Helpful List of Things to Stock up on before Baby
Having a helpful list of things to stock up on before baby is essential.
You will be one busy mama when your newborn comes home from the hospital, so having some go-to items on hand will save you lots of time and stress.
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The very last thing you’ll want to do is stop at the store on the way home with the baby or have to make a special trip during that first week of postpartum healing.
While everyone is aware that you’ll need clothes, diapers, bottles, and food before the baby comes home, what about the not-so-obvious items?
That’s where this list will come in handy! It includes all the household items that you may not have thought of but will be so helpful once the baby arrives.
Before you head out, you may also want to read the 16 important last-minute things to do before baby arrives.
Things to stock up on before baby arrives
These items are the perfect things to check off your to-do list when you are in the nesting stage of your pregnancy and should probably be completed around the time you pack your hospital bag.
If you simply don’t have the time to get to the store, Amazon Prime to the rescue! You can find the majority of these recommendations there.
Household items for baby
Here is what you really need to have at home before the baby arrives.
Baby grooming: You’ll want to ensure you have those nail clippers handy because some babies are born with sharp little nails, so this is an essential item you should already have at home.
You may want to consider a grooming kit that includes nail clippers, a baby hairbrush, and a thermometer – all things you will need and use.
When it comes to the baby’s first bath, you’ll want a little hairbrush that is nice and gentle on the baby’s soft skin.
Baby washing: We are positive you’ve already got your baby bathtub and a good kids’ shampoo, but in case you haven’t, go get those things now.
The first week that you bring baby home, you’ll want to give her a nice little bath, and cover her in baby lotion after to keep that skin oh-so soft.
Diapers: Believe it or not, your baby might not fit newborn diapers. If they do fit, they likely won’t fit for very long, so it is a good idea to have a few different sizes of diapers on hand before the baby comes home.
Wipes: Trust us when we say you’ll want to have lots and lots of wipes on hand as well. You’ll be using them for bum changing as well as wiping surfaces that get messy throughout your entire house.
Formula: Even if you are planning to breastfeed, it’s not a bad idea to have a little bit of formula on hand before the baby comes. You never know if there will be a challenging feeding moment in the middle of the night and you’ll have no formula as a backup for the baby.
Spare the long night and have some formula on hand.
Pacifiers: If you will be giving your baby a pacifier, have them handy and ready to go in many parts of your home, because you never know which room you’ll be in and need a paci real quick.
Diaper cream: Babies develop diaper rashes really quickly so ensure you have a few tubs of cream at your disposal. You can always use Vaseline if you don’t have diaper cream, but this cream is our favorite.
Infants’ Tylenol: You never want to run out of infants’ Tylenol just in case baby suddenly gets a fever.
Gripe water: Gripe water can help relieve a baby’s tummy discomfort. Since you don’t want to run to the pharmacy in the middle of the night for this, you may want to consider buying some ahead of time.
Postpartum care
You’re also going to want to make sure you have all the things you’ll need at home for yourself when you bring the baby home.
Postpartum isn’t easy, but you can make it easier by having some of the essentials at home for a speedy recovery.
Peri-bottle: “Peri” is short for perineum. Since you will be squeezing a watermelon-sized human out of there, it is going to get swollen and tender, even if you do not receive stitches.
This is simply a squirt bottle that makes it easy for you to clean yourself after going to the bathroom. The hospital may or may not provide you with one of these, but it’s a good idea to have one in each bathroom of your home.
When it comes to using the peri bottle, simply fill it up with warm water and proceed to clean your wounded areas.
Perineal spray: Maybe you haven’t heard of this miracle spray, but it’s a lifesaver for the hoo-ha. You can use it for pain relief after childbirth.
Tucks pads: Childbirth may leave you with some burning and itching, and these Tucks pads can help relieve some of that discomfort. If you don’t want to purchase the pre-soaked pads, witch hazel on the pad or in your peri bottle will work as well.
Stool softener: Postpartum bowl movements – A very uncomfortable subject. Since it can be painful, stool softeners are going to be a must-have item for postpartum care.
Disposable mesh underwear: After delivery, you will bleed a fair number.
Postpartum bleeding can last up to 6 weeks and is fairly heavy for the first 10 days after delivery. With all of this bleeding, you chance ruining your regular underwear with bloodstains.
Mesh undies aren’t beautiful, but they will be lifesaving when the hospital doesn’t let you bring extra underwear home with you! This disposable underwear will save your regular underwear.
Supportive undies: Large and comfortable underwear is going to be your best friend when you’re all done with the disposable mesh ones.
Again, postpartum bleeding lasts weeks, and you’re going to want to be comfortable through that entire time! Supportive underwear is especially important if you’re having a c-section. Choose undies that are supportive and high-waisted so you can avoid that tender incision spot.
Pads: You’re going to need lots of pads! Most women have no idea how much bleeding will happen after delivery, but you are going to need about 6 weeks’ worth of pads.
Having two or three packs of heavy-flow pads will be very helpful since you will be needing to change your pad every two hours in the first few days postpartum.
Breastfeeding supplies: A breast pump, breast pads, nipple cream, and nursing tanks will be very essential to your breastfeeding journey.
If you plan to breastfeed, make sure your breastfeeding needs are fulfilled. We would also recommend gel pads to make the breast pain more manageable when the milk comes in.
Don’t forget to ask your hospital to help you with breastfeeding before you go home so that you have a better grasp of it.
You may also want to see if your local hospital can provide you with information on lactation consultants, or look online for some breastfeeding classes to get the help you need when learning how to breastfeed your newborn.
If you’re looking for an online class recommendation – The Ultimate Breastfeeding Class is an excellent choice!
Cleaning Supplies
Since there will still be household chores to do, you can make it a bit easier on yourself and your partner by making sure you have all the supplies needed once you bring baby home.
Here are a few items you’ll probably need:
Multi-purpose cleaner: Since you are bringing in a baby to the home, you might want to consider using non-toxic and natural cleaners if you aren’t already. You’ll want a few bottles of multipurpose cleaner on hand. This one is a good one, and it smells like lemons.
Laundry soap: Next, make sure you have plenty of detergent on hand. Again, you may want to go with a more natural option that will be gentle on baby’s sensitive skin.
You may also want to grab some baby stain remover as well.
Dishwashing tabs/dish soap: The last thing you want is to be out of dishwashing detergent or soap, especially if you have bottles to wash!
Also don’t forget to gran a good bottle cleaning brush.
Trash bags: Garbage bags, recycling bags, compost bags, all the bags – Make sure you’re stocked up! This also includes extra bags for your diaper pail if you have one in the nursery. Those fill up quickly when your baby uses 8-12 diapers a day.
Wool dryer balls: Dryer sheets are not recommended for baby clothing, so it’s a nice idea to have some wool balls around for the baby stuff.
Cleaning wipes: Whether you’re Clorox or Lysol fans, it’s never too much trouble to be able to quickly disinfect your countertops and other frequently used surfaces as a busy new mom.
Paper towels: Paper towels are easy to use and throw away, and there will be a lot of things for you to quickly wipe up, so you cannot have too many paper towels with a newborn baby in the house.
You can also use UNpaper towels, just be sure to have lots of rags around that are clean and ready to go.
Bathroom
Along with your postpartum items, you’ll want to have a bathroom that has everything you need to stock up on before the baby arrives.
Toilet paper: You can never have too much toilet paper. Right?
Shower supplies: You’re going to want to have your shampoo, body wash/soap, and conditioner all fully stocked before baby comes because you never know when you’ll get a chance to shower and you do not want to be out of shampoo when you finally get that chance.
Toothpaste: Toothpaste is another household one of those things to stock up on before baby arrives.
Dry shampoo: Dry shampoo is a new parent’s best friend!
Extra things to stock up on before baby
Sometimes you’ll need a little entertainment/helping hand when you’re home with the baby and these are going to help you with that.
Batteries: For anything baby needs such as a swing, baby monitor, a baby gym, bassinet or a vibrating chair that doesn’t have a plug – You’ll want these on hand.
Books on parenting: What to expect your first year is an excellent book to help you get through the first year.
Thank-you cards: You’ll likely receive gifts after the birth of your baby and having thank-you cards on hand will save you another trip to the store.
Kitchen
While you may be stocked up on cleaning supplies and trash bags, there are also some things you can do in the kitchen to make life with a newborn more simple.
Freezer meals: Make your own or get a kit, but have some easy make-ahead meals on hand so you’re not scrambling to make dinner with a newborn every day.
Simple snacks: Snacks that you can grab and go are essential.
Pantry staples: Whatever your family eats on a regular basis, make sure to be fully stocked. Think bread, peanut butter, coffee, pasta, pasta sauces, cereal, crackers, tea, sugar, honey, salt etc.
You’re going to want to make sure you have plenty of snacks on hand if you’re planning on nursing.
Those are the top things to stock up on before baby, but there are also some things you can do to make sure you’re prepared. Be sure to read over those here if you haven’t already.
Tips
- Make sure you aren’t overstocking on items you already have. It can be tempting to load up on everything, but if you already have enough of something, you don’t need to buy more.
- Stock up for at least one month of supplies. The first month is the hardest and it seems to be the longest as well.
- Use a list. If you are still early in your pregnancy, make a list of the things you need and start stockpiling your items little by little.
- Only stock up on items you know you will need. Don’t purchase items that you know you will not use so that you can minimize the clutter in your home.
If you are getting close to your due date, run an inventory and ensure you have enough toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and other supplies that you might have stocked up on but started using already.
Hopefully you found this list of the top things to stock up on before baby helpful!
From clothes and diapers to cleaning supplies and food, make sure you check off everything on this list so that you can focus on bonding with your new baby.
Is there anything you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments!
