Baby Essentials Checklist – For New Moms From 4x Mom

As a fourth time mom, I sometime get asked for what you really need for your baby’s first year. In this post I am going to expand on a list created by Janet Lansbury into a baby essentials checklist with links to the products I actually have and use as a 4x mom.

I also included a few short lists at the bottom of things you “might want” and things you just “don’t need”.

If you have any suggestions or questions, please leave them in the comment section below.

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Baby Essentials Checklist

There are enough things on this list that I broke them down into 7 categories.

Sleeping

Babies spend a lot of time sleeping. I bed-share, so we don’t use our crib. If you aren’t sure if bed-sharing is for you or cannot follow all of the rules for co-sleeping safely, you will want a crib.

• 1 King Size Memory Foam Mattress and Bed Frame
• 2 King Size Mattress Protectors
• 3 King Size Sheets

or

• 1 Crib
• 1 Crib Mattress
• 2 Crib Mattress Protector
• 3 Crib Sheets
• 3 Cotton Sleepsacks

Clothing

• 10 Footed Sleepers
  • Long sleeved t-shirt material and covering the feet because baby socks don’t stay on.
  • I prefer the kind with snaps, because the ones with zippers only go down one leg and are hard to change diapers in. Some people prefer the zippers, so I recommend starting with a few of each and seeing which you prefer before you buy very many.
• 3 Blankets
  • baby jackets are a pain since they can’t wear them in the car seat, so just get some blankets. My kids liked different fabrics as infants. One liked flannel, one fleece and two muslin.

Out and About

I never enjoyed lugging around the infant bucket seat. It was heavy and hurt my back. A good convertible car seat will last from newborn to age 6 or 7 when you can put them in a booster.

• 1-2 Convertible Car Seats
  • Read Things I Love About The Graco Contender 65 Convertible Car Seat
• 1 Baby Carrier
  • An ergonomic one like the Action Baby Carrier or the Ergo.
    • Janet Lansbury dislikes baby carriers. I understand her point of view, but I don’t use my carrier in the ways she objects to. I don’t use mine to involve baby in what I am doing. Actually, I rarely use mine in the house. I use it to and from the car, at the grocery store, or at church. Anytime I would otherwise already be carrying or holding baby.
• 1 backpack (for diaper bag)
  • The bigger the backpack, the more junk you try to cram in it. I prefer little backpacks for diaper bags for infants.

Diapering

• Diapers
  • Cloth – 24 Green Mountain Prefolds and 6-24 Diaper Cover with Snaps (I like both Flip and Rumparooz), or
  • Paper Diapers – Earth’s Best Chlorine Free Diapers
• Nighttime Diapers (probably just for boys starting around 6 months) – Huggies OverNites
  • My girls never needed overnite specific diapers
• 3 Wet Bags
  • Optional if not cloth diapering, but even if you are using paper diapers, these are perfect for wet or soiled clothes.
• Lots of Baby Wipes

Health / Hygeine / Safety

• Body Wash / Shampoo
• Baby Nail Clippers
• Thermometer
• Acetaminophen
• Bath Sponge.
• Babyproofing stuff
  • Outlet covers and cabinet locks at a minimum.

Feeding

I breastfeed when I’m with baby. I pump at work so baby bottle feeds at daycare. This is the stuff I have and use.

• 12 Flour Sack Towels (for burp cloths)
• 4-5 Nursing Bras
• 1 Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump Backpack
• Medela Quick Clean Wipes and/or Steam Bags
• 12 Bottles – Evenflo Classic
  • If baby won’t take evenflo bottle, 6-12 Bottles to feed baby – Tommee Tippee Bottles
• 1-2 Dishwasher Baskets
• 1 Boppy with cover (for feeding pillow)
• 1 spare Bobby cover

Entertainment

• Books you enjoy reading
  • Doesn’t have to be baby books
• Child directed / open ended toys
  • Balls, bowls, blocks, and play scarves

Baby Might Wants Checklist

Stuff you don’t need, but might want. I happen to have accumulated these things over the years, but the aren’t what I would consider absolutely necessary for everyone.

• Playard
  • Especially if you have pets
• Stroller,
  • If the carrier makes you and/or baby too hot
• Baby Towels.
  • They are nice enough, but regular towels work just as good
• Pail Liner
  • If cloth diapering
• Diaper Pail (Diaper Genie)
  • Not needed if cloth diapering
• Baby Monitor
  • Particularly if you like to spend time outdoors.
• Play Mat (with removable toys)
  • I like ours with half the toys off so baby can choose to look away if they want to. It is nice with older kids to have a visual reminder of the arms to not run over baby if they were just on a blanket
• Booster Seat for eating
• Baby rocker, especially if baby has reflux
• Changing table and 2 wipe down covers
• Indestructibles books
• Bottle Drying Rack
• Hands Free Nursing Bra
  • I have never used them, but a friend recommends Hands Free Nursing Tanks.

Baby Don’t Need Checklist

• Bassinet.
  • We had one for our oldest, but never used it.
• Baby Bathtub.
  • We had one for our oldest, but never used it.
• High Chair.
  • Never had one.
• Bouncers, swings, walkers, jumpers, exersaucers.
  • Not needed and can inhibit gross motor skills.
• Most Toys.
  • Especially toys with batteries. Seriously. Babies can entertain themselves with a everyday stuff around the house pretty much endlessly if you let them. The less active the toy, the more active (read self-entertaining) the baby.
• Shoes.
  • Until baby is walking outside, which may not be in the first year.