New Baby Essentials: Our Must-Haves for Sleep, Feeding & Nursery (And What to Skip)

When I found out I was pregnant with my second daughter, I thought I had this baby thing all figured out. After all, I’d done it before, right? But as many second-time moms discover, there’s a whole new learning curve when baby #2 comes along—especially when it comes to figuring out what you actually need.

While we had kept many a lot from our firstborn, I was surprised to find that some things had mysteriously disappeared over the years, others were still being used by our older daughter, and in some cases, we simply needed new versions of well-loved items.

What I’ve learned through this journey is that the “essentials” list marketed to new parents is often far from essential. Those Instagram-worthy nurseries with every gadget under the sun? They look beautiful, but most of those items collect dust after a few weeks. As a second-time mom, I became ruthlessly practical about what actually deserved space in our home and what was just clever marketing.

In this post, I’m sharing my honest take on new baby essentials—what truly made our lives easier the second time around, and what we confidently skipped. Because if there’s one thing experienced moms know, it’s that babies need far less than what the baby industry would have us believe.

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Sleep Essentials Worth Investing In

If there’s one area where I refused to compromise with baby #2, it was sleep—both hers and mine! After the sleep-deprived haze of life with our first daughter, I knew exactly which sleep items were worth their weight in gold.

The Sleep Items That Made the Cut Second Time

Weighted Sleep Sacks and The Ollie Swaddle: The Ollie swaddle was an absolute game-changer for us. Unlike some of the velcro swaddles we tried with our first, the Ollie actually stayed put and gave our little one that snug feeling that helped her sleep longer stretches. Once she started rolling over and her arms could be free, we switched to the Dreamland Baby weighted sleep sack. These weighted sleep sacks became a non-negotiable sleep essential. They kept her warm without the safety concerns of loose blankets, the weighted sack, helped calm her before bed, and the consistent sleep sack routine helped signal that it was bedtime.

Sound Machine: If you take nothing else from this list, please hear me on this one—a good sound machine is worth every penny! With an older sibling running around, our second baby needed that consistent white noise to drown out the inevitable “I FORGOT MY WATER!” calls from down the hall. We still use one for our older daughter too. It’s a sleep game-changer.

Owlet Sleep Sock: This is one higher-priced item that was absolutely worth the investment for us. Yes, the Owlet Sleep Sock comes with a significant price tag, but the peace of mind it provided was priceless. The sock monitors your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels while they sleep and alerts you if something seems off. For me, this translated directly into better sleep because I wasn’t constantly getting up to check if she was breathing. As a second-time mom, I was less anxious overall, but having this monitoring tool actually allowed me to sleep more deeply during those precious windows when the baby was sleeping.

Crib and Mattress: While we reused the crib from our firstborn, we did invest in a new mattress. After years of accidents, spit-up, and just wear and tear, the new mattress made sense. This Newton one is great. And, of course, some new sheets. I recommend having at least 3-4 on hand for inevitable middle-of-the-night changes. And honestly? Babies don’t care if their sheets are designer—they just need to be clean and comfortable.

Portable Bassinet: One sleep essential we absolutely loved was our portable, foldable bassinet. This was perfect for putting baby down safely anywhere in the house like the living room, or bringing along when we visited family. It folded easily and was lightweight enough to transport without hassle—a true sanity-saver when you need to keep baby close but still get things done around the house.

What We Skipped: The fancy bassinet that rocks itself? Skipped it. The vibrating crib attachment? Nope. With our second, we learned that simple is often better when it comes to sleep. Most of those high-tech sleep gadgets either stopped working after a few months or created sleep associations that became problematic later.

The reality is that your baby will eventually sleep—with or without all the bells and whistles. Investing in a few quality sleep essentials rather than every trendy sleep product helped us create a consistent, safe sleep environment without breaking the bank.

You might also like: Getting Baby to Sleep Through the Night: 10 Weeks to Success with Two Girls (Our Story)

Diapering Station Essentials

If there’s one thing you’ll be doing constantly with a newborn, it’s changing diapers. After two babies, I’ve learned that having an efficient diapering system is absolutely worth investing your time and resources into setting up properly.

What Actually Makes Diaper Changes Easier

Changing Table and Organization: While some parents skip the changing table altogether, for us, it was essential. Having a dedicated changing space at the right height saved our backs from countless hours of hunching over. What made it truly functional, though, was how we organized it. We used simple baskets on the shelves below to create separate zones for different categories: one basket for diapers, one for wipes and creams, one for extra clothes, and one for miscellaneous items like nail clippers and thermometers.

This basket system made it easy to grab exactly what we needed mid-change (crucial when dealing with a squirmy baby!), and it also made restocking much simpler. When a basket was running low, I could quickly see what needed to be replenished without digging through drawers.

Diaper Genie: This is one item that definitely made the cut for baby #2. While there are certainly cheaper diaper pail options available, we found the Diaper Genie’s odor control to be worth the investment, especially once we had two kids’ worth of diapers to manage. The sealed system kept our nursery smelling fresh, and the foot pedal was essential for those times when you need hands-free operation.

Changing Pad Covers: Having 2-3 changing pad covers in rotation was perfect. We learned with our first that blowouts happen at the most inconvenient times, so having backups ready to go meant we could quickly swap out a soiled cover without having to rush a load of laundry.

What We Skipped: The wipe warmer was definitely something we didn’t bother with the second time around. Despite what the baby gear industry would have you believe, babies don’t actually need pre-warmed wipes, and ours adjusted just fine to room-temperature ones. We also skipped the fancy diaper caddy for around the house – instead, we kept simple, stocked changing stations in the main areas we spent time in.

Another item we confidently left off our list was the dedicated diaper cream spatula. Yes, that’s a real product marketed to parents! A regular washable baby spoon works just as well for applying diaper cream without getting it all over your hands.

The bottom line for diapering essentials is practicality. Create systems that make your life easier during those countless diaper changes, and don’t worry about having the trendiest accessories. Your sleep-deprived self will thank you for prioritizing function over form in this department!

Comfort and Feeding Must-Haves

Whether you’re breastfeeding, formula feeding, or doing a combination of both, having the right support items makes feeding time more comfortable for both you and baby. Here’s what actually made a difference in our feeding journey the second time around.

The Items That Actually Helped

Boppy Pillow: The Boppy pillow remained one of our most-used items with baby #2. Beyond just supporting during feedings, we found countless uses for it—propping baby up during tummy time, supporting her during her first attempts at sitting, and even just giving my arms a break during those long holding sessions when she wouldn’t nap anywhere but on me. It’s one of those versatile items that earns its keep far beyond the newborn stage.

Glider and Blanket: Our glider was another feeding essential that carried over from our first daughter. Having a comfortable spot with good arm support made those middle-of-the-night feeding sessions much more bearable. We kept a soft blanket draped over the back of the chair for extra comfort and warmth during those 3 AM feedings. The gentle rocking motion often helped soothe baby back to sleep after feeding, which was a definite win.

Burp Cloths (Plenty of Them): With our first daughter, we started with a few and quickly realized we needed more and we needed to keep them everywhere. With baby #2, we were prepared. Having burp cloths stationed throughout the house meant we were never caught without one during an unexpected spit-up moment.

Water Bottle for Mom: Not technically a baby item, but a large water bottle with a straw was absolutely essential for feedings. Staying hydrated is crucial when you’re feeding a baby, and having a good water bottle that I could operate one-handed made a huge difference.

What We Skipped the Second Time: The bottle warmer. Room temperature bottles worked just fine for our baby, and when we did need to warm milk, a simple bowl of warm water did the trick without adding another gadget to our countertop.

The theme continues with feeding essentials: simple and practical wins over specialized and fancy. Your baby doesn’t need the latest trendy feeding gadgets—they need a well-fed, comfortable parent who isn’t stressed about using all the “right” equipment.

What We Definitely Skipped the Second Time

By the time our second daughter arrived, I had a much clearer vision of what actually deserves space in our home. Beyond the items I’ve already mentioned in previous sections, here are several more things that didn’t make the cut for baby #2 – and we didn’t miss them one bit.

Skip These Unnecessary Baby Items

Baby Shoes: Adorable? Absolutely. Necessary? Not at all. Until babies are walking, shoes serve no practical purpose other than falling off constantly and frustrating both you and baby. We saved our money for shoes when they were actually needed, and stuck with socks and booties for warmth in the meantime.

Specialized “Milestone” Products: With our first, we bought special monthly milestone blankets, stickers, blocks, and more. With our second, we took simpler monthly photos without all the props. The truth is, these items get used once a month for a brief photo, then stored away the rest of the time. A simple handwritten sign or even a digital addition to photos works just as well.

Diaper Bag Backpack: With our first baby, I invested in a specialized diaper bag with endless compartments and special features. For baby #2, I realized any comfortable backpack works just fine when organized with a few small pouches. The specialized diaper bags are often heavy before you even put anything in them!

Pacifier Wipes: These specialized wipes for cleaning dropped pacifiers are completely unnecessary. A quick rinse under water works just as well, or having a couple of backup pacifiers in your bag eliminates the problem entirely.

Baby Bath Thermometer: Those cute floating bath thermometers seemed essential with our first baby. By the second, I trusted the “elbow test” (water that feels comfortable on your elbow is safe for baby) and saved both money and drawer space.

Shopping Cart Covers: Those padded covers designed to protect your baby from shopping cart germs were another first-baby purchase we gladly skipped the second time around. A simple blanket works just as well for cushioning, or wearing baby in a carrier eliminates the need entirely.

The baby industry thrives on creating “solutions” for problems that aren’t really problems at all. With experience came the confidence to distinguish between actual needs and clever marketing gimmicks. Your baby needs far less than what stores and social media would have you believe.

Embrace the Simplicity

After two babies, if there’s one piece of wisdom I would share with new parents, it’s this: babies need far less than what the baby industry would have us believe. The most important things you can provide your little one are love, safety, nourishment, and consistency—none of which come with a hefty price tag or require the latest trending product.

When preparing for our second daughter, I approached things with a clearer perspective and more confidence in my own judgment. I knew which splurges were worth it for our family (like the Owlet sock and quality sleep essentials) and which items we could happily skip (like wipe warmers and specialized baby detergents).

Remember that babies grow and change at lightning speed. That expensive swing they love at 2 months might be completely rejected by month 4. The adorable nursery theme you painstakingly created might need a complete overhaul once they develop opinions of their own around age 2-3. This reality helped us focus on purchasing for the present needs while being mindful of the future.

For second-time parents, you already have the most valuable resource of all: experience. Trust what you’ve learned from your first baby, and don’t feel pressured to rebuy everything or upgrade to the newest versions. For first-time parents, I hope this honest perspective gives you permission to be selective about what you bring into your home.

At the end of the day, your baby won’t remember if they had the trendiest nursery or the most expensive gadgets. They’ll remember feeling safe, loved, and secure—and that’s something no amount of baby gear can provide. Focus your energy and resources on what truly matters, and give yourself grace as you navigate this beautiful, challenging journey of parenthood.

What baby essentials did you find most useful? I’d love to hear what made your must-have list in the comments below!

The Ollie Swaddle
Sound Machine
Owlet Sleep Sock
Crib
Mattress
Crib Sheets
Portable Bassinet
Changing Table
Organization Baskets
Glider
Pink Rug
Diaper Genie
Burp Cloths
Water Bottle
Baby Booties (that Stay On)

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