What do I need to buy for a newborn baby?

Finn is 5 weeks old now. As first-time parents it has inevitably been quite the eye-opener. Constant googling of questions – What should a baby wear at night? How do we do tummy time? When will a baby sleep through the night?! Is x y z normal? Basically, how to survive the first few weeks with a newborn.

It’s a new world of shopping too. I found a lot of baby shopping lists online but none that were that comprehensive or shared by people like us and therefore I trusted (if we’re going to characterise, let’s say 33-year-old first-time parents, living in London or recently moved to the coast, weekends spent eating almond croissants / training for a triathlon / exploring antiques markets etc). A lot of our friends and family have already had children, so we asked them what their essential baby items were. And then greedily asked for the rest of their newborn baby shopping list. This was so helpful for us, so we wanted to pull it together into an ultimate list for others...

A round-up of essential newborn baby items, as suggested for you by people like you. The ultimate baby list based on the recent experience of first-time parents. We hope it’s useful if you’re expecting a baby soon yourself or if you’re looking for a gift for a first-time parent.

Hand in hand with this goes the ‘what do I need as a new parent’ list – think nipple shields and COOK meals – you can find this list separately on our blog.

Essential newborn baby items

• Pram (and all the bits e.g. rain cover, pram organiser, water bottle holder, string of toys – recommend Little Dutch toys from Natural Baby Shower)
• Next-to-me crib (we went for Joie Go Roomie as it doubles up as a travel cot)
• Moses basket (so you know you’ve got a safe, cosy place to pop baby down whichever room you’re in)
• Comfy carrier (we inherited an Artipoppe one but they’re on the pricey side – check out Vinted for second-hand options)
• Sling (we went with Freerider, it’s great, especially until Finn is big enough for the carrier which is not recommended until 2-3 months old)
• Car seat (it’s illegal to leave the hospital without one so needs to be fitted and tested ahead of due date)
• Nursing pillow (I love our Avery Row one, spotted in every photo of Finn!)
• Baby bath (we inherited an Angelcare soft touch bath which works well for us)
• Bath & room thermometer (so you’re confident that the bath water is the best temperature and so you know how many layers to dress baby in at night time)
• White noise machine (new level of deep sleep unlocked for all!)
• Baby gym & playmat (I recommend Natural Baby Shower for non-plastic options)
• Cellular blanket (take a look at Little Green Sheep organic ones in particular)
• Muslins (of course lots of NINA muslins!)
• Sleeping bag (ensure you have the right tog for your room temperature – we are using a cute Mamas & Papas 2.5 tog one currently)
• Baby wardrobe = onesies / sleep suits, long-sleeved & short-sleeved body suits, leggings, tops, jumpers, sun hat / beanie, socks. A range of brands and sizes is useful as fit differs a lot.
• Towel (we have a cute one with little ears – take a look at Mamas & Papas and The Little White Company)
• Nappies (we’ve found the best to be Peachies or Kit & Kin)
• Nappy cream (we’ve tried various and settled on a favourite of Neal’s Yard baby barrier cream + Sudocrem for any slightly redder bits)
• First aid supplies (not yet opened but we’ll inevitably need it one day)
• Calpol (our midwife recommended having this to hand ready for Finn’s 8-week jabs)
• Snot sucker upper – who would have thought a nasal aspirator would make the list!

 Handy but not essential newborn baby items

• Bouncer (we inherited a BabyBjorn one, Finn enjoys going in there in the kitchen when we’re cooking, Jazz FM on in the background)
• Nappy bin (go for the Korbell ones)
• Moses basket stand (makes it easier to pop baby in & out of basket, also useful if you have a dog so baby can be saved from doggy kisses)
• Baby monitor (we got a simple one for £10 off of Vinted, have used it a handful of times so far)
• Travel changing mat & disposable changing mats (great when you’re doing a nappy change out and about)

Nice-to-have newborn baby items

• Toy subscription (e.g. LoveVery)
• Cashmere blanket (we received a personalised one as a gift, it’s so lovely and practical too since it helps to regulate baby’s temperature)
• Baby osteopath session (we haven’t done this yet but was recommended, especially if there’s intervention during the birth)
• Owlet (depends how much you want to know and whether it will up new parent anxiety, but essentially, it’s like a fitness tracker for babies)
• Rockit rocker (encourages sleep by creating sense of motion for baby)
• Snoo crib (expensive but a friend swears by it!)

We hope this list is helpful, whether you're a new parent yourself or considering the best gift for that upcoming baby shower.

We would also love to know if you would add anything else to this list based on your own experience! Let us and others know your thoughts.

Happy shopping xoxo