You thought you had weeks left to shop, prepare your home, and collect gifts from your registry…but baby had a different idea!

When your baby arrives early it can cause additional stress, worrying about what items to buy and how you’re going to get them all, now that you have to shop, unbox, and set up with a baby in tow.

Read on for our top 5 items you really do need when your baby comes early, and 5 things you can forget about until life settles down!

5 Things You Definitely Need When Baby Comes Early

1. A bassinet/bedside sleeping station
   Once your baby comes home, Health Canada recommends room sharing for the first six months of your baby’s life - both for convenience and to reduce the risk of sudden infant death (SIDS). If your master bedroom has space to accommodate baby’s crib, that’s great!…but many bedrooms don’t. Also, especially if you’ve had a c-section, you’ll prefer a bedside sleeping arrangement for baby that doesn’t require you to bend down very far to lift them in/out. Some room sharing options that may work for you include using a bassinet (the Halo swivel sleeper even swings right overtop of your mattress), a pack-n-play (many offer a bassinet attachment that makes them higher and more comfortable for new moms to use), or a sidecar bed.

   *Note: “room sharing” is the act of literally sharing a room and IS recommended; “co-sleeping” is the act of sharing a bed or other sleep surface, and is not recommended by Health Canada.
   

2. Diapers
   This is a pretty simple, but essential, item for your list! Newborns generally require 8-10 diapers per day for the first month of life. When baby comes early, they will likely fit newborn size diapers for the first month or two (or more).
   

3. Change station
   Once baby is home and making SO. MANY. DIAPERS. you will need a safe space to change them. Choose a change station that is a comfortable height and doesn’t require you to lift baby too high or bend down too far. If your house has multiple levels it’s a nice idea to set up a second change station near your main living area so that when you’re doing frequent diaper changes, you don’t always have to take baby upstairs to their room.
   

4. Diaper pail
   Are you sensing a theme here?? A diaper pail was probably listed on your registry, but if you didn’t make it to your baby shower because baby came early, a diaper disposal container is something you definitely can’t to wait to buy. The Ubbi is a great choice: the stainless steel pail doesn’t hold on to smells, it locks to prevent dogs or kids from opening the top, and it works with standard kitchen size garbage bags.
   

5. An Amazon Prime Membership
   If you don’t already have an Amazon Prime Membership, it’s the best $80 you’ll spend this year. And, you can even get a free 30-day trial to prove it! Amazon Prime allows you to order all those items listed above and more, and have them delivered to your doorstep within 24-48 hours. No loading baby in the car, and no mommy crying in the Walmart parking lot because you haven’t learned how to unfold the stroller yet! (#truestory - you’ll see what I mean!) As a bonus, Amazon’s Subscribe & Save feature is the best price available for buying diapers, and the regular delivery schedule means you’ll never run out. And, as a DOUBLE bonus, you’ll also gain access to Amazon Prime Video, which means that when you’re chained to the couch with a sleeping baby on your chest, you can catch up on the latest episodes of Amazon Original series like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Man In The High Castle!

What You Don’t Need When Baby Comes Early

1. A crib

   Since your little one will be sleeping with you for a few months, you don’t need to panic about buying or setting up a crib right away. Wait and see if a few family members will splurge and buy the one on your registry!
   

2. A baby monitor

   With baby sharing your room, a fancy video monitor set up in THEIR room won’t do you much good! Overnight, your baby will be close enough to hear and see constantly, and even during naptimes you can trust that you’ll be able to hear their cry if they wake up and need you while you’re in another room - they can be pretty loud if they want to be! Plus, “I need to keep an eye on baby” is a great excuse to lay down next to them and have a nap yourself!
   

3. Baby clothes

   Babies don’t care if they have a pajama party all day, every day! And, it makes all the frequent diaper changes that much easier if you don’t have to peel off multiple layers. If you have a summer baby, they’re also perfectly happy hanging out in their diaper and a light swaddle blanket. And now that everyone finally knows your baby’s size and gender, visitors will be knocking down your door with boxes of hand-me-downs and gift bags full of adorable new outfits. Rest assured, all the tiny clothes you need will just magically arrive!
   

4. Nursing clothes
   Many new moms spend their late nights online shopping for cute nursing tops and dresses. But it’s best to wait a while to establish your nursing routine and preferences before buying expensive items that may not fit your postpartum body for very long, and may not suit your personal breastfeeding journey. Plenty of moms end up pumping and have no real need to breastfeed in public. Others don’t feel comfortable nursing without a cover, making discreet nursing tops a moot point. Some will have supply issues and will only be able to breastfeed for a few weeks. And some may decide that nursing is not right for their personal situation and won’t need these things at all. Wait and see how different nursing accessories - bras, tops, dresses, milksavers, pads, and covers - will support your breastfeeding reality after 6 or 8 weeks before spending your maternity leave money.
   

5. A finished nursery room
   You made an amazing Pinterest board of all the cutest baby room inspo, and now you have #momguilt because baby came early and you didn’t have time to execute on those plans. Not to worry! Since baby is crashing in your room for awhile, and dad or grandma and grandpa have some time to hang around the house, it’s actually the perfect time to do a mini room renovation! And, if you don’t have help or would rather spend time as a family than painting a room, a professional painting company will be in and out of a standard sized bedroom in under 3 hours for less than $150 in most cases.

*Bonus tip! Hiring a professional doula can be a big help when baby comes early. Maybe you didn’t make it to childbirth classes or even have time to pack your hospital bag. Your doula can fill in the gaps with her knowledge, research, and an extra set of helping hands to ensure your birth and postpartum period are as exciting and stress-free as possible, despite the surprising circumstances!