Congratulations! You’re in your last trimester, the last stretch until your bundle of joy arrives. You have survived nausea, fatigue, the crazy nesting instinct phase, and all the moodiness and cravings in between.
The following is a comprehensive list to make your last minute shopping a little bit easier!
For your baby:
(Note: it is always better to buy your baby’s clothing a little big, as your baby will grow really quickly during his/her first couple of months)
- 8 undershirts or onesies- it is best to mix short-sleeve and long-sleeve, but really depends on the weather/ season your baby is born during!
- 8 one-piece stretchy sleepers (go for ones with zippers; new moms swear by them!)
- 5 pairs of pants
- 2 newborn hats
- 8 pairs of socks or booties
- 2 pairs of scratch mittens, to keep baby from scratching his face (New moms often don’t realize why their baby wakes up with little cuts- these are important!)
- Baby nail file (easiest way to keep your baby’s nails from turning into claws!)
- 2 cardigans or jackets, more in winter
- Bunting bag or snowsuit for a winter baby
- Laundry detergent for infants (make sure to check ingredients, don’t purchase anything with chemicals you can’t read or pronounce).
- Cotton balls- when you’re cleaning baby in the bath, using a warm, wet cotton ball (one for each eye, swept from inside to outside of the eye) is a super easy, hygienic, and simple way to clean your baby’s eyes. Babies get a lot of crusties, and this is one way to clean them gently!
- 3 large cotton blankets
- 8 receiving blankets (they also make handy burp cloths)
- Lots of bibs
- Breast pump
- Formula (be sure to check expiration date and note the lot number in case of recalls)
- Thermal bottle carrier
For you:
- Witch hazel pads.
- They provide so much relief after your baby is born. You just set one or two in your undies on top of maxi pads you have to wear postpartum and they provide the cooling relief you will so desperately crave.
- Stain remover.
- No matter how absorbent diapers are or how often you change them, you’re probably going to experience a few blowouts. The sooner you get it on the stain the easier it will be to clean (but it does work on set-in stains, too), so it’s better to have some on hand. Otherwise you might ruin some of your favorite baby outfits!
- Stretchy cotton underwear you can throw away.
- If you don’t know already, you bleed a lot after your baby is born. And even with those wonderful diaper-like maxi pads in your underwear, you’re still probably going to destroy a few pairs. Just buy a cheap pack that aren’t too tight and you won’t feel attached to.
- Extra maxi pads.
- Yes, the hospital will probably give you some of these, too, but it’s not going to last you as long as you’ll need them. So buy some extra thick maxi pads (with wings to prevent leaking, even though they are weird and will make you feel old and lame).
- Soothies gel pads.
- You put them in the fridge and then they get all nice and cold and feel very good on your tender, sore, aching breasts as you adjust to your milk supply and your nipples toughen up.
- Nipple cream.
- If you’re breastfeeding, it’s going to take some time to adjust to having a baby suck on your nipples, and if you don’t have any nipple cream, you run the risk of drying out your nipples. Your nipples will probably hurt at first and having some nipple cream to rub on them after every feeding session really helps keep them moisturized.
- Breast pads. Even if you aren’t planning on breastfeeding or end up not being able to, you’re going to want some to prevent leaking as you dry out. You can use washable ones or disposable ones. Either way, you’ll need a lot of these, so get some extras so you don’t have to go to the store for a long time.
- Stool softener. Make sure you have stool softener at home to help you keep things regular. After giving birth you cannot use any force to use the bathroom- just grab a little bottle before you have your baby and you should be good to go.
Good luck!
Shoshi is a graduate from Stern College for Women in New York City. Her areas of interest include policy, non-profit organizations, and administration. During winter 2018, she was a White House intern. Shoshi has also interned at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles and at Save the Children in New York. As a millennial, Shoshi brings a young and fresh perspective to the worlds of pregnancy and lactation.