12 Household Essentials to Stock Up On Before Baby Arrives

Preparing for your first baby can feel like a never-ending to-do list. You’re researching everything from car seats to breastfeeding, but what about your home? If you’re looking up household items to stock up on before baby, you’re already thinking like a smart, intentional mom — and you’re in the right place.

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While baby gear gets a lot of attention, the real magic happens when your home is prepped to support your recovery and your daily rhythm with a newborn. Because when your house is running smoothly, you can focus on what matters most: healing, bonding, and settling into new motherhood with confidence.

In this guide, I’m breaking down the 12 must-have household essentials to stock up on before baby arrives —things that often get overlooked in the excitement of cute newborn clothes and nursery decor. These are the practical, everyday items that will make life easier in those foggy, beautiful, and sleep-deprived first few weeks postpartum.

And if you’re someone who loves to be fully prepared and organized (I see you), I’ve created a free resource that pairs perfectly with this post: the Baby Prep Paperwork Planner. It walks you through all the key paperwork and tasks you’ll want to take care of during pregnancy and in right after baby is born — from hospital forms and insurance to family leave and baby’s birth certificate. Grab your free copy and take the guesswork out of the admin side of baby prep.

Why This Kind of Prep Matters

These things to stock up on before baby might seem small, but they add up in a big way. Having your home ready with the basics creates a sense of calm and order when everything else feels new. You don’t want to be thinking about paper towel shortages or missing soap when you’re running on 2 hours of sleep.

Preparing your space is more than just stocking shelves — it’s about creating an environment that supports you.

That’s why I created my step-by-step baby prep course for first time moms who want to go into motherhood feeling clear, confident, and prepared. We cover exactly how to prepare your home (without overbuying or overthinking), how to get feeding — breastfeeding and pumping — off to a strong start, and what to expect in those critical first days after birth.

Now, let’s talk about what to actually stock up on before baby arrives.

Household Items to Stock Up On Before Baby

1. Dishwashing soap

   Stock up on liquid dish soap and dishwasher pods. Pods are a game-changer when you’re one-handed with a baby on your hip.

2. Cleaning supplies for bottles and breast pump parts

   Wash bottles and pump parts in a separate bowl or bin with a bottle brush to help eliminate the risk of bacteria and contamination. Dapple bottle soap is my favorite soap to use for bottles and pump parts, along with the Dr. Brown’s bottle brush and this Munchkin bottle drying rack.

3. Ziploc bags and plastic containers

   Check your container storage supply and make sure to get freezer bags and cling wrap to save leftovers from meals. I also recommend getting a couple boxes of gallon size Ziploc bags. I used these to store my breast pump parts between pump sessions and to store various baby items such as the manuals for all of my baby products.

4. Paper towels

   There will be lots of little messes and these make clean up easy.

5. Toilet paper

   No explanation needed here. Stock up.

6. Hand soap

   It makes me happy to make a special trip to Bath & Body Works to stock up on my favorite seasonal scents. Whatever kind of hand soap use, make sure you have enough on hand to get you through the first few months postpartum.

7. Laundry soap and stain remover

   Baby spit ups and blowouts make for a lot of laundry during those early newborn days. Babies = laundry. Whether it’s spit-up, diaper blowouts, or milk spills, you’ll be doing laundry daily. Make sure you’re fully stocked on detergent, stain remover, and fabric softener.

   Want to save on laundry? Check out my favorite wipeable changing pad - no changing and washing changing pad covers with this one!

8. Sanitizing wipes

   Look for gentle sanitizing wipes that are safe to use around baby. These are perfect for wiping down surfaces, changing areas, and high-touch spots like remotes, door handles, and your phone.

9. Trash bags

   You’ll need more than you think — between regular household trash and diaper changes, stock up on bags for the kitchen, bathrooms, and diaper pail if you’re using one.

10. Tylenol or Ibuprofen

    This goes for both you and baby. You may need pain relief during your postpartum recovery, and having infant Tylenol on hand for your little one is smart for those inevitable middle-of-the-night fevers. (Pro tip: add it to your baby registry.) For a full list of baby meds to have ready, download my Baby Registry Checklist.

11. Toiletries and beauty items

    Now’s the time to stock up on your daily-use items so you’re not running to the store with a newborn. Think soap, lotion, dry shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, makeup, and skincare. Include any postpartum essentials like nipple cream too.

12. Coffee

    This one is obvious, right??

📝Don’t forget to Grab Your Baby Prep Paperwork Planner — Stay ahead of the game with this free printable guide to the paperwork, tasks, and decisions you’ll need to handle before and after baby arrives. Perfect for planner-type moms who love feeling organized and ahead of schedule.