We have officially hit the one-month mark with our little bundle of joy, capping off one of the best months of our lives. The newborn time has been magical, wild & humbling all in one. As I reflect on the last month, there is so much I have learned that I could write for days about! What I really want to recap first – before I forget! – is what I consider to be newborn essentials in the first month.
In the lead-up to welcoming our newborn, I had read tons of articles on what products I needed to put on my registry. What I didn’t really pay attention to was what are the most necessary items and products that newborns and new parents need to make the first month home successful.
There are many things I own that I have yet to touch – but I absolutely know will come in handy.
Here I outline what I found to be newborn essentials in the first month and why.
My Most Used Newborn Essentials in the First Month
1. Changing Station
This item is very intentionally number one on the list. When my husband and I first started talking about babies, we got each other to guess how many diapers a newborn used in a day. We both guessed around 4 a day. WRONG!
Newborns tend to go through 8 – 12 diapers on any given day. Ours seemed to go through more like 15!
The changing station has been our number 1 essential. It includes:
- Silicone Change Mat. This I cannot recommend enough. I had no idea how much little ones peed as soon as they hit fresh air. With a silicone mat, you can easily wipe anything right up and do not have to worry about having multiple covers to wash and change. Hot tip: make sure the silicone mat fits onto the change table or surface you are using!
- Change Table. Just a basic change table does the trick. I am using a 2-tier one that has ample storage underneath for all my changing needs.
- Diapers. We went through about 4 packs of 40 in the first two weeks! I am still in a stage where we are trying out different brands to see how they fit, so don’t have a favourite yet.
- Wipes. We are using Kit & Kin wipes. The wipes are really gentle and natural. But I also really love the brand and what they stand for. Kit & Kin is the number 1 eco accredited diaper brand and for every 10 diaper subscriptions, they donate 1 acre of rainforest land.
- Diaper Genie from Tommee Tippee. I do not find any scent escapes leaving the room fresh, but the base of the genie is rather small, so I find we are needing to empty it every day or so. The refills are also a bit pricey considering how simple they are, but they are a necessity so we’re not complaining!
- Wipes Warmer. This we received as a gift and we love it, especially for the colder months. It makes a big difference for our little one, but I will say the wipes don’t stay warm terribly long so you must be quick!
2. Nursing Pillow
If you are breastfeeding – exclusively or not – I would recommend a breast pillow.
I am using this nursing pillow from Boppy.
I do find a pillow to be a necessity for feeding as it gives extra support, primarily around the sides of your body which is something a regular pillow won’t do. The cover is removable and washable which is great. I do find the cover to be a bit stiffer than I had imagined. It doesn’t actually matter though, as the baby does not touch the fabric.
I do find the nursing pillow to also come in handy for bottle feedings as well.
3. Snoo
Oh the Snoo! When I first came across the Snoo during my pregnancy, I couldn’t fathom parents needing something so intricate.
But – after hearing from many new mom friends who owned it, I was sold on the Snoo. Knowing as well we would be having our baby abroad with no family or friends close because of the pandemic, it didn’t take much convincing to treat ourselves to the Snoo in hopes it would bring us some good nights of sleep.
If you’re not familiar with the Snoo, it is a “responsive baby cot” designed by baby sleep guru, Dr. Harvey Karp. The Snoo supports a baby sleep with its built-in rocking motion & white noise machine that has been designed to mimic the womb.
We don’t know any different as this is our first baby, but I do believe the Snoo is responsible for us not being entirely delirious, only just a bit tired. That 6 hour + 3 hour stretch we had the other night – ya, I am going to give the Snoo the credit for.
I find the Snoo keeps her asleep for longer during daytime naps compared to when she is not in the Snoo. The gentle rocking motion definitely puts her back to sleep at night when she slightly wakes.
The Snoo also has an app that pairs to any mobile device. This is fantastic as it keeps track of the stretches of sleep so I don’t have to remember when we put her down.
As we are only 4 weeks in, so I am going to wait a bit longer to do a full review of the Snoo, but at this point, I would highly recommend it as one of my newborn essentials for the first month.
4. Zipper Onesies
I had been given this advice many times over, but until I was in it, I really didn’t understand the ease of zipper onesies.
The reason why they are one of my newborn essentials for the first month is because of that: they are easy.
For those middle of the night diaper changes, early days doctors appointments and for everyday, zipper onesies make things a lot easier and quicker. No fiddling with buttons, just a quick zip!
I would recommend both footie & footless onesies. We found our little one to have much longer legs than we had anticipated, which lead us to cutting out the feet of some footie onesies so she could move freely. We then quickly invested in some footless onesies as well.
5. Stroller with Bassinet
As we are still in lockdown, I have found myself going on many walks. Many, many walks. I am using the UPPAbaby Vista with the bassinet and really like it. This item came highly recommended to me from all my mom friends and I see why.
The bassinet is safe for sleeping in, so when your little one falls asleep while out, you can leave them in it once you are home. The bassinet has also been approved for overnight sleep, which is very convenient. We haven’t used it for this purpose yet as we are in lockdown, but maybe one day!
I did tons of research on stroller units before deciding on this specific style. My main reason for landing on the Vista in the end is the ability to turn it into a double stroller later on.
Hot tip: We got our stroller and bassinet second hand! It was over 5 years old and in fantastic condition. You don’t always need to get new. Allowed us to get a second, more-London street friendly option as well – the Babyzen Yoyo+.
6. Baby Bjorn Bouncer
Another newborn essentials item that was highly recommended to me is the Baby Bjorn Bouncer.
I was not entirely convinced that something so teeny could need so many different places to sit in, but I was proven wrong within about 5 days of being home from the hospital.
The Baby Bjorn Bouncer has become one of my most daily used items for a few reasons:
- It is soft. This is important because our little one sleeps on one side of her head – only! We are cautious of not leaving her lying on hard surfaces everytime she is not being held or fed to steer clear from flat head, so the Baby Bjorn is perfect for this.
- It has multiple incline levels. I like being able to have her sit up right and look around rather than always being on her back.
- It is easy to clean. The fabric removes easily and is washable, which is great because spit up is very much a thing – regardless of when she fed last or how much she burped!!!
We also have the bar toy for the bouncer which has been really great. We are watching her develop in front of our eyes, as each day she reaches out more and more to make the blocks move. It also keeps her nicely entertained for a few solid minutes!
7. Baby Nest
In conjunction with my comment above regarding the number of things something so teeny needs to sleep or sit in… this is another one!
I feel like baby nests are a relatively new baby trend/item. I didn’t quite understand their full potential at first but now I do.
They are really lightweight and easy to move room to room so you can plop your little one down safely and quickly.
The Purflo Baby Bed has been a great choice. While only available still in the UK, it is the only baby nest that has been approved as safe for overnight sleep. Because the base of this one is more solid, it also perfect for tummy time.
8. Muslins & Burp Cloths
We go through these like it is no one’s business!
I have these small, medium & large ones. I use all of them. All the time. They are constantly on rotation and constantly in the wash – leading to the reason why you need so many options and why are definitely a newborn essential in the first month.
9. Thermometer
As new parents, we were definitely on the look out for any temperature.
A really good quality thermometer has been really helpful and convenient to have on hand. And has given us peace of mind.
This specific one not only takes the temperature of all family members, it also takes the temperature of water, making it perfect for bath time as well.
10. Room Thermometer
A simple room thermometer was not something we owned right away but quickly purchased. We were very unsure of what the temperature in our bedroom was where our little miss has been sleeping, so by having a room thermometer we have been able to keep track of if the room is too warm or too cold.
11. Cotton Pads
A fun fact I learned very early on: breast milk is very healing and very cleansing – especially when it comes to sleep in our little ones eye!
I use basic, gentle cotton pads multiple times a day to remove the sleep from our newborn’s eyes. You simply express a small amount of breast milk onto a cotton pad and gently wipe your baby’s eyes to remove the sleep.
I also gently rub breast milk on a cotton pad over any dry skin spots on her face to help heal.
12. Car Seat (even when you don’t own a car)
Currently living abroad, we do not have a car. I did not really see the need for a car seat while not owning car, but I was quickly proven wrong!
Firstly, a car seat is required to leave the hospital.
Secondly, within the first two weeks we had to make a handful of visits to our GP for normal check ups.
And thirdly, if you want to do anything beyond a small distance from your home, you are going to need a car seat.
Because of our living abroad status currently, it was extremely important that we found a safe, reliable car seat that could be buckled into any car without a base. We also needed the car seat to be compatible with our strollers. This has made it extremely easy to grab an Uber and be in and out of the car safely within minutes. I did not think we would use much, but we do.
13. Nursing Bras
Changing gears a little bit from newborn essentials for the the first month for the baby to essentials for you in the first month – I recommend investing in more nursing bras than you think if you are breastfeeding.
I would recommend 4-6 bras unless you want to be doing laundry of your nursing bras daily (like I was doing at the beginning!). Why so many? Let’s just say leaking boobs plus spit-up…
14. Button Down Tops & PJs
Every time I put an over-the-head top on, I remember my newfound love of buttons. I have been living in button-down pajamas and tops all day, every day.
If you are breastfeeding, pajamas are terribly convenient. When you’re up in the middle of the night, you don’t want much hassle and you want to stay a bit warm and cozy. Treat yourself and invest in a nice pair (or two or three!) of button-down pajamas in both short & long sleeves depending on your climate.
During the day, I want to get out of my button-down pajamas, but found myself going right back to them for ease. Getting yourself a few simple button-down tops will make your days feel different than nights and allow you to feed hassle-free.
15. Freezer Meals – updated!
A late edition to the list! But as I was reflecting on the first month, I cannot believe I forgot one of the most crucial things that got us through the first month was an abundance of freezer meals for dinners.
The feeding and nap schedule in the first month is sporadic to say the least. Once my husband went back to work and with no family close by, having healthy meals for dinner that we could pop into the oven right from the freezer was a life saver.
We had a mixture of freezer meals I had prepped beforehand (like Chilli and Sheppard’s Pie) as well The New Parents Bundle from Cook Foods, gifted by all of the new grandparents from abroad. Even though they couldn’t be with us, they made sure we were well fed.
The first month with a newborn as a first-time parent has been all the things! Rewarding and filled with love are the primary two characteristics that stand out. In reflecting on the first four weeks, I really wanted to capture what I found to be newborn essentials for the first month. These 14 items feel like they have set us up well for the first month.
I do own a handful of amazing baby essentials that have yet to make an appearance on the daily rotation, but I suspect they will become a staple in the new few weeks or so! I will be sure to capture my most used essentials in the next months as well.
Already thinking about what is to come? Check out My 7 Most Used Newborn Essentials: Weeks 4 – 8.
OTHER POSTS YOU MAY LIKE TO HELP YOU PREP FOR YOUR NEW BABY:
My 7 Most Used Newborn Essentials: Weeks 4 – 8
Help! How to Pick a Baby Name
How to Easily Prepare a Nursery… During a Pandemic
13 Pieces of Pregnancy Advice You Haven’t Heard Before