Mama J's Newborn Essentials

Since I wrote a post about pregnancy essentials, I figured a newborn essential list would be helpful as well.When I think of newborn essentials, I think of mountains of items. After my baby shower, we had a whole room full of items to sort, put away, exchange, etc. But how much of these things are truly necessary? Here is a list of what I found most important during those first few months. I included lots of pictures because - who doesn't like to look at a cute baby?Your Breasts (or bottles and formula if you cannot breastfeed)Your baby will want to eat within minutes of being born. Luckily, if you can breastfeed, these puppies are built right in, so you don't have to think about it that much. If you cannot breastfeed or chose not to, you will need bottles, nipples, formula, and water. Diapers and WipesThis is pretty self explanatory. Babies poop and pee and need something to catch it in and clean it up! (This is not a necessity if you are practicing elimination communication, but for the majority of us, it is.)A Car SeatYou will not be allowed to leave the hospital if you don't have a car seat. Those nurses will check, so be aware. Putting your baby in a vehicle is a serious thing. To make sure you are complying with all of the car seat safety regulations, visit The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's child safety website. Pajamas and/or Cotton ClothingAlthough all of those newborn clothes are super cute, pajamas are what we used the most of during the first months. Jeans just aren't that comfortable to sleep in, and newborns sleep a lot. Don't get me wrong, we used regular clothes, but when we stayed home it was pajamas and light cotton outfits.Baby J a couple of weeks old in a cute little cotton onesie and pants.Blankets Depending on the temperature of your house or outside, you will need a few blankets to keep baby warm. You don't want him getting over heated so, my suggestion would be to dress the baby lightly and have a blanket ready in case it is chilly. Do not put blankets inside of baby's crib - it is a suffocation hazard. For inside of the crib I recommend a swaddle blanket or sleep sack (see picture below for a swaddle blanket).Somewhere to SleepThere are many sleep options: crib, bassinet, basket in mom and dad's bed, or directly in mom and dad's bed. Wherever you chose, please make sure it is safe. No blankets, pillows, crib bumpers, or anything within baby's reach that he can choke on or suffocate with.This is where he slept for the first few months - right in bed with us in this basket.Baby Tub, Soap, and WashclothsAfter your baby's umbilical cord falls off, you will want to give him a bath. Having a smaller scale tub with an insert for them to lay in makes life really easy. Baby J is almost a year old and we still use his baby tub (we only have a shower stall so we put the baby tub in the sink and let him splash and play!). When buying soap, use something mild - the less chemicals the better. I recommend California Baby products, the smell wonderful!Baby J's first bath.Snot SuckerBabies tend to have a lot of mucous, especially c-section babies like Baby J. Having a good snot sucker on hand will help your baby be more comfortable. You will also need this if your baby get's sick. I recommend the NoseFrida Snot Sucker. Read my review on that here.Tylenol and ThermometerYou will need these things if your baby gets sick. I usually don't recommend medications for babies, but we had an experience that changed my mind on that when Baby J was first teething. Have these on hand, just in case.A Good Quality Wrap, Sling, Or Baby CarrierThis is not a necessity, but man are baby carriers/wraps so helpful! I wasn't an avid baby wearer until Baby J got older, but if I chose to have another baby someday I will be using it right from the start. They help you keep baby close while being able to walk around with two free hands. Also wearing your baby promotes bonding, closeness, and mimics the feel of the womb. You can read my post on baby wearing here.Getting ready to go get our Christmas tree. So what do you think? Is there anything I missed? I would love to hear!