When you first look up what you need for a baby online, a lot of the recommendations are honestly very realistic and helpful, but sometimes things can start to feel a little over the top and overwhelming. Which is completely fine too because whatever you feel is best for your baby is exactly what you should do.

For me personally, I found that keeping things simple made postpartum feel so much easier. I didn’t feel like I needed endless baby products or a giant wardrobe. Sticking to realistic essentials helped me focus more on enjoying those newborn days instead of constantly organizing and sorting through things.

If you’d like to scroll straight to the product list, I’ll have everything linked at the bottom. If you’d like to know why I personally loved these products and found them useful during the newborn stage, keep reading because I hope this helps you so much 🤍

These are the items I personally found the most useful during those first newborn months.

Diapers & Wipes
One of the biggest things I’d recommend is stocking up on diapers and wipes ahead of time. I personally liked having around two months worth of newborn diapers ready because the last thing I wanted postpartum was constantly running to the store.

Swaddles
At least two swaddles is a must because somehow one is always dirty. I loved having soft simple swaddles that felt breathable and cozy without being overly complicated.

Bassinet
Having a bassinet beside the bed made nighttime feeds and those early postpartum weeks feel so much easier.
Fitted Sheets & Mattress Protectors
I’d recommend having at least:
    •    two fitted sheets
    •    two mattress protectors
Middle of the night accidents happen and having backups ready makes life so much easier.

Baby Camera
Having a camera in the bedroom gave me so much peace of mind especially during naps and nighttime sleep.

Baby Carrier
This ended up being one of my most used items. Babies love being close to you and sometimes it’s the only way you’ll be able to eat, clean, or walk around hands free while still comforting them.

Baby Clothes
You truly do not need a giant wardrobe right away.
I’d personally recommend:
    •    about a week’s worth of onesies
    •    a week’s worth of comfy bottoms and tops
    •    socks
    •    one or two soft beanies depending on the season
I also personally loved focusing more on comfortable high quality materials instead of overly trendy outfits. I found that 100% cotton clothing held up so much better over time, felt softer, washed well, and just seemed gentler on baby’s sensitive skin overall.

Bath & Care Essentials
For baby wash, I grabbed the unscented Dr. Bronner’s baby soap because I personally preferred something simple and fragrance free.
I also used:
    •    a soft baby hairbrush
    •    natural tallow lotion
    •    tiny baby nail clippers
    •    a thermometer
    •    a simple baby first aid kit
The little everyday essentials honestly end up being the things you use the most.

Baby Bathtub
One baby item I absolutely loved was the Frida Baby bathtub with the hammock style insert that changes as baby grows. It was by far the most comfortable option for both baby and honestly for my back too. Trust me, I tried a few different setups including the sink and this one ended up being my favorite by far.

Baby Bouncer
A baby bouncer was really helpful whenever I needed a safe place to set baby down nearby while showering, eating, or getting little things done around the house.

Baby Lounger
Another newborn item I personally loved was the Snuggle Me baby lounger. I know a lot of people rave about the DockATot because you can open the bottom for their legs as they grow, but honestly unless you and your partner are both really tall, I personally didn’t feel like that was necessary because babies are not in these very long.
I just found the Snuggle Me so convenient during the newborn stage. It was nice having a cozy comfortable spot where I could place baby nearby around the house during supervised awake time and naps, and he always looked so comfortable in it.

Nursery Basics
I also think keeping the nursery simple made everything feel a lot less overwhelming. You truly do not need a perfectly styled designer nursery to create a beautiful cozy space for your baby.

There are absolutely beautiful cribs and dressers from places like Crate & Barrel, but I also found so many amazing high end pieces secondhand on Facebook Marketplace if you feel comfortable using hand me downs or vintage furniture.

When my baby was born, the vintage 70s inspired nursery style was so popular and I honestly found most of our favorite pieces secondhand. The dresser was an older vintage piece that we sanded down and stained ourselves. It even came with the cutest oval wooden mirror which made the whole thing feel so special and cozy. I found adorable teardrop drawer pulls from Zara Home to update it a little and the entire setup ended up costing us around forty dollars.

For the rug, I went with a neutral checkered style from Amazon because I liked that I could add little pops of seasonal color throughout the holidays while still keeping everything feeling pulled together.
We originally planned on getting a crib from Crate & Barrel, but I ended up finding an almost identical version at Target that converts and grows with baby over time which I loved.
I also found:
    •    real wood bookshelves from Amazon
    •    a wicker changing table from Zion that came with a changing pad

Honestly, mixing affordable pieces, vintage finds, and a few nicer staple items made the nursery feel much more personal and unique to us.

Rocking Chair & Nursing Essentials
If you’re planning to breastfeed, I would highly recommend investing in a comfortable rocking chair if it’s within your budget. The Oilo Studio rocking chair honestly became one of my favorite purchases and I would repurchase it in a heartbeat over almost everything else.

You truly do not realize how many hours of the day you spend sitting and nursing your baby unless you’re exclusively pumping of course, and I just felt so comfortable in this chair during those long newborn days and nighttime feeds.

Another thing that became my absolute best friend was the My Brest Friend nursing cushion. It made nursing so much more comfortable for both me and baby and gave my arms, shoulders, and back so much extra support.

Shop My Newborn Essentials 🤍
    •    Newborn diapers
    •    Baby wipes
    •    Soft swaddles
    •    Bassinet
    •    Fitted sheets
    •    Mattress protectors
    •    Baby camera
    •    Baby carrier
    •    Onesies
    •    Cotton baby sets
    •    Soft beanies
    •    Baby hairbrush
    •    Natural tallow lotion
    •    Dr. Bronner’s unscented baby soap
    •    Baby thermometer
    •    Baby first aid kit
    •    Baby nail clippers
    •    Frida Baby bathtub
    •    Baby bouncer
    •    Snuggle Me baby lounger
    •    Crib
    •    Dresser
    •    Rug
    •    Bookshelves
    •    Changing basket
    •    Oilo Studio rocking chair
    •    My Brest Friend nursing cushion
At the end of the day, I truly think the newborn stage is much more about comfort, closeness, and simple essentials than having every trendy product online 🤍