In 2021, more than 3,500,000 births were recorded in the United States. That’s a birth rate of 11 per 1,000 residents.

Being an expecting parent can be daunting, but there is a way to get through everything relatively unscathed. This means preparation, preparation, and even more preparation. Ensuring you have all the essential baby gear before your little one arrives is one way to reduce stress levels.

If you have a baby on the way and want to know more about buying the right baby gear, keep reading. This blog covers everything you’ll need to get you prepared.

Nursery Furniture

One of the first things to consider when preparing for a baby is what furniture you’ll need for the baby’s room. Several necessities will make your life much easier, and there are nice things to add if you have the budget. Let’s review the furniture necessities:

• Crib and crib mattress
• Changing table
• Rocking chair
• Dresser
• Hamper

If you have the budget for extras, that’s great! Here are some additional furniture items you can consider:

• Humidifier
• Hamper
• Bassinet
• Diaper Pail

When choosing your nursery room furniture, there are a few things you need to consider before buying your baby gear. For example, select one with slats for a safer sleeping environment and secure side rails when purchasing a crib.

• Pro Tip: For safety reasons, always buy a new crib rather than a secondhand one

Baby Care Basics

Next are the baby essentials to keep your little one happy and comfortable. Ensuring you gather everything you need before birth means you’ll be well-prepared when you bring your bundle of joy home.

• Pacifiers (buying multiple is recommended)
• Petroleum jelly
• Thermometer
• Saline nose drops
• Nasal aspirator
• Baby-safe pain reliever

There are also several baby care basics you need for bathtime. These items include:

• Hooded towels (minimum of two)
• Washcloths (minimum of four)
• Baby bathing tub
• Baby-safe soap
• Baby shampoo
• Baby-safe hairbrush and comb
• Nail clippers and a nail file
• Bath thermometer

Baby Feeding Gear

Depending on whether you’re breastfeeding or not, your feeding gear is going to vary. Which feeding method you choose depends entirely on you, and remember: “Fed is Best.”

Breastfeeding Gear

If you’re breastfeeding, you’re going to need some extra items. Aside from the rocking chair we mentioned before, let’s review the rest here.

• Nursing bras (a minimum of two or three is recommended)
• Reusable nursing pads or a few boxes of disposable pads
• Nursing pillow
• Freezer-safe breastmilk storage containers
• Burp cloths or similar (a minimum of six is recommended)
• Nipple cream
• Bottle sterilizer, bottle cleaning brush, or dishwasher basket and a drying rack

Extras you can consider if you have the funds available are extra bottles for pumped milk feeding and a breast pump.

Formula Feeding Gear

You may use a baby formula if you’re not breastfeeding (your reason is your own!). The feeding gear differs slightly from breastfeeding gear, so let’s review.

• Bottles and age-appropriate nipples (a minimum of eight or more is recommended)
• Bottle sterilizer, bottle cleaning brush, or dishwasher basket and a drying rack
• Baby formula (try stock up several weeks’ worth before the baby arrives)
• Cotton bibs (a minimum of seven is recommended, one for each weekday)
• Burp cloths or similar (a minimum of six is recommended)
• Bottle carrier for traveling (insulated is recommended for freshness)

Eventually, when your baby moves onto eating solids, they will need baby-safe cutlery, a bowl, and a high chair. Don’t worry; you don’t need these right away.

Baby Accessories

Baby accessories are your big-ticket items. For example, expensive purchase items like car seats, strollers, and baby monitors. Because these items come with a significant price tag, you want to ensure you’re buying the best accessories you can afford.

Car Seats

When choosing a car seat, you’ll have three options: front-facing, rear-facing, and booster. You want to ensure whichever one you choose meets the US federal safety standards. To ensure you’re buying the right car seat for your child, you want to check the following limits:

• Weight
• Height
• Age

It’s also vital to note not to buy a used car seat. With secondhand seats, you can’t guarantee the complete usage history. For example, it’s unsafe if the car seat has been involved in a crash.

• Pro Tip: Register your seat with the manufacturer to receive potential safety recall notifications

Strollers

When choosing outdoor baby gear, you’ll have a choice of several strollers: full-sized, umbrella, jogging, double, and prams. Your budget may play a significant part in your choice, but try to buy the best one you can afford because you’ll be using it for a while.

Your lifestyle may also determine the stroller you choose. For example, if you have twins, you might buy a double stroller, but if you run regularly, you may want a jogging stroller with more robust wheels. You also want to ensure it’s stable when unfolded but easy to fold up to store or transport, such as these Veer Switchback strollers.

Baby Monitor

While this may be a small item, baby monitors can be expensive, depending on their features. For this reason, you want to research what features you should be looking for before spending any money. It’s worth noting that a baby monitor is not a must-have, and you may not need one if you have a small house, for example.

You’ll have a choice between audio only, audio and video, and health-tracking baby monitors. If you can afford it, an audio and video monitor will be the best option because you can hear and see your baby in real-time.

Become a Baby Gear Guru

Having a baby is exciting when you’re not stressing about all the baby gear you need. By preparing well before birth, you can avoid adding extra stress to your life and budget for everything much better. Hopefully, this blog has given you some direction on what baby products to buy so that you can be ready for your baby’s arrival.

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