Baby Checklist (updated)

As my sister is getting ready for her new baby she asked if I still had my baby check list. I told her I did but there were some things I would change or add. So I thought I would just go through my list and update in purple. (Most of the pictures added are also links to that item on Amazon)

As I tried to get everything in place for my baby, I found several checklists online. I put them together and this is what I came up with for me. Because I have worked with infants I feel lucky to already know what brands I like best.


Tooling around
__X___Car seat.
__X___Baby sight Mirror.


I think this is a MUST!!! I love being able to see my baby and more important that that is she loves being able to see me. I don't think she would be happy in the car if we didn't have one of these. I also bought a little mirror that sticks to the windshield which was a waist. Because it is curved, baby looks so small and you can't really tell what she is doing. I found I was just moving my head up a bit so I could see her in my regular rearview mirror. 

__X___Stroller. (After watching many car seat reviews I decided on this one from Baby Trend because it was rated the safest car seat, it was a good price, it's cute, easy to adjust, and relatively easy to carry.)

I ended up wishing I didn't do the travel system. The stroller was too bulky to keep in my trunk so it was hard to take shopping. I guess the travel system was nice while she was so small, but I ended up getting The First Years Jet stroller that is a lot smaller. And as I went to Amazon to get an image, I noticed that the black one is only $37 right now.

Beds and linens
__X__Crib.
__X___Crib mattress.
__X___Two to three fitted crib sheets.
__X___Four or more waffle-weave cotton receiving blankets for swaddling baby
__X___ Mattress pads.


I LOVE our crib!!! I love the drop down gate that allows me to easily lay bug down without disturbing her. And I still admire how beautiful the crib is. 





Diaper duty
__X___Diapers.

My favorite diapers for the day are Luvs. I had an old package given to me and a package of new ones and the new ones are sooooo much better than they used to be. For the day I could go with several different types and be fine but Luvs are the most economical ($.14/ diaper). I have a baby that needs extra protection at night and I struggled for months trying to find a diaper that would keep the sheets dry and found Fisher Price Happy Nights. They are awesome!!! You can find them on Amazon and with the Amazon Mom program (witch I totally recommend) you can get them for a great price ($.21/diaper). 

__X___Diaper wipes.
__X__Diaper pail (The Diaper Champ is my favorite diaper pail because it does a good job keeping the smell in, uses regular bags, and is easy to use.)

__X___Diaper sacks 

I realized that this diaper pail didn't keep smells in as well as it did at work, and the reason is at work we used rubber gloves that ended up being wrapped around each diaper before. I found that they make deodorized sacks that help a lot. My mom bought me some Arm & Hammer ones that I use on the go and I LOVE these Sassy ones for home. (It wasn't until my baby started eating dairy that I noticed the smell so don't worry about having them right away.)

__X___Diaper bag.
___X__Diaper changing pad. (for nursery)
__X___Diaper Changing kit 

When I saw a friend with one of these I knew I wanted one. I love that everything you need to change baby's diaper is right there and easy to grab.


Dressing baby
__X___Four sleeping outfits or one-piece sleepers with attached feet. (While it is hot, I'll probably just swaddle her in a onesie.)
__X__Four to six onesies.
__X___A small baby cap.
__X___Six pairs socks/booties.
__X___Two to three soft, comfortable daytime outfits.
___X__Child hangers.

Summer babies
__X___Brimmed hat.

Feeding time
If you're planning to breast-feed:
__X___Three to five nursing bras.
__X___A box of washable or disposable breast pads.
__X__Breast pump if you expect to use one.
__X___Four small baby bottles with newborn nipples. (The VentAire bottles are my favorite! Because the vent is at the bottom, it doesn't make a bunch of bubbles in the milk, and it comes out nicely for baby.)

My baby ended up being quite particular about the bottles she would take. :( She ended up taking the Breastflow bottles and only the fast flow. Every now and then I would try the VentAir bottles because I like them so much more, but she wouldn't have it. Finally at 10 months I gave them away deciding that by this time I would just switch to a sippy cup and now she is using the Nuk Sippy cups, which I have liked. 

__X___Bottle brush.
__X___Dishwasher basket (There are lots of small pieces that need to be washed and these baskets are great! I love that it holds the straws so water can get through them.)

__X___Burp cloths.
__X___Breast shields
__X___ Nipple cream

When feeding solids:
__X___Highchair (I have a booster that attaches onto a chair that has worked great for toddlers that I have watched, but I am not sure it will work very well when I first start feeding infant cereal if my baby doesn't sit on her own. I don't feel like I have a lot of room for a high chair, but I would use something like this)



__X___Bibs

My favorite bibs are now the waterproof ones with a pouch to catch food that falls. I have a set of Bumins bibs. I keep a small one in the diaper bag and use the medium ones most of the time. I use the short sleeve one for messy things like spaghetti and the long sleeve one for art. I would use more short sleeve ones if that is what came in the pack but am still so happy with this purchase from Costco. 


Bathing/Grooming
___X__Infant bath tub.
__X___Three soft hooded towels. (I usually just use regular towels and don't think this is necessary)
___X__Two packs of baby washcloths. (I keep some in the kitchen to wash baby up after meals)
___X__Baby body wash that doubles as shampoo.
___X__Baby-sized nail clippers.
__X___Soft brush and comb.
__X___Zinc-oxide-based diaper rash ointment.

Butt Paste is the best ...especially the extra strength!

__X___Baby Lotion

Medicine essentials/Safety
__X___A pain-and-fever reducer

Buy it from the dollar store! I got some from Honks on a Tuesday and found out they have $.88 day! Score! :)

__X___Teething gel
__X___Cotton pads/swabs.
__X___Rubbing alcohol.
___X__ Outlet covers
__X___Childproof cupboard and drawer latches

Because we don't have handles or knobs on our cupboards, I haven't had to install these. ...yet??

__X___Safety gate

Keeping baby happy
__X___Pacifiers. 
__X___ Car seat/Stroller toys
__X___Teething rings

Other/Extras
__X___Baby monitor

I had friend tell me I should get a video one and decided I didn't have to be that fancy. That is one thing I wish I would have gotten. I wouldn't have to go up stairs and in her room to see if she were talking/crying in her sleep or if she were awake. 

__X___A rocker or glider
__X___Sling
__X___Boppy.
___X__Nursing cover-up.
___?__Infant swing.
___X__Bouncy seat.
___X__Night-light.
___X__ Lullaby music.
___X__Books to read.