Essential Supplies for Your First Month with Baby

When you first bring your new baby home, you’ll want to have everything you may need for them handy.
Having a baby requires a lot of essential supplies. Some you’ll use more than others, and some you just won’t be able to live without.

Essential Supplies for Your First Month:

Travel Supplies:
To bring baby home from the hospital, you must use a safe and secure infant seat.

• Preferably a new infant car seat, with base installed in car

• Diaper bag with supplies

Sleeping/Nursery:
Having somewhere for your little one to sleep when they get home, is a real essential. A crib is often the first choice, but bassinets can be used for the first few months also.

• Crib/bassinet

• Play-yard/pen (with bassinet option)

• 4 or more fitted crib sheets

• 2 or more fitted bassinet or play-yard sheets

• 4 or more fitted waterproof mattress pads

• Crib bumper

• Crib mobile

• Glider/Rocker chair

Diaper Changing/Bathing Supplies:
Your baby won’t need a full-blown bath until her umbilical stump has fallen off (around 2-4 weeks). Sponge bathing will be the main choice of cleaning before this.

• Changing table

• Diapers (10-12 per day for disposable)

• Baby Wipes

• Diaper Rash Ointment

• Baby Tub

• Gentle Baby-Wash/Shampoo

• Baby Washcloths

• Baby Towels

• Baby-safe scissors or clippers (those sharp little nails will likely need to be cut often)

If Cloth-Diapering:

• 3-4 dozen diapers

• 8 diaper covers

• 4 sets of diaper pins (if not using pin-less diapers)

• Gentle laundry detergent (good for clothing too)

Basic Wardrobe:
You’ll want to buy endless amounts of beautiful and fancy things for your new precious bundle, but often they go unused in the first month of baby’s life. Stick to mostly essential pieces until your baby has grown a little.

• 6-8 one piece, footed sleepers or infant gowns

• 2 blanket sleepers (for colder weather)

• 6-8 side-snap undershirts or onesies

• 4 or more booties or socks

• 4-6 receiving blankets and 1-2 swaddling blankets

• 4-6 burp cloths

• Baby mittens (to prevent those little nails from scratching baby’s face)

• 2-4 hats/caps

Breastfeeding Supplies:

If breastfeeding, most supplies are supplied by you. There are a few things you will need though.

• Disposable or washable nursing pads

• 2-4 Nursing bras