5 Items You’d Never Know You’d Need to Prepare for Baby
I LOVE talking about the classic baby items like baby swings, bouncers, cute baby clothes, and bottles. And if you’re like me, you have to research every single baby product through and through before making a decision so that you know you are choosing the best option. If you are in the process of building your baby registry, I highly recommend you get my free Ultimate Baby Registry Checklist. This will full prepare you with everything you need for life with a newborn baby, including all of the classic baby products mentioned above, as well as nursery essentials (like the Keekaroo changing pad), feeding supplies, postpartum care, and more. No need to stress in the chaos and overwhelm of baby product land - I got you!
In addition to the typical baby essentials, there are other more uncommon items you’re likely not thinking of to help prepare for baby, and that’s why I’m here. Many of these items were gifted to me as a first time mom by other seasoned moms, and I want to pass the love on to you, Mama! You may not need all of these, but I want to make you aware of what I found helpful so that you can make your own decision and plan accordingly. You can add any of these to your baby registry or purchase them for yourself. Amazon Baby Registry is particular about what you can use your registry completion discount on, but Target Baby Registry will let you use your registry discount on anything. If available, I advise you to put these on your Target baby registry so that you can get them for 15% off retail price.
Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links but all of the opinions are my own. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I’m referring you to my favorite things and other top recommendations for Moms. By you shopping through these links I may collect a small commission without you paying a penny more. I greatly appreciate your support of me, my family, and this blog!
Items you need as a first time mom to prepare for a new baby
Extension cords - Whenever you have a baby you all of the sudden have a lot of things to plug in. A sound machine, baby monitor, breast pump, and phone charger are just a few to be named, We needed two extension cords, one in our bedroom and one in the nursery, to accommodate all of our baby items.
Night lights - Night time wake ups and feeds mean you will be stumbling around the house in the dark multiple times at night. I love using night lights because they allow enough light that you can see where you’re going but not too much light that they blind you and your baby, or wake you up more than you need to be. I put a night light in our bathroom, in our kitchen (for when I went to store the milk I caught in my Haaka or Elvie Curve), and downstairs in the hallway and bathroom for our family who came to stay with us after the baby was born.
Large cup with a straw - Breastfeeding makes you SO thirsty! Like I’m talking I could finish an entire 40 oz. cup of water while I was feeding the baby… and then get up and drink some more water. It’s wild. Treat yourself with a new cup in a lively print or your favorite color! It doesn’t need to be a straw cup, but let’s face it, straw cups are just more fun to drink out of. I love this Simple Modern 40oz Tumbler.
Individually packaged snacks - Breastfeeding also makes you super hungry. It’s way more intense than pregnancy hunger! Individually packaged snacks are easy to grab and go. I really like nuts and granola bars because they are healthy and filling. You could even make your own trail mix and package it in little baggies. I recommend stocking up on snacks before the baby arrives and placing them in various places around your house so that they are accessible wherever you are feeding baby. I kept a container of snacks in my nursing cart, which would move around with me from the nursery to our bedroom to the living room. I also keep snacks for both me and my now toddler daughter in the diaper bag and car.
Storage totes - I put storage totes on my baby registry and was thankful to have them prior to the baby being born so that I could store larger sized clothing and extra baby items I wasn’t quite ready to use yet. I find that 30 quart storage totes work well for shoes and 64 to 70 quart totes work well for storing baby clothes and other items.
Were you surprised by any of these? I know for me, I had no idea how much these five items would come in handy as a new mom!
P.S. If you have friends or family expecting a baby too, these items can make a thoughtful unexpected gift for a baby shower or for dropping off at the house along with a cute baby outfit after the baby comes.
