First-Time Mom List of Essentials

Trying to discern what the basic essentials are for a new baby can be overwhelming. There are so many choices and possibilities out there. Just go into the baby section of any store and it can almost make you dizzy! I remember wishing I could have a list of essentials as well. I searched the internet and couldn’t come up with anything of that nature, so, I finally just decided to try and figure it out myself. Looking back, we didn’t have enough of some items and too many of others, but we survived! That’s the beauty of motherhood. You live and learn and keep on living and learning.

That said, here’s my list of recommendations:

Essential Items For a First-Time Mom

Things to Buy

-Diapers and wipes. Buy at least two packages of newborn diapers.

We went through about 1 package per week. Kathrynne has always been a slow-grower so she actually stayed in newborn diapers for a few months. But, I’ve been told that most babies outgrow newborn diapers fairly fast so don’t buy a closet-full of newborn diapers! We now use cloth diapers and I doubt that I will ever go back to disposables, but I wouldn’t have tried to use cloth the first month as a first-time mom – actually it might have been too much to try using them in the first three months.

-Onesies. At least 10.

We went through these faster than I ever imagined possible, especially at first. The last thing you want to have to do is lots of laundry, so stock up on onesies.

-Gowns and Sleepers. At least 10, I’d recommend 5 each.

We also went through a LOT of these. I like the soft knit kind best.

-A few nicer newborn outfits.

We didn’t have this at the beginning and it was hard because Kathrynne had three baby showers after she was born and we had to scramble to find her something to wear to dress her up for the occasion.

-Socks.

A few newborn pairs will do.

-Diaper Bag.

I suggest something practical, durable, stain-hiding, and roomy.

-Play-yard (or crib).

We use this instead of a crib and it has worked out excellently for us since it had a bassinet top we used for the first few months and now we use the regular play-yard. It’s portable and take up less space.

-Stroller.

-Carseat.

-Burp cloths.

I honestly never used these with Kathrynne as she spit up maybe 3-5 times in her life. But, I’d suggest you get a few in case your baby is the opposite!

-Blankets. At least 5-7.

You will want around 4 receiving blankets and 3 warmer blankets. A quilt to lay on the floor when your baby is a little older is also very nice to have.

Other Necessities: Cotton balls, Q-tips, thermometer.

Things to Borrow

-Sling. – See if it works for you before you invest in one. Definitely check out New Little Blessing for some great selections.

The same goes for any other baby paraphernelia such as a swing, baby bath-tub, bouncer, and so forth. I recommend you borrow one first or wait and see if you really think you need it before you buy it.

The best advice I received on what to buy was from my mom: Don’t buy anything. Unless you know that you won’t be having any showers or receiving many gifts, I recommend you don’t spend a lot of money on baby things. As a first-time mom, you will probably have more than you need just from gifts you receive. Kathrynne had three showers after she was born and received plenty of things from those, in addition to many other gifts she received.

Just recently, we went shopping for clothes for Kathrynne because she couldn’t fit into all the 12 month clothes I have waiting for her and she didn’t have any Winter clothes. While we were shopping, I realized that it was the first time we had ever taken her shopping for clothes since we’ve received so many generous gifts!