7 Newborn Must Haves 2024

We have literally JUST exited the newborn stage and honestly I can’t believe how fast it goes!! In saying that, it is such a crucial time when everyone needs so much intense care. Lack of sleep, you’ve just given birth, your baby has just left the womb and still resembles a little fetus, your world has been tipped upside down (see my go-to quick self care tips here). So for me, when I had my first baby, I just WISH I had known what exactly was crucial to making things easier, vs what I could have saved the money on. Because honestly, I did overspend, and I hate the idea of waste and that newborn phase is so fleeting.

So as a mum of 3, here are my personal top crucial must haves:

1. Angelcare Baby Bath Seat

Funny story, I only bought this by the time we had our third baby - but I had my eye on it since our first. And I didn’t buy it because I thought I could just do the baby bath and leave it at that, but trust me, having that support with a proper sturdy seat like this is just everything. No longer having to use both arms to hold your newborn up in the bath is a game changer. My baby loves it and I wish I bought it the first time round!

2. Love To Dream swaddles

Oh. My. Gosh. If ONLY someone pulled me aside and told me to buy these in my first newborn phase!!! I had bought other brands of swaddles and I even had the muslin cloth wraps, but these are absolutely essential. I bought a heap of them with my 2nd baby, and had no idea how brilliant they are. They zip up. They allow baby’s arms to be raised up relaxed near their face (if your baby is anything like mine they love doing that) and they have a quilted front so it feels like they have a blanket on them. Seriously amazing!! The muslin cloth wraps definitely have their purpose, but for sleeping both in the bassinet, in your arms or even the pram, these Love To Dream swaddles are a must have item for me.

3. Baby carrier / wrap

Have you ever heard of the 4th trimester?? Neither had I! When your baby finally arrives, all they want to do is be held - which makes perfect sense because for the last 9 months before that, they were cosy cuddled up in your tummy close to your heart, and they aren’t used to being on the outside world yet! So sometimes you can’t even put them down. Not in their bassinet, on the bed, or even a swing or bouncer. So how do you do anything around the house - even make yourself something to eat for lunch? Baby wearing!! I absolutely LOVE my Baby Bjorn Mini carrier. I’m just a fan of how easy and quick it is to put on, and it just feels versatile. But, other mums prefer wraps or slings. I honestly bought all 3 when I had my first, but ended up sticking with the carrier the longest as she could still fit in it up to around 1 year old.

4. Baby bouncer

This is yet another must have to be able to get anything done!! I especially love the Baby Bjorn bouncer because it's lightweight so you can easily carry it around the house with you and put baby in it as you're doing things, plus it even allows for toddler weight so they can use it as a seat later on! My babies didn’t always enjoy being in the bouncer, but when they did - it felt life changing. I could quickly empty the dishwasher, or go to the toilet, or even just relax my arms for a sec while I sat and bonded with her for a little bit. It’s another investment that will take you through all the rest of the baby months. 

5. Wooden play gym

The reason I love this item over the material or plastic ones is because firstly I love the relaxing sound of the wood and the natural texture for baby to play with. But the main thing is that you can take it around the house with you and it’s super light and easy to carry. You could place your baby on a bed or carpeted surface while you quickly do something like put laundry away, and baby can be happily entertained under the wooden play gym. That’s not something you can do with those giant play gyms attached to mats or light up toys. So handy!!

6. Lollipop baby monitor

Not only is this monitor super cute and looks more like a toy and less scary like a big camera in your face, it’s also made of flexible rubber so you can place it anywhere close by to the cot which was useful for me since I had a cot on wheels that I liked to bring close to my bed at night. It connects to your phone using your wifi through an app, and alerts you when baby is crying or moving around. I love mine!

7. Tommee tippee bottles (and UV steriliser to go with it!)

When I had my first baby, she was fussy AF. I had to go through several brands of bottles just to get her to take one - which is not uncommon in babies. It was such a shock to me as a first time mum that nope, babies don’t do what you want them to! They have their own likes and dislikes that you have to get to know. And bottles was one of them, as opposed to the boob. But, lo and behold the old Tommee Tippee bottle found in Coles and Woolies and everywhere online was the winner for my baby girl. She took to it straight away and had a bottle - finally!! So after that, I just stayed with that brand. They’re great for colicky babies, they are shaped like a boob and since they’re easy to find in most shops they’re just handy too. Highly recommend starting with these!

Plus - something I really wish I had bought was a UV baby bottle steriliser instead of a steam one. My steam one works fine, but it always builds up with —, and it leaves the bottles pretty much dripping wet. It can be messy in the kitchen, when instead, I wish I had gotten a UV steriliser that dries the bottles and requires no maintenance! It’s slightly more expensive, but when I got to my third baby 5 years later, I seriously wish I had invested the extra $80 and just purchased the UV steriliser to begin with.

If you found this helpful check out:

• 21 Tips For The Newborn Stage (Your Survival Guide)

• 5 Quick Self Care Tips For Mums

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