15 Newborn Essentials For Every New Parent

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As an expectant mom it is easy to become mind boggled and forget some essentials for baby when heading out to the hospital. If you are preparing for a special arrival you know what I am talking about!

Packing for a newborn doesn’t have to be rocket science but there are several must haves so that you hospital stay goes off without a hitch. After all you will be meeting you baby face to face for the first time so make sure you have everything you need to be comfortable together.

Most of the time the hospital provides a lot of things you need such as traditional diapers and wipes but plan on carrying a few items of you own. Here are 15 Newborn Essentials For Your Hospital Stay. Don’t forget to check out what you need to plan for yourself as well with these tips on What To Pack In Your Hospital Bag.

15 baby essentials every parent needs

15 Newborn Essentials For Your Hospital Stay

1. The hospital may or may not provide a pacifier. This Natursutten Pacifier is perfect as a newborn pacifier and it all natural in product perfect for up to 6 months. Or just carry along the one of your preference.

2. Most babies have some nails when they are born. This Baby Grooming Kit comes with nail clippers, files, and other essentials perfect for taming those nails so baby won’t scratch their face.

3. Scratch Mittens are a true essential for those tiny newborn hands. This handy four pack is unisex and a must have in your newborn bag.

4. Newborn Socks are another item that your hospital may or may not provide. So packing some to keep your little one’s feet warm is a must.

5. An Infant Car Seat is a must have to take your baby home and it needs to meet all requirements for a rear facing seat with proper installation! This one has a lot of wonderful security features to ensure a safe ride home.

6. You can’t forget to attach your Car Seat Cover to protect your new bundle of joy from the elements of outside. Whether it is cold or hot outside this cover will keep off the wind and this one is super stylish!

7. Your little one is definitely gonna be unsteady in the first car seat trip. Keep their tiny head stable with a handy Infant Car Seat Support System that even secures the seat belt too.

8. You have to pack something for the new baby to go home in. Whether you are planning something fancy or comfortable here are some Girl’s Outfit and Boy’s Outfit options.

baby essentials parents need

9. Swaddle blankets are a must for newborns. The hospital may provide you with one or two but having your own is always more comfortable. These Muslin Swaddle Blankets are perfect for wrapping up baby.

10. If you are planning on nursing your by then plan to bring along your Breast Pump. This will help with initial nursing and also any overflow of milk while you are there. Plus you can get some really helpful tips from a nursing specialist if you have questions.

11. Pack up a Nursing Cover if you are a breastfeeding mom. These make you feel more comfortable since you can plan on expecting a lot of visitors.

12. Those nighttime feeding routines and diaper changes will be difficult at first. Newborn Gowns are great for both boys and girls and make the process so easy!

13. If you are skipping out on traditional diapering and going for Cloth Diapering this starter set is a great pack for the hospital. It comes with 5 diapers and the inserts for you to try.

14. Babies are usually born with some yucky gunk in their noses. Keeping a Newborn Nasal Aspirator handy in the baby crib will make for a quick grab is you need to get any of that out.

15. Burp Cloths are a must have whether you are bottle or breastfeeding. They work well for any spit up or mess you might run into so don’t forget to pack those in the bag!

Did we miss an essential for your newborn bag? Share your what you might add!

More Resources for Expecting Parents

ultimate expectant mom hospital bag list

Ultimate Expectant Mom Hospital Bag 

must haves for nursing mamas

Must Haves for Nursing Moms

27 Comments

  1. Definitely should pack nursing pads! This is something I forgot with last little one and McD’s napkins had to suffice on the ride home! Won’t make the same mistake again.~MS

  2. This is a great list. I remember having almost all these. I would definitely refer this to my soon-to-be-mommy friend.

  3. Such a good list. Reading this just brought back so many feelings. I can’t believe how fast our babies grow up.

  4. These are great items for when baby comes! Make sure you have comfy clothes for going home for yourself as well as socks or slippers for the hospital.

  5. Great list! I had everything on here for all 4 of my babies, the one thing I think I didn’t have enough of was the burp clothes. I could have used a lot more of those.

  6. This is absolutely a great tips. I remember my list when i was pregnant.

  7. Awesome great tips for first time parents. They are truly a must have around the house. Great informative post.

  8. It has been a long time since I needed to worry about this and now I kind of miss those days. Not the diaper changes but the sweet non talking back little girl I used to know! lol

  9. This is a pretty good list…Burp cloths are essential and lots of them. You will use them for a ton of stuff and they’ll all be dirty all the time!

  10. This is a great list. New moms will find this very useful. I will pass this on to my friends.

  11. This is a great post. I have a friend that is expecting. I will have to share this with her.

  12. Very helpful tips for new parents out there. This makes me wish I have another baby lol.

  13. This is a great list. I agree with them! A lot of great items for babies. Burp clothes were always a must on my list. Better to not get anything on your clothes when burping them. 🙂

  14. I loved the ‘Snuzzler’ we had that fit into the car seat for extra support. We ended up using it much like the picture and putting it in the stroller as well, it was a great help!

  15. This is a well though out and wonderful list! I have a babyshower coming up and this is very helpful!

  16. I remember thinking I’d need so much stuff for my first baby, and then for my second I kept strictly to the minimum. Car seat, clothes and that’s pretty much it. He slept with us, used our blankets and breastfed. It was SO much cheaper than the first and we enjoyed it much more.

  17. This list is so awesome. It makes me sad though because my baby is about to turn two. They grow up so fast!!

  18. Rebecca Swenor says:

    This is indeed a great list of newborn essentials for any new parent. It is so important to make sure you have enough onies or that was how I felt when my babies were born. I used to use newborn socks on there little tiny hands so they would not scratch themselves but I did also have the mittens too.

  19. Your list is on point! Some of my other must haves were layering pieces like plain white onesies and tees.

  20. Seriously, burp cloth, scratch mittens and socks! That’s what I wish I had gotten more of lol My daughter is a puking, scratching socks losing maniac lol Love her though.

  21. Bonnie @wemake7 says:

    These are really great newborn essentials. I wish I had this list before having my kiddos, it would have really helped.

  22. There are so many great items that babies need. I personally love the swaddle blankets. They are so useful!

  23. These are very important essentials that should be packed and ready to go. This list is great not only for the expectant parent but also to have for a gift registry. It’s nice to have extras of everything.

  24. Totally agree!
    These are the most important stuff that every mama should have. For me, the cloth diaper and swaddle blanket are my favorite items. They are extremely useful and help to soothe my baby easily.

  25. I have another addition: we have a little “bath seat” for our 8-week-old. It’s not one of the plastic, more upright ones you get for bigger babies who can sit up, it’s very reclined and made of cloth – it’s a cross between a deckchair and a hammock! (don’t know if your comments policy permits links, but this is the one we got – UK only link I’m afraid http://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-baby-bath-support/p619603 )
    Normally when you’re bathing a baby, you need 3 hands – one to hold it and two to wash it. This makes bathing babies possible for mere mortals. As a result, bathing the slippery little beast has not been terrifying.

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