10 Items Needed for Your Second Child

When we first found out we were expecting baby #2, I didn’t think we’d need much of anything. We already had all the big items (and we were careful to purchase all gender-neutral colors so we could use them for all our kids). Then, when we found out our second child is another girl, I really didn’t think there was much we would need. But as time as went on, I’ve thought of quite a few items we will need with a second child.

Maybe you’ve got another one on the way too. Are you wondering what you could possibly need? Well, here’s a list of 10 items I know we would like to have for our second child not including any clothes.

10 Must Haves for the Second Child

1. Monitor Camera

We love the monitor we have for our first child, and we plan to keep using it for her room. So we’d like to have the additional monitor camera that works with the monitor we already have. I love that this monitor can have dual cameras going at once. I’m kind of nuts about watching the monitor — maybe I’m over protective, but it really helps put my mind at ease.

Here’s the monitor we have and love. Here’s the bonus camera you can get to go with it.

2. Window shade and car mirror

Raylee, our first born, hated the car. I mean she HATED car rides and her car seat. Trips to visit our families out of state were nightmares. I will do whatever I can to make car rides less miserable, and that means having a window shade to keep the sun out of their eyes. It also means having a good mirror for the back seat so I can see whether the child is actually in distress or just crying because, well, they are a baby. Some might say that having a car mirror is dangerous, but honestly it has definitely kept me from having accidents because I’m not freaking out about what’s going on back there.

Here’s a great window shade option that comes in a two-pack. Here’s a great car mirror for the back seat.

3. Sound machine + black out curtains

Sleep is one of the biggest struggles we had with our daughter. Perhaps it’s just the biggest struggle for any baby. I’m not one who does well on little sleep, so absolutely anything I can do to improve sleep in the baby is going to mean I get more sleep too. It’s a win-win-win. Everybody wins. We always use a sound machine in the kids’ bedrooms to drown out any outside noise that might wake them up. I’ve read that for newborns especially this is a great tool because they are so used to white noise inside the womb. Supposedly, it’s actually pretty loud in there.

Another thing we’ve always done is had black out curtains in the baby’s room. They need to learn that when it’s dark it’s sleep time and when it’s light it’s wake time. One of the ways to do that is to use black out curtains since they will nap during the day or go to bed early.

Here’s the sound machine we want for baby #2. Here are some black out curtain options. Be sure to measure your window! Our second child will have a huge window in her room, so I’m hoping we can find curtains that will work.

4. Double stroller

I went back and forth on whether we would even need a double stroller. So I reached out to my Facebook friends (many of whom are mamas) and asked if a double stroller was really needed. Tons of people commented and said, “Yes, get one!” A lot of people even said they didn’t think they would need one, and then later regretted not having one. So a double stroller is now on our list! We really want one that works with the infant car seat we already have and will be using. That narrows our options down to one specific double stroller. We’ve been keeping our eyes out for it at consignment sales and things, but we haven’t found this specific one yet.

5. Crib mattress + sheets + protectors/covers

Since we transitioned our oldest daughter to a toddler bed, we will be using the crib for our new baby. But the crib mattress stayed with the toddler bed for our big girl. That means we need another one, and along with that comes crib sheets too. I like to have at least two crib sheets so I can easily replace sheets when one needs washed (poop happens). I also really like to have these waterproof mattress pad covers. They protect the mattress from getting wet or dirty or both. I like to have at least two of them for the same reason. It makes changing bedding when a diaper has leaked a lot easier.

Here’s the crib mattress we like. Here are the sheets we want for this girl. We are doing a navy blue and coral color scheme. Here are the mattress pad covers that do a great job of protecting the mattress.

6. Diapers + wipes

This is a no-brainer. Every baby needs diapers and wipes! Our favorite brand has been Pampers after trying lots of brands with our firstborn. We stick to Pampers Swaddlers during the newborn stage, and then move to Pampers Baby Dry because they last for 12 hours — anything to help baby sleep through the night! We like the Pampers sensitive wipes too. We also have the Pampers rewards app, which lets us get points every time we use Pampers products. Last time, we saved up all our points and got our daughter two Melissa and Doug puzzles for free. It was a good birthday present!

7. Nursery items

Our kids won’t be sharing a room anytime soon. The thought of them waking each other scared me too much. Since we will have a new nursery, we are going to need things to decorate it and make it pretty and special for her. Since I end up spending a lot of time in the nursery — nursing or rocking or playing — I like it to look good.

Like I said earlier, we are doing a navy blue and coral color scheme and we will probably have a hint of light turquoise in there too. Here are a couple items I’ve found that I want for her nursery: this coral storage caddy and this aqua woven basket that I’ll use a hamper (and it comes in lots of different colors and patterns).

 

8. Dreft detergent

Most of the time we use Tide free and gentle detergent for all our laundry, but when I have a newborn in the house I like to use Dreft for all the baby items. This helps in case the baby has sensitive skin. Most of the baby’s clothes will have been washed already since they are our oldest daughter’s hand-me-downs. But I know she’ll get some new clothes too that I’ll want to wash before she wears them.

9. Baby hangers + closet organizer

I used a closet organizer similar to this (but this one has drawers even!) for the first nursery we put together, and we still use it. It’s really nice to have shelving inside the closet for things like shoes or extra diapers or clothing she’s not ready to wear yet. I love hanging up all shirts and dresses in the closet, so we end up needing a lot of baby hangers. I really like getting things set up and organized before the baby arrives. It just helps me feel more ready and prepared. I don’t need any more stress or things to do during postpartum!

10. Bibs

The last thing we will need for our second child is more bibs. Of course, we still use bibs for our big kid, but they are all pretty worn and stained. We will definitely need a bunch of new ones for the new baby to use.

I really like this kind. Ikea also has bibs that we love that basically fits like a shirt with long sleeves. It is perfect for restaurants! They are really good quality and have lasted us a long time. Here’s a kind similar to those on Amazon. We haven’t tried them, so I don’t know if they are as good quality but worth a try!

Something that goes along with bibs is utensils. Our favorites are from Grabease and we need new ones because the fork we had may have gotten destroyed in the garbage disposal (oops!). These utensils are great for babies who are just starting to feed themselves and use utensils.

Is there anything else you’d add to this list for the second child? Am I forgetting anything?

Check out some of my other posts:

• Things to Do Before Baby Arrives
• What I Didn’t Use from my Hospital Bag
• Tips for Your Maternity Photo Shoot