newborn essentials

What do I REALLY need when I bring home baby?  Every new mommy has their own list of "baby essentials," but since I've been asked a bunch of times by some of my first time mommy friends in the past few weeks .... and its all pretty fresh in my mind, I thought I would share my list of Newborn essentials.

A couple things to keep in mind. 

First, this is just a newborn list.

Second, this was my newborn list when I was living in a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan where space was a premium. The space consideration drove a lot of my selections and eliminated a lot of items that other new moms like.  This was all I really needed for the first couple months with my little man.

1. Crib - This could be a pack and play, a bassinet or a full size crib.  I used a mini crib. The baby just needs a safe place to sleep.

2. Binky - Pasi, Pasifier, Binky, Nuk, whatever you call them, whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, sucking seems to be universally soothing to a baby.  Get a few.  Sterilize. Enjoy the quiet. We used the Nuk.

3. Swaddles - My baby liked to be swaddled - It was obvious when it was done right in the hospital.  We swaddled him for a long time, even when it was just the bottom of him.  The swaddle kept him warm in the A/C, we covered his carseat to shade him from the light when we were out for walks.  They're useful for many things.

4. Boppy - This is not just a nursing pillow.  My husband used it and believe me ... he didn't nurse.  He's also a pretty strong guy, but when you're holding an 8 lb. chicken for an hour while they are eating, they get heavy.  This helped me when I was nursing and when anybody else was bottle feeding my little guy.  It became the extra weird throw pillow on my couch.

5. Sophie - Ok, so not essential, but if I was going to have one toy for my new baby, this would be it.  She's soft, she's interesting to them, she squeaks and they can chew on her when they start teething.

6. Tub - We got the Puj for space considerations and I think little man was it in until he was 8 or 9 months old!  We probably pushed that a little far, but he liked it and we moved to the tub when he obviously wanted to sit up during bath time.  This saved time, water and space for us.

7. Bouncy Seat - So we didn't have this beautiful eames style bouncy from Bloom, but I admired it. I still do.  We had a little one from Fisher Price. The essential part of it is that its a place to put the baby down that is safe. You can move it around the house with you. It seemed to make little man feel secure. He napped in it a lot throughout the day.  

8. Changing Pad - Diaper changes become a way of life. Every hour, a new diaper. Best to keep all the "contaminants" in one place. Right?

9. Carseat - Unless you can walk home from the hospital, even if you don't have a car, you need a car seat. We didn't have a car in NYC, but I just couldn't take a newborn in a taxi or a car without being in a car seat. They are too fragile and precious. Depending on which one you get, they can last you for years.

What is or was on your newborn list? I'd love to hear other suggestions!