7 Newborn Essentials You Actually Need

This post may contain affiliate links. I only recommend products that I’ve tried and love!

As I reached the end of my maternity leave this week(I’m not crying, you’re crying) I’ve been working on the last few tasks I have left, including, but not limited to, swapping out newborn clothes for 3-6 month, because my tiny little peanut is growing too. stinkin. fast.

Today I’m sharing some of my favorite baby items that have been total lifesavers. I always hear about the things new parents get, but never use. This is the stuff that I not only used, but have been so helpful that I would 100% recommend to anyone who’s even remotely considering birthing a small human.

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sleepers/pajamas WITH ZIPPERS

I shouldn’t even have to explain this. Sleepers rock. One zipper and the whole thing comes off. Comfy and cozy for baby, easy peasy for mom and dad. Win-win. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT do snaps.

sleep sacks

I love a good swaddle, but a sleep sack is cozier, easier to use and leaves the legs free to kick and kick and kick. Which Will is a big fan of. Also, get more than one because babies are like alpacas and spit - everywhere. The HALO sleep sacks are my favorite.

owlet baby monitor + dream sock

We kicked Will out of our room at 7 weeks, because this kid grunts and snorts all night in his sleep. ALL NIGHT. The only way I was able to sleep with him in his nursery was because of the Owlet Dream Duo. The sock monitors his heart rate, pulse ox, and movement, while the camera alerts our phones if he cries. When he started sleeping through the night, I would wake up anyway, so I would quickly check that he was alive and breathing and go back to sleep easily, knowing my baby was safe.

butt spatula

When I first told my boss that I was pregnant, she told me two things. After, “Congratulations!”, of course. They were

1. Babies DO NOT need socks or shoes. They do not walk, nor do they like anything on their feet.

2. You DO need a butt spatula. You will never have to get diaper cream stuck under your fingernails ever again.

Naturally, she bought one for me and it is SO NICE. Seriously, a little smear of butt cream and no mess! LOVE.

snuggleme organic

I call this a “nest”, and Will loves it. It fits perfectly in his bassinet for safe, cuddly snoozing, and is great to throw on a couch or even the floor for him to hang out. This lounger is how he started sleeping through the night, and for that reason alone, it’s a necessity.

babytime app

We use this app to keep track of Will’s feeds, naps, diapers, and my pumping. When we first brought him home, it was ESSENTIAL because nobody was sleeping, I was on two different pain meds and life was chaos. I’ve tried the Nara Baby app as well, and they are very similar, but BabyTime sends me a little notification that says “Oh no! Will is hungry!” when it’s almost time for his feed and Elliot and I think it’s hilarious. BabyTime gets our vote.

diaper caddy/changing station

While we do the majority of Will’s care in his nursery, we have a second diaper caddy that we keep downstairs with diapers, extra bibs, burp cloths and pacifiers. This is the one I have. I was also able to score an extra changing pad from my local Buy Nothing group, so we have a full changing station downstairs, which is super convenient for quick changes. For the first few weeks after delivery, I was told to limit the amount of times I went up and down the stairs, so this was really helpful for me to take care of my baby without dying a little every time.