Baby Products You’ll Actually Use in the First Month with a Newborn (and What’s a Waste of Money)
Every soon-to-be parent looks around at their half-finished nursery and realizes they have no idea what they’re doing. Shopping for baby is equal parts thrilling and terrifying. The aisles of products feel like a consumerist fever dream.
When I was pregnant, I wondered, “Is all this stuff actually necessary?” The short answer: no. But some things are absolutely essential. There are tricks to stretch your baby registry, and if you’re on a budget, you can focus on what helps, not what brands want you to buy.
In this article:
Start With the Basics: Survival Over Stuff
Postpartum Recovery: Taking Care of Yourself
What You Think You Need vs. What You’ll Actually Use
Building Your “Baby’s Home” Starter Kit
Start With the Basics: Survival Over Stuff
When you strip away the marketing noise, the first month isn’t about luxury or nursery décor. It’s about survival. You don’t need the top 100 must-have baby items. You need a functional foundation.
The newborn starter pack really comes down to this:
Transportation: A reliable car seat is non-negotiable. Hospitals won’t let you leave without one. And you can make things easier on yourself if it clicks into a stroller that grows with your baby.
Feeding: Many insurance companies provide free breast pumps. Get one before the baby arrives without spending a dime. Have bottles and formula samples ready too. Sign up for Enfamil and Similac freebies since babies can be picky.
Diapering: The hospital will likely send you home with enough diapers to get through the first few days. Add wipes, a changing pad or table, and diaper rash cream, and you’re set.
Sleeping: We bought a simple, safe bassinet, and it worked perfectly. The crib, on the other hand, was the most useless purchase. It looked great, made the nursery feel “complete,” and then sat untouched for nine months, mostly collecting laundry. We ended up co-sleeping. Save that crib money for when you’ll actually use it.
Clothing: Friends and family love gifting baby clothes; it’s cute and easy for them. Use that to your advantage and spend your own money on the practical stuff no one wants to buy. That said, we picked out the outfit our son came home in because we wanted that moment to be from us, Mommy and Daddy.
One more thing: while I’m all for simplicity and skipping unnecessary gear, some “splurges” are worth it.
I passed on a comfortable rocking chair because I couldn’t justify the $300–$500 price tag. It turned out to be my biggest regret. I would’ve lived in that chair the first few weeks and used it for months (if not years) after. Saving money sometimes costs more in comfort and long-term use.
Postpartum Recovery: Taking Care of Yourself
While everyone’s focused on the baby, new moms are quietly recovering from one of the most intense physical experiences imaginable. You’re healing, bleeding, adjusting, and trying to feed a tiny human on very little sleep. Having the right supplies makes an enormous difference.
Here’s what genuinely helped me recover:
Hospital-grade pads: Don’t bother buying too many. The hospital will send you home with the best ones; thick, absorbent, and made for the job. And whatever package they open for your room, you’re paying for anyway, so don’t be shy. Bring it all home.
Peri bottle: The hospital might give you one, but spend a few dollars on a better version with a curved spout. You’ll thank yourself every bathroom trip.
Mesh underwear and loose clothes: I wore a lot of my husband’s clothes those first few weeks. Not pretty, but perfectly comfortable. Breathability matters more than any influencer-approved recovery outfit.
Lanolin cream: My hospital sent me home with a tube, and I ended up using it constantly during the first weeks of breastfeeding. Keep it handy in multiple rooms.
And if your friends or family ask how they can help, tell them food. Always food. Those first few weeks are brutal when you’re running on two hours of sleep and a baby on your chest.
DoorDash gift cards are often more useful than 15 frozen lasagnas. And if you don’t have a village nearby, those delivery apps can act as one. I buy my gift cards at Costco to save about 20%.
Recovery isn’t indulgence; it’s necessity. Comfort and nourishment are your best tools for getting through the early days with your body and your patience intact.
What You Think You Need vs. What You’ll Actually Use
A lot of moms panic-buy everything under the sun, terrified of not being prepared. I felt the opposite. I figured we live in the age of Amazon Prime. If I truly needed something, I could have it on my doorstep in under two days. That mindset kept my purchases realistic and my house from filling up with gear I’d never touch.
There’s no way to predict what your baby will actually like or tolerate until you’re in the thick of it. You don’t really know what you need until you’re in the shit. Like, why did I buy 100 breast milk storage bags? I stored zero ounces.
A few lessons learned from experience:
Bottle warmers aren’t essential. My son hated warm formula. Room temp or cold from the fridge was his preference.
Bottle sterilizers are optional (unless you have a preemie). We used one for a while, but our dishwasher’s sanitize cycle held more and worked better. If anything, get a dishwasher basket to hold all the little pieces.
Skip the gadgets. Wipe warmers, formula prep machines, fancy sleep aids… all unnecessary.
Delay the crib purchase. You might not use it for months.
Don’t overbuy clothes or diapers. You’ll get gifted clothes and your baby might outgrow a diaper size in a week.
When you keep things flexible, you can adjust to your baby’s actual needs instead of trying to anticipate every possibility. And with overnight delivery available, you’re never more than a day away from solving any baby-related emergency.
Building Your “Baby’s Home” Starter Kit
Once the dust settled, I built a list that felt balanced; minimal but practical enough to get us through those early weeks without unnecessary spending or panic-buying.
My Baby’s Home Essentials:
For Baby:
Infant car seat and stroller
Portable changing pad and diaper bag
1 large box of size 1 diapers
Unscented wipes and diaper rash cream
4–8 onesies and/or infant T-shirts
4–8 zip-up pajamas
2 wearable or swaddle blankets
2–4 baby towels and washcloths
Infant tub and gentle baby wash/lotion
Pacifiers and burp cloths
2–4 small bottles and a bottle/nipple brush
Baby grooming kit (nail clippers, hairbrush, thermometer, nasal aspirator)
Bassinet sheets
For Mom:
Pads and peri bottle (hospital extras included)
Mesh underwear and comfortable clothes
Nipple cream and nursing bras
Pump and milk storage bags
Pumping bra (for hands-free convenience)
Refillable water bottle
Laundry detergent for sensitive skin
This list doesn’t look glamorous, but it works. It got us through the long nights, endless feedings, and emotional roller coaster of that first month without clutter or extra chaos. We weren’t focused on appearances; we were focused on making it through, one practical step at a time.
