Essential Household Items to Stock Up On Before Baby

Preparing meals ahead of time is a great way to make sure that you’re feeding yourself and anyone in your family. All you need is a simple easy freezer meal idea or two, and the whole house will be able to breathe easy, knowing that they’ll have food ready to eat when the hunger strikes. 

You can easily make a month’s worth of meals that you can cook or reheat on a daily basis, making dinner time woes a thing of the past. Just make sure that you have extra space in the freezer so that you can put in the dishes or freezer bags. 

(Telling others that you would love some easy side dishes to pair with your freezer meals is also an easy way to answer the question of what people can do to help!)

Those sleepless nights and extra calories being burned making breast milk will have you starving, so having snacks on hand is key! Fresh produce is nice to have to stay healthy and get key nutrients, but don’t forget that potato chips and sugar can go a long way too if you have no other options. (and in moderation, of course!) 

Also, keep high-protein snacks on hand, so that you can make a quick sandwich when the craving hits. Not only is peanut butter a great item to stick up on, but it’s a great-priced food stable as well. Protein bars are another one of my favorite high-protein snacks.

A well-stocked pantry is important so that you can quickly fuel your body when it’s hungry, and you can take care of your body during this important time. You’ll be running on a lack of energy so fueling your body properly is key. 

(and do yourself a favor and get paper plates! The last thing that you need to worry about is washing dishes or needing to buy dish soap during this time. There is nothing wrong with having paper products on hand to cut down on chores in the house.)

Don’t forget to take a peek at your pantry to see what food items you need to restock. Noodle and pasta sauce or a great addition and super easy to make! You’ll also want to have cereals, protein bars, and other food items that you can easily cook up quickly. (Brown rice or white rice is a great option as well!) 

If all else fails, keep the delivery number handy from the local grocery store so that you can have food items delivered that you might not have remembered. They’ll quickly deliver everything from olive oil to chicken breasts in a short amount of time. 

And, if you really find yourself in a pinch — don’t forget about Amazon Fresh!

This is one of those essential items that every new mom needs. There’s a very good chance that you’ll have an unexpected visit or two from family and friends (especially if this is your first baby), and having dry shampoo on hand will be your savior! 

It’s the best way to look like you took a shower when it’ll be your little secret that you didn’t. 

Since shampoo and conditioner have a long shelf life, stock up on these items when you find them at a good price. Showers will be needed and happening when you can sneak them in during those early days, and you can never have too many shower supplies on hand. 

You should also make sure that you have body wash or soap, as well as anything that you need to take care of yourself during your postpartum journey. Maxi pads, witch hazel, and even disposable paper underwear are all a must postpartum necessity to have. 

You’ll go through a lot of trash and garbage bags, especially if you’re using disposable diapers, paper plates, etc…

Newborn babies go to the bathroom quite a bit, so if you won’t be using a diaper genie or anything equivalent, add trash bags to your shopping list so that you don’t have to have stinky trash sitting in the house. 

You’re going to have so many dirty clothes from all the poopy diaper changes and all that baby gear that needs to be cleaned! Stain remover and detergent that is gentle for the baby’s skin is going to be your best friend! 

Even though you’ll have so much laundry (and no judgment if you need to get to it later), doing a load or two on a regular basis will keep you sane! 

You might be scratching your head as to why this has been added to the list, but hear me out! The past few years taught us that hand-washing is SUPER important, and that hasn’t changed! 

Since you’ll likely be having guests come to the house to see your new baby girl or baby boy, it’s a good idea to be stocked up on hand soap at the bathroom sink, kitchen sink, and more. 

Speaking of keeping things clean, don’t forget that hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes are great for disinfecting surfaces too. These aren’t to use around the baby, but are good for hands (dry them off after!) or wiping spaces down that may contain germs. 

Going to the bathroom is a must, so just face the music and start stocking up on toilet paper right away. Now, mom-to-be, you likely won’t be using toilet paper immediately after birth, you’ll likely be using a peri bottle and sitz bath, but for everyone else in the household — stock up on the toilet paper.

Toilet paper will never not be needed or used, so you can’t go wrong with stocking up on this anytime that you go to the store. 

This is one of those postpartum essentials that are a must. Trust me when I say that this isn’t something that you want to run out of, so make sure that you make some storage space in your bathroom cabinet so that you don’t have to worry about running out. 

In addition to nipple cream, make sure that you have all the other needed essentials for taking care of your baby. Because once you get baby home, you’re not going to want to go right back out and go shopping! 

If you’ve got pets at home, don’t forget about your fur babies! Get food, cat litter, and anything else that you’ll need to have so that you don’t have to find yourself sprinting off to the store last minute! 

The jury is out on this one, but I do think that it’s important to have some on hand. I don’t recommend stocking up on formula because you have no idea if you’re even going to need it or if your child will be able to tolerate or use the one that you pick. 

Instead, just pick up a can or two of formula to have on hand, just in case. This will give you some flexibility to have it as an option in case you need it.