Newborn Essentials: A Mom’s Checklist!

We came home from a big shopping of newborn essentials yesterday, and boy, it was tiring, overwhelming (and costly), but fulfilling and exciting at the same time! It felt like five years ago when Alex and I shopped for our firstborn Kyle.

Since it has been 5 loong years (which by the way flew by in just a swift), we no longer  have most of the items that we bought and borrowed for our firstborn since we gave them away already (and have served the other lovely babies in the family so well). We still have a few favorites of Kyle’s apparel though (which were nicely packed in his box), and we will soon be using them for his little bro’s pictorial. The only stuff that we didn’t need to buy again are some clothing lovingly showered to the baby, the nursery linens and the apothecary kit.

And because Alex and I are hopeful to give our little darling on the way the best possible start in life, we’re making sure to give him his basic needs (and lots of love of course!). So what were the items the momma here shopped? Here are the newborn essentials I’ve listed!

APPAREL
18 tie-sides (I loved using tie-sides with my first-born, so practical and easy to use! For the baby on the way, I bought 4 long-sleeve, 6 short-sleeve and 10 sleeveless tie-sides in white and beige from Beginnings Baby and Lulu.)
5 one-piece sleepers (Chicco and Mothercare)
5 pajama pants (Chicco)
6 pairs of booties and mittens (Lulu)
4 bonnets (Mothercare)
6 pairs of socks (Mothercare)
3 burp pads (Yes, just three! I prefer using the gauze cloth diapers as burp pads, they’re longer and softer!)
2 sleepsack (I will use Halo sleepsack!)

 

I found this cute inforgrafic online from babyregistry.com. Just cross out the winter apparel part since it’s not applicable here in the Philippines!

DIAPERS
disposable diapers (Newborns poop several times in a day so we have to stock up!haha)
24 cloth diapers (I prefer gauze, I again bought from Enfant where I purchased Kyle’s because they lasted for years!)
nappy clamps
6 adjustable cloth diapers plus extra microfiber inserts (I got them from Babyleaf. I haven’t tried adjustable cloth diapers with Kyle, what other great brands do you suggest?)

NURSERY LINEN
fitted sheets (I didn’t have to buy these, we’re using Kyle’s)
comforters and pillows (I only bought 1 set with matching pillows because again, I will be using Kyle’s but you’ll be needing at least three!)
3 crib blankets
5 receiving blankets (Carters)
2 waterproof sheets (Mothercare)
4 pillow cases

BATHING AND GROOMING ACCESSORIES
4 wash cloths
4 hooded towels
bath tub (I bought a foldable tub from Safety 1st because we don’t have the space for the bulky one! It’s the kind of tub that doesn’t need a support net.)
1 sponge/mitt
1 nail cutter
1 organizer tray
1 hairbrush and comb
1 finger toothbrush
2 bath towels
(I got everything listed above at SM  Baby Company)

TOILETRIES
liquid bath
baby shampoo
wipes
bottle cleanser
cotton balls
cotton ear buds
cotton nose buds
diaper rash cream
(I got everything listed above at SM  Baby Company)

APOTHECARY
1 digital thermometer

BREASTFEEDING
nursing pads
breast pump  (Update: I first purchased a manual Avent pump but ended up buying a Medela because I had a hard time expressing milk using it.)
nipple cream
breast wipes
1 nursing pillow (I haven’t bought one yet!)
milk storage bags (I recommend Honeysuckle Breastmilk Storage Bags!)
storage bottles
4 feeding bottles (It’s also nice to have these especially when you go out without the baby or when you work away from home. I only got 4 bottles because I stay at home most of the time, hence the baby will always be breastfed directly. I recommend Avent, Kyle’s was Dr. Brown’s but the straw was difficult to clean.)

TRAVEL
1 portable crib (Kyle used Graco’s Pack and Play lent to us by my sister-in-law but since it had been used (and abused) practically by all the babies in the clan (they’re 4!), sira na.Hahaha! We bought a Graco Pack and Play, the one with napper and diaper changer! I also recommend this for those living in small homes like ours! )
1 nursery bag
1 car seat
1 stroller (My husband wanted a lighter stroller so we bought a new one (The stroller that Kyle used was from Safety 1st). We got a Maclaren Techno XT for the little darling because we’re planning to travel a bit as a family when the baby arrives. I am excited na! I love the stroller, it’s so easy to fold and it weighs just 6.8kg. I hope the baby will love it, too! Easy for us to just load it in the trunk of the car when we lakwatsa!heheeee! The purchase was actually a battle between Mamas and Papas Armadillo and the Techno XT but then again, that’s going to be another blog for another day!)

 

So that’s the long list. And we’re 99% done with the shopping. We are so ready, baby! Stay healthy, Okay? We can’t wait to meet you! =)