I love being a mom. I especially love being Roman's mom. Becoming a mother was the most life-changing experience of my life, and even though he's not a newborn anymore, this post is still one of the most-visited on my blog and I get DMs about it pretty often — so it was time to sit down and give it the refresh it deserves.
Nobody can quite explain the transition into motherhood until you've lived it. I thought I had a good handle on what to expect going in. I had watched so many friends and family members do it. I had none of the answers. The first month, I felt like I was drowning — no sleep, constant nerves, breastfeeding taking every ounce of energy I had. And also: that fierce, surreal, protective love that rewires you completely. A whole new you is born right alongside your baby.
"Biological, structural, and neural brain changes support a woman's transition into motherhood; they serve to help her prioritize and be responsive to her baby's needs, increase bonding, and even impact her planning and judgment." — worth reading the full MindBodyGreen piece on how motherhood literally changes your brain.
Having my love, my parents, and his parents around helped so much. But honestly, the thing that saved me most was other moms with newborns — women who "got it" in real time, no explaining required. If you're pregnant or newly postpartum, find a local new-mom group or start one yourself. You will thank me later.
The other thing nobody tells you? How much you'll spend. You will try things. Some will be perfect. Some will sit in a closet, tags still on. After a rough night, Amazon boxes will start showing up at your door like clockwork — get yourself Amazon Prime now, it will save you.
So here it is, freshly updated: my real, tested, no-fluff list of the newborn essentials that actually got us through 0–3 months — plus what's changed in the baby gear world since I first wrote this.
Quick Jump
THE 15 NEWBORN ESSENTIALS I HIGHLY SUGGEST
01 | The Baby Lounger (formerly known as the Dock-a-tot)
I cannot stress enough how much this thing changed our lives. Roman could sleep anywhere as long as he was in his. So, if we went on a trip, he would sleep right next to us in any hotel or guest bed. It’s easily portable so I could move it from the kitchen to the bathroom or keep him next to me wherever in the house I needed to be without waking him up.
Tip: Buy a patterned cover, not white — it will get dirty, I promise. There are so many chic covers now that it barely reads as "baby gear."
02 | Baby Bassinet
We could put him to sleep in his baby lounger inside the bassinet for the nighttime. When I wouldn’t want to wake him but wanted to move him, I could move him from the bassinet, in his lounger, to anywhere in the home. This combo is amazing!
03 | The Baby Swing.
Okay so, this is a super controversial item, some people love it, some hate it. For Roman, this was the magic nap trick. Before becoming a mother, I had no idea babies would resist sleep so much. Roman falls asleep in his swing no matter what. The range of motion apparently is the best. I have the very popular MamaRoo which was $250 and that did nothing for Roman. He would hang out for about 8 minutes max in that thing. To me, this swing was half the price and absolutely worth every penny.
For Roman, he is mesmerized by the mobile that sat above him, it puts him right to sleep. I turn the swing on the highest speed and he loves it. They say the gravity is good to help settle the stomach.
04 | A jogging baby travel system
This was probably the best purchase I made for baby. After look through about 375 options, I decided on this travel system. There were a few others I really liked, the Cruz and Vista are very stylish and trendy strollers. A lot of my mom friends have these and love them! However, I still think my stroller is the winner.
Here’s why I love it so much: The 3 wheels. This stroller turns on a dime and can navigate through any nooks which makes getting around for us so easy. The wheels are super durable and you can take this thing jogging, on a hiking trail, whatever. That’s very helpful for me because I love taking Roman on gravel trails. There’s plenty of storage, cover for rain or too much sunshine. Also, the car seat is awesome and super safe.
2026 note: the modular "grows with you" strollers (bassinet mode → toddler seat) have gotten a lot better and more affordable than they were in 2018 — worth comparing if you want one stroller to last multiple stages.
I tried several baby carriers but Roman loved this one the best. I really was so in love with the look of the wraps. The Maya Wrap was the one I really loved and one of my nannies let me try it. Roman didn’t really like it. I didn’t really like all the pressure being on one shoulder.
He loved the freedom of the Infantino and he enjoyed sleeping upright like this. It’s super affordable, breathable, easy to clean and feels so comfortable/supportive even now when Roman is a good 17 pounds. This has been another nap time savior.
06 | Skip Hop Vegan Leather Backpack Diaper Bag.
Let me just start this with, I get so many compliments on my diaper bag. It’s awesome. I hate the look of regular diaper bags so for me, this one is the best looking. It fits right on the handlebar of my stroller, so everything is so easily accessible. I chose the tan leather but the black one is also so chic. It has tons of compartments and comes with a changing pad. Love this thing.
07 | Love to Dream Swaddle.
A Swaddle is a definite game changer when it comes to sleep. My parents were really persistent that I shouldn’t swaddle because I was never swaddles and I slept great. However, I really love the idea of the swaddle. Keeping the baby snug and preventing them from waking from the startle reflex. I tried every swaddle you could think of. Roman hated them all. That was until I found this swaddle. Roman loves to sleep with his arms up and so he needed the room for that. This helped Roman sleep good long stretches at night starting at 2.5 months.
08 | The Diaper Genie.
This is a must have. Seriously, don’t skimp out on this. With all the diapers going on, you will want one of these next to your changing table. Trust me.
09 | Diapers that are reliable every single time
On that note, for me, Pampers Swaddlers are the best diapers. I tried the Honest ones and every other brand out there. These hold the most and the best in my opinion.
10 | Burt’s Bees Zip front outfits.
Mamas, these are my favorite. They just make it easy to zip, no snapping. It’s easy for the dads too. I can’t tell you how many times his dad changed Roman and the snaps were all confused. Just save yourself and everyone the trouble and get some zip fronts. I love them.
11 | Hatch Baby Night Light and Sound Machine.
Man, I just love this thing. It is a wonderful white noise sound machine that I place next to Romans bassinet at night. You can control the colors, the sounds and volume from your phone. It also has the ability to set a timer with your sound routine. Birds in the morning, lullaby at bedtime routine and white noise for sleep. It is wonderful! I can’t live without it myself now.
12 | The kind of robe you can live in
This robe was literally my uniform for the last 3 months. I’ve ordered a couple more because there has been so much spit up on my last one. You want to be comfortable and sleep well when you are up many times throughout the night. The Galabloom robe is your go to stylish yet functional and comfy mom necessity.
You want something easy to feed baby, hop in and out of the fastest shower ever and I even wore this in the hospital for comfort. It’s just the best. Trust me. This one is essential!
13 | The best smelling baby shampoo
The comments on the newborn baby smell are always so sweet but I used to get complimented on how incredible Roman smelled. It was the Shea Moisture milk manuka honey shampoo. I also swear the smell put Roman to sleep, it just made the entire bath experience so calming and soothing. Roman is 8 and still uses it to this day.
14 | A baby monitor that lets you see from above
You will want a baby monitor that lets you see absolutely everything, because as a new parent, you’re probably going to have a bit of anxiety. Just being real. I wanted a full scope on what was happening while I was away. This Dr. Care monitor will save you!
15 | A cozy baby blanket
Your baby is going to become obsessed with their blanket. You want them to have something that they will instantly recognize so that they can feel cozy and safe. These adorable Belu LaLa blankets are the best and always my go-to gift for new moms.
FAQ: Newborn Essentials
What do you actually need for the first 3 months with a newborn? At the core: a safe sleep space, a few good swaddles, diapering supplies, a car seat and stroller, a carrier, feeding supplies, and — just as important — support for yourself. Everything else is a "nice to have."
What newborn items are a waste of money? For us, extras like duplicate bouncers, too many "just in case" newborn-size outfits (they're outgrown in weeks), and bottle warmers we never touched. Every baby is different, so hold off on anything you're not sure you'll use until you can see how your baby responds.
When should I buy newborn essentials? Aim to have your big-ticket items — car seat, stroller, sleep space — ready by around 34–36 weeks, since babies don't always wait for their due date.
Hope this refresh is helpful — if you're deep in new-mama research mode, you'll also love these newborn sleep tips.
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