How To Build Any Nursery For First Time Parents [Checklist]

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Having your first kid? It can be scary — for many, many reasons. However, one thing that shouldn’t scare you is whether or not your home is prepared to welcome your new little one.

It’s something to wonder about, after all, especially for first-time parents. You have literally no baby stuff on hand already, like you would if you were welcoming your second or third child. What do you need? What are must-haves for first-time parents? What do you really not need all that much?

If you’re outfitting your first baby nursery, here are the 57 things you definitely want to buy before your due date (or better yet, add to your baby shower registry and have other people buy them for you!), as well as four things to not worry about quite so much.

Nursery Must-Haves #1: A Crib and Bedding

You’re going to need somewhere to put the baby when you bring them home. While a lot of parents prefer for their new infant to sleep in the master bedroom for the first few weeks, you’ll eventually want to move your tiny tot over to their own crib.

However, it’s not as simple as just buying a crib and calling it a day.

You’ll need…

• Crib
• Crib mattress
• Mattress pads
• Crib sheets
• Crib blankets

Get a few sets of sheets and a few blankets, just like you’d have on hand for your own bed. You never know when you’ll need to suddenly clean up all that bedding after an unexpected spill. If you are tight on space, a bassinet is a great alternative.

Nursery Must-Haves #2: Clothes

You gotta have some clothes for that baby, too. For newborns, you want to think function over fashion, in most cases. Look for…

• Onesies 
• Sleepwear
• Socks/Booties
• Hats
• Seasonal items (cold weather wear for the winter or summer wear for hotter temperatures)

You’ll want to have a week or two of clothes on-hand, at least.

Related: NatureBond Breast Pump Review (Mother’s Little Helper)

Nursery Must-Haves #3: Changing Table

The other large piece of furniture your nursery will need beyond the crib is a changing table. However, just like with the crib, you can’t just buy the changing table and call your work complete. You’ll need to outfit it with a variety of items, including:

• Diapers (newborns use, on average, 10 diapers per day)
• Changing pad (both one to use in the nursery and one to take on the go)
• Diaper pail or other means of disposing of those dirty diapers
• Diaper bag
• Diaper cream
• Baby wipes
• Cleaning cloths

Nursery Must-Haves #4: Extra Bedtime Items

A few extra items you might want to include in your nursery to make getting your little one to sleep a little faster:

• Rocking chair or glider
• Soothing night light
• Mobile or other crib accessory 
• Baby monitor
• White noise machine

Nursery Must-Haves #5: Bath Time  

If you’re new to the world of baby care, don’t think you can just throw your kid in a tub, spray them down with the showerhead and scrub them off with some of your own shampoo. Babies need a little extra TLC at bath time. You’ll want to have:

• Baby bathtub
• Faucet cover
• Specially-formulated baby soap and shampoo
• Rash creams
• Moisturizer
• Sunscreen
• Baby towels
• Baby hairbrush
• Baby washcloths
• Baby nail clippers

Nursery Must-Haves #6: Feeding Time 

Whether you plan to breastfeed or formula feed, you’ll want to have several items on hand for feeding time.

If you’re breastfeeding, consider adding these items to your list:

• Breast pump
• Milk storage bags
• Nursing pads
• Nursing balm
• Nursing pillow and cover
• Nursing bra
• Any clothing that will make it easier for you to nurse on the go

If you’re formula feeding, add these items to your list:

• Formula (of course, talk to your doctor about which options will be best for baby)
• Bottles 
• Bottle brush and cleaner 

Regardless of which option you choose for feeding your new baby, you’ll want to buy…

• Bibs
• Burp cloths
• Pacifiers 

Nursery Must-Haves #7: On the Go

When you finally decide to take your newborn out into the world, safety needs to come first. So, plan to purchase…

• Car seat suitable for your child’s size
• Stroller
• Carrier
• Portable crib or playpen (if you plan to be gone from home long enough to need it)

Nursery Must-Haves #8: General Health

Every parent’s worst nightmare is a sick baby, but it happens. The best thing you can do is make sure you’re prepared. Stock up on baby first aid supplies, including:

• Baby thermometer
• Nasal aspirator
• Popular baby medications (your doctor can advise what is best to have on hand)

Nursery Must-Haves #9: For Mom

You can’t forget mom! She’s going to need a range of items, too, to make her first several weeks at home more comfortable. Think…

• Comfy, post-childbirth clothes
• Ice packs
• Maxi Pads

Nursery No-Needs: What to Avoid on Your Baby Registry

There are a few things you really don’t need to add to your baby shower registry or even worry about picking up yourself, for myriad reasons.

• Toys (your child will accumulate many, many toys, naturally — no need to buy extra)
• Crib dolls or extra blankets (research shows SIDS incidents can be caused by having too many items in a crib; stick to the very basics)
• Frilly, extravagant clothing (newborns need simplicity when it comes to their clothes — no need to add itchy, annoying fabrics, ribbons, buttons or zippers to the mix)
• Extra “luxury” items (often, those really “nice” items like wet wipe warmers and bottle warmers aren’t worth the money and aren’t really needed)

Ready to Bring Your New Baby Home?

Preparing your house for a baby can seem like a monumental task, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little preparation and a few checklists, you can be totally prepared and ready to tackle this whole parenting thing head-on — all from the safety and comfort of your perfectly outfitted nursery.

And most nursery essentials are available on Amazon, which makes shopping and building wishlists that much easier!

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