Learning what to buy before bringing home an adopted newborn baby will help you prepare with essential supplies and furniture!
Once you’ve been home study approved, you want to be ready to bring home a baby. Sometimes adoption matches happen very quickly, and you’re bringing home a new baby within a matter of weeks or even days. It’s good to be prepared with the proper supplies.
Shopping for a potential adoption can be an overwhelming process. As first-time parents, there are so many purchasing decisions to make. The research that goes into making these purchases often gets stressful. Additionally, adoption is already expensive. Shopping for big-ticket items, such as a crib and dresser, may seem crazy when you have no idea if you’ll be able to adopt.
I encourage you to start by buying essential baby supplies and then focus on furniture. As long as you have a safe place for the baby to sleep, you don’t need other furniture immediately.
Essential newborn baby supplies
Bassinet
You need a safe place for a newborn to sleep. Babies aren’t ready for cribs until they’re between three and six months old. We used the Fisher Price bassinet for Genevieve and Annie and were very happy with it. If you’re looking for a compact bassinet design, the HALO Swivel Sleeper is a popular option.
Travel bassinet
For out-of-state adoptions, I highly recommend purchasing a travel bassinet so you’re sure to have a safe sleeping place for your newborn in any hotel or Airbnb. We used the Munchkin Brica travel pod for Olivia’s and Genevieve’s adoptions. I love the compact design and how easy it is to move around, so you can set down the baby safely anywhere.
If you plan to travel often or use a bassinet at grandparents’ houses, friends’ houses, etc., I recommend the Karley bassinet. You won’t find a more versatile option at this price point.
I have a post with my best tips for traveling home from an out-of-state adoption with a newborn baby, which has my additional recommendations for travel-specific gear.
Car seat
The Doona car seat and stroller system wasn’t released until after Genevieve was born. If I were just starting to grow a family, I would definitely buy one. The ease of use is incredible, and the stroller height is so versatile for kids and adults.
If you’re looking for a slightly less expensive but still very well-rated and versatile option, I’ve used an older version of the Graco Modes Nest Travel System for all of my kids. It was the first stroller that I bought for Tommy right after he was born. It’s still going strong, four kids and seven years later.
Stroller
In addition to the Graco Modes Nest Travel System, the one stroller that I recommend for all new parents is the Summer 3D Mini stroller. It’s so lightweight and compact but much sturdier than a typical umbrella stroller while still hitting a fantastic price point. You’ll be able to use it from three or four months all the way through preschool age. I also bought a Summer 3D mini stroller for Tommy and am still going strong with it.
Clothes
You want to have a small stash of newborn and 0-3 month clothing for the first few weeks. Choose simple one-piece outfits in neutral colors with zippers. You’ll have versatile clothes for a boy or girl that will make outfit changes as simple as possible. People love to gift baby clothes. You’ll get lots of clothing gifts in the following months and will have plenty of time to fill in any holes in the wardrobe.
Diapers
Pick up a large box of newborn-size diapers to have on hand when you bring the baby home from the hospital. I recommend having 70-100 diapers ready. When I buy the first round of diapers, I also buy a size 1 box. The first few diaper sizes tend to go quickly. You want to be ready to make those transitions.
In the event that your baby is born prematurely and is still quite small upon leaving the hospital, the staff will send you home with a small stash of preemie diapers. You can decide if you need more before moving up to newborn diapers.
Wipes
Obviously, you’ll need wipes available for diaper changes. Wipes are also nice to keep on hand for wiping dirty faces and hands, cleaning dirty surfaces such as tables and chairs while on the go, and much more. I recommend keeping extra wipes in the car and in a few different locations around the house.
Diaper Genie
Diapers are smelly and fill up a small bedroom garbage can very quickly. A Diaper Genie is well worth the money. Keeping the bag refills on a subscription will save you a little money.
Formula
After the formula shortage a few years ago, you don’t want to gamble on being able to buy the formula that you need at any given moment. Stock up in advance and always keep at least one month’s worth on hand, ideally two or three month’s worth. Choose a formula brand and plan to stick with it for the duration of your formula feeding journey. Unless your baby has digestion problems or other significant feeding issues, there’s no need to switch formulas mid-journey.
Bottles
I’ve only used the Philips Avent bottles with all four of my kids and have been so happy with them. You won’t find other bottles that vent this well and have just three pieces, all of which are easy to clean. You’ll want the 4 oz bottles for the first few months and will want to have 9 oz bottles on hand for the later months of formula feeding.
I have an entire post dedicated to essential formula feeding supplies with a few additional supply recommendations as well as tips to save money on formula feeding.
Bibs and burp cloths
I always put a bib on my babies during feeding time, even during the first few months, and right up until they fully transition to sippy cups. Bibs minimize the amount of formula that gets on clothes and generally make cleanup much easier. Muslin bibs with snaps are my favorite. Burp cloths are also nice to have on hand for bigger spit-ups.
Pacifiers
If you have a baby that will take a pacifier, you’ll want to have a small stash of them on hand at all times. I love the Philips Avent pacifiers. Annie is using the Philips Avent ultra air pacifiers purely because I needed her to have something different than Olivia and Genevieve, and they’re great, too.
Baby bath
The Summer infant deluxe baby bath seat has been a total game-changer for me. It’s much better than the plastic tubs, folds up compactly, and can be used until about age one.
When you’ve purchased your essential baby supplies and are trying to decide if you’re going to set up an entire bedroom, I have a separate post about preparing a bedroom for an adopted child in which I discuss why it can be a helpful process.
Baby room furniture
Crib
The 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 convertible crib model has become the standard, and it’s not hard to see why. The aesthetic is timeless, and the design offers the versatility you need to keep your child safe and content for multiple years.
If you’re looking for a more compact and/or versatile crib, the Pamo Babe mini travel crib is a great option. It doesn’t take up nearly as much space as a traditional crib and is wonderful for use on the go, including both inside and outside settings.
Dresser
A dresser gives you a place to get all of your baby’s clothes organized right away and possibly store a few other things, such as diapers, wipes, and headbands. I highly recommend getting drawer organizers or using another system to keep the clothes and other items sorted.
I love shopping for secondhand dressers because it’s the best way to buy solid wood furniture. Even high-end dressers just aren’t built the same way today. It’s easy to sand and repaint an old dresser to give it new life for your kid.
Changing table
If you have the space, a full changing table can be nice. You get a dedicated changing area with lots of extra storage. A changing table pad on a dresser works well, too.
How to save on essential newborn baby supplies and furniture
There are a few key ways that you’ll be able to save on essential baby gear and furniture.
Take advantage of Cartwheel savings and Target gift card offers
Target often has Cartwheel discounts and gift card offers for baby items. You’ll find deals such as 15% off diapers or get a $10 gift card when you spend $100 from certain baby product categories. Typically, these offers are available for in-store and curbside pickup orders.
Use formula manufacturer coupons
Certain formula manufacturers, such as Similac and Enfamil, issue regular manufacturer coupons. If you use one of these brands, it’s well worth watching for coupons.
Shop garage sales, Facebook marketplace/Facebook groups, and secondhand furniture stores
Shopping secondhand is a great way to save money on baby and kid items that still have plenty of life in them. Garage/yard/rummage sales, Facebook marketplace and local buy/sell/free groups, and secondhand/thrift stores are all great places to find gently used baby gear, including furniture.
Put out the word to family and friends that you need baby gear and furniture
Tell anyone who knows that you’re home study approved and working on your baby’s nursery that you’re looking for baby gear and furniture. You may be able to get items that family and friends are done with but haven’t made time to donate or sell yet.
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