Newborn Essentials
January 5, 2023
I know the name of this post might be a little bit misleading. This is not every single thing you should buy when having a baby or everything you need on your registry. There are quite a few more things that you will need when you have a baby. This is more like my favorite brands of baby products, things you might need that you never thought of, and things we used super often that we did not think we would. That would suck as a title, so I went with Newborn Essentials.
Water wipes (Amazon) – $17.29
These are my favorite wipes. They don’t have a bunch of harsh chemicals and are super gentle on the skin. Aryi got some diaper rash while he was in the hospital. We found that using sterile water on wipes really helped. We then started using the Water wipes brand of water wipes. The Amazon brand is way better though because of the easy little cap that opens and closes.
Diapers (Amazon) – $29.92
I really love the Amazon diapers. They are nearly identical to pampers diapers, and you can get them in all white. That means they don’t have some silly dog pattern showing through the light yellow joggers you may or may not put your baby in.
Overnight Diapers (Amazon) – $53.33
I really love these overnight diapers. Aryi was 4 months old when he came home from the NICU. He came home pretty much sleeping through the night with like 1 waking for milk. I didn’t know we needed these or that they even existed until Aryi peed through his regular diapers. These are a must have for babies sleeping through the night.
Triple Paste (Amazon) – $31.90
This butt cream was suggested to us by our primary night nurse when Aryi was in the NICU. Aryi got a little diaper rash in the NICU. This Is great as a preventative measure too. We just rub on a little each night at bedtime.
JollyPop Passy (Amazon) – $17.99
Aryi was introduced to this brand of passy in the hospital. It is the only kind he will take now. It comforts him and helps him sleep. It helps him feel a tiny bit better when he is sick or teething. He doesn’t just use it as a passy. He chews on the sides like a teether too. Also, passys may actually help to protect against SIDS. I think the jury is still out but if it could help, why not use it.
Owlet Monitor (Amazon) – $399.00
We used this for Aryi’s first year and put it on him every time he gets sick. We were so worried about Aryi’s breathing as a preemie. One time Aryi got sick and his oxygen dropped. I could see it on the Owlet and decided to bring him to the ER. He was on oxygen for 2 days. If there is 1 thing that every parent needs (especially the preemie ones), in my opinion it is a monitor that checks oxygen and pulse.
Johnson and Johnson Bath products (Amazon) – $12.29 and $4.55
I love the JandJ bath products. They smell delicious. Aryi has never had any skin problems, he is always super soft, and he never gets upset if it gets in his eyes. What could be better.
Nail clippers (Amazon) – $12.99
The first time I tried to cut Aryi’s nails I cut his tiny little finger. I felt like the worst mother on the planet. I actually cried. But, he was also super tiny and in an incubator, so emotions were high. After that I literally just bit his nails until he was about a year old (a NICU nurse told me she did that and it was fine). If you are planning on cutting nails, having a baby safe clipper is super important.
Noise Bulb (Amazon) – $9.99
They do send you home with a free bulb. This came in super handy and I preferred it to the electronic or suction nose cleaners. All babies get icky noises, especially when they are sick and it gets hard to breathe.
Swaddle Blankets (Amazon) – $23.87
These were absolutely amazing in the early days. They were super comforting for Aryi. When he was in the NICU we would put him in these swaddles to keep him from pulling out his oxygen tubes. He ended up getting used to them and enjoyed sleeping in them at night. They are so much easier than an actual blanket swaddle blanket, although I did use those too.
Lounger (Amazon) – $45.95
This is one of the most wonderful things ever thought of. When Aryi couldn’t roll over yet, we could set this on the couch or bed and Aryi would have a nice place to lay down. It helped him nap without being on us. We actually even put this between us in the bed so Aryi could cosleep. We felt safer with a small barrier to remind us he was there at night. I am not suggesting that anyone else do that and it definitely does not fit into the safe sleep standards. But, when we got Aryi home, he only wanted to be next to us and we felt the same way. When he outgrew it, he just started sleeping between us.
Playgym (Lovevery) – $140.00
I love pretty much everything Lovevery, and their playgym is no exception. However, in this instance, I just mean a playgym in general. I know this playgym can be a bit pricey, and there are plenty of more affordable ones out there. It was great to get Aryi on the floor, on his tummy. I think it helped him alot.
Moby Wrap (Amazon) – $32.95
This is a life saver!! I bought one of the fancy clip on backpack type baby carriers at first. NO! Do not do that! The old time cloth baby wrap is where it is at. It is super easy to learn to put it on. You don’t feel like you are carrying anything. My 20 month old still goes in the carrier and loves it, and my back doesn’t hurt. It is great for shopping when your baby is asleep, getting stuff done around the house with a baby that needs cuddles, and just carrying a toddler that wants to be carried.
You can check out the related Youtube video by clicking the link below.