind that will work best for you.

Obviously, you'll want to stock up on diapers and wipes, although it might be smart not to buy too many diapers prior to bringing Little Bit home because you don't know what size he/she will need until the baby's born.  Have your changing station set up and ready for when you get home, including a changing pad or soft, safe area where you'll be changing the baby's diapers.

You'll need a number of toiletries, such as gas drops, rash cream, bathing soap, a fingernail file, etc.  You'll also want to know where you are putting your baby down to sleep when you bring him/her home.  (Honestly, I had all of mine sleep in the car seat until they were a couple of months old because they seemed to sleep better being slightly upright than being flat.)  Have sheets for their bed and blankets on hand. If you believe in swaddling, you'll want to make sure they're the right size.  Also, my kids slept much better with a music maker in their rooms.

Have the pain reliever drops on hand that are recommended by your baby's doctor.  I always had some in a home cabinet and some in the diaper bag.  (I also have always kept an antihistamine stick handy for insect bites that I'd never see coming.) 

Anyway, those are some of the things that you'll want to have ready for the bub when you bring him/her home.  There are many more things that you could get, and from what I've seen, most first-time moms go bananas buying for their little angel.  But you just need to have the basics on hand and then get what you determine you need after getting used to your new addition.



If you want more information on things you might want to consider having for your newborn, and then items you might want as your baby grows, check out:  Baby Accessories, Child Safety Products, Baby Diapers, Baby Bottles, Pacifiers, Baby Cribs, Infant Bedding, and Baby Monitors.