Top 10 Baby Needs for Newborns

After having 6 babies in 7 years, you become a minimalist when it comes to baby gear. I know what I need and what I don't. . .and there's A LOT of what I don't and a small amount of what I do. Some of the needs are obvious, but I will list them anyways.

My Top 10 Newborn Baby Must Haves: (Not in any order)

Diapers: I suggest cloth. They just hold the newborn poops SO much better then disposables. If you use disposables and find a problem with poopsplosions, I suggest putting a diaper cover over the top of it to contain messes! Super easy and well worth the price. (Of course you will need wipes as well, if you do use cloth I suggest cloth wipes!)

Baby Carrier: This is the only way I can get things done 1/2 the time) I suggest the Sleepy Wrap at first, it is SO comfortable and my babies adore it. Its very easy to use once you get the hang of it. If you want one carrier to last from birth to toddler, then I sugges the Beco Gemini.

Bouncy Seat : I use this instead of a swing, because its more compact and portable. It is easy to move from room to room without taking up much space. This doesnt need to be expensive or the fanciest one on the market. The basic ones work just as well!

Carseat: Of course! I prefer the infant seats that go up to 30 or 35 lbs because they can be used so much longer. The shell is bigger and allows for a bigger baby. When you have 4 kids in carseats like I do, its very nice to have longer before you need to move them to a convertible seat. We have a Graco Safeseat, and it's held up through 3 kids no problem! (And I suggest a shower cap style carseat cover for winter to keep baby warm! I love mine!)

Blankers and Burp Cloths : I like to have at least 3 soft warm blankets (so I have one when 2 are washing :) ) . All my babies overeat and spit up. It happens and its nice to have a supply of clean ready to wipe baby off cloths.

Baby Clothes : You really dont need much. I'd say about 10 outfits/sleepers and onesies and you'd be good to go. Socks and Hats are a need as well! Any more then this is just extras.

Diaper Bag : I admit this area is a personal preference. I want mine to be "cute". And, after having lots of baby I have settled on using a more expensive but better quality bag that can go through the washer easily, and hold up over time. My top pick is a JuJuBe. They are $$$ up front but I have a seceret: sign up on the site for the forums (The Pink Room) and buy it used! I got mine for $40 including shipping! Not too bad

Pack and Play with Bassinet: These are just awesome to have. My babies usually sleep in them, in the bassinet, in our room the first 6 - 10 months or so. And of course they are great for bringing to friends houses for a portable place for your baby to sleep that smells and feels like home.

Baby Wash: When babies are tiny I prefer a natural baby soap that is gentle on their skin and unlikley to have any adverse affects or allergies from it. My top pick is Dr. Bronners. (If you are in an area where Azure Standard delievers, it's cheapest through them!)

Nursing Cover: I love the ones with the opening on the top so you can see your baby. Makes it so easy when they are newborns and still learning to get a quick good latch.

Things I dont need:
- Baby Swing
- Full Size Crib: (At least not right away. I dont need this till they are about 6-12 months old, depending on the baby. Before that they sleep in the portacrib bassinet)
- Recieving Blankets: I never use them for actual blankets, only for spit up.
- Pacifiers: My kids never take them. My first few babies, I bought some hoping they'd use them eventually. They never did. The ones that needed to calm that sucking urge found their thumbs, but would never take a pacifier.
- Bottles: If you plan on breastfeeding 100% of the time, they may just sit in the cupboard. If you plan on pumping and freezing milk then they may come in handy, but for me they just take up unneeded space.
- Electric Breast Pump: I stay at home with my babies and breastfeed full time. I did need a double pump for my premies, but my hospital provided that. If for some reason your baby had feeding problems this would be a need. But for the average Mama who plans on breastfeeding full time, it is not a necessity.
- Stroller: I never use a stroller for my newborns. They go right into my baby carrier. A stroller is nice once they are about 8 + months around here. That may be because we have so many kids the stroller is already being used by bigger kiddos, but even with my first I didnt use it till he was bigger I used a baby carrier even then.
- Baby Baths: We are old fashioned and just put the baby in the kitchen sink for a bath. No big foam thing that molds, no massive baby tub to store, just simple! Baths only take a few seconds for newborns so there's no reason to make a big deal about it! Less then 3 minutes in the sink and they are clean as can be!
- Diaper Creams: These are not needed to stock up on. If baby gets red, just grab a bit of olive oil or coconut oil from your kitchen, dab on that tiny bum and you're good to go!