Baby Supplies: What Does Baby Really Need?

What do you really need for your new baby? Having a baby is an exciting time and most new parents are excited to go buy all those things they say you need for your baby; bottle warmers, wipe warmers, sleep sacks, receiving blankets, bottles, pacifiers, etc. Its easy to get carried away buying what you think you really need. It also will become very expensive.

So, what do you really need for welcoming your baby into the world?

Clothes are an obvious answer. One thing that you probably don't realize is that your baby, depending on how much s/he weighs at birth, may not fit into "newborn" size clothing. "Newborn" size clothing only goes up to 8-9 lbs. My daughter was 7lbs 14 oz. She was out of newborns in about 2-3 weeks. When it comes to purchasing clothes, it is a good idea to limit the amount of newborn clothing you purchase and instead opt for 0-3 months or 3 month size clothing.

Diapers are a need. Along the same lines as the "newborn" clothing, newborn swaddlers only go to 8-9 lbs. Let other people give you newborn diapers. You will want to invest in size ones and twos.

Bottles are tricky. Drop ins or bottles? Breast milk or formula? Pumping vs. not pumping? So many variables can impact the types of bottles you can get. The biggest advice when it comes to bottles is to pay attention to the nipple speed. You can purchase nipples that are slow or fast.

Car seat is a discharge requirement for most hospitals. You will need to make sure you have one installed before you go to the hospital. Travel systems are a good luxury however not a necessity.

The hygiene kit is also a popular baby item. It usually will come equipped with clippers, an aspirator, and thermometer. All these items are necessary for new babies.

Pacifiers are controversial. Are they good? Bad? Should you allow thumb sucking instead? The hospital probably will provide the "soothie" type pacifier. This almost appears like a bottle nipple. I would stick my finger in the back of it and my daughter liked to chew on this. Do not be surprised if your child refuses a pacifier. Some babies just do not take to them.

Now, for the extras, does your baby really need them? Are items such as wipe warmers, bottle warmers and sleep positioners necessary? It will depend on your individual circumstance. There is obviously a demand for them as they are popular items. In my experience, I never used any of them. Just remember, no matter how prepared you are for baby, you will have to go to the store at least once in the first week for something you forgot.