NewbornUpdated 2026-09-0340 items, 28 essential

Newborn Essentials: The First Month

A newborn's first month is feeding, sleeping, changing, and being held. That's the whole list. Everything below serves one of those four, and the things that don't are marked so you can ignore them for now.

The useful trick: set up stations. One for changing where you sleep, one where you spend the day, one for feeding wherever you sit longest. The nursery can wait; the stations can't.

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Have in the house before you come home

Diapers, newborn and size 1Essential
Open both. Some babies skip newborn size.
Our pick
Pampers Swaddlers Newborn Diapers
The wetness indicator earns its keep in week one. Register for size 1 too; newborn size goes fast.
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WipesEssential
Our pick
WaterWipes Original Baby Wipes
Water and a drop of fruit extract. Gentle enough for the first weeks.
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Diaper creamEssential
Our pick
Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment
The diaper-rash fix that also handles dry cheeks and everything else.
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A bassinet, set up beside your bedEssential
Our pick
HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper
Swivels over the bed, so night feeds don't mean getting up. Outgrown by five months; that's the point.
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Swaddles or sleep sacksEssential
Three.
Our pick
HALO SleepSack Swaddle
Velcro wings, no origami. Get three; one is always in the wash.
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Sound machineEssential
Our pick
Hatch Rest Sound Machine
Sound machine, night light and, later, the toddler clock. One device that grows with the room.
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Bottles and a way to clean themEssential
Even if you're nursing. Someone else needs to be able to feed the baby so you can sleep.
Our pick
Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottles
Wide, soft nipple that most babies take. Buy a starter set, not a cabinet.
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A small can of formulaNice to have
In the cupboard, just in case. Peace of mind at 3am.
Burp clothsEssential
A dozen.
Our pick
Burt's Bees Baby Organic Burp Cloths
Soft, absorbent, washable a thousand times. You will need more than seems reasonable.
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Bodysuits and footed sleepersEssential
Six to eight of each, washed. Zippers.
Groceries and freezer mealsEssential
Two weeks of things that can be eaten one-handed.

Feeding

Nursing pillowEssential
Our pick
Boppy Original Feeding and Support Pillow
Saves your arms during feeds and doubles for supervised tummy time.
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Nipple cream and nursing padsEssential
Our pick
Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter
Safe for the baby, so nothing to wipe off before a feed.
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Breast pumpNice to have
Not always needed in week one; needed by the time you want a night off.
Our pick
Spectra S1 Plus Breast Pump
Quiet, rechargeable, hospital-grade suction. Check your insurance first; many cover it.
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Silicone hand pumpNice to have
Our pick
Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump
Catches the letdown on the other side. Costs almost nothing and adds up to a freezer stash.
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Bottle drying rackEssential
Our pick
Boon Grass Countertop Drying Rack
Holds bottle parts upright to dry. Looks like a lawn, works like a lawn.
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A water bottle with a straw and snacks at every stationEssential
Feeding a baby makes you hungrier than pregnancy did.

Sleep and soothing

PacifiersNice to have
Some babies take them, some don't. Try the hospital kind first.
Our pick
Philips Avent Soothie Pacifier
The one the hospital hands out. If they take it, buy more of the same.
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A wrap or carrierEssential
The first month is a lot of being held. This gives you your hands.
Our pick
Solly Baby Baby Wrap
For the first weeks, when they want to be on you and you want your hands.
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Muslin blanketsEssential
For everything but the crib.
Our pick
aden + anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets
Not really for swaddling. For everything else: burp cloth, sun shade, nursing cover, blanket.
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Gas dropsNice to have
Ask your pediatrician at the first visit.
Our pick
Little Remedies Gas Relief Drops
Simethicone. Ask your pediatrician first; most say yes and hand you a coupon.
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A bouncerNice to have
Somewhere to put the baby down that isn't the floor. Borrow one to see if yours likes it.
Our pick
BabyBjörn Bouncer Bliss
The place you put the baby down so you can eat. Some babies love it, some don't; borrow one first if you can.
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Portable sound machineNice to have
Our pick
Yogasleep Rohm Portable Sound Machine
Clips to the stroller or the car seat. Sleep is portable now.
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Care and health

ThermometerEssential
A fever in the first months is a same-day call to the pediatrician. Know how to take a temperature before you need to.
Our pick
Frida Baby 3-in-1 True Temp Thermometer
Forehead, ear or room. The one you'll reach for at 3am.
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Nasal aspirator and saline dropsEssential
Our pick
Frida Baby NoseFrida Nasal Aspirator
Yes, you suck. It works better than the bulb and the filter keeps it civilised.
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Baby nail fileEssential
Their nails are sharp and grow fast. File after a bath, when they're soft.
Bathtub and hooded towelsEssential
Sponge baths until the cord stump is gone, then two or three baths a week is plenty.
Our pick
Frida Baby 4-in-1 Grow-With-Me Bath Tub
Newborn sling to toddler tub. One bath purchase instead of three.
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Gentle washEssential
One fragrance-free bottle.
Cotton balls or pads and rubbing alcoholNice to have
For the cord stump, if your pediatrician recommends it. Many now say leave it dry.
Vitamin D dropsNice to have
Often recommended for breastfed babies. Ask at the first appointment; don't guess the dose.
Pediatrician appointment bookedEssential
Usually within the first week. Book it before you leave the hospital.

Out of the house

You'll go out less than you think in month one, and more than you think you can manage.

Infant car seatEssential
Compare four infant car seats →
Our pick
Nuna PIPA aire rx
The lightest carrier here by a wide margin, and it installs with just a seat belt for taxis.
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Car seat mirrorNice to have
Our pick
Munchkin Brica Baby In-Sight Car Mirror
Rear-facing means you can't see them. Now you can.
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Stroller the car seat clicks intoNice to have
Useful from week two; essential by month two.
Our pick
UPPAbaby VISTA V2 Stroller
The stroller that becomes a double when the second one arrives. Big spend; register for it.
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Diaper bag, packed and by the doorEssential
Diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, a muslin, a bottle. Restock every time you come home.
Our pick
Skip Hop Forma Diaper Backpack
A backpack, so both hands are free. Comes with the changing pad and the bottle bag.
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For you

Postpartum suppliesEssential
Pads, ice, witch hazel, the peri bottle. Restocked for two to three weeks.
Our pick
Frida Mom Postpartum Recovery Essentials Kit
The hospital gives you some of this. Have your own; theirs runs out at 4am.
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Comfortable clothes that open in frontEssential
Pain relief as your doctor directedEssential
A phone list of the people who said 'call me if you need anything'Essential
Call them. Have them bring dinner.
The baby bookNice to have
Write the small things down this week. Next week you'll have forgotten.
Our pick
Pearhead Baby Memory Book
You will not remember. Write it down.
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What you can skip

The part most lists leave out.

Toys and a play gym
Not until around six weeks, when they can see past their own hands. Faces and voices are the toys.
Shoes, headbands, outfits with buttons
Sleepers with zippers, every day, both ways.
A bottle warmer
A mug of hot water does it in three minutes.
A baby food maker or a high chair
Six months away.
A second stroller
One that the car seat clicks into is the whole month-one stroller.
Visitors who don't bring food
Not a product. Still the best rule of month one.

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