The newborn products I actually use (and a few I wish I'd skipped)
Nobody tells you that you’ll spend half your pregnancy budget on things that end up living in the back of a cupboard. I know, because I did exactly that.
I’m C — a stay-at-home mama based in the Netherlands with a baby boy born in 2025 and a reactive dog called Luna who had opinions about the new arrival. I’ve been in the thick of the newborn phase, and I want to give you the honest product round-up I wish I’d had before I gave birth.
No “best of” lists copied from a parenting magazine. Just what actually lives on my chest of drawers, what I reach for every single day, and what I could have happily skipped.
Let’s get into it.
The products I genuinely couldn't live without
Next to Me bassinet
If there is one thing I’d tell every pregnant mama to buy before anything else, it’s a bedside bassinet. Having my baby right next to me in those early weeks — especially for night feeds — was the difference between surviving and completely falling apart. I didn’t have to fully wake up, stumble across the room, or disturb anyone else. He was just there.
It also gave me enormous peace of mind. I could see him breathing. I could reach out and touch him. For a first-time mama in those hazy, anxious early weeks, that closeness is worth every penny.
Contact nipple shields
I want to talk about breastfeeding honestly for a second, because nobody prepared me for how hard it actually is.
Starting was genuinely one of the most difficult things about the newborn phase. My milk took time to come in, my latch was all over the place, and I was exhausted and emotional and absolutely convinced I was doing something wrong. The thing that helped me most in those early days? Contact nipple shields.
They’re simple, they’re inexpensive, and they made feeding possible when it felt impossible. If you’re struggling to latch, please try these before you give up.
Hospital-grade Medela pump (rental)
When breastfeeding wasn’t coming easily, my midwife suggested I rent a hospital-grade Medela pump — and it was genuinely one of the best pieces of advice I received. The hospital had them available in lockers, which I had no idea about before someone told me.
Is it glamorous? Absolutely not. Is it easy to use? Not particularly — it’s big and a bit clunky and not something you’d use on the sofa watching Netflix. But it is incredibly effective, and it’s what got my milk flowing in that first critical week.
Once I had an established supply, I moved to a hands-free pump for daily use, which was so much more practical. I went for a budget option on Amazon because I couldn’t stretch to my dream pump at the time — but if I were doing it again, I’d save up for the Momcozy from the start. The hands-free design means you can actually function like a human being while pumping, and the Momcozy range is consistently what mamas rave about. If it’s within budget, don’t do what I did and settle.
Avent Air-Free bottles
My baby was gassy. Like, impressively, concerningly, keep-the-neighbours-awake gassy. We tried MAM, Tommee Tippee, and Dr. Brown’s — and while I know those work brilliantly for some babies, none of them cracked it for us.
The Philips Avent Air-Free bottles were the ones that finally made a difference. The venting system genuinely reduces the amount of air your baby swallows during a feed, which means less trapped wind, less crying, and a slightly more peaceful household. If you have a gassy or colicky baby, these are worth trying before you buy a whole matching set of something else.
Muslin cloths (buy more than you think you need)
I cannot stress this enough. You will need more muslin cloths than you currently think is reasonable. Double that number. Then buy a few more.
They are a burp cloth, a sun shade, an impromptu changing mat, a nursing cover, a comforter, and approximately fourteen other things I’m probably forgetting. Buy the multipacks. Buy the big ones. You will use every single one.
A nappy caddy
I live in an apartment, and I very quickly realised that a dedicated changing table in the nursery was not going to work for us. I change my baby on my chest of drawers in the bedroom — it’s practical, it’s at the right height, and it means everything is in one place.
The thing that made this work is a nappy caddy. Everything I need — nappies, wipes, nappy bags, cream, a spare vest, a muslin — is in one basket that I can grab and go. No hunting through drawers at 3am. No forgetting the cream and having to leave the baby on the mat. Just everything, right there.
And the nappy situation? Simpler than you’d think. A regular bin with a lid and nappy bags is genuinely all you need. No fancy cartridge system required.
If you’re in a smaller home or an apartment, I’d really encourage you to think about whether you actually need a changing table at all, or whether a good caddy on a sturdy surface works better for your space.
BabyBjorn bouncer
This is the thing I put my baby in when I need to shower, eat, answer an email, or simply exist as a human for five minutes. He can see me, I can see him, and the gentle bounce keeps him calm.
The BabyBjorn bouncer is an investment, but it’s one of those products that earns its price tag over and over again. It grows with your baby, it’s easy to clean, and it doesn’t take up half the living room. Worth every cent.
:quality(80) "The newborn products I actually use (and a few I wish I'd skipped)")
One good sleep sack
Here’s something I didn’t expect: my baby wanted nothing to do with swaddles. I tried. He had thoughts. Loud thoughts, mostly at 2am.
What worked for us was a single good sleep sack — just one, not the matching set of five in three sizes that the internet will try to sell you. It keeps them warm and cosy without the full swaddle wrap, and for a baby who just didn’t take to being bundled up, it was the perfect middle ground. Start with one and see how your baby responds before buying a whole collection.
A few blankets (we had three)
My baby was born in winter, so blankets were non-negotiable. But three was genuinely enough — one in use, one in the wash, one spare. You don’t need a tower of them. A few good quality, breathable blankets and you’re set.
White noise
Not a product exactly — more of a strategy. White noise was an absolute game-changer for sleep. Whether you use an app, a speaker, or a dedicated white noise machine, just trust the process and turn it on. It mimics the sounds of the womb and it works.
The honest truth about newborn clothes
My baby was born in winter. I bought one outdoor onesie for 0–3 months, about ten sleepsuits and rompers, and two little outfits for going out.
And honestly? That was plenty.
We barely went out in those early weeks — and when we did, a sleepsuit was often the most practical choice anyway. Have you ever tried to wrestle a newborn into a proper outfit with buttons and poppers and a little collar? While running on three hours of sleep? At a time when they’ve decided that getting dressed is a personal attack?
Sleepsuits exist for a reason. They’re warm, they’re easy, they’re soft on tiny skin, and newborns don’t care that they’re not wearing a coordinated look. The gorgeous little outfits will still be there when your baby is a bit bigger and slightly less potato-shaped.
My honest advice: stock up on sleepsuits, grab one or two nicer outfits for photos or special occasions, and skip the elaborate newborn wardrobe. They’ll grow out of everything in about six weeks anyway.
The things I wish I’d skipped
The elaborate changing station setup
I spent a genuinely embarrassing amount of time researching the perfect nursery changing station. The shelf. The aesthetic. The matching accessories.
Reader, I change him on a chest of drawers with a caddy I got on Amazon. It works perfectly. Save yourself the Pinterest rabbit hole.
Buying a full set of bottles from one brand before testing
I bought a multipack of bottles before my baby arrived. He hated them. We went through three more brands before finding the Avent Air-Free ones. If you don’t know yet whether your baby will have feeding issues, buy one bottle from a few different brands before committing to a full set. Future you will thank past you enormously.
Too many “going out” outfits
I had visions of cute outings and adorable baby outfits in the early weeks. The reality was that we barely left the apartment, and when we did, a warm sleepsuit was easier, cosier, and frankly more appropriate than a fiddly little outfit. The two sets I had were more than enough. Buy less, I promise.
The swaddle collection
I read all about the magic of swaddling. I prepared accordingly. My baby looked me in the eye and immediately unswaddled himself. Not every baby is a swaddle baby, and that’s fine — but maybe test with one before you stock up.
The one thing I’d tell every new mama
You don’t need as much as the internet will try to convince you that you do. A few really good products will carry you through the newborn phase far better than a beautifully curated nursery full of things that don’t actually get used.
Buy the bassinet. Get the muslin cloths. Find your bottle. Wear the sleepsuits with zero guilt. And remember: the newborn phase is short, intense, and absolutely not the time to be a fashion-forward household.
And if breastfeeding is hard — and it might be — please know that asking for help, renting a hospital-grade pump, or just doing whatever works is not giving up. It’s being smart. You’re doing better than you think.
Have a product that saved your sanity in the newborn phase? Drop it in the comments — I’d love to hear what worked for you.
