You are about to welcome a new baby into your world. Congratulations! It's an exciting and incredibly overwhelming time. I remember trying to figure out, with my first, what I would need to survive, and it honestly was a lot less than I had. Here, I'll outline the things I found I needed and mention a few things you only might need.
Must Haves
Burp cloths: Depending on the baby, you will probably wants 5-10 burp cloths or regular cloths you plan to use for the same purpose. I have used a few actual burp cloths that were gifts, but my go to burp cloths are the Gerber diaper prefolds. They're cheap, easy to wash, and very absorbent.
Ten outfits: I can't imagine why you'd need more outfits than this - unless you really hate doing laundry and only do it every other week. I have this many outfits per size for every child, and they have never run out. You might also want an additional jacket or two and a hat.
Miracle Swaddle: I have used three different swaddle styles with my babies, and this one is, hands down, the best. My babies have been pretty good at escaping swaddles, and that isn't safe for Baby, so having one they can't get out of is pretty important. If you don't mind getting one used, check out poshmark.com, Facebook marketplace, and craigslist before buying a new one.
Note, in case you buy used: these swaddles have a design flaw that means they almost always develop a small hole at one of the corner seams (see picture below). This in no way impedes the swaddle from working properly, but it does mean you'll often get a lower price for it.
Pacifier: You may be really set on not using one, and that is fine, but I'd recommend having a couple just in case. I used one out of desperation, with my oldest, when she would spend entire car rides screaming until she exhausted herself. The pacifier saved my sanity and soothed her fears. My second wouldn't take one. My third will take one, on occasion, as long as she isn't hungry. I think it's worth having one around. The risk of nipple confusion, although real, is not so prevalent as some think.
Bottle: I would recommend having one bottle, in case you need to give expressed milk to Baby, if you aren't comfortable using a cup or your finger to feed with. I only keep one, and that has always been plenty.
Breast pads: I definitely recommend reusable breast pads. You can make these yourself, ask a friend to make some, or buy some (I've done all three). I've heard a lot of good things about Bamboobies in particular. Having three sets or so is plenty, especially since you can hand wash them, if needed.
Car seat: You will definitely need a car seat, and there are a lot of options out there. What kind you get really depends on your needs. Is it simpler to carry your baby with you? Make sure to get a base and a light car seat to carry. To us, carrying the baby around in a seat felt like keeping them too confined to one position, which is definitely not good for a baby, so we opted for a seat that was compact (so we could fit three in the back of our Prius) and that would last from birth to booster. We've bought four of them, so far, and really love them. My husband especially appreciates the steel frame. Remember that you should not buy a used car seat.
Warm blanket for the car: This is a safety necessity, as you should never put a child in a car seat with a coat on. I use a warm blanket to get my child from indoors to the car, and then I use it to cover my child once he/she is strapped in.
Stroller: Strollers might not be a necessity if you never go on walks, but my family walks every day, and walking is great for regaining strength after Baby is born. What you get depends on what you need. We prefer strollers that are easy to store, can be used for running and walking, and don't have a lot of extras.
Baby carrier/Wrap: This is what we prefer in lieu of other baby holders, such as swings or bouncers. We don't really like the room a swing takes up, and we didn't want to get our babies attached to sleeping in something that was technically dangerous for them to sleep in. Whether you use a wrap or carrier depends on your own preferences. I tried using a wrap for my first two babies, and both would get too hot. I've used a carrier with my third, and it works much better, especially since it's designed to keep Mom and Baby cool.
Travel bag: This can be a purse, a diaper bag, a book bag, or whatever you want. It's just something to carry diapers and extra clothes (for you too, Mom!). You will fill whatever space you have, so I'd suggest starting with something relatively small and only going bigger if you really don't have enough room to put in everything you need.
Babies love this video: This saved my sanity. I can remember googling, after hours of dealing with a very upset baby "make baby stop crying." This video came up. I turned it on, and the tears immediately stopped. While I don't recommend screens for children under two, this can be a lifesaver if you're about to have a meltdown to match your baby's. My older kids still give me big smiles when they hear the music start playing.
Fan: I realize this might seem a little out there, but I've used a fan with every single one of my babies for the first year and beyond. Why? It has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS. Although it's not completely clear why, anything to lower the risk is, to me, a step worth taking.
Noise machine: We have also used noise machines with all our babies. There are a couple reasons; first, in the womb, babies are used to having a lot of noise going on, so the quiet of the outside world can be more scary to them than soothing. A noise machine helps this become less of a problem. It is also a good way to have a harmless sleep association. My babies hear a noise machine turn on and they know it's time to sleep. I do not recommend a SoundSpa noise machine. We went through three of them in a year and had a lot of problems.
Note: some people (my husband is one of them) worry that the sound of white noise is harmful. If you feel this way, you can get a noise machine that makes sounds you would hear in nature - like rain or a burbling brook.
Baby sleep chart: I wish I'd had this with my first baby. I remember worrying a lot that she would only sleep for half an hour and seem super tired a short time later. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. Turns out, she was normal. Babies don't have sleep cycles so much as awake cycles. Using the chart in the picture below, you can see how long a baby will be awake before he/she needs to sleep again. I have found this to be absolutely crucial in keeping my babies from being over-tired. After 45 minutes, I put my newborn down for a nap. After two hours, I put my five month old down for a nap. The nap may be short or long; it doesn't really matter, so long as you are watching for signs of tiredness and get the baby down immediately after noticing them within the awake time limit.
The number of a local lactation consultant: I did all the reading for a good nursing relationship before my first baby, and I was still very thankful to have a lactation consultant on call after she was born. I have had the same LC for all my babies, and she has been the best tool in my parenting toolkit. Ask your nursing friends if they have recommendations and call one the day you give birth. My personal LC always comes as soon as she can (newborns get priority!). She checks for posterior tongue ties (which a lot of medical professionals aren't taught how to look for), she lets me know if we should see a chiropractor to correct palate shape (this can be affected by the birth), and she can give other advice specific to me and my baby. Seriously. Don't scrimp on this one.
A comfortable chair to nurse in: Any chair can work, but one that can be reclined and that has a place for you to lean your head back is extra nice. I hurt my neck staring at my second baby while he nursed (it's hard not to gaze endlessly at a newborn...), so we got a new chair on which I could rest my head.
Crib: We have always had a crib for our babies, as we like to have them when we need them. With our first, she never slept in our bed. She did sleep in a bassinet by our bed, for awhile, but we moved her to a crib as soon as we had one (a side bed for a baby sounds like it will save you some sleep, but ultimately, if you don't want a baby in your bed, you will need to sit up to nurse or risk falling asleep in bed with him/her. This isn't safe if you haven't discussed safe bed-sharing with your partner and prepared him for it). With our second, he slept in our bed until he was around 4-5 months old, then we moved him to the crib. Our third is still a newborn and sleeping in our bed, but we sometimes use a crib for naps. It really depends on your preference and sleep situation. If you are interested in information about bed sharing and co-sleeping, check out this very informative website.
Monitor: Whether you need one depends on the size of your home and whether or not you might want to sit outside while the baby is sleeping inside.
Hand-operated breast pump: I have kept one because I am not adept at hand-expressing. Since I pump whenever I'm engorged (this happens when your milk comes in and during periods of cluster feeding), to prevent mastitis, I have found it helpful to have a simple hand pump. An electric pump might be useful if you are pumping exclusively or going back to work and need to pump there, but a hand pump will be adequate for the occasional pump.
Baby Carrying Coat & Jacket: I have both a coat and a jacket for baby carrying. I would wait to get these until you know carrying works for you. I use mine all the time, and they are worth every penny to me. If you don't walk often, you may find other options (like a special insert) that work better for you.
What are some things you think a person needs for a new baby?
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