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A new baby sets a wave of changes and new responsibilities in motion, and to keep us from getting overwhelmed with the price tickets of it all, a savvy spending strategy needed to happen. This is our second child, our second baby rodeo, so we know what we needed to have this time around that we either overlooked or couldn’t survive without the first time. The Pay It Plan It payment option on my American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card helped us decide which purchases we wanted to pay off immediately and which investments we wanted to finance over time. It’s such a crucial tool for us since we’re trying to also save for T’s school fund, savings, and a forever home. Terms apply.
Today I’m going to share 5 Must Have Newborn Baby Items on our shopping list that we know will help us tremendously in those first few weeks. I hope they’re helpful for you, too!
SHOP: 5 Must Have Newborn Baby Items
Baby Book: Confession – we never did a traditional baby book for T. We still have the one we bought for him in his room but it was never filled out. His baby book has been a digital one—on our phones—as we relied heavily on our phone cameras to capture photos and videos of every moment with our firstborn. I have plans during my leave to turn these photos and videos into paperbound and digital baby books, and for our daughter, we are going to make extra effort to fill out this paperbound baby book more regularly, and will still use our phone cameras to document their everyday lives and our family adventures.
Going Home Outfit in NEWBORN sizing: Another first parent blunder for us was assuming we didn’t need newborn sized clothing because we heard too many stories of how our friends’ babies were too big for newborn sized clothes when they were born, so we got 0-3 month clothes instead to save money. Well, T was born 17 days early, and at 6lbs 3oz he was the tiniest little nugget, and he was swimming in the 0-3 month sized going home outfit we brought with us to the hospital. I might even get one preemie outfit just in case, because again, you never know!
Soft, Organic, Lovie: T had a cozy little lovie (aka a tiny piece of cloth babies can clutch on in the bassinet or crib, and can help them soothe or sleep) since birth that he clutched for naps and bedtime. It helps to leave the scent of mom on the lovie when we begin to leave them for periods of time and eventually transition back to work. This organic, adorable lovie by Bitte will be our daughter’s lovie from day one, and we hope it helps her as much as T’s lovie did for him.
Onesies & Leggings: Let’s be real – until our baby gets all her shots, she won’t be venturing out much during the winter months. And with T, he basically lived in onesies and baby leggings as his indoor clothes of choice. We’re going the organic cotton route for our onesies and newborn leggings, and fun, meaningful prints and graphics are a major bonus, like this adorable onesie.
One Party Outfit: Another major lesson for us from the first time around – we had to attend a semi-formal celebration and had zero party appropriate clothes for T, leaving us to scramble to find something at the eleventh hour. This time, we have one dress that’s cute enough for a party, but also casual enough for her to wear when she gets a little bigger.
For all of these must-have newborn items, we’ve been using our American Express #BlueCashEveryday Card – this no-fee card gives us cash back on our most frequent everyday purchases—3% back U.S. supermarkets, 2% at select US department stores and gas stations i, and 1% on nearly everything else—all backed by the security and service of American Express.
Now it’s your turn—what are the must have newborn items that saved you? Share your best tip in the comments below – I’m taking notes! #MilestoneMoments #PayItPlanIt #EpicEveryday #ad
