New Baby Shopping List

New Parent? Having a first Baby? This newborn baby checklist is a complete list of newborn needs - everything your baby needs! You'll be prepared for one of the most precious days of your life! Remember when buying clothing - only buy a few in one size as your baby will grow very fast!

What the Baby Will Need at the Hospital

1. Undershirt
2. An infant outfit such as a stretch suit, nightgown, or sweater set
3. A pair of socks or booties
4. Baby receiving blanket, cap and a heavier baby blanket if the weather is cold
5. Diapers and wipes (some hospitals provide an initial supply of these)
6. Safety pins or velcro attaching strips, and rubber or nylon pants (if you are using cloth diapers)
7. Infant car seat
8. Diaper bag

Nursery

• Essential:
  - Crib (no more than 2 ¼ inches between slats)
  - Fitted crib sheets (2-between spit-up and leaky diapers, you'll use both)
  - Waterproof crib mattress (tight enough so two fingers can't fit between the mattress and crib)
  - Storage for baby clothes and gear (closet, dresser, or armoire)
  - Receiving blankets (3 to 5, great for swaddling at first and then as blankies)
  - Baby monitor (not needed in small apartments where you can hear your baby everywhere)
  
  
• Nice-to-have:
  - Changing table (money-saving alternative: change your baby on your bed)
  - Cushy changing pad and cover (for your changing table or secured on top of a dresser)
  - Colorful mobile (the more engaging, the better)
  - Supportive rocker or chair for feedings

Clothes for Year One

• Essential: Items needed for each stage: 0 to 3 months, 3 to 6 months, 6 to 9 months, and 9 to 12 months
  - Pajamas/sleepers-ideally, footed pjs during cooler seasons to minimize wrestling with baby socks that always pop off (3 to 6 per stage)
  - Onesies-to wear alone or layer for extra warmth, short-sleeved or long-sleeved depending on the season (3 to 6 per stage)
  - Soft tops and bottoms for daytime (4 to 6 per stage after the first few months- initially, pjs and/or onesies are fine all day)
  - Cotton hats (1 to 2 for stage one-birth to 3 months-and during cooler seasons)
  - Socks (3 to 6 pairs per stage)
  - Sleep sack-highly recommended once your infant outgrows swaddling, a sleeveless zip-front "sack" that's zipped over his pajamas or onesie to keep him cozy while sleeping without putting him at risk for SIDS (only 1 needed)
  
  
• For winter months, depending on your climate:
  - Sweaters (2 to 3)
  - Fleece bunting or snowsuit (a fleece, zip-up lining for the infant carrier is also handy)
  - Warm hat
  
  
• For summer months:
  - Bathing suit, baby sunglasses, and sun hat
  
  
• Nice-to-have:
  - So-cute-you-could-die baby outfits (but keep in mind, dresses get seriously tangled up in babies' knees during the squirming and crawling stage-usually between 7 and 11 months)

Diapering

• Essential:
  - Disposable diapers (50 to 60+ per week-no, I'm not kidding) or cloth diapers (24 to 36+ depending on your tolerance for washing them)
  - Diaper wipes
  - Petroleum jelly or A+D ointment (to apply during each diaper change)
  - Diaper rash cream with zinc oxide (to use if your child gets a rash)
  - For cloth diapering, diaper covers to prevent soaking through to clothes
  
  
• Nice-to-have:
  - Odor-preventing diaper pail and refills

Health and General Care

• Essential:
  - Thermometer
  - Infant pain reliever (don't use before 2 months without consulting your pediatrician)
  - Bulb syringe (for suctioning out stuffy noses)
  - Brush or comb (even if you have a baby baldie, you'll use these eventually)
  - Baby lotion (for dry skin after the first few months)
  - Prepackaged first-aid kit
  
  
• Nice-to-have:
  - Humidifier (to help with decongestion during colds)

Bathing

• Essential:
  - Plastic infant tub with supportive sling or baby-sized sponge to prevent slipping (used until your baby can sit up)
  - Inflatable baby tub (provides support in the real tub when your baby first sits up)
  - Baby shampoo
  - Washcloths (2 to 4)
  
  
• Nice-to-have:
  - Bath toys (from about 6 months on)
  - Hooded towel (otherwise a regular towel will work)
  - Soft cover for bathtub spout (once your baby is in the big tub at about 7 to 8 months)

Baby-on-the-Go

• Essential:
  - Car seat (to be secured facing backwards until your child is 1 year and 20 pounds)
  - Stroller (either a travel system, which works for all ages, or a universal frame stroller to use with your infant car seat and then a toddler stroller starting at about 6 months)
  
  
• Nice-to-have:
  - Front carrier, sling, or baby backpack (a carrier can be used when your infant is 8 pounds, and a backpack can be used at 6 months)
  - Portable crib (great for travel, and the removable bassinet is a perfect play space or bedside sleeping option for your infant those first few months at home)

Nursing Moms

• Essential:
  - Nursing pillow (to keep your baby in position and save your back)
  - Breast pads (to prevent leakage)
  - Lanolin cream (to prevent chaffing)
  - Cloth diapers or burp cloths (4 to 6 for catching baby spit-up while burping after feedings)
  - Breast pump (electric or manual, only essential if you want to continue breastfeeding after maternity leave) - Pump carrying case, plastic bags for storing milk in the freezer, and supplies
  - Bottles (2 to 3 for serving pumped milk)
  
  
• Nice-to-have:
  - Bottle warmer (for warming refrigerated breast milk if your baby prefers the warm stuff)

Bottle Feeding

• Essential:
  - Bottles (5 to 8 in the 9-ounce size only)
  - Nipples of different sizes as baby ages (stage 1 for infants, moving up to stage 4)
  - Dishwasher caddy (to wash the plastic nipples)
  - Cloth diapers or burp cloths (4 to 6)
  - Formula (ask your pediatrician for a personalized recommendation)
  
  
• Nice-to-have:
  - Bottle warmer

Feeding Solids

• Essential:
  - Highchair or booster seat with an infant-appropriate seating position
  - Baby food (stage 1 at about 5 months, stage 2 at about 6 months, and stage 3 starting about 7 to 9 months-or you can make your own from the beginning)
  - Baby spoons (3 to 5) - Plastic baby bowls (4 to 6)
  - Sippy cups (starting at about 8 to 10 months, 4 to 6 needed)

Childproofing

• Essential:
  - Safety gates (if you have stairs)
  - Toilet locks
  - Cabinet locks
  - Electric outlet plugs
  - Furniture fasteners (to secure bookshelves, dressers, and precarious items to the wall)
  - Mini-blind cord pulls (to wind up long cords, preventing the risk of strangulation)
  - Soft pads (for coffee table edges and fireplace hearths)

Baby Playtime

No, you don't need all these toys; pick your favorites.

• Birth to 3 Months
  - Colorful mobile
  - Bouncy seat
  - Swing
  - Play mat with dangling objects hanging from above
  
  
• 4 to 6 Months
  - Discovery cubes
  - Teethers
  - Hand and foot rattles
  - Stuffed animals or soft dolls
  - Exersaucer
  - Board books (read daily from now on)
  
  
• 7 to 9 Months
  - Stacking, sorting, and nesting toys or simple interactive playthings
  - Basic musical instruments like shakers or small drums
  - Puppets
  - Balls
  - Soft blocks
  
  
• 10 to 12 Months
  - Activity table
  - Action-and-response toys like a jack-in-the-box
  - More complex interactive toys like doll houses and toddler-size basketball hoops
  - Pull-along toys
  - Wooden blocks

Preserving the Memories

• Nice-to have:
  - Digital camera (to snap tons of baby shots without worrying about film, and e- mailing family)
  - Video camera (the only way to really capture baby laughs, crawling, and early steps)
  - Albums and scrapbooking materials

Diaper Bag Contents

• Essential:
  - Diapers (2 to 3 in your bag at all times)
  - Diaper wipes (in small travel case)
  - Diaper rash ointment (travel size)
  - Thin, portable changing pad (just a little extra protection from the germfest in public restrooms and other on-the-run diaper changing spots)
  - Cloth diaper (for burping or runny noses)
  - Snacks (appropriate to age)
  - Bottle or sippy cup (unless exclusively breastfeeding)
  
  
• Nice-to-have:
  - Small toys (2 to 3, appropriate to age)
  - Board books
  - Change of clothes (in case of unexpected spit-up or leaky diaper)