I bet you’ve thought of everything when it comes to your new baby. But what about household essentials? Personal care items?
New moms tend to forget about the little items that keep a household going.
And once you have a child, those things get forgotten about.
The best way not to forget about personal and household essentials is to stock up!
Yes! Start stocking up on necessities while your pregnant, so you can have piece of mind after birth.
Here’s a list of essential items to stock up on before you go into labor!
Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you click on them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Important Items To Stock Up On Before Going Into Labor
Diapers
Whether you choose to use disposable diapers or your cloth diapering, you need to stock up!
For my first born I used Luvs disposable diapers. I stocked up on sizes 1, 2 and 3.
Now for my second pregnancy I am stocking up on Alva Baby cloth pocket diapers.
But I have also purchased bamboo charcoal inserts to use when I don’t want to use the microfiber inserts that came with the cloth diaper sets.
I am still in the process of purchasing cloth diapers and inserts to build a good stock.
You can never have too many diapers read to go!
Baby Soap
This a necessity item that you need to stock up on before baby arrives! Baby soap with a one-handed pump is great for making bath time a little easier.
Some natural baby soaps include:
Related Articles: 10 Important Items To Pack In Your Diaper Bag
Wipes
Just like stocking up on diapers, wipes are an essential item you need as well. You will go through a lot of wipes the first year with baby!
It’s better to stock up now than not have enough when baby arrives. Depending on your preference, there are disposable wipes and cloth wipes.
I used disposable wipes with disposable diaper with my first born. But now that I’ve switched over to cloth diapers…
I went all out and bought a stock of cloth wipes and natural solution to go with them.
In the long run, cloth wipes (along with cloth diapers) will save you money compared to disposables.
But there is a bit more laundry to do!
Postpartum Pads
This is something you will definitely need after you give birth. I suggest at least two large menstrual pad packs to get before going into labor.
Many women experience postpartum bleeding for weeks after delivery.
I find disposable heavy flow menstrual pads to be convenient, but some women do prefer cloth menstrual pads instead.
It’s all up to personal preference. As long as your using something with maximum absorbency.
Remember not to use tampons or menstrual cups because your body needs time to heal after birth!
Toilet Paper
Toilet paper is a human necessity. There’s really no getting out of it. But imagine if you ran out of toilet paper in the middle of the day with a newborn baby.
When you have a newborn it can be hard to leave the house. The last thing you want to do is run out to get toilet paper.
Before my son was born I stocked up on three months worth of toilet paper.
One large pack of toilet paper per month. However, depending on how big your family is you may need more toilet paper.
Nursing Pads
Like it or not, you’ll probably leak. It really doesn’t matter if you’re fully breastfeeding or not, leaks happen.
Without nursing pads you’ll be leaking through bra’s and shirts. It’s better to be prepared a head of time before going into labor.
For breast pads I used Medela nursing pads, but there are also cloth reusable nursing pads.
laundry Soap
Babies go through a lot of clothing! Not only do they outgrow clothing fast, but spit ups, food stains and diaper blowouts occur frequently.
This means more laundry will be done!
Now that I am cloth diapering my toddler and my next baby is on the way, my laundry room gets more use. I’m washing cloth diapers and inserts every other day.
For cloth diapers I use Tide Free & Gentle.
Pumping Bags
If you’re breastfeeding and/or pumping odds are you will need pumping bags. These are storage bags to put extra breast milk in and freeze.
It’s best to have a good pile of pumping bags before going into labor (you don’t want to run out and have nowhere to store your milk).
I would not suggest using plain sandwich baggies!
Breastfeeding/pumping bags are great for building up a stock of breast milk for when your supply is running low, your away from home, when baby’s sick, etc.
Burp Cloths
While these are thought to be for a baby, burp cloths are actually for mamma. Burp cloths will save your outfits, which means less changes for you.
There’s many different options for burp cloths. I used homemade crochet burp cloths (made with love).
But if you’re not the crafty type and don’t have the time, you can buy premade burp cloths that are highly absorbent and even contoured.
Baby Lotion
Along with baby soap, baby lotion is a much needed necessity to keep your baby’s sensitive skin moisturized.
Even though babies have small bodies, they go through many lotion bottles.
Personally, I always use a baby lotion that’s natural to help ward off any possible skin issues.
Herbal Sitz Bath
An herbal sitz bath works wonders for speeding up recovery of your lady bits after delivery.
Earth Mama Organics has postpartum healing pads that can be tucked, used in making padsicles or dispersed in a bath.
This is an essential item to get before going into labor! That way there’s no last minute runs to the store while in pain.
Cleaning Wipes
Once you have a baby, you never know just how clean your house use to be!
A newborn takes up a lot of time that would go to house cleaning.
But, hey… Baby snuggles are better than cleaning any day!
For little messes in the kitchen counters, appliances, bathroom and more stock up on cleaning wipes.
Not only are they handy for small messes, but they reduce the amount of germs that accumulate around the house.
That means a healthier environment for healing mama and new baby!
Dish Soap/Detergent
If you wash your dishes by hand, you go through dish soap like crazy.
Dish soap is one of those necessary household items that you don’t know how much you need it until it’s gone!
Even if you use a dishwasher, you still may want to stock up on detergent!
Although I have a dishwasher, I still wash all bottles, nipples and sippy cups by hand.
If you prefer to do the same, make sure to have a natural dish soap for cleaning baby items.
Nipple Cream
Now that I’m in my third trimester, I’m smearing on the nipple cream because of dry and cracked nipples.
Breast growth during pregnancy is no joke!
Because of this, I’ve already stocked up on two extra containers of nipple cream before going into labor.
Shampoo & Conditioner
The last thing I want to think about after a baby is buying shampoo and conditioner when I run out.
These are items I always forget to add to my list, even if I’m running low.
Mom brain!
Since I have temporary pregnancy and permanent mom brain I feel it’s best to buy a two or three month supply of shampoo and conditioner.
Trash Bags
Since I’ve had a child and now expecting another, my family goes through way more trash bags.
I try to recycle things when I can, but I’m still ending up with a full garbage container by the end of the week.
When it comes to garbage bags, I only buy them from one place… Costco!
Who doesn’t love Costco?!
I buy a box of kitchen bags for under 16 bucks and it lasts me for three months!
Related Articles: Pregnancy Cravings: Why You Have Them & Healthy Alternatives
Pet Food
You can’t forget about your pets! They’re your furbabies after all..
When a baby comes into the picture, your furbabies tend to take a backseat after a tiny human.
It doesn’t mean you love them any less, it’s just that your pets have less needs than a baby.
I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve called or text my husband to pick up dogfood on the way home from work.
We’ve never gotten to the point of running out of dogfood, but we’ve been close.
I don’t want to take that chance when my second baby is born!
Therefore, stock up on pet food for a couple months before going into labor.
Toothpaste
Another necessity like toilet paper you don’t want to be without.
You may also want to consider stocking up on mouthwash and floss before going into labor.
Self-care is extremely important after baby is born. It will make you feel more like yourself!
Tylenol
There’s nothing more horrible than having a splitting headache/muscle ache and not having any pain medication on hand.
Postpartum care is all about finding pain relief. If you need to take Tylenol, then take it before the pain gets worse.
We always have at least two bottles of Tylenol in the house.
Always remember to discuss over-the-counter pain medication with your doctor before!
Batteries
If this is your first child your stocking up essential items for, you will be shocked at how much batteries baby items take!
The baby swing I was gifted takes four C batteries alone.
I’ve found that baby items normally require AA and C batteries.
For creating a battery stock I would purchase a small stock of AA, AAA, C and D batteries.
I know it seems a little overboard, but it’s better to be prepared!
Final Thoughts
You’ve probably thought of all the essentials for baby… The crib set, swing, onesies, socks…
But what about essential items for personal care and household necessities?
No matter if you’re using cloth or disposable diapers and wipes, these are baby essentials you will need many of!
For disposable diapers I started stocking up at the end of my first trimester.
Each time we went to the grocery store, we bought a box of diapers.
Stocking up on disposables before hand paid off!
We didn’t have to buy diapers for the first 6 months of my son’s life!
While I’m sure you’ve remembered diapers and wipes, other necessities around the house you don’t want to forget.
When it comes to running out of things, you don’t know you’ll miss it till it’s gone.
Take some time to stock up before going into labor on these essential items!
It will provide you will piece of mind after your baby is born.