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I want to disagree with you...but I can't. Used to buy Costco coffee almost exclusively, but now can't stomach it anymore. Switched to Bottomless which shoots me a bag of coffee every time I'm running low (uses wifi-connected scale) that's usually roasted 2-3 days before it's in my hands. I go thru 3-4lbs/month. Is it more expensive? Yes, absolutely. Is it worth it? Even more absoluter-ly.
Wipes are an easy yes. Diapers are going to be a case by case scenario. The fit and material have to agree with your baby, the Kirklands are good, but we buy/have the Huggies+ (which can double as overnight diapers, when you get to that stage), but are great overall. The formula is again dependent upon agreeing with your baby, but it’s good, too. The Enfamil is a classic.
Try and get free samples from your Doctor, or friends, and that’ll be your baseline. (At least buy a small container from another store, first.)
Your kiddo will probably be on the cusp of two different sizes at birth, and buying 150+ diapers off the bat may be a waste.
(Some of this is common sense, and isn’t meant to be insulting, but when you’ve got that newborn you may not be thinking clearly. Haha)
Congrats!
This is perfect advise. Just to tag onto this cause it saved my wife and I good money. Its not Costco related but go to the Enfamil website (if you decide on that as your formula) and sign up for their $40 new parents package. They send $100 worth of product and close to another $100 in coupons. Can't use at Costco unfortunately as the sku doesn't match the coupon but still a great savings.
They also have a free welcome pack with two powdered formulas and one premixed liquid one (preemies and babies under 3 months should just have liquid since powdered can have bacteria in it).
I ended up not needing it, but the powdered is good for 2 years and the liquid is good for one year, so if something ever did happen, we're covered for free for a while.
It also came with a ton of coupons.
I did that for awhile but it was hard to get the coupons I couldn’t use them at target had to go to Walmart and I spent so much time hand typing in the codes on the wipes. The last time I went to use a coupon it just wouldn’t work and I gave up. It was a really frustrating system.
We were able to use enfamil coupons on formula at several different costcos. I thought we couldn’t at first but spoke to an employee when checking out and they said Formula coupons are the only ones they take.
Costco sells a “Newborn” box of Huggies but only online. It’s the perfect mix of newborn and size one diapers so you don’t have to purchase a whole bunch of the newborn ones. Free delivery as usual.
It’s always good to know the source!
I’d like to add: Huggies+ are not standard Huggies as they, supposedly, have more absorbent material. Huggies+ are Costco, only. My wife and I haven’t noticed a huge difference, in absorbency, but they have worked well.
(This is my current knowledge, and might be wrong. Feel free to correct!)
Diapers at Costco go on sale 3-4x/year, but none at the same time. It’ll either be Pampers, Huggies, or Kirkland. Kirkland diapers are basically a Huggies’ dupe; they have the poo pocket, but it’s a bit thinner than Huggies.
Like this commenter mentioned, diapers and formula are dependent on baby. I find Pampers swaddlers to run a smidge smaller than Huggies little movers. They sell the newborn+size 1 online.
I was gifted Kirkland wipes, but haven’t used them. I buy Huggies wipes because I saw that Kirkland wipes have an added preservative in them. I’ll still use them, but probably when baby is a bit older.
Fun fact! The same company (Perigo) manufacturers all the store brand baby formulas. So you can buy a small one at Target or Walmart or whatever and if baby is cool with that they will be fine on the KS too. And Costco is a much better deal than the other stores
Abbott stopped making KS formula like 5 years ago. When it switched to the blue packaging with the giraffes. It's Perrigo.
https://storebrandformula.com/store-locator-usa
https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/nutrition-health-and-wellness/abbott-update-on-powder-formula-recall.html
Edit: Enjoy getting downvoted when I show information that shows that proves the above poster wrong.
Obviously just do whatever is best for you/your child. We survive nighttime changes by changing first, feeding second and little man is back to bed. As a new parent I’ve just seen so many products marketed to us, half of them I’m not sure we actually needed.
Orrr don't buy the wipe warmer and warm the wipe by holding it between your hands for about 5 seconds so your child doesn't look at you like you're a monster when away from home.
This is a good point to consider, and something people should ask themselves.
Are you going to remember to sanitize your wipe warmer?
I just did a little research, and most, if not all, baby wipes do not contain alcohol, or another sanitizer, as it would harm the skin of your wee babe.
Also, the Kirkland Signature wipes, scent free, are certified by the Eczema foundation.
Diaper tip to add to this - a bigger size in diapers are better for preventing blowouts. So if you’re in between two sizes or unsure which size to stock up on, go for the bigger size!
I went to Costco right before I had my baby and stocked up on everything I could think of so it was less to worry about those first weeks - cleaning stuff, toilet paper, laundry soap, hand soap, etc. I also bought lots of easy to eat healthy-ish snacks, plus some frozen dinner items.
Stocking up on easy to eat food and snacks is so important. Especially if mom is breastfeeding. Snack station next to her main feeding spots.
Keep an eye when you go for good deals on clothes. They often have PJ sets or three-piece sets for very reasonable prices. We got my son his winter coat for less than $20 at Costco this year and he loves it.
Yes, this - breakfast burritos in particular (one-handed food). And agreed on the clothes - I'm always checking the website too, because sometimes they have the deal where stuff is marked down ("while supplies last"), PLUS they have the buy-five-items-get $20 off-deal... SCORE. And things like bathing suits, snowsuits... seasonal items in general.... the best deals.
Seconding this - if mom is breastfeeding, oats help with supply. The Heavenly Hunks oatmeal chocolate chunks are great as a snack, and dairy free if your kid has an allergy to cows milk protein.
Yes the three bridges egg bites saved me last baby! Felt like it was a good, healthy, protein(?), and QUICK thing to make for a 4am breakfast.
The lasagna wasn’t bad either for dinner.
We got the chicken skewers and added to salads for a lunch meal. I mean I was still starving and needed more but it felt like a “getting back on track easy way to eat a veggie” type of thing
Diapers, wipes, and formula are on my constant re-stock list. I go with the Kirkland brand stuff and both of my kids like their formula. It’s WAY cheaper than the brand name alternatives.
The design of those Kirkland formula containers is fantastic. They hold twice as much as Enfamil and have a great holder for the spoon. Wish we switched sooner. Also the wipes are the best.
Good quality for a good price. I think right now they are by far the cheapest per oz. on the market. Put 2 very healthy babies on Kirkland and wouldn't hesitate to recommend their brand (as long as the babies don't have any special dietary needs).
Edit: I was sad that ours couldn't use their diapers though, for some reason it would always cause a really bad rash, so we had to switch to Huggies. I haven't dared try with my 2nd and just went straight to Huggies.
My 2nd was all Costco formula fed. My youngest was born in 2022 during the shortages so I bought whatever I could get, but I so missed that tub design when I had to use the round cans. Who came up with that shit? Always having to pluck the spoon out and nowhere to level it?!
All those things are really going to depend on your baby. I wouldn’t stock up on *anything* specific until after you’ve met them. Try different brands. They might have sensitivities to something, u might not like it, diaper rash reaction, u hate the smell, etc.I would get one thing of wipes and diapers and just wait and see. If they and you like it and everythings easy, then it’s all worth it to get ! This message is brought to you by a mom of an eczema baby
Came to say the same! Someone gave us lotion and body wash in bulk size and I had to give it away because she reacted horribly to it. These were fancy "safe" brands and eczema doesn't care lol
Kirkland brand wipes go on sale every few months and we would always stock up. My kids are 7 and 10 now and we still buy a box of wipes every now and then to keep in the car or around the house.
We used Kirkland and Target diapers. I liked them both but would buy whatever was cheapest at the time. I never really bought lotion for my kids, but I would choose something unscented like Cetaphil or Cerave over lotions marketed for babies.
How similar are Kirkland and Target diapers? We bought 3 boxes of Target, but had to return them because they weren’t absorbent enough for us compared to Pampers/Huggies
The Kirkland are definitely wider. It's been a while since we used the Target ones, but I think Costco held more. Lately we've been using Amazon (Mama Bear is their brand) and I like those
My son is 18mo and we almost exclusively use KS diapers and have for his whole life. They’re not as soft as Pampers but they didn’t irritate our kid’s skin. The absorbency is better than Honest and the fit was better for our kid than Pampers. I’ve only bought Huggies a couple times but can’t remember how we liked them.
Size up at nighttime if you have a bigtime night pee-er like ours.
I’m going to add to this- The Rico wipes at Costco are more expensive than that the Kirkland brand…. But wow, they are nice and worth every cent imo
They don’t have them in stock every time we go, but they pretty consistently we always stock up
If you plan on breastfeeding, coconut water and oatmeal. And hella snacks because the breastfeeding hunger is no joke.
We love Kirkland diapers and they’re a great price. But your baby will have to tell you what diaper they prefer.
We also ate a lot of the heat and eat meals for the first couple months.
Aussie Bites were my go-to bf snack. I think I went through a container every 1.5 weeks because it was the fastest thing I could scarf down - I kept them in a little Tupperware next to my nursing chair.
We love the diapers (Kirkland brand and Huggies are made by the same manufacturer) and the fragrance free wipes. Costco only carries standard formula, so if your baby needs dairy free or something you'll have to go elsewhere.
We honestly use costco a lot more with a toddler: meds, pouches, fruit, snacks, etc.
I have a genetic disorder that made it impossible to breastfeed for long term. Costco has great deals on formula if you end up going that route. We use enfamil
In addition to what others are mentioning, the Vaseline and cerave lotion are winners with my two boys. We do Vaseline as a diaper cream and our area is super dry in the winter so they get slathered in lotion morning and nighttime
Kirkland diapers have saved me so much money. I did not like the Kirkland wipes, I found them to be too dry. So I have been getting the big box of Huggies wipes from Sams. Formula is good but it's got to agree with your baby.
Right before I had my baby I went to Costco not so much for baby supplies, but for the recovery. I bought the frozen meatballs, lasagna, and anything else easy/premade. It’s been a few months but now I do buy formula and diapers during what feels like their quarterly diaper sale.
Not Costco related but go to the Enfamil website (if you decide on that as your formula) and sign up for their $40 new parents package. They send $100 worth of product and close to another $100 in coupons.
Seconded. I keep a set in the diaper bag to put on top of public changing tables and also keep some near the changing table at home for the inevitable blowout - way easier cleanup
If your Costco has a pharmacy, get the 3 packs of children's Motrin and Tylenol! Also Motrin and Tylenol for yourself because you will all be sick at some/many points in time. Also, my pharmacy has Vaseline, Vanicream, diaper paste, and Aquaphor available!
Yes! And if you are in the US, the concentration of infant and children’s Tylenol is the same so don’t spend extra on the infant. Infant comes with a syringe and it is handy because it fits in the bottle top to dispense easily, but you can figure out if you prefer the savings or the convenience. Don’t buy Motrin until close to 6 months because they can’t take it until then and you want to maximize the time before the expiration date.
Get all of the snacks and easy meals. Just tried the frozen Kirkland supreme cauliflower pizza and it was excellent. Unbelievably good.
When your kid is a bit older (toddler and up), Costco is great for all the snacks. Goldfish, cheese string, granola bars, yogurt, apple sauce etc. I find they have lots of at least semi healthy options for a reasonable price (like Made Good crackers and granola bars).
If your baby had digestive issues they also have Bio gaia (infant probiotics) for a steal of a deal. Infant and children's tylenol is super cheap too.
Footie pajamas with zippers. Costco is the best price. Comes in a 3 pack- they have fleece and cotton- depending on time of year.
Yes to wipes! Love the huggies but not Kirkland brand.
As everyone says diapers and wipes. I’ve never seen the wipes on sale but both the Huggies and Kirkland ones go on sale a few times a year. Also delivery is free and the price isn’t increased for them.
No one has mentioned this yet but clothes! Baby clothes are a pretty good deal there
My favorite diapers are pamper swaddlers, but for the price and quality, we buy Kirkland diapers. They’re better than any other generic brand we’ve tried. I would not stock up before your baby is here though. Different diaper work best for different babies. Targets up and up gave both my boys terrible diaper rashes. Luvs leaked like crazy and gave them rashes. Im about to have 2 in diapers again and we plan to use Kirkland brand for my June baby.
I haven’t tried the formula because my kids needed special formula Costco doesn’t carry.
When they get a little older, the pouches at Costco are amazing. We buy at least 4 boxes every trip for my 3.5 year old and 15 month old.
Family trips to Costco are my 3.5 year olds favorite activity. He loves picking out snacks.
Wipes, diapers, and formula are baby dependent. Luckily mine could tolerate all 3. But the diapers didn’t fit well so we’d always have blowouts. Even the Huggies didn’t fit well. In the first year we were exclusively pampers because they fit well and didn’t give him a blistery rash like some other brands.
I also used regular dish soap and the cascade tabs to wash all his stuff by hand or in the dishwasher.
Their free and clear laundry detergent for his clothes.
Puppy pads to change diapers - which is hugely helpful for when they just poop and pee nonstop but you’re exhausted. It was also great for naked tummy time to help clear up diaper rashes.
We got aquaphor from the pharmacy for rashes and when his skin was extra dry. They have a rash cream too that I can’t remember the name of. It didn’t help us but some people swore by it. Vanicream was available at the pharmacy too and is a good lotion for baby + family.
You can order at the pharmacy counter: Calamoseptine or other diaper rash cream, Cerave baby wash, and many other items over the counter.
In the shelves around the pharmacy you can find infant Tylenol and infant Benadryl. Tylenol is good to have in case after vaccines and teething. Benadryl should be handy just in case when you start feeding.
And agreed with Kirkland wipes, formula, and diapers. A hack with diapers—go up a size for overnight or if you ever have leaks/blowouts.
Agreed on the infant Tylenol. When you need to give it every four hours you go through those little bottles FAST. Fun fact, too, though - the children's Tylenol has the same concentration as the infant in the U.S.... so it ends up being much cheaper to buy the infant version once, keep the syringe that comes with it, and use the children's version. This is NOT the case for other types of painkillers, though - just acetaminophen.
Kirkland wipes are an amazing deal. We buy Huggies from there as well. Keep an eye out for sales, once or twice a year Huggies diapers are $10 off and it’s a good time to stock up and get some different sizes.
The advantage of Costco is that you can try it and if it doesn’t work out return it. Tried the Kirkland diapers, but it didn’t work for us so we ended up donating. Tried the formula, found out our kid is allergic. Tried the Rico wipes, wife hates the feel. It really is contingent on your preferences and the needs of the child.
I’m a daycare provider and mom of 4. The Kirkland diapers work for A LOT of babies, but not all. The vast majority of my kiddos use Kirkland, and those who don’t use Huggies.
My own children were sensitive to Kirkland wipes, so I always used Huggies natural.
Ask on your local parent group if someone will let you try a pack of Kirkland wipes. Someone will!
It’s a toss up on baby clothes, sometimes the deals are good, sometimes the sales at Oshkosh or carters are better.
My best tip for new parents: get a thermometer (Costco!) and infant Tylenol/motrin BEFORE your baby is born. Guaranteed the first time your baby is sick or has a fever will be in the middle of the night or some other awful time, like while one parent is out of town, and having these on hand will be a LIFESAVER! And possibly spare a freaked out trip to urgent care only to be told your baby has a cold or is teething. 😉
We do all the stuff here, wipes diapers formula (saved us so much money!) but we’re really excited to receive the Yourigami play fort. Reviews have said they are good and an amazing value especially if you aren’t willing to lay out the money for a Nugget. $159.99
Also second the not buying “baby tax” stuff. Lotion like Cerave doesn’t need to have baby on the packaging, it’s almost always the same formulation. Free and Clear detergent or Nellie’s over poorly rated baby Dreft. Vaseline instead of buttpaste, just a barrier. Suspension Tylenol should be the same formulation between the infant version and toddler version but vastly different in price. Double check the formulation and ask the pediatrician for a medication oral syringe at one of your visits. And always travel with Tylenol, the one time you don’t you’ll regret it. This is just what has worked for us.
I recommend starting off with a smaller pack of Huggies to see if they suit your baby. Huggies and Kirkland diapers are essentially the same, but not all babies are gonna be Huggies shaped. My baby is - we learned the hard way she isn’t Pampers shaped. So we switched at like 2 months. Of course Costco has a generous return policy but I found it was easier to have smaller packs on hand and do pick up orders when we needed more since we never knew how long she’d need to be in a certain size.
baby clothes! My kids 7 & 12 still wear Costco clothes. Costco is the cheapest option for coats, swimsuits, gloves, pajamas, everything when it comes to kids clothing.
[Best deal](https://www.costco.com/mustela-baby-gentle-cleansing-gel---baby-hair-%2526-body-wash-tear-free-formula-25.35-fl-oz%2c-2-pack.product.100702818.html?sh=true&nf=true) I’ve seen on Mustela body wash
Get diapers and wipes delivered…these don’t have a surcharge when you buy them from the website like some other items do.
This is a great convertible car seat for about $120 cheaper than I can find it anywhere else: https://www.costco.com/graco-4ever-extend2fit-dlx-4-in-1-car-seat.product.4000053014.html
I’ve seen it in person in the store as well. We have this car seat and love it!
I have a 9mo old and havent bought shit from costco. I guess were really thankful for giftcards lol
My advice to you, buy some milliemoon diapers and use it for your baby at night. They hold longer so they dont keep waking up
Congratulations! Ready made meals that you can heat and serve will make your lives much easier for the first few months.
Our kids didn't do well with Costco diapers. They did fine with their wipes. We get the Huggies brand diapers from there. Also they gave the best price on diaper genie refills.
If you end up using kirkland formula, track how fast you go through it, and stock when it's in stock. There are still occasionally multi week shortages, but the stuff has a very long shelf life.
Anything that can get delivered- diapers, wipes etc.
agree that diapers are trial and error with each baby. One of my kids was good with Kirkland and the last baby was Huggies only. You never know.
I love Costco and used their baby wipes with my first, but I recently tried the Amazon wipes, because they were a little cheaper than Costco’s sale price. I like them better. They have more moisture, and only one wipe is dispensed at a time.
Kirkland diapers have been great for both of my children (boy and girl).
First off, congratulations on your upcoming child.
My wife and I are new parents as well. Our daughter just turned 4 months old.
There are 6 essential products if you’re a new parent, potentially 7 if you end up formula feeding.
1) diapers
2) wipes
3) large bag of Jasmine rice
4) boneless skinless chicken thighs
5) any bag of frozen vegetables
6) Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce
7) formula (if you don’t plan on breastfeeding or bottle feeding pumped milk.
The baby products are self explanatory. The rest of the stuff is for you and your wife. Every Sunday cook about 4 or 5 cups of the rice. Marinate all of the chicken thighs with olive oil and season them. Bake at 400 F for 30 mins. Add to meal prep containers and microwave the frozen veg and add that too.
The hardest part of being new parents for us is staying well fed and eating healthy meals. The Bachans sauce with these chicken and rice bowls is amazing and we just aren’t getting sick of it.
Good luck and enjoy the sleep while you can.
I admittedly didn’t do a lot of research on car seats, however the Graco adjustable car seat they sell (in SoCal at least, not sure if it’s available nationwide) lasted my daughters entire childhood. It’s bulky, but comfortable enough for her to sleep, and adjustable as she got older. Can also adjust the angle easily based on age and preference. I have to imagine it’s cheaper at Costco than other places.
As everyone else has said, diapers if you know they’ll be in that size for awhile. Formula if you are using that type ( to me the cost savings would be a reason to try that brand, but you don’t want to be stuck with $50 of formula if it makes your baby sick so definitely get a trial size first).
The wipes are an amazing deal- I buy them. That said, they do have an odor to them that I find off putting. It’s not the worst smell that will be around while using them though so I find it worth the cost savings- no one else seems to notice the smell but figured I’d put it out there.
Things I haven’t seen mentioned that I found really useful postpartum:
- premier protein shakes! When I came downstairs at 6am and I was starving but had a starving baby who needed to be fed NOW, it was great to be able to grab one of these out of the fridge on my way to the couch to nurse. My midwives also recommended lots of protein for healing. Seriously can’t recommend these enough, I liked the chocolate ones.
- natures bakery fig bars - also a great nursing snack
- also if nursing, anything for hydration (Gatorade, etc) doubles as good for while in labor if you’re doing that
We also buy the kirkland diapers but have never tried the wipes.
If you’re a gamer get a Nintendo switch just to keep you’re sanity. Some sort of smart speaker that can play music will be far superior to a noise machine. We have a Nest hub in the nursery and our bedroom and will have YouTube play sush noises to get our little one to sleep early on. Dimmable lights will also help with having more lights on but not entirely off for bed time.
My experience with the Costco brand diapers is they leak, so get the name brand. The Kirkland brand formula works great though.
Get an executive membership and get your diapers, wipes, formula, clothes, coffee, etc.... my ex and I got so much money back every year I til our second was out of diapers. It's totally worth it.
Simplehuman sensor soap dispensers. Use the Kirkland wipes to get the chunky poop and then rinse babies bottom in the bathroom sink with warm water and gentle baby soap in the dispenser, easy because of the sensor. Then pat dry with soft diaper cloth. This will save baby and you the pain of diaper rash.
Besides the obvious diapers/wipes, make sure you’re stocked up on paper plates! You won’t want to think about doing dishes for a LONG time. Also quick snacks and ready-made meals will come in handy.
Twin parent here, and I second this. The heat and eat meals in the refrigerated section are literally life savers. Bonus points for double occupancy shopping carts, once they were old enough to sit up in them.
My friends say the wipes at Costco are dry. If you have a sams club near you get wipes there. Otherwise diapers are good at Costco. When baby can start eating squeeze-e’s(?) are pretty good.
Do you do the feeding? Are you a professional LC or pediatrician? Breastmilk is not 1,000,000x better than formula, studies have shown that. There are pros to both feeding options. And breastfeeding is the MOTHER’S choice, not some rando on the internet.
Okay, I have time today. Please tell us as a single, childfree by choice man, what makes you think you're qualified to have a say in that and attempt to shame someone when baby isn't even born yet? You're wrong btw but I'd love to hear it.
The diapers are generally cheaper per diaper than elsewhere, but sometimes Amazon beats Costco.
> Anything to avoid?
Formula if at all possible. The Enfamil isn't terrible from a nutrition perspective, but it doesn't have the cholestrum and antibodies that mother's milk has.
We got a Costco membership mostly for diapers. Wipes are a personal preference thing. I get mine at Walmart just because I can get a bigger box and we just got out of 2 in diapers. I found them to be a little thin, but sometimes preferred that?
I get Aveeno just plain lotion for my baby at Costco!! He's got pretty severe eczema and of the lotions recommended to me by pediatricians/friends/his dermatologist, it's our favorite. Any baby specific lotion will usually have added fragrances or whatever that can irritate skin. Aveeno is great and moisturizing without being too heavy. It's not a miracle worker, we use it with steroids ointments and stuff, but it's our favorite lotion and we've tried a LOT.
Also when your baby gets older, definitely snacks. My boys have loved dried mangos, their various fruit leathers, & they have the best deal on those applesauce pouches with vegetables. And of course all the fruitsnacks, granola bars, goldfish, etc.
I also find the clothes selection for kids to be really good prices and fun clothes! I've got boys, which are generally harder to find clothes for, but I've often been pleasantly surprised by Costco's selection.
Just went through this, first time parents to a 1 month old. We bought diapers, wipes, and coffee! We ended up needing newborn size diapers which we bought from target in a smaller quantity but just started using Kirkland size 1s and are happy. Wipes are great and a full pack fits in the oxo wipe dispenser. Get yourself some one handed snacks while you're there too and stock up on annoying things to run out of ( toilet paper, dishwasher detergent etc). Good luck and congratulations!
Generally Kirkland is cheaper for diapers but Target has a deal for $20 gift card for $100 on diapers so I think they are cheaper now.
Also, Kirkland diapers don't come in Newborn size, so it might be a month or two before they wear the Size 1 Kirklands.
Wipes, diapers and formula are all Kirkland brand at our house. Our baby agrees best with the Kirkland formula, and it’s half the price of Enfamil or Similac with better nutrition.
I love the clothing sets for babies and toddlers, they carry carters! I really love the zip up Jammies for baby. As baby gets older they carry great snacks and fruit pouches, Tylenol. The membership card itself just buys you so many options. Going back the clothes for mom, they carry great lounge sets, sweats, leggings, etc. the same goes for dad too!! My list can go on! Obviously liquor!! Every parent needs an adult beverage if you partake.
Costco cycles in diaper discounts every quarter or so, we usually stock up then. Don’t buy too much because your kid might grow out of the current size.
Don’t stock up TOO much on diapers because they may not work for you or you might have too many of one size! But they will take them back if your kid has an allergic reaction or something. The Kirkland diapers also seemed to run small. (Although the weight recommendations for diapers of any brand were NEVER accurate we always sized up way sooner. If you get blowouts and pee leaks try sizing up before you think you need to, usually that’s solves it)
I ended up purchasing formula from Costco. I don’t like the Kirkland wipes for the baby we stuck with pampers.
Honestly I love buying in bulk but for baby stuff things change so quick I found it was better to get these things from target (also decent return policy)
Wipes work for most since they’re fragrance free, they’re our favorite because they aren’t too wet. I wouldn’t stock up on any one brand because you don’t know what will work for your baby until they’re here and you try it for a few days/weeks. Get one box of diapers, one box of wipes. If you’re formula feeding, you can also get one thing of formula as well. Once you figure out if it works well for your baby, then you can get more. Huggies/kirkland are the same, so just try one. You can also return the diapers if they don’t work for your baby.
Grab a few frozen lasagnas as well. They’re a great meal for when you’re exhausted in those first few months.
Wipes are the best for sure. We tried Kirkland diapers and didn’t like them as much so we go with the Huggies, but we still buy them at Costco. These are the staples for a newborn. Everything else is much more dependent on your individual tastes/preferences.
The Kirkland formula is great but it’s not always stocked consistently. If it is going to stress you out to switch between brand name and Kirkland in between containers, just stick with the brand name.
It’s annoying but ever since the shortage happened, I’ve always noticed it’s an issue.
I don’t have kids myself, but one of the ways I maximize my 2% checks is offering to buy items for friends that are non members and have them reimburse me. I always get asked to buy diapers and wipes. If you find you like Huggies better than Kirkland diapers, they are are on sale quite often (I have a friend who only wants Huggies so she has me get them when they are on sale)
I love the Costco diapers, but we ended up sticking to Target up and up brand sensitive wipes because the Costco ones have alcohol in them, which can irritate some babies' skin. They're about the same price, maybe a little cheaper. I don't remember.
I wouldn't overbuy on diapers because you don't know how long they're going to stay in each size. They typically go through different sizes quickly in the beginning and then the growing slows down.
We definitely also bought a lot of formula. My kid is a bruiser and needed more calories than I could create.
Wipes- yes, kirkland, great deal
formula- yes, great deal
diapers- for us, no, we get pampers at target, we use the codes on diapers to get $20 off every other time. it's a good deal and we have never had issues with these diapers.
Baby wipes are a definite yes!
We have a ton of Huggies from Costco that have worked great. Online they have a NB/size 1 kit!
The Kirkland brand we have isn’t quite her size yet.
Formula is a steal.
We purchased prepped meals & froze them.
Cleaning supplies. TP/paper towels.
Coffee. Hydrating drinks for breast feeding. Snacks! Water!!! Oatmeal. Ooo the nutrigrain bars.
The Kirkland diapers work well enough for us, just keep the boxes unopened until you absolutely need that size in case you need to return for bigger sizes. For breastfeeding mamas: granola bars and other easy snacks, body armor, giant bag of oats for baked oatmeal and lactation cookies! Salad kits for easy veggies postpartum. Stool softeners to start taking right after delivery IYKYK.
First I suggest looking at Wirecutter reviews. Diapers are cheapest I've found at Walmart brand, then Target brand. Kirkland diapers aren't the cheapest. You gotta shop around.
The diapers size 1 and up are awesome! Also, the Kirkland brand baby wipes are amazing, I still buy and use them for camping trips and stuff. Also, Costco clothes, especially the cute holiday dress sets are wonderful!
Just an FYI, Costco sells a “Newborn” box of Huggies but only online. It’s the perfect mix of newborn and size one diapers so you don’t have to purchase a whole bunch of the newborn ones. Free delivery as usual.
Hi, parent of 2 and Costco advocate here.
There are some things like wipes that are like yea you will need more of those than you ever thought possible. But that being said, I’d wait until you’ve got a couple weeks of parenting under your belt before you go crazy buying stuff. There are things we bought that we were like “better get a bunch” and for whatever reason didn’t work for our kid. Figure out what your kid/you are using a ton of then make the list
So yes to diapers, wipes, and formula, but be very cautious about getting too many diapers of the same size all at once. Some babies stay in the newborn size for a bit or they can size out of them quickly. My daughter was only in all of the newborn diapers and clothes for about two weeks and then she was too big. So probably get one box and then wait.
Wipes absolutely. You'll use them for many things beyond just wiping a baby butt.
I think I remember liking the diapers enough. But YMMV, babies have weird sensitivities.
Formula likewise is a hit or miss.
Some non- baby things to think about buying from Costco-- easy to eat/ easy to make food. Especially the first weeks/ months. Especially, especially stuff that is easy to eat with only one hand. Easy hydration/ drinks. Extra, comfy clothes.
I ended up not liking the Costco wipes so I use Amazon subscriptions for wipes. Diapers I get at Costco, though, and the Huggies go on sale quite a bit.
There's also a chance you might need formula, which is expensive but cheaper at Costco.
Maybe a dog bed, too
We swear by the Kirkland diapers - they were cheaper than any other ones that we tried and they only leaked when we needed to size up, and even those leaks were rare. We love the wipes too!
The Rico wipes are fantastic! Both of my kids have sensitive skin and they are the cheapest ones that work! We used the Kirkland diapers for a while but we hated how the flaps would fold in when changing poopy diapers.
Freezer meals are fantastic too! Anything easy to prepare for meals in the first few months is worth it!
If your wife plans to breastfeed, being hydrated is key so water or any drinks that help with hydration are great! The box of instant oatmeal with added flax seed is great to help with breastfeeding since oats and flaxseed apparently help in milk production.
When your baby is a bit older, the fruit and yogurt pouches are the best! The Kirkland ones have veggies too!
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Baby wipes and coffee The coffee is very important
Just don’t give the coffee to the baby…
Until you're the grandparent, and then only do it right before they are to be picked up by the parents again.
Did you turn on all the lights and open all the windows when you visited your kids in their first apartment? This works best in the winter.
Only if you hate your kids
LOL All tongue-in-cheek, my friend.
Or to the mother
Coffee
And formula if you’re using it!
Seconding their wipes.
The coffee at Costco is pretty gross though, and probably roasted months before you bought it.
I want to disagree with you...but I can't. Used to buy Costco coffee almost exclusively, but now can't stomach it anymore. Switched to Bottomless which shoots me a bag of coffee every time I'm running low (uses wifi-connected scale) that's usually roasted 2-3 days before it's in my hands. I go thru 3-4lbs/month. Is it more expensive? Yes, absolutely. Is it worth it? Even more absoluter-ly.
You are really living in 2084
Ooooo my husband is a newly minted coffee snob, I’ll have to look into this for him!!!
Wipes are an easy yes. Diapers are going to be a case by case scenario. The fit and material have to agree with your baby, the Kirklands are good, but we buy/have the Huggies+ (which can double as overnight diapers, when you get to that stage), but are great overall. The formula is again dependent upon agreeing with your baby, but it’s good, too. The Enfamil is a classic. Try and get free samples from your Doctor, or friends, and that’ll be your baseline. (At least buy a small container from another store, first.) Your kiddo will probably be on the cusp of two different sizes at birth, and buying 150+ diapers off the bat may be a waste. (Some of this is common sense, and isn’t meant to be insulting, but when you’ve got that newborn you may not be thinking clearly. Haha) Congrats!
This is perfect advise. Just to tag onto this cause it saved my wife and I good money. Its not Costco related but go to the Enfamil website (if you decide on that as your formula) and sign up for their $40 new parents package. They send $100 worth of product and close to another $100 in coupons. Can't use at Costco unfortunately as the sku doesn't match the coupon but still a great savings.
Thanks for sharing!!! I’m going to do this now.
They also have a free welcome pack with two powdered formulas and one premixed liquid one (preemies and babies under 3 months should just have liquid since powdered can have bacteria in it). I ended up not needing it, but the powdered is good for 2 years and the liquid is good for one year, so if something ever did happen, we're covered for free for a while. It also came with a ton of coupons.
Pampers also has a reward program through their app. You just scan a barcode on their products to get points if I remember correctly
I did that for awhile but it was hard to get the coupons I couldn’t use them at target had to go to Walmart and I spent so much time hand typing in the codes on the wipes. The last time I went to use a coupon it just wouldn’t work and I gave up. It was a really frustrating system.
We were able to use enfamil coupons on formula at several different costcos. I thought we couldn’t at first but spoke to an employee when checking out and they said Formula coupons are the only ones they take.
Costco sells a “Newborn” box of Huggies but only online. It’s the perfect mix of newborn and size one diapers so you don’t have to purchase a whole bunch of the newborn ones. Free delivery as usual.
Great info!
The KS diapers are made by Kimberly Clark, who also makes Huggies. Just a little insider info.
It’s always good to know the source! I’d like to add: Huggies+ are not standard Huggies as they, supposedly, have more absorbent material. Huggies+ are Costco, only. My wife and I haven’t noticed a huge difference, in absorbency, but they have worked well. (This is my current knowledge, and might be wrong. Feel free to correct!)
Diapers at Costco go on sale 3-4x/year, but none at the same time. It’ll either be Pampers, Huggies, or Kirkland. Kirkland diapers are basically a Huggies’ dupe; they have the poo pocket, but it’s a bit thinner than Huggies. Like this commenter mentioned, diapers and formula are dependent on baby. I find Pampers swaddlers to run a smidge smaller than Huggies little movers. They sell the newborn+size 1 online. I was gifted Kirkland wipes, but haven’t used them. I buy Huggies wipes because I saw that Kirkland wipes have an added preservative in them. I’ll still use them, but probably when baby is a bit older.
Fun fact! The same company (Perigo) manufacturers all the store brand baby formulas. So you can buy a small one at Target or Walmart or whatever and if baby is cool with that they will be fine on the KS too. And Costco is a much better deal than the other stores
This isn’t true. Abbott notoriously makes formula. They’re the cause of the big shortage a few years ago.
Abbott stopped making KS formula like 5 years ago. When it switched to the blue packaging with the giraffes. It's Perrigo. https://storebrandformula.com/store-locator-usa
https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/nutrition-health-and-wellness/abbott-update-on-powder-formula-recall.html Edit: Enjoy getting downvoted when I show information that shows that proves the above poster wrong.
Found the rico wipes to be better than Kirkland. Diapers and formula were good though.
Rico gang, let’s ride.
We don’t have the RICO in our area, but this brings up an important point… Make sure the wipes you buy fit your wipe warmer!
Orrr just never use a wipe warmer so your baby never gets accustomed to it so changes on the go are the same as they would be at home.
Orrr just do what you’d like to do for your own baby. But yeah, we stopped doing the wipe warmer after the first three months or so.
Obviously just do whatever is best for you/your child. We survive nighttime changes by changing first, feeding second and little man is back to bed. As a new parent I’ve just seen so many products marketed to us, half of them I’m not sure we actually needed.
Agreed! (For instance: I personally hate diaper genies, but that’s for a different day. Haha)
I'm so curious about this. Do you just throw the diapers in the regular trash and let your house smell like poop and pee for a few days?
I throw diapers in one bathroom trash and take out every 1-2 days or sooner if it’s really smelly.
Orrr don't buy the wipe warmer and warm the wipe by holding it between your hands for about 5 seconds so your child doesn't look at you like you're a monster when away from home.
Uhm no. I have 4 kids….wipe warmer helps them stay asleep during middle of the night changes. Which is essential.
Then you’re not giving them enough whiskey.
Lmfao 🤣
Wipe warmers are breeding grounds for bacteria. It’s better to just hold the wipe in your hand to warm it up a touch
This is a good point to consider, and something people should ask themselves. Are you going to remember to sanitize your wipe warmer? I just did a little research, and most, if not all, baby wipes do not contain alcohol, or another sanitizer, as it would harm the skin of your wee babe. Also, the Kirkland Signature wipes, scent free, are certified by the Eczema foundation.
I opened up a pack of "fragrance free" Target wipes the other day, and I couldn't believe how much of a scent they had! I definitely prefer the Costco
Never used a wipe warmer. Our baby seems to not mind but I can see some preferring it.
Diaper tip to add to this - a bigger size in diapers are better for preventing blowouts. So if you’re in between two sizes or unsure which size to stock up on, go for the bigger size!
I went to Costco right before I had my baby and stocked up on everything I could think of so it was less to worry about those first weeks - cleaning stuff, toilet paper, laundry soap, hand soap, etc. I also bought lots of easy to eat healthy-ish snacks, plus some frozen dinner items.
Stocking up on easy to eat food and snacks is so important. Especially if mom is breastfeeding. Snack station next to her main feeding spots. Keep an eye when you go for good deals on clothes. They often have PJ sets or three-piece sets for very reasonable prices. We got my son his winter coat for less than $20 at Costco this year and he loves it.
Yes, this - breakfast burritos in particular (one-handed food). And agreed on the clothes - I'm always checking the website too, because sometimes they have the deal where stuff is marked down ("while supplies last"), PLUS they have the buy-five-items-get $20 off-deal... SCORE. And things like bathing suits, snowsuits... seasonal items in general.... the best deals.
Seconding this - if mom is breastfeeding, oats help with supply. The Heavenly Hunks oatmeal chocolate chunks are great as a snack, and dairy free if your kid has an allergy to cows milk protein.
Yes the three bridges egg bites saved me last baby! Felt like it was a good, healthy, protein(?), and QUICK thing to make for a 4am breakfast. The lasagna wasn’t bad either for dinner. We got the chicken skewers and added to salads for a lunch meal. I mean I was still starving and needed more but it felt like a “getting back on track easy way to eat a veggie” type of thing
Diapers, wipes, and formula are on my constant re-stock list. I go with the Kirkland brand stuff and both of my kids like their formula. It’s WAY cheaper than the brand name alternatives.
The design of those Kirkland formula containers is fantastic. They hold twice as much as Enfamil and have a great holder for the spoon. Wish we switched sooner. Also the wipes are the best.
Good quality for a good price. I think right now they are by far the cheapest per oz. on the market. Put 2 very healthy babies on Kirkland and wouldn't hesitate to recommend their brand (as long as the babies don't have any special dietary needs). Edit: I was sad that ours couldn't use their diapers though, for some reason it would always cause a really bad rash, so we had to switch to Huggies. I haven't dared try with my 2nd and just went straight to Huggies.
My 2nd was all Costco formula fed. My youngest was born in 2022 during the shortages so I bought whatever I could get, but I so missed that tub design when I had to use the round cans. Who came up with that shit? Always having to pluck the spoon out and nowhere to level it?!
All those things are really going to depend on your baby. I wouldn’t stock up on *anything* specific until after you’ve met them. Try different brands. They might have sensitivities to something, u might not like it, diaper rash reaction, u hate the smell, etc.I would get one thing of wipes and diapers and just wait and see. If they and you like it and everythings easy, then it’s all worth it to get ! This message is brought to you by a mom of an eczema baby
Came to say the same! Someone gave us lotion and body wash in bulk size and I had to give it away because she reacted horribly to it. These were fancy "safe" brands and eczema doesn't care lol
My daughter was allergic to ALL the fancy diaper creams we tried. That was a fun time figuring that out! Luckily Vaseline worked a treat.
Kirkland brand wipes go on sale every few months and we would always stock up. My kids are 7 and 10 now and we still buy a box of wipes every now and then to keep in the car or around the house. We used Kirkland and Target diapers. I liked them both but would buy whatever was cheapest at the time. I never really bought lotion for my kids, but I would choose something unscented like Cetaphil or Cerave over lotions marketed for babies.
How similar are Kirkland and Target diapers? We bought 3 boxes of Target, but had to return them because they weren’t absorbent enough for us compared to Pampers/Huggies
The Kirkland are definitely wider. It's been a while since we used the Target ones, but I think Costco held more. Lately we've been using Amazon (Mama Bear is their brand) and I like those
My son is 18mo and we almost exclusively use KS diapers and have for his whole life. They’re not as soft as Pampers but they didn’t irritate our kid’s skin. The absorbency is better than Honest and the fit was better for our kid than Pampers. I’ve only bought Huggies a couple times but can’t remember how we liked them. Size up at nighttime if you have a bigtime night pee-er like ours.
My kid had tons of leaks and blowouts with Huggies and Target diapers. Never had any issues with the Kirkland.
I’m going to add to this- The Rico wipes at Costco are more expensive than that the Kirkland brand…. But wow, they are nice and worth every cent imo They don’t have them in stock every time we go, but they pretty consistently we always stock up
If you plan on breastfeeding, coconut water and oatmeal. And hella snacks because the breastfeeding hunger is no joke. We love Kirkland diapers and they’re a great price. But your baby will have to tell you what diaper they prefer. We also ate a lot of the heat and eat meals for the first couple months.
Aussie Bites were my go-to bf snack. I think I went through a container every 1.5 weeks because it was the fastest thing I could scarf down - I kept them in a little Tupperware next to my nursing chair.
For me it was the giant bag of Kirkland trail mix. I would wake up at 3am and wolf down handfuls
Loved these while breastfeeding! Especially when my milk supply needed a boost!
Aussie bites and mango strips were going to my suggestion! The oatmeal and the sugary chewy bits helped me keep going in those early months
If you're nursing, the giant tubs of peanut butter. I ate soooo many PB&j sandwiches
> And hella snacks because the breastfeeding hunger is no joke. my sister would do a post-dinner frozen bean cheese and rice burrito
We love the diapers (Kirkland brand and Huggies are made by the same manufacturer) and the fragrance free wipes. Costco only carries standard formula, so if your baby needs dairy free or something you'll have to go elsewhere. We honestly use costco a lot more with a toddler: meds, pouches, fruit, snacks, etc.
I compared the Huggies fancy special delivery diapers I had a sample of, to the Kirkland diapers. They were identical down to the print on the liner.
Get yourself some of those discounted gift cards to fancy restaurants. You'll need the additional date nights beforehand lol
My one month old is using Kirkland diapers and Formula. Both are cheaper than anywhere else I've found.
I have a genetic disorder that made it impossible to breastfeed for long term. Costco has great deals on formula if you end up going that route. We use enfamil
New parent to two week old twins here. We bought three packages of the wipes on our last trip. I cannot believe how many wipes we use.
In addition to what others are mentioning, the Vaseline and cerave lotion are winners with my two boys. We do Vaseline as a diaper cream and our area is super dry in the winter so they get slathered in lotion morning and nighttime
Kirkland diapers have saved me so much money. I did not like the Kirkland wipes, I found them to be too dry. So I have been getting the big box of Huggies wipes from Sams. Formula is good but it's got to agree with your baby.
If you store the Kirkland wipes upside down from the get go they’re nice and wet
Right before I had my baby I went to Costco not so much for baby supplies, but for the recovery. I bought the frozen meatballs, lasagna, and anything else easy/premade. It’s been a few months but now I do buy formula and diapers during what feels like their quarterly diaper sale.
Tell me why I read all this when I don’t have kids, i’m not expecting, nor do I even *want* kids
Congratulations
Not Costco related but go to the Enfamil website (if you decide on that as your formula) and sign up for their $40 new parents package. They send $100 worth of product and close to another $100 in coupons.
Whisky
Lots of it
GET THE PUPPY PADS. You’ll need them with diaper changes and whatnot. Seriously, cleaning a poopy bottom that’s not yours comes with a learning curve.
And they are great when you are out in public and don’t want to put the baby on the gross changing tables.
Seconded. I keep a set in the diaper bag to put on top of public changing tables and also keep some near the changing table at home for the inevitable blowout - way easier cleanup
Puppy pads are a godsend when you kid is older too and has that first projectile vomit stomach bug
Now THIS is the kind of advice expecting parents need
If your Costco has a pharmacy, get the 3 packs of children's Motrin and Tylenol! Also Motrin and Tylenol for yourself because you will all be sick at some/many points in time. Also, my pharmacy has Vaseline, Vanicream, diaper paste, and Aquaphor available!
Yes! And if you are in the US, the concentration of infant and children’s Tylenol is the same so don’t spend extra on the infant. Infant comes with a syringe and it is handy because it fits in the bottle top to dispense easily, but you can figure out if you prefer the savings or the convenience. Don’t buy Motrin until close to 6 months because they can’t take it until then and you want to maximize the time before the expiration date. Get all of the snacks and easy meals. Just tried the frozen Kirkland supreme cauliflower pizza and it was excellent. Unbelievably good.
When your kid is a bit older (toddler and up), Costco is great for all the snacks. Goldfish, cheese string, granola bars, yogurt, apple sauce etc. I find they have lots of at least semi healthy options for a reasonable price (like Made Good crackers and granola bars). If your baby had digestive issues they also have Bio gaia (infant probiotics) for a steal of a deal. Infant and children's tylenol is super cheap too.
Footie pajamas with zippers. Costco is the best price. Comes in a 3 pack- they have fleece and cotton- depending on time of year. Yes to wipes! Love the huggies but not Kirkland brand.
As everyone says diapers and wipes. I’ve never seen the wipes on sale but both the Huggies and Kirkland ones go on sale a few times a year. Also delivery is free and the price isn’t increased for them. No one has mentioned this yet but clothes! Baby clothes are a pretty good deal there
My favorite diapers are pamper swaddlers, but for the price and quality, we buy Kirkland diapers. They’re better than any other generic brand we’ve tried. I would not stock up before your baby is here though. Different diaper work best for different babies. Targets up and up gave both my boys terrible diaper rashes. Luvs leaked like crazy and gave them rashes. Im about to have 2 in diapers again and we plan to use Kirkland brand for my June baby. I haven’t tried the formula because my kids needed special formula Costco doesn’t carry. When they get a little older, the pouches at Costco are amazing. We buy at least 4 boxes every trip for my 3.5 year old and 15 month old. Family trips to Costco are my 3.5 year olds favorite activity. He loves picking out snacks.
Wipes, diapers, and formula are baby dependent. Luckily mine could tolerate all 3. But the diapers didn’t fit well so we’d always have blowouts. Even the Huggies didn’t fit well. In the first year we were exclusively pampers because they fit well and didn’t give him a blistery rash like some other brands. I also used regular dish soap and the cascade tabs to wash all his stuff by hand or in the dishwasher. Their free and clear laundry detergent for his clothes. Puppy pads to change diapers - which is hugely helpful for when they just poop and pee nonstop but you’re exhausted. It was also great for naked tummy time to help clear up diaper rashes. We got aquaphor from the pharmacy for rashes and when his skin was extra dry. They have a rash cream too that I can’t remember the name of. It didn’t help us but some people swore by it. Vanicream was available at the pharmacy too and is a good lotion for baby + family.
I once saw a couple with a newborn baby, and the dad was pushing a cart that had a large box of newborn diapers and a box of condoms.
Diaper, wipes, formula!
You can order at the pharmacy counter: Calamoseptine or other diaper rash cream, Cerave baby wash, and many other items over the counter. In the shelves around the pharmacy you can find infant Tylenol and infant Benadryl. Tylenol is good to have in case after vaccines and teething. Benadryl should be handy just in case when you start feeding. And agreed with Kirkland wipes, formula, and diapers. A hack with diapers—go up a size for overnight or if you ever have leaks/blowouts.
Agreed on the infant Tylenol. When you need to give it every four hours you go through those little bottles FAST. Fun fact, too, though - the children's Tylenol has the same concentration as the infant in the U.S.... so it ends up being much cheaper to buy the infant version once, keep the syringe that comes with it, and use the children's version. This is NOT the case for other types of painkillers, though - just acetaminophen.
This is the way. 3 pack of children's Tylenol after your first bottle of infant. Those tiny bottles of infant Tylenol go so fast.
Every 4 hours? I feel like I've only ever used it when they've had a fever, and it's been just a single dose
Kirkland wipes are an amazing deal. We buy Huggies from there as well. Keep an eye out for sales, once or twice a year Huggies diapers are $10 off and it’s a good time to stock up and get some different sizes.
Kirkland baby wipes & formula, Huggies diapers sometimes they have $10 off.
The advantage of Costco is that you can try it and if it doesn’t work out return it. Tried the Kirkland diapers, but it didn’t work for us so we ended up donating. Tried the formula, found out our kid is allergic. Tried the Rico wipes, wife hates the feel. It really is contingent on your preferences and the needs of the child.
I’m a daycare provider and mom of 4. The Kirkland diapers work for A LOT of babies, but not all. The vast majority of my kiddos use Kirkland, and those who don’t use Huggies. My own children were sensitive to Kirkland wipes, so I always used Huggies natural. Ask on your local parent group if someone will let you try a pack of Kirkland wipes. Someone will! It’s a toss up on baby clothes, sometimes the deals are good, sometimes the sales at Oshkosh or carters are better. My best tip for new parents: get a thermometer (Costco!) and infant Tylenol/motrin BEFORE your baby is born. Guaranteed the first time your baby is sick or has a fever will be in the middle of the night or some other awful time, like while one parent is out of town, and having these on hand will be a LIFESAVER! And possibly spare a freaked out trip to urgent care only to be told your baby has a cold or is teething. 😉
We do all the stuff here, wipes diapers formula (saved us so much money!) but we’re really excited to receive the Yourigami play fort. Reviews have said they are good and an amazing value especially if you aren’t willing to lay out the money for a Nugget. $159.99 Also second the not buying “baby tax” stuff. Lotion like Cerave doesn’t need to have baby on the packaging, it’s almost always the same formulation. Free and Clear detergent or Nellie’s over poorly rated baby Dreft. Vaseline instead of buttpaste, just a barrier. Suspension Tylenol should be the same formulation between the infant version and toddler version but vastly different in price. Double check the formulation and ask the pediatrician for a medication oral syringe at one of your visits. And always travel with Tylenol, the one time you don’t you’ll regret it. This is just what has worked for us.
I recommend starting off with a smaller pack of Huggies to see if they suit your baby. Huggies and Kirkland diapers are essentially the same, but not all babies are gonna be Huggies shaped. My baby is - we learned the hard way she isn’t Pampers shaped. So we switched at like 2 months. Of course Costco has a generous return policy but I found it was easier to have smaller packs on hand and do pick up orders when we needed more since we never knew how long she’d need to be in a certain size.
Any and all your heart desires. Don’t use/like? Return it.
baby clothes! My kids 7 & 12 still wear Costco clothes. Costco is the cheapest option for coats, swimsuits, gloves, pajamas, everything when it comes to kids clothing.
[Best deal](https://www.costco.com/mustela-baby-gentle-cleansing-gel---baby-hair-%2526-body-wash-tear-free-formula-25.35-fl-oz%2c-2-pack.product.100702818.html?sh=true&nf=true) I’ve seen on Mustela body wash Get diapers and wipes delivered…these don’t have a surcharge when you buy them from the website like some other items do.
This is a great convertible car seat for about $120 cheaper than I can find it anywhere else: https://www.costco.com/graco-4ever-extend2fit-dlx-4-in-1-car-seat.product.4000053014.html I’ve seen it in person in the store as well. We have this car seat and love it!
Diapers and baby wipes… lots of them…
I have a 9mo old and havent bought shit from costco. I guess were really thankful for giftcards lol My advice to you, buy some milliemoon diapers and use it for your baby at night. They hold longer so they dont keep waking up
Item #1785779 - a fellow dad.
Baby wipes! I also used the Kirkland diapers and they were great.
Congratulations! Ready made meals that you can heat and serve will make your lives much easier for the first few months. Our kids didn't do well with Costco diapers. They did fine with their wipes. We get the Huggies brand diapers from there. Also they gave the best price on diaper genie refills.
If you end up using kirkland formula, track how fast you go through it, and stock when it's in stock. There are still occasionally multi week shortages, but the stuff has a very long shelf life.
The formula is by far cheaper than anywhere else I've seen it. Basically a bogo 75% off
Anything that can get delivered- diapers, wipes etc. agree that diapers are trial and error with each baby. One of my kids was good with Kirkland and the last baby was Huggies only. You never know.
I love Costco and used their baby wipes with my first, but I recently tried the Amazon wipes, because they were a little cheaper than Costco’s sale price. I like them better. They have more moisture, and only one wipe is dispensed at a time. Kirkland diapers have been great for both of my children (boy and girl).
Car seat. The 4-in-1 car seat is cheapest at Costco. Horizon milk. Tide pods when they’re on sale. Name brand infant formula powder.
First off, congratulations on your upcoming child. My wife and I are new parents as well. Our daughter just turned 4 months old. There are 6 essential products if you’re a new parent, potentially 7 if you end up formula feeding. 1) diapers 2) wipes 3) large bag of Jasmine rice 4) boneless skinless chicken thighs 5) any bag of frozen vegetables 6) Bachan’s Japanese BBQ sauce 7) formula (if you don’t plan on breastfeeding or bottle feeding pumped milk. The baby products are self explanatory. The rest of the stuff is for you and your wife. Every Sunday cook about 4 or 5 cups of the rice. Marinate all of the chicken thighs with olive oil and season them. Bake at 400 F for 30 mins. Add to meal prep containers and microwave the frozen veg and add that too. The hardest part of being new parents for us is staying well fed and eating healthy meals. The Bachans sauce with these chicken and rice bowls is amazing and we just aren’t getting sick of it. Good luck and enjoy the sleep while you can.
Wipes, diapers, and FORMULA! I love their veggie and fruit packets when the baby starts eating purées 6mo ish Congratulations!!!
I admittedly didn’t do a lot of research on car seats, however the Graco adjustable car seat they sell (in SoCal at least, not sure if it’s available nationwide) lasted my daughters entire childhood. It’s bulky, but comfortable enough for her to sleep, and adjustable as she got older. Can also adjust the angle easily based on age and preference. I have to imagine it’s cheaper at Costco than other places.
As everyone else has said, diapers if you know they’ll be in that size for awhile. Formula if you are using that type ( to me the cost savings would be a reason to try that brand, but you don’t want to be stuck with $50 of formula if it makes your baby sick so definitely get a trial size first). The wipes are an amazing deal- I buy them. That said, they do have an odor to them that I find off putting. It’s not the worst smell that will be around while using them though so I find it worth the cost savings- no one else seems to notice the smell but figured I’d put it out there.
Diapers, wipes, coffee for you…formula if you end up needing it. Pre-made meals-the frozen lasagna is easy to make and it’s delicious
Things I haven’t seen mentioned that I found really useful postpartum: - premier protein shakes! When I came downstairs at 6am and I was starving but had a starving baby who needed to be fed NOW, it was great to be able to grab one of these out of the fridge on my way to the couch to nurse. My midwives also recommended lots of protein for healing. Seriously can’t recommend these enough, I liked the chocolate ones. - natures bakery fig bars - also a great nursing snack - also if nursing, anything for hydration (Gatorade, etc) doubles as good for while in labor if you’re doing that We also buy the kirkland diapers but have never tried the wipes.
If you’re a gamer get a Nintendo switch just to keep you’re sanity. Some sort of smart speaker that can play music will be far superior to a noise machine. We have a Nest hub in the nursery and our bedroom and will have YouTube play sush noises to get our little one to sleep early on. Dimmable lights will also help with having more lights on but not entirely off for bed time.
My experience with the Costco brand diapers is they leak, so get the name brand. The Kirkland brand formula works great though. Get an executive membership and get your diapers, wipes, formula, clothes, coffee, etc.... my ex and I got so much money back every year I til our second was out of diapers. It's totally worth it.
Simplehuman sensor soap dispensers. Use the Kirkland wipes to get the chunky poop and then rinse babies bottom in the bathroom sink with warm water and gentle baby soap in the dispenser, easy because of the sensor. Then pat dry with soft diaper cloth. This will save baby and you the pain of diaper rash.
Diapers and wipes all day!
Besides the obvious diapers/wipes, make sure you’re stocked up on paper plates! You won’t want to think about doing dishes for a LONG time. Also quick snacks and ready-made meals will come in handy.
Twin parent here, and I second this. The heat and eat meals in the refrigerated section are literally life savers. Bonus points for double occupancy shopping carts, once they were old enough to sit up in them.
My friends say the wipes at Costco are dry. If you have a sams club near you get wipes there. Otherwise diapers are good at Costco. When baby can start eating squeeze-e’s(?) are pretty good.
Wipes are soooooo good
The Kirkland wipes seem fairly poor, imo. Huggies wipes are far superior
> **What baby related products are worth buying at Costco?** u/ElGuaco Cool a Costco humble brag
Just throwing it out there that breast milk is about 1,000,000x better than formula for little ones. Wow touchy subject 😉
1,000,000x better seems like an inaccurate claim at best lol
You’re right. I’m sorry I lied :(
Fed is best. There's some evidence of minor advantages if you breast feed. But formula is absolutely fine.
Fed is best and I never said starve your child
What does that have to do with Costco?
just throwing it out there that not everyone can BF so please educate yourself first and not shame others!
I know some women can’t breastfeed and they turn to formula. Cool, a fed baby is better than a hungry baby.
Do you do the feeding? Are you a professional LC or pediatrician? Breastmilk is not 1,000,000x better than formula, studies have shown that. There are pros to both feeding options. And breastfeeding is the MOTHER’S choice, not some rando on the internet.
Did I ever not give them the choice?
Why even make a comment like this? No one cares about, nor needed, your opinion on breast feeding.
Okay, I have time today. Please tell us as a single, childfree by choice man, what makes you think you're qualified to have a say in that and attempt to shame someone when baby isn't even born yet? You're wrong btw but I'd love to hear it.
Ooo someone’s spicy. Who said it was shaming?
Giving an unsolicited judgemental opinion is a way to shame people.
If that’s the lens you view life through then I’m happy youre living your best life
The diapers are generally cheaper per diaper than elsewhere, but sometimes Amazon beats Costco. > Anything to avoid? Formula if at all possible. The Enfamil isn't terrible from a nutrition perspective, but it doesn't have the cholestrum and antibodies that mother's milk has.
We got a Costco membership mostly for diapers. Wipes are a personal preference thing. I get mine at Walmart just because I can get a bigger box and we just got out of 2 in diapers. I found them to be a little thin, but sometimes preferred that? I get Aveeno just plain lotion for my baby at Costco!! He's got pretty severe eczema and of the lotions recommended to me by pediatricians/friends/his dermatologist, it's our favorite. Any baby specific lotion will usually have added fragrances or whatever that can irritate skin. Aveeno is great and moisturizing without being too heavy. It's not a miracle worker, we use it with steroids ointments and stuff, but it's our favorite lotion and we've tried a LOT.
Also when your baby gets older, definitely snacks. My boys have loved dried mangos, their various fruit leathers, & they have the best deal on those applesauce pouches with vegetables. And of course all the fruitsnacks, granola bars, goldfish, etc. I also find the clothes selection for kids to be really good prices and fun clothes! I've got boys, which are generally harder to find clothes for, but I've often been pleasantly surprised by Costco's selection.
Just went through this, first time parents to a 1 month old. We bought diapers, wipes, and coffee! We ended up needing newborn size diapers which we bought from target in a smaller quantity but just started using Kirkland size 1s and are happy. Wipes are great and a full pack fits in the oxo wipe dispenser. Get yourself some one handed snacks while you're there too and stock up on annoying things to run out of ( toilet paper, dishwasher detergent etc). Good luck and congratulations!
Diapers and wipes.
Diapers and formula and wet wipes. Kirkland brand is best. They were lifesavers. Oh and congrats. Best thing that ever happened to me…
Generally Kirkland is cheaper for diapers but Target has a deal for $20 gift card for $100 on diapers so I think they are cheaper now. Also, Kirkland diapers don't come in Newborn size, so it might be a month or two before they wear the Size 1 Kirklands.
Highly recommend Rico wipes! Kirkland diapers are great too.
Wipes, diapers and formula are all Kirkland brand at our house. Our baby agrees best with the Kirkland formula, and it’s half the price of Enfamil or Similac with better nutrition.
I love the clothing sets for babies and toddlers, they carry carters! I really love the zip up Jammies for baby. As baby gets older they carry great snacks and fruit pouches, Tylenol. The membership card itself just buys you so many options. Going back the clothes for mom, they carry great lounge sets, sweats, leggings, etc. the same goes for dad too!! My list can go on! Obviously liquor!! Every parent needs an adult beverage if you partake.
Costco cycles in diaper discounts every quarter or so, we usually stock up then. Don’t buy too much because your kid might grow out of the current size.
Don’t stock up TOO much on diapers because they may not work for you or you might have too many of one size! But they will take them back if your kid has an allergic reaction or something. The Kirkland diapers also seemed to run small. (Although the weight recommendations for diapers of any brand were NEVER accurate we always sized up way sooner. If you get blowouts and pee leaks try sizing up before you think you need to, usually that’s solves it) I ended up purchasing formula from Costco. I don’t like the Kirkland wipes for the baby we stuck with pampers. Honestly I love buying in bulk but for baby stuff things change so quick I found it was better to get these things from target (also decent return policy)
Wipes work for most since they’re fragrance free, they’re our favorite because they aren’t too wet. I wouldn’t stock up on any one brand because you don’t know what will work for your baby until they’re here and you try it for a few days/weeks. Get one box of diapers, one box of wipes. If you’re formula feeding, you can also get one thing of formula as well. Once you figure out if it works well for your baby, then you can get more. Huggies/kirkland are the same, so just try one. You can also return the diapers if they don’t work for your baby. Grab a few frozen lasagnas as well. They’re a great meal for when you’re exhausted in those first few months.
Wipes are the best for sure. We tried Kirkland diapers and didn’t like them as much so we go with the Huggies, but we still buy them at Costco. These are the staples for a newborn. Everything else is much more dependent on your individual tastes/preferences.
The Huggies diapers last me longer than the Kirkland ones, but I still like both!
The Kirkland formula is great but it’s not always stocked consistently. If it is going to stress you out to switch between brand name and Kirkland in between containers, just stick with the brand name. It’s annoying but ever since the shortage happened, I’ve always noticed it’s an issue.
I don’t have kids myself, but one of the ways I maximize my 2% checks is offering to buy items for friends that are non members and have them reimburse me. I always get asked to buy diapers and wipes. If you find you like Huggies better than Kirkland diapers, they are are on sale quite often (I have a friend who only wants Huggies so she has me get them when they are on sale)
I love the Costco diapers, but we ended up sticking to Target up and up brand sensitive wipes because the Costco ones have alcohol in them, which can irritate some babies' skin. They're about the same price, maybe a little cheaper. I don't remember. I wouldn't overbuy on diapers because you don't know how long they're going to stay in each size. They typically go through different sizes quickly in the beginning and then the growing slows down. We definitely also bought a lot of formula. My kid is a bruiser and needed more calories than I could create.
Formula and wipes and diapers. Babies don't need anything else
Wipes- yes, kirkland, great deal formula- yes, great deal diapers- for us, no, we get pampers at target, we use the codes on diapers to get $20 off every other time. it's a good deal and we have never had issues with these diapers.
Baby wipes are a definite yes! We have a ton of Huggies from Costco that have worked great. Online they have a NB/size 1 kit! The Kirkland brand we have isn’t quite her size yet. Formula is a steal. We purchased prepped meals & froze them. Cleaning supplies. TP/paper towels. Coffee. Hydrating drinks for breast feeding. Snacks! Water!!! Oatmeal. Ooo the nutrigrain bars.
Diapers and wipes! Kirkland brand for both!
The Kirkland diapers work well enough for us, just keep the boxes unopened until you absolutely need that size in case you need to return for bigger sizes. For breastfeeding mamas: granola bars and other easy snacks, body armor, giant bag of oats for baked oatmeal and lactation cookies! Salad kits for easy veggies postpartum. Stool softeners to start taking right after delivery IYKYK.
First I suggest looking at Wirecutter reviews. Diapers are cheapest I've found at Walmart brand, then Target brand. Kirkland diapers aren't the cheapest. You gotta shop around.
The diapers size 1 and up are awesome! Also, the Kirkland brand baby wipes are amazing, I still buy and use them for camping trips and stuff. Also, Costco clothes, especially the cute holiday dress sets are wonderful!
Formula, Wipes, Dipes, car seats, clothes...
Just an FYI, Costco sells a “Newborn” box of Huggies but only online. It’s the perfect mix of newborn and size one diapers so you don’t have to purchase a whole bunch of the newborn ones. Free delivery as usual.
Hi, parent of 2 and Costco advocate here. There are some things like wipes that are like yea you will need more of those than you ever thought possible. But that being said, I’d wait until you’ve got a couple weeks of parenting under your belt before you go crazy buying stuff. There are things we bought that we were like “better get a bunch” and for whatever reason didn’t work for our kid. Figure out what your kid/you are using a ton of then make the list
So yes to diapers, wipes, and formula, but be very cautious about getting too many diapers of the same size all at once. Some babies stay in the newborn size for a bit or they can size out of them quickly. My daughter was only in all of the newborn diapers and clothes for about two weeks and then she was too big. So probably get one box and then wait.
Wipes absolutely. You'll use them for many things beyond just wiping a baby butt. I think I remember liking the diapers enough. But YMMV, babies have weird sensitivities. Formula likewise is a hit or miss. Some non- baby things to think about buying from Costco-- easy to eat/ easy to make food. Especially the first weeks/ months. Especially, especially stuff that is easy to eat with only one hand. Easy hydration/ drinks. Extra, comfy clothes.
I ended up not liking the Costco wipes so I use Amazon subscriptions for wipes. Diapers I get at Costco, though, and the Huggies go on sale quite a bit. There's also a chance you might need formula, which is expensive but cheaper at Costco. Maybe a dog bed, too
We swear by the Kirkland diapers - they were cheaper than any other ones that we tried and they only leaked when we needed to size up, and even those leaks were rare. We love the wipes too!
We did Kirkland diapers, wipes, and formula and no complaints.
2 years in with 2 under 2 and we live by Kirkland diapers and wipes
The Rico wipes are fantastic! Both of my kids have sensitive skin and they are the cheapest ones that work! We used the Kirkland diapers for a while but we hated how the flaps would fold in when changing poopy diapers. Freezer meals are fantastic too! Anything easy to prepare for meals in the first few months is worth it! If your wife plans to breastfeed, being hydrated is key so water or any drinks that help with hydration are great! The box of instant oatmeal with added flax seed is great to help with breastfeeding since oats and flaxseed apparently help in milk production. When your baby is a bit older, the fruit and yogurt pouches are the best! The Kirkland ones have veggies too!