If you are pregnant and don’t know where to start when it comes to preparing for baby, you have come to the right place. I am going to share with you the newborn essentials that are needed when you’re expecting a baby on a budget and when I say baby essentials, I mean essentials. We are not budgeting for ‘fancy dancy makes your formula and changes baby’s bum too’ machines, we’re talking things you actually need when preparing for baby. Lets get started:
Clothing
First thing is clothing, your baby needs clothes. What type of clothes depends on where you live, what time of year baby is arriving and size of baby (my son was too big for ‘newborn’ size). The very basic minimum in the clothes department would be vests, babygrows, hats and cardigans. My children both lived in this combination for the first couple of months of their lives before we branched out into little outfits. Obviously if you want little outfits from the beginning, 100% go for it, but they are not newborn essentials so they’ve not made the cut for my list.
Sleeping
Baby is going to need a cot/crib to sleep in (or to dump clothes in if they persuade you to co-sleep) with a new firm mattress. It’s recommended in most countries that baby stay in your room until at least 6 months old. For the mattress you’ll need a waterproof sheet/mattress protector for when their nappy/diaper leaks and normal sheets to cover the mattress. Baby will also need either a cellular blanket, a sleeping bag or a swaddle depending on what you prefer to use. Anything else is just a ‘nice to have’ item. I have created a downloadable spreadsheet with a list of all these items and also some nice to have items, you can find the downloadable list at the bottom of the page.
Feeding
If you plan on breastfeeding then you will need breast pads, nipple cream, nursing bras and I would recommend having a breast pump too even if you don’t plan on expressing. A manual breast pump like the hakka can come in handy if you are ever engorged and need some relief. If you are planning on expressing regularly then an electric pump may be better and you will need bottles, a bottle brush and a method for sterilizing bottles mentioned below.
If you plan on formula feeding, you will need formula, bottles, bottle brush and either a sterilizing machine or sterilizing tablets that work in cold water. Anything else such as a prep machine is not part of the newborn essentials list, very much a nice to have item though.
Changing
Bum changes require nappies/diapers and wipes, these can either be disposable or reusable. You will also need a portable changing mat, nappy/diaper sacks and nappy/diaper rash cream. A changing bag is also needed but doesn’t necessarily need to be a specific type, any bag that holds all these items is fit for purpose. It is recommended that you use cotton wool and water to change babies’ bum in the first few weeks but a lot of people choose to use water wipes instead.
Bathing
You will need either a baby bath (if you don’t have a bath), a bath seat/support (if you have a bath) or a sink insert (if you plan on bathing them in the sink). You will also need a sponge or cloth. It’s recommended that you bath them in only water for the first 6 weeks, so if you choose to follow this guidance, then all you need is a bath, cloth and water. Baby towels are nice to have but normal towels will dry baby too.
Travel
Getting from A to B will require a pram, a car seat if you plan on traveling in a car, whether that’s your own or in someone else’s and a baby carrier. If you haven’t got a clue about baby wearing, read our post on baby wearing for beginners. Depending on where you live, you may also need a snowsuit for baby when they are outside.
Miscellaneous
You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned any toys or entertainment, this is because newborns spend most of their dates either sleeping or feeding so entertainment isn’t high on their priority list, but if you were looking for some inspiration have a read of this post on how to entertain a newborn. A couple of other non physical things to consider is the cost of maternity leave and medical expenses. We have written a detailed post about how to budget for maternity leave and have also created a downloadable Maternity Budgeting Calculator to help you prepare financially, read about it here. There is also the medical cost of going through pregnancy and delivery if you live in a country where you have to pay for medical expenses.
Hopefully this has given you clarity about how much to budget for when setting up for baby and also the difference between newborn essentials and a ‘nice to have’ item. Finally, congratulations if you are expecting!
