While this past year has, naturally, been a wonderful adventure as she’s watched her baby develop, Kennett acknowledges the familiar hurdles of bringing a newborn home for the first time.
“Once you leave the hospital and the euphoric feeling kind of dissolves into reality, it’s really intimidating,” she says. “There were many late-night runs to Walmart, CVS (or) Walgreen’s for all these things that we simply didn’t think to register for or know we would need.”
Her biggest “Aha!” moment was discovering how to clear her newborn’s congested nose.
Another mother mentioned the same challenge during a breastfeeding support meet-up, and the nurse leading the session suggested a straightforward fix: pick up a nasal aspirator, which extracts mucus from an infant’s nostrils.
It’s inexpensive and effective — yet many caregivers don’t even know it exists.
“You don’t register for that,” Kennett explains. “It’s not an adorable shower present, so nobody’s going to buy that.”
But… maybe someone ought to.
What Baby Stuff Do You Actually Need to Buy for a Newborn?
We know many new parents — and anyone shopping for a baby shower — likely wrestle with the same question.
What do youreallyneed tolook after a newborn?
We asked Savinly Readers in our Facebook community group about newborn essentials. Below are the items your fellow readers said are actually worth spending money on — even when the price seems steep.
1. Quality Car Seats, Strollers and Carriers
TPH Pinterest specialist Gretchen Lindow says, “Good car seats with the coordinating stroller! The car seat will click into the stroller making it way easier to use. Plus, safety is everything.”
Megan Durgin agrees, “A baby carrier, totally worth splurging!”
A solid baby “travel system” can cost between $200 and $500, so consider crowdsourcing this one on your baby shower registry.
2. Baby Swings and Bouncy Seats
“Mamaroo (baby swings and bouncy seats) saved our sanity!” says Emily Earll.
Lacey Keller notes the baby rocker “is amazing for babies who have acid reflux.”
Mamaroo at Target runs about $250, so you know Savinly Readers aren’t exaggerating when they call it essential.
3. Good Diapers
Kimberly Roldan says quality diapers and wipes are worth the extra money.
“Depending on sensitivity, some cause rashes and some don’t hold well,” she explains.
Manuela Hatler echoes this on diapers: “I always bought Pampers.” It’s not a place to economize.
If money’s tight, look into these nine ways to get totally free diapers and 31 ways to save on diapers and other baby essentials.
4. Comfortable Clothes for Mom
Many moms emphasized the importance of self-care items to preserve their sanity.
Lindow explains, “If you’re nursing, good nursing bras are absolutely worth the investment.”
Kennett concurs, “This might sound silly, but I lived in nursing tanks, because you don’t realize how tough it is. You have to dress for it. It’s so annoying.”
Kimberly Ann Elizabeth adds, “Comfy, stretchy bottoms for mom and some nice relaxed tops, nursing-friendly if nursing. (An) awesome comfortable rocker, small speaker/docking station for mom and baby.”
She also recommends subscription boxes to keep mom, dad and baby feeling loved. “Cookies, flowers, mommy ‘n’ baby stuff … It’s going to be a long journey, so giving affection year-round matters.”
5. Amazon Prime Membership
Many parents suggested a $99 yearlyAmazon Prime Membershipto help you stay stocked on essentials without having to gear up and go out with a newborn.
As a parent, you can also get Amazon Mom. It’s the same price as Prime but includes an extra 15% off baby items and 20% off diaper subscriptions, along with standard Prime perks.
“Amazon Mom subscription discounts, combined with savings on two-day shipping, will easily offset the $99 yearly fee in less than three months,” says The Unexpected Dad.
That membership can be handy for other odds and ends you’ll need as baby grows.
“Lots of different-sized clothes, because babies tend to grow exponentially in their first six months,” says Paulo Roldan.
Heather Zielinski advises, “Spend money on a reliable night-vision video monitor system” for your infant’s safety.
And don’t forget the nasal aspirator!
6. Support From Other Parents
The most important resource for new parents, Kennett says, is support.
And it doesn’t cost anything!
She suggests finding nearby Mommy and Me classes, parenting circles or your local La Leche League to meet fellow caregivers.
She also finds encouragement in parenting groups on Facebook, where new parents can ask questions and share experiences.
She stresses discovering a community, “because there are so many parents doing it alone or thinking they’re doing it all wrong. … They’re not doing it wrong. No one knows what they’re doing. I still don’t know what I’m doing. Every day is a guessing game.”
What Baby Must-Haves You Don’t Actually Have to Have
While preparing to launch her company, It Takes a Village, Kennett polled new parents to learn what they actually needed for newborn care.
The company offers bundles of items to help babies — and their parents — through the first 12 weeks. She was surprised to discover which items parents said were unnecessary.
The things Kennett’s study foundleastessential were:
1. Pacifiers
The most unexpected item Kennett omitted from her newborn bundle? A pacifier.
“Many babies won’t accept them, and many doctors advise against them,” she says. Plenty of parents she spoke with ended up with a stash of pacifiers their infants never used.
“Out of my mom group — there’s six of us — I’m the only one with a kid who used a pacifier,” Kennett explains. “They’re not as universal as you’d expect. I thought those would be flying off the shelves.”
2. Bottle Warmers
You don’t want to give your newborn fridge-cold milk, and worries about radiation or unsafe plastics often make parents avoid the microwave.
Still, caregivers report a bottle warmer isn’t worth the investment.
The appliance ranges from $20 to over $60 and merely warms a bottle with hot water and steam. You can do the same by setting a bottle in a mug or bowl of hot water.
3. Bassinets
A bassinet feels more decorative than essential these days.
The cheapest options cost around $100, while fancier ones can be two or three times that price.
“They grow out of bassinets so quickly,” says TPH photography director Sharon Steinmann. “I’d opt for a hand-me-down if you really want one.”
4. Wipe Warmers
This one’s debated. Although it scored as unnecessary overall in Kennett’s findings, some parents disagreed.
Cupler says he wishes his household had a wipe warmer, but they don’t.
“Those things (baby wipes) are coooooold, and can trigger a massive crying fit,” he explains.
Conversely, Steinmann says, “My baby didn’t care about cold wipes — but he was born in August,” so maybe his wipes weren’t that chilly.
At $20 to $30 for the device, you might wait until your baby’s “massive crying fit” convinces you you need one.
5. Car Seat Toys/Accessories
Attaching toys to your child’s car seat might seem like a smart way to amuse them and avoid losing tiny toys under the seats during drives.
But it could be hazardous, according to AAA.
“Using products that have not been tested with the car seat may interfere with how the seat was designed to perform in a crash,” AAA says in its car seat guide. “Loose items, such as mirrors, can also become dangerous projectiles in a sudden stop or collision.”
AAA recommends only using products that come with the seat or those endorsed by the manufacturer.
Still, you can probably skip the extra expense.
“My kids never paid much attention to car seat toys — they were about as interested as my cats are in their little plastic bell toys,” explains TPH writer Lisa McGreevy. “I just chatted at (my kids) or sang — poorly — with the radio to keep them amused.”
6. Portable Changing Pads
A portable changing pad may seem indispensable when you plan to leave the house.
At roughly $20 each and offered in fashionable “clutch” styles, they make popular shower gifts too.
But, “They’re really fat and bulky …,” Kennett notes. “Moms (in my research) disliked them, because they take up the whole diaper bag when you can just bring a diaper and a muslin blanket and change the baby on that or change them in the stroller.”
Your Turn: Which newborn items do you think are worth splurging on — and what baby gear should you skip to save money?
Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at Savinly. She’s contributed to Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, weaving humor in where she can (and sometimes where she shouldn’t).
