Baby Shopping Guide

Feeding

For formula feeding

The necessities:

____ 8 or so bottles with newborn nipples (try several brands to find the one your baby prefers)

____ Bottle-cleaning brush or a dishwasher basket

____ Bottle-drying rack

____ Several weeks' worth of baby formula to start

____ 6 or more cotton bibs

____ 6 or more burp cloths (cloth diapers do the job)

____ Insulated cooler/carrier for outings

It's nice to have:

____ Dry formula dispenser

____ Bottle sterilizer

Strictly optional:

____ Bottle warmer (heating in hot water takes the same amount of time)

____ Bottle proper (unless you have multiples and use it sparingly when you can't otherwise feed all the babies at once)

For breastfeeding

The necessities:

____ Nursing pillow

____ 2-3 nursing bras

____ 2-3 boxes of nursing pads

____ 6 or more cotton bibs

____ 6 or more burp cloths (cloth diapers do the job)

It's nice to have:

____ Breast pump (electric if you'll use it every day at work, otherwise a hand pump is fine)

____ Breast milk storage bags or containers

____ Several bottles and nipples if someone else will be feeding baby pumped breast milk

____ Nipple cream (for the first few weeks)

Solid-food feeding

The necessities (not an issue until 4 to 6 months):

____ High chair

____ Plastic bibs

____ Infant feeding spoons

____ Infant bowl

It's nice to have:

____ Mess mat for under the high chair

____ Baby food mill (if you're ambitious enough to puree your own baby food)