It’s almost time for baby to arrive and panic starts to set in. You wonder how will you handle taking care of this new little person? Are you ready? Becoming a new parent can be overwhelming. Don’t worry, everything will come naturally and before you know it you will be a pro.
One of the things you can do to take the pressure off is make sure you have all the basic needs to get you through baby’s first weeks. There are so many choices of newborn baby products available these days and they are all so cute it makes it hard to choose. It can be easy to go overboard and end up with way more then you need. Using a baby layette checklist can help you get all the necessities and stay within your budget.
In case you are unsure of what a baby layette is, it is defined as a complete kit of clothing and equipment for a newborn baby. When purchasing baby items, especially clothing, keep in mind that newborns grow quickly. It is best to purchase small quantities of newborn clothing.
This baby layette checklist includes the essential items needed to get you through the first weeks:
Clothing:
- Whether you use disposable diapers or cloth diapers, you will need 10-12 per day. If you are using cloth diapers, purchase at least 2 to 3 dozen depending on how often you want to do laundry.
- 6-8 Diaper covers (for cloth diapers)
- 6-8 Pajamas and/or gowns
- 8 Onesies
- 2-3 Shirt and pants sets/dresses
- 6-8 Pairs of socks
- 2 Caps or hats
- For cold weather climates – 1 sweater, 1 coat and/or snowsuit
Bedding:
- 4-6 Receiving blankets (essential for swaddling)
- 2 Sleep sacks or wearable blankets (safer for baby to sleep)
- 3-4 Crib or bassinet sheets
Bathing/Changing:
- 2 Hooded bath towels
- 6-8 Wash cloths – if you are using wash cloths instead of disposable wipes for diaper changes then you will need at least 2 dozen wash cloths.
- 1 large box of disposable wipes
- 2 changing pads (waterproof)
- Baby shampoo / body wash – natural organic skin care is best for baby’s delicate skin
- Baby lotion – use natural organic baby lotions
- Diaper rash ointment
Feeding:
- 6-12 Bottles, depending on whether you are breast or bottle feeding
- 10-12 Burp cloths
- Formula (if bottle feeding)- start with 1 weeks supply
- Bottled drinking water or sterilized, boiled water (to mix formula)
- Breast Pads (if you are breastfeeding)
- Breast Pump (if you are breastfeeding)
- 2-3 Nursing Bras (if you are breastfeeding)
Grooming/First Aid:
- Infant nail clippers
- Thermometer
- Petroleum jelly
- Alcohol swabs (to clean baby’s belly button)
Nursery Equipment & Baby Gear:
- Crib or bassinet
- Diaper bag
- Car seat
Remember, newborns are only that little for a few short weeks, so don’t go overboard and buy everything you see. If you keep it simple and follow the baby layette checklist, you won’t go wrong.
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What a great list! wish i had seen this before our little one arrived. I am glad to see you list sleepsacks as a must have. We love the sleepsacks by Halo and with the sleepsack swaddle from them you don’t even have to try to figure out the art of swaddling (i was terrible!) since the Halo sleepsack swaddle is so easy to use and the wings come off when you don’t need to swaddle anymore you get more value for your dollar! Also, the quality of Halo products we have found to be just wonderful!
I see you mentioned attire for cold weather, but we live where it is really warm all year and everyone i know uses infant clothing with a high SPF to protect baby from the sun – and since Halo is sort of our “go to” for all things baby, we use the TCS (technical Comfort system) stuff for our little since you can’t keep them out of the sun here! we got all our Halo items from halosleep.com, but i know many local places carry the sleepsacks at least! thanks for a great list! i know lots of new moms thank you too!