Babies are teeny tiny, but the amount of things they need is BIG! But, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed if you stick to the essentials, and consider everything else as a want, not a need!

To make it easier for you, we’ve put together an all-you-need-to-know Ultimate List of Newborn Baby Essentials. From bath time to bed time we’ve thought of everything, so you don’t have to!

Baby Essentials: Nursery

What You NEED:

A baby-friendly place for your bub to sleep – such as a bassinet, cradle or cot

We used a bassinet or Moses basket for our baby for the first few weeks. We found this was cosier and compact while baby is still very small.

We then graduated onto a cradle – which I have to say was one of our best purchases ever. If baby (and you) are having a bad day, it’s really easy to give the cradle a few rocks to (hopefully) coax bub to sleep.

After a few months, we then moved baby into a full-sized cot. We picked a cot that could convert into a toddler bed, which is really handy when it’s time to move your toddler into a ‘big-kids’ bed.

Mattress and linen

Whether you are using a bassinet, cradle or crib, you will need a firm, flat mattress that fits snugly in the cot or cradle.

Make sure you buy a new mattress for your baby. Even if you are keen to save money with a pre-loved cot, turf the old mattress and buy a new one.

You will also need, preferably cotton, and linen for the cot or bassinet (fitted sheet and mattress protectors). It’s probably best to get three sets – one for current use, one in the wash and another for nighttime emergencies.

Nice But NOT Essential

Feeding chair – we bought a plush padded rocking chair, which was my saviour during those long nights of feeding. It’s certainly not essential to have a special chair but it sure makes those midnight feeds more comfortable.

Change Table – you can essentially change a nappy anywhere, but it is easier on your back if you can fit a change table into the nursery. Many change tables come with drawers or places to store nappies, wipes and other baby essentials. We actually had one on wheels – which was so convenient as we just wheeled it around the house whenever we needed it.

Baby Monitor – I’m one of those anxious mums so a baby monitor was it my ‘baby essentials’ list. I bought the most advanced model I could afford with video and breathing monitoring to put my mind at ease. You really don’t need to go all out as I did and can just buy a simple sound monitor which will just alert you if your bub is crying. Just make sure that the range and frequency will work adequately in your home environment.

Toy/Book Storage – We had a basket that we filled with an assortment of baby toys and also a small bookshelf (secured firmly to the wall) in which we stored a variety of baby books.

Baby Essentials: Nappy Changing

What You NEED

Nappies – there is such a large variety of nappies you can pick from and you can opt for either disposables or cloth nappies, regular nappies or nappy pants. If you’re going with disposable, be sure not to buy too many boxes of one size as your baby may grow out of them before you can worth through them. If cloth is your choice, it’s a good idea to start with around 24 nappies and see how that goes.

Nappy wipes – Get a pop-top nappy wipe dispenser and just re-fill this when the wipes run out. There are many varieties of nappy wipes available. You may need to test out what works best with your bub’s skin as some may have added chemicals that could cause your baby’s skin to react. We prefer alcohol-free wipes that are on the thicker side and delicately scented. It’s also good to get a portable nappy wipe container to change nappies while you’re out and about.

Nappy Bags – You will need a generous collection of small nappy bags to hold the dirty nappies and wipes. Simply tie off the bags and pop them in the bin (or the special nappy receptacles in parents’ rooms).

Barrier Cream – Nappy rash cream is essential to keep babies’ bottoms soft and protect them from chafing and nappy rash. You may need to experiment with a few brands to find the one that works best for your baby.

Nice But NOT Essential

Waterproof changing table pad – this usually fits onto of the changing table but you can also remove it and place it on the floor

Portable changing mat – We had a small changing mat that folded up and fitted easily into our baby backpack. This is great if you need to change baby while you’re out and allows you to avoid changing bub on the ground. Many nappy bags come with changing mats.

Paper changing mats – We also bought a heap of disposable paper changing pads which we placed on top of the changing table. This way if baby soiled the change table, we could easily just throw away the paper on top, rather than having to sanitise the change table every time.

Nappy bag – Pick a bag that is big enough to house the essentials but not too ginormous. It should have a number of pockets, compartments and a ‘wet area’. Our choice was always a baby nappy backpack as it was easy to transport.

Baby Essentials: Bath

What You NEED

Baby Bath – it’s best if you can find one with a plug so you can easily run the water out.

Water – we just washed our baby with water and a washcloth for the first year. It really is not necessary to use any kind of soap in the early days.

Washcloths – a simple cotton washcloth is perfect.

Baby Shampoo – We love Euky Bear’s new Hair & Body Wash! It’s naturally cleansing, dermatologist approved, soap and tear free and pH balanced. And it does double duty, gently cleansing baby’s hair and skin.

Baby Wash – If you want to start using something stronger than water to wash bub’s body, make sure you pick unscented, natural for your baby’s delicate skin. Euky Bear has just three gorgeous new bath products for little ones – Vapour Bath Sleepy Time, Vapour Bath Sniffly Nose and Bubble Bath Naturally Gentle. We love that you can tailor your bub’s bath to whatever the day has had in store – whether you need to calm with naturally derived magnesium and organic lavender, or help clear a little nose with eucalyptus. And of course, if you just want some fun, there’s also the bubble bath option!

Baby massage / moisturiser – One of our favourite bonding moments was the gentle massage we gave baby after the bath. There is really nothing technical to this – it’s simply gently rubbing the body. If you’re not sure, simply search YouTube for baby massage techniques for an instant demo. The massage really relaxed baby and put her in the zone for a good sleep. Euky Bear Body Lotion is perfect for this relaxing routine. It’s enriched with organic Kakadu Plum, Rosehip and Jojoba oil plus Vitamin E which helps to hydrate and help skin retain its natural moisture for eight hours.

Hooded baby towel – Wet babies can be as slippery as eels. We found a baby hooded towel really easy to use. It’s a great way to keep bub warm after a bath as heat easily escapes from the head.

NICE But NOT Essential

Bath ramp – When bub was about four months, we moved her out of the baby tub onto the bath rump, which we placed inside a bath. This was an easier way to wash baby without fear of her slipping into the water.

Bath seat – Our bath seat was loved by both bub and parents. As soon as baby can sit confidently, we moved her into a bath seat. This gave her more freedom, while still secure, and it’s much easier to get to those hard-to-reach-spots to wash clean.

Baby Nail clippers or scissors – Buy specially designed nail clippers or scissors for baby, to make the nail cutting process less traumatic for all involved.

Baby hair brush or comb – You can get special hairbrushes with soft bristles, perfect for those first few months while baby’s hair is still quite sparse.

Baby Essentials: Clothes

What You NEED

Onesies/Bodysuits – In the early days, my bub practically lived in these. They are the easiest clothes as they clip together between the legs so they are easy put on and off and you don’t have to remove all bub’s clothes to change nappies. For me, a variety of onesies is top of my baby essentials list for clothes.

Sun hat – It’s never too early to protect baby from the sun. Make sure your baby’s hat has a wide brim for maximum protection.

Jacket or Cardigan – You really only need one or two jackets for baby for cooler weather.

Singlets – these are great in warm weather and can add an extra layer for colder days.

Socks – buy a few pairs for baby socks. Be aware that baby socks always seem to go missing or your pairs are mismatched so buy enough socks.

Swaddles – we used swaddles to wrap baby up for sleep. We then graduated onto sleep suits for a more comfortable sleep.

NICE But NOT Essential

Cute clothes – There are so many adorable baby clothes out there – gorgeous dresses for little girls and the cutest shorts and tees for boys. So if you enjoy dressing up bub, by all means change them out of their onesie for some variety.

Baby Essentials: Feeding

What You NEED

Breast pads if you’re breastfeeding – Disposable breast pads are great to stop milk leakage onto your clothes. The ones that have a sticky patch at the back of the pad, which secure to the inside of your bra.

Bottles, teats and steriliser – If you are bottle feeding, you will need a few feeding bottles, the right sized teat to provide the correct milk flow as well as a steriliser (microwave or stand-alone) to clean the bottles properly.

Formula – If you’re bottle feeding, you will also need age-appropriate formula for your baby.

NICE But NOT Essential

Feeding pillow – You could use a pillow from your bed to rest baby on while you’re feeding, however the specially-designed ergonomic feeding pillows are more comfortable to use.

Baby scales: If you really want or need to keep an eye on how much weight your baby is gaining, your own set of baby scales is so handy.

Baby Essentials: Health

What You NEED

A good thermometer – We opted for the best termometer we could afford and it has lastest many years. A good thermometer is an investment in your well-being as well as baby’s – there is nothing more stressful than getting an inaccurate temperature reading. We prefer a digital in-ear thermometer but there are many to choose from.

Steam humidifier or vaporiser: Steam vaporisers and humidifiers add extra moisture to the air to help clear stuffy noses. 

Baby fever medication – Our pick was Baby Dymadon for fevers but you could also use Panadol or Nurofen from certain ages.

Nasal Aspirator – This is essential if your baby has a cold. We’ve put together a list of the best baby snot suckers to make your search easier!

What Else Is On Our Baby Essentials List…

Then there are those miscellaneous items that have to be added to the list. They include:

• Pram or Stroller
• Baby Car Seat or Capsule
• Sling or Pouch to carry baby in
• Sun shades for the car windows
• Bouncer seat
• Activity Centre
• Baby Mat
• Swing

Have we left anything out of our list of baby essentials? Tell us in the comments below.