If you plan on bottle feeding, here are the bare essentials you'll need. Numbers in parentheses are Betty's recs for how many to get.
Bottles (4-6)
The number of bottles you’ll need depends on how frequently you want to clean bottles and how many times you plan on nursing instead of bottle feeding. If you’re also nursing, 4-6 bottles is usually enough to get you through the day with maybe 1 washing session.
Burp cloths (8-10)
You might find yourself using any free cloth around to wipe messes here and there, but burp cloths are handy to have around. 8-10 should be enough to last you a few days. If you want to do laundry less or want to use one burp cloth for every wipe/feeding, then you’ll need more.
Bottle cleaning brush (1)
A dedicated brush for your bottles is important so that it doesn’t pick up bacteria from your other dishes. If your bottle brush doesn’t come with a nipple brush, you’ll want to get one of those as well to make sure the small crevices are thoroughly cleaned. One is recommended to start to make sure you like the way it works before buying more. It’s suggested to replace your bottle brush every six months.
Drying rack (1)
For similar reasons as having a dedicated cleaning brush, it’s always helpful to have a separate drying rack for your bottles and feeding supplies to make sure they remain in a sterile environment.
Gentle unscented soap (1 bottle)
Regular dish soap can be very harsh and often has scents. Gentle unscented soap is ideal for baby bottles so that it reduces the chances of excess soap residue in your bottles and it doesn’t have a scent that can be irritating to your little one.
Formula (1 container)
Even if you plan on breastfeeding, it’s helpful to have formula on standby in case it takes a few days to get the breast milk flowing. Betty recommends one container to start, to make sure your little one doesn’t have issues with it before investing in more.
Water boiler (1)
If you’re making formula, it’s best to use boiled water to mix with the powder. Pro-tip - boil enough water for the day and use it throughout. That way, you won’t be trying to cool down boiling water while you have a hungry baby screaming at you.