Newborn Feeding Essentials: What You Actually Need

Before I had my first baby, I had every intention of breastfeeding. I had the nursing pillow, nursing bras, pumps, nipple balm, cooling pads—all of it. But one of the best pieces of advice my doula gave me had nothing to do with breastfeeding: bring the bottles and formula I wanted to use to the hospital, just in case.

I am so glad I listened.

My son latched right away, so initially I thought everything was going well. But he was extremely fussy, and I felt like I was feeding him constantly. After talking with my doula, I decided to supplement with formula. He took the bottle immediately, and having another feeding option took an enormous amount of pressure off me.

I eventually started pumping and combo feeding, and after about a week, I switched entirely to formula. With my second baby, who was born prematurely, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to formula feed. I gave her colostrum, she initially received donor milk in the NICU, and then she transitioned to the premature infant formula recommended for her.

After feeding two newborns—and buying far more stuff the first time around—my biggest takeaway is that you really don't need that much.

Here are the newborn feeding essentials I would actually have at home before bringing a baby home, plus the things that are really nice to have and the things I wouldn't rush to buy.

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A Few Bottles

You do not need 12 bottles.

With my first baby, I bought more bottles because I thought having a lot would mean I wouldn't have to wash them as frequently. Technically, that was true. In reality, it meant I ended every day with a giant bowl full of dirty bottles and bottle parts waiting for me in the sink. I found the clutter more stressful than just washing bottles more often.

With my second, I went in the opposite direction. I have four 8-ounce bottles that I use for regular feedings and two smaller bottles that I use for things like vitamins and introducing allergens. That's it.

For a newborn, I would start with a small set of 4-ounce bottles. You can move to 8-ounce bottles when your baby starts drinking more. I personally wouldn't bother with the 2-ounce bottles because babies outgrow them so quickly.

I have a full breakdown of how many bottles you actually need here.

My Favorite Bottles

I've used Dr. Brown's narrow bottles with both of my babies and have been really happy with them. I actually started with glass bottles with my first, but eventually switched to plastic.

Glass sounded great in theory, but as babies get older, they start trying to hold their own bottles. You're also constantly setting bottles down, balancing them somewhere or carrying one while doing five other things. Bottles get dropped. Glass can break. For our everyday life, plastic has simply been more practical.

I also wouldn't buy a huge collection of any bottle before you know that your baby likes it. Start with a few. You can always order more.

The Right Nipple Flow

One thing I didn't realize before having a baby was that the nipple that comes with your bottle isn't necessarily the nipple you'll want to start with.

My doula recommended starting my son with a preemie nipple because we were also breastfeeding and wanted a slower flow. With my daughter, who was premature, we started with an ultra-preemie nipple and eventually moved up.

Many bottles come packaged with a size 1 nipple, so if you and your baby's care team decide that a slower flow makes sense, you may need to buy those nipples separately.

This is also an area where I wouldn't stock up too much in advance. Babies move through nipple flows, and what works for one baby may not work for another.

Formula...Even If You Plan to Breastfeed

This is probably the biggest thing I would tell a first-time mom based on my own experience: consider having a backup feeding option at home, even if your plan is to exclusively breastfeed.

That does not mean you have to use it.

I planned to breastfeed my first baby, but I was incredibly grateful that my doula encouraged me to bring my preferred bottles and formula to the hospital. When I ultimately decided I wanted to supplement, I already had products I had chosen rather than feeling like I was making another decision in an emotional, sleep-deprived moment.

If you don't care which bottle or formula you use if supplementation becomes necessary, that's completely fine too. For me, having them already chosen made me feel more prepared.

I used Bobbie formula with my first and loved it. My second was born prematurely and needed a different formula based on her nutritional needs, which was another reminder that you don't necessarily know exactly how feeding will look until your baby arrives.

Your baby's pediatrician or medical team can help you determine which formula, if any, is appropriate for your baby.

A Formula Dispenser

If you're formula feeding, this is one of my actual essentials.

I use a divided formula container that lets me pre-measure individual servings of formula. It's especially helpful when we're leaving the house, but you can also use the same system for middle-of-the-night feeds.

Rather than trying to scoop formula while you're half asleep, measure it before you go to bed. Pre-fill the bottles with the appropriate amount of water, and when your baby wakes up, all you have to do is combine the two.

It's simple, inexpensive and makes feeding much easier.

Room-Temperature Bottles

I never got my babies used to warm bottles, and I'm very happy about that decision.

From the beginning, I served bottles at room temperature. It made leaving the house so much easier because I didn't have to figure out how or where I was going to warm a bottle.

When I'm going somewhere, I'll usually pre-fill my bottles with water and use the sealing discs so they don't leak. I bring my pre-measured formula container and usually have my Owala water bottle with me in case I need additional water.

Being able to make a bottle wherever we are without worrying about warming it has made formula feeding on the go incredibly easy for us.

If you're flying, here's exactly what you can bring through TSA when traveling with formula.

Lots of Burp Cloths

This is one thing I wouldn't be minimalist about. Get the burp cloths.

I love the Green Sprouts muslin burp cloths and prefer them over little newborn bibs. There is so much spit-up in those early weeks, and a good burp cloth is useful for everything. I can put one over my shoulder while burping the baby, tuck one under her chin while feeding or grab one for the inevitable spit-up that somehow misses everything else.

They're one of those inexpensive newborn products that you'll use constantly. Check our our full Baby Registry Checklist if you're interested.

A Good Bottle-Cleaning System

If you're bottle feeding, you need a way to clean bottles efficiently. What that looks like can depend entirely on your budget and how much you hate washing bottles.

With my first, I kept a large bowl in the sink where I would put the dirty bottles and parts in warm water. At the end of the day, I washed everything using baby dish soap and an OXO bottle brush and put the pieces on a drying rack.

It worked perfectly well. You absolutely do not need a bottle washer.

But now I have one, and I joke that it saved my marriage.

With my second baby, we use the Momcozy bottle washer about twice a day. It washes, sterilizes and dries everything, and it is one of those products that I didn't know I needed until I had it. Because I'm constantly washing bottles, I also don't need to own as many.

Is it a newborn feeding essential? No.

Would I buy it again? One hundred percent.

I also didn't buy a separate sterilizer with my first baby. I sterilized bottles a handful of times, but based on the guidance I received from our doctor, I didn't feel the need to have a dedicated appliance for it. Now our bottle washer has a sterilizing function, so I use it because it's built into something we're already running.

Follow current guidance from your pediatrician and bottle/formula manufacturers about cleaning, sanitizing and preparing feeding equipment, especially for premature babies or babies with specific health considerations.

Baby Brezza Formula Pro

This falls firmly into my "really nice to have" category rather than "you need this before you have a baby."

The Baby Brezza saves time, cuts down on the mess that comes with scooping formula and makes middle-of-the-night bottles so much easier. Pressing a button when you're barely awake is certainly nicer than measuring water and scooping formula.

But you can absolutely formula feed without one.

If it's not in your budget or you don't want another appliance on your counter, pre-measure your water and formula before bed. You'll accomplish essentially the same goal of making overnight feeds faster.

If you are using a formula-dispensing machine, make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions for setup, cleaning and the appropriate settings for your specific formula.

What About Breastfeeding and Pumping Supplies?

My breastfeeding and pumping experience was relatively short, so I'm not going to give you a giant list of breastfeeding "must-haves" and pretend I'm the person to tell you what you'll need for months of exclusive breastfeeding.

I can tell you what I had.

I used a nursing pillow, nursing bras, nipple balm, cooling gel nipple pads and breast pads for leaking. I also had an Elvie pump, a Spectra through insurance and eventually rented a hospital-grade pump while I was trying to increase my supply.

Some of those products were useful during the period when I was breastfeeding and pumping, but because I transitioned to formula fairly quickly, I wouldn't tell another mom she needs to buy every breastfeeding accessory before her baby arrives.

If breastfeeding is your plan, I would get the basics you know you'll need and wait to see what your actual feeding experience looks like before buying everything else. We have an entire article about what NOT to put on a baby registry here.

What I Would Have Ready Before Baby Comes

If one of my friends were 38 weeks pregnant and asked me what feeding supplies she actually needed before coming home from the hospital, I would keep the list very short.

I would have a few 4-ounce bottles, the nipple flow you plan to start with, burp cloths and a simple way to wash and dry bottles. If you're planning to formula feed, I'd also have your formula and a formula dispenser ready.

Even if you're planning to breastfeed, I'd consider choosing a bottle and talking with your baby's care team about what your backup feeding plan would be if you decide or need to supplement.

Newborn Feeding Products That Are Nice to Have

The Baby Brezza and bottle washer are probably my two biggest feeding splurges. Neither is necessary, and I successfully fed my first baby without a bottle washer.

But they're also two products that make something you do over and over and over again every single day easier. To me, that's when a baby product earns its place on the counter.

If I were prioritizing a registry, I'd put bottles, nipples, burp cloths and basic cleaning supplies in the "need" category. I'd put a formula dispenser in "need" if you're formula feeding. The bottle washer and Baby Brezza would go straight into "very nice to have."

Check out of article on Baby Registry Must-Haves vs. Nice-to-Haves if you're interested in our full list.

What I Would Skip

I would skip the 2-ounce bottles. I wouldn't buy a huge supply of one bottle brand before knowing your baby will take it, and I wouldn't stockpile different nipple flows before you need them.

I personally skip the bottle warmer because room-temperature bottles have made our lives much easier. I also wouldn't automatically buy a separate sterilizer when you can decide after your baby arrives whether that's something your feeding and cleaning setup actually requires.

And unless you know you're going to need them, I wouldn't buy every breastfeeding and pumping accessory you see on registry lists. You can get things very quickly once you know what your feeding journey actually looks like.

My Less-Is-More Newborn Feeding Setup

If I were starting over tomorrow, my newborn feeding setup would be surprisingly small: a few 4-ounce bottles, slow-flow nipples appropriate for my baby, a stack of muslin burp cloths, formula and a formula dispenser if formula feeding, and a reliable way to wash and dry everything.

Then I'd add the conveniences that make sense for our budget and lifestyle.

For me, that would be the bottle washer first and Baby Brezza second.

You don't need a cabinet overflowing with bottles. You don't need every feeding gadget before you know how you're going to feed your baby. And you definitely don't need to have your entire feeding journey figured out before your baby arrives.

Have the basics. Have options. Then figure out what works for your baby and for you. For everything else, here's my complete list of newborn essentials I actually used.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bottles do you need for a newborn?

I would start with a small set rather than buying a dozen bottles. With my second baby, having fewer bottles and washing them regularly has been much less overwhelming than letting dirty bottles accumulate. I would start with 4-ounce bottles and add more only if you find that you need them.

Do you need 2-ounce bottles for a newborn?

I wouldn't buy them. Babies use such small amounts initially, but they also grow quickly. I found it more practical to start with 4-ounce bottles that can still hold those smaller newborn feeds but won't be outgrown nearly as quickly.

Do you need a bottle warmer?

I didn't. I gave both of my babies room-temperature bottles, which made feeding away from home much easier. Whether your baby will accept room-temperature bottles is individual, but a bottle warmer isn't something I would automatically buy before your baby arrives.

Is a bottle washer worth it?

For me, absolutely—but it's a luxury, not a necessity. I washed bottles manually with my first baby and now use a Momcozy bottle washer with my second. I joke that it saved my marriage. Because we're able to run bottles through it twice a day, I also don't feel the need to own a huge number of bottles.

Is the Baby Brezza worth it?

I think the Baby Brezza Formula Pro is a really nice-to-have product if you formula feed regularly. It makes overnight feeds faster and reduces the mess of scooping formula, but you can absolutely make bottles without one.

Should you buy formula if you plan to breastfeed?

This is a personal decision, and your medical and lactation team can help you make a feeding plan. I planned to breastfeed my first baby, but I was grateful that my doula had encouraged me to choose a bottle and formula ahead of time so I had an option available when I decided to supplement. Having a backup plan made me feel more prepared, even though it wasn't my original plan.

Do you need to sterilize bottles after every use?

Cleaning and sanitizing recommendations can depend on your baby's age and health, so follow current guidance from your pediatrician and other authoritative sources. With my first baby, I didn't own a separate sterilizer. With my second, our bottle washer includes a sterilizing function, so we use it as part of the machine's cycle.

The Bottom Line

Newborn feeding can become one of those categories where it feels like you need an entire kitchen cabinet of products before your baby is even born. After two babies and very different feeding experiences, I think the opposite is true.

Start small.

Buy a few bottles. Have plenty of burp cloths. Figure out how you're going to clean everything. If you're formula feeding, have your formula and a simple way to portion it. If you're breastfeeding, start with the basics rather than assuming you need every nursing and pumping accessory.

Most importantly, give yourself room for the plan to change. Mine certainly did.