Newborn Baby Must Haves (That Are Actually Cute)

There have been a lot of things that have surprised me about having a baby (for real – there are so many things that no one talks about), but my ‘must haves’ baby gear list is not what I expected. There were things I thought I needed, that I for sure didn’t, and there were things I now can’t live without that I had never even heard of before. So, I thought I’d share a little list of my must have baby items for newborns!

Before we get started, these are all things that surprised me, it’s not an exhaustive list of everything you need. For example, I don’t have a crib on this list, cause you probably already know you need that. Some of the items are things that are obvious, but it’s a certain kind or brand that I think is way better! Anyways, let’s just get started!

PS. Head HERE for a neutral boho nursery tour!

Sleep Essentials:

Zip-up/Velcro Swaddle

This one may be the most important! Baby’s tend to bust out of their swaddle, no matter how well you swaddle them, and this is definitely true for our baby – Bekam. He break out and then his arms flail around and he will keep waking himself up. So we use this velcro one at night that he CANNOT get out of and he sleeps sooo much better!!! A must for good sleep!

Moses Basket Bassinet

This is was number one on my registry, so I had very high hopes for it, but turns out it was just as useful as I hoped it would be! It’s SO nice to have a place for him to nap that I can move anywhere around the house. We’ve also taken it to the lake, so that he can have a place to nap outside. It has been so handy. Plus, not going to lie, it is beautiful, and makes for the best photos, haha #noshame

Knotted Sleep Gown

This is what my husband Brennan said when I asked him what baby things were essential. The knotted sleeping gowns are so nice for when you change them at night, because you dont have to deal with zippers or snaps, or shoving their little backs in leg holes. You can just tie and untie – so easy! This is our fave one!

Swaddle Blankets

I know I already talked about the zip up swaddle, but as far as regular swaddles go – these are the BEST ones! We have a bunch of different brands, and these are easily the nicest. The fabric doesn’t stretch out, which makes it easier to swaddle, the fabric feels nicer, and all of their colors and patterns are BEAUTIFUL!

Feeding Essentials:

Carseat/Nursing Cover

Also one of the most important! I have two of these cause I love em so much! It’s the best nursing cover, cause it is 360 degrees, so you don’t have to worry if you’re a private person like me. It’s also a carseat cover, which is so handy to block sun, wind, or to help them sleep. They have a TON of colors, I like the oat color best!

Muslin Burp Cloths

These are so handy, they are the perfect shape to go over your shoulder, they are also super absorbant, and pretty dang cute for a burp cloth!

Glass Straw Tumbler

Not to be TMI, but I get SO thirsty when I breastfeed, so this tumbler with a straw is so handy when I’m breastfeeding, it’s also beautiful!

Hakkaa Suction Breast Pump

This breast pump is only about $15, it’s super small and super handy. It’s not really something you’d use to actually pump, but I used it when I first started breastfeeding and I was in so much pain. It just suctions on so you can use it while you are breastfeeding. It’s really nice to use in a pinch!

Nursery Essentials:

Changing Basket:

The exact changing basket I have is sold out (I linked one similar), however I thought I should mention that I think a changing basket is essential because you don’t have to worry about them falling off. I’ve seen changing table set ups where you cannot leave their side for a second cause they could roll right off. It’s nice to be able to throw out their diaper etc. without worrying about them falling. Also, My changing basket came with a pad, but I put this changing mat on top because it’s wipeable!

Crib:

There’s a lot os expensive cribs out there, but honestly, a crib is a crib and you don’t need all that fancy stuff. This is probably the cheapest one of there, but I think it’s so pretty – we love it!

A Comfy Chair:

You’ll spend a lot of time feeding them, so you might as well be comfy! We have this chair that I nurse him in and I love it!

A Side Table:

This is something we got after Bekam was born cause I didn’t realize it was necessary, haha. A little side table beside your nursing chair is essential to put your water bottle, their pacifier, breast pump, burp cloths etc.

A Lamp:

Since you have to get up in the middle of the night to feed them, you don’t really want to turn on a bright light, so some sort of lamp is necessary. You could also make a cute terrazzo lamp with my tutorial 🙂

Baby Monitor

Okayyyy, so we tried three, yes, three different baby monitors, and this one was by far the best! It’s also reasonably priced which is a bonus! It has a physical monitor, as well as an app that you can check anywhere. We actually have the one that comes with two cameras, and we love it – we have one camera upstairs and one downstairs.

Happy Baby Essentials:

Bibs Pacifiers

Bekam LOVES these pacifiers, and I love them too cause they are so beautiful! I had two before he was born, and have now ordered more cause we love them so much and use them all the time, plus it’s nice to have them around the house for when you need one. They also come in a million colors!!

Gripe Water

I think this is kind of controversial, but gripe water works wonders! We don’t use it much, but we do give it to him sometimes when he is crying uncontrollably, and it seems like his stomach is upset, cause it settles their tummy. He LOVES it and is so happy when we give it to him.

Baby Bouncer (That’s not ugly):

I searched high and low for a baby bouncer that isn’t ugly or a million dollars. This one was truly the only one that fit the bill, I don’t looove how it looks, but it is nice looking! A bouncer is only essential when they’re older than a month in my opinion. But, you definitely need something where they can sit up, look around, and not fall asleep – ha! This bouncer is not anything to write home about, it only bounces manually, and there’s not much to it, but we do use it every single day.

Out & About Essentials:

Diaper Bag

The most beautiful diaper bag out there if you ask me! It’s definitely a splurge, but I wanted one that would last, would double as my purse, and that was functional and wasn’t ugly – ha! This one comes with a changing pad, and fits a laptop

Baby Wrap Carrier

Baby wearing is one of the things I was looking forward to the most. Now that I have a baby I am learning that he is happiest in the baby carrier! He sleeps SO well in it – the best! This one is SO pretty! I also just ordered THIS carrier because it looks like a wrap carrier but is FAR less complicated to put on!

Carseat & Stroller:

I wasn’t going to put this on here, but after talking to some moms when I’m out and about I realized that our stroller/carseat situation is pretty great. The one we got comes with a carseat, stroller that the carseat snaps into (SO easy), plus and bassinet and toddler seat attachment. We were going to get one of those fancy carseat/stroller in one situations, but we love that this one can grow with your kid. Plus the bassinet option is awesome for long walks, so that they can lie down.

Keepsake Essentials:

Memory Keepsake Box

Okay, maybe it’s not *essential* but gosh, I’m so glad I have it! You have to check it out! It’s so cool! There are little drawers to put keepsakes in, and folders as well, with labels to organize all your memories! I already have a little drawer full of hospital keepsakes! This is also the besttt baby gift!

Pregnancy, Baby & Childhood Journal

I have this baby book, that goes from pregnancy to age 18. It has a bunch of questions to answer to help you remember each stage, as well as spots for photos. I’ve been keeping up with it so far and love it! Plus it is SO beautiful – unlike regular baby books!

Cleaning Essentials:

Powdered Tide

The ONLY thing that takes out baby poop! We mix powdered tide with water to make a paste and then I put that on the stain, let it sit for 20 minutes and then wash it. Works. Like. Magic.

Baby Bath Support:

This goes right into your bath, and is basically a little chair for them to sit in. Bekam is happiest when he is getting a bath, and this little bath support is part of that! We also will put a towel on it to make it a little softer for him to sit on.

What You Don’t Need Right Away:

These are probably obvious, but you don’t need a lot of things right away cause they won’t be old enough to use them for awhile. You don’t need a nursing pillow, a play gym, baby swing, baby shoes, mobile, any sort of toys (duh), even though these stacking cups, this bunny, and these blocks are toooo cute! You also don’t need any bibs (also duh), or a highchair.

I hope this list of newborn baby must haves (that are actually cute) is helpful! A lot of these items are not things I would think that I would love or need! I also spent a lot of time finding beautiful versions, so I hope you appreciate that as much as I do, because hey, who says baby gear has to be ugly?! Anyways, if you have any more suggestions for what should be on this list let me know! Also, follow along on Instagram: @mikylacreates, cause I’ll share there whenever I come across any more must have baby items!