With so many of my friends expecting for the first time, I thought I would go ahead and share what I’ve found to be the “must haves.” The world of baby “stuff” is so overwhelming – there is just so much and a million options for each thing. It’s really easy for it to become frustrating or to feel like you need way more than you actually do. So I’m sharing what I’ve found to be my most used, most helpful, make-my-life-easier items…and also those that I found I really didn’t need.
1 – Uppababy Vista Stroller and Mesa Car Seat – I will start by saying I know this is an expensive stroller. It was the 1 thing we decided to splurge on (although we ended up getting it as a gift, thank you Nona!!!), and are so happy with that decision. People were seriously cult-like about this stroller when I was researching and I did my best to figure out why. We ended up landing on this one, but I didn’t understand the cult-like following until I started using it myself. I’ll walk you through the decision process though. For starters, we knew we wanted to get a stroller that had the option to add a 2nd seat since we are hoping to have another baby a few years after our first. That very quickly narrowed down the field for us to basically 3: the Vista, a Britax option and a City Select option. We went and actually tested them all out (which I highly recommend – the only thing I actually did in store), and the analogy I used was that it’s like driving a Lexus vs a Toyota. A Toyota is great and definitely sufficient, but you can definitely feel the difference when you drive them. The Uppababy was smoother and handled more easily (even with 1 hand). Other features that were selling points were the enormous basket (the biggest I’ve seen – you don’t realize how important this is until you attempt to grocery shop by yourself with a baby…) and how user-friendly it all was to open up, close down, take apart, install, etc. The car seat base is so easy to install, which I’ve never said of any other I’ve seen. So in standard Shannon fashion, I put together a little spreadsheet to financially compare the Vista to the City Select (the Britax was quickly ruled out during the test drive because when you add the 2nd seat, the top seat is raised and it made it difficult for me to see). The Vista comes with a bassinet, which we decided we would use when baby was in our room in the beginning, thus avoiding purchasing a separate bassinet. With that, once you compared both all in (with 2nd seats and adaptors needed for those), it was a few hundred dollar difference, which was worth it to us to get the one we really liked better. Also, it has all of the different configuration options you see below. The other options did not have as much flexibility with this.
Now that I’ve been using it for over 7 months, including airport travel with it, I get why
people are cult-like over it. Additionally, their customer service is AMAZING. I was annoyed
by a small rattling noise and called them and they just shipped me a new frame.
2 – Fawn Design Diaper Bag – When it came to diaper bags, I knew I did not want one that looked like a diaper bag. I also knew I wanted one that Luke wouldn’t refuse to carry at times (so neutral color and not too girly looking). Lastly, I knew I wanted one that had backpack and tote carrying options. I instantly loved the sleek, chic look of the Fawn Design bag, and it met all the requirements. While not cheap, I also didn’t feel the price point was too bad. (FYI – they do have sales twice a year around Mother’s Day and Christmas.) Once I got mine, I honestly almost used it before I had my baby because I loved it so much and it really in no way looks like a diaper bag. The only caveat I’ll give is that if you are someone that likes lots of pockets for specific things, this might not be the bag for you (pun intended). As you can see from the interior picture below, it is kind of a big bucket style bag. It does have a few small pockets on the outside, a small interior pocket with zipper in the back, and sleeve-like pockets around the bucket, but for the most part it is a bigger open space to toss stuff in. A lot of people get cute pouches to organize the inside, like in the picture below. I have some pouches, and also toss some stuff in. That’s just what works for me. Also, I love this changing pad for the diaper bag – folds up small but folds out to a pretty good size, cute, wipes down easily, magnet closure.
3 – Bumbo Changing Pad – I learned the hard way with this one. Unfortunately, I found out about this amazing changing pad option right after I took all of my traditional changing pad stuff out of packaging and washed it all to set it up in the nursery. Otherwise, I would have gotten this one from the start. So I stuck with mine…until a few weeks ago when I finally got tired of washing it all every time any little accident happened while changing the baby. Hint – this is a lot. So I finally just trashed all of my stuff and just got this one. If you did it from the start, it probably ends up costing the same as the changing pad, 2 covers (for when 1 is inevitably in the wash) and the little pad things you put on top of the cover (in an attempt to not have to was the cover as frequently). The reason this one is so awesome is that it just wipes down. No laundry. Enough said.
4 – Fisher Price Swing – Do you HAVE to have a swing? No, I’m sure it’s possible to keep a baby alive without one. I just wouldn’t want to be part of that. There are some things that are truly necessities, and there are some things that make your life infinitely easier. This is one of those things. I don’t think you definitely need to get this specific swing. There are a lot of options out there. The MamaRoo is the fancy, new (and much more expensive) one. The Rock N Play is a frequently used one. We actually had all of those – because they were handed down or lent to us by friends that had kids before us. I would never suggest getting all of them. But what I found having all of them is that this big, old school swing was Hudson’s favorite. And I know it was also the favorite of many of my friends kids. I think there is just something about the side to side motion that does something amazingly calming to babies. The other swings I mentioned swing either front to back or in all other crazy patterns (MamaRoo), but the side to side motion just seems to really do the trick. This was our lifesaver when little man was really fussy. It’s also where he did almost all of his daytime naps when at home (supervised of course) until very, very recently. I truly don’t know how we would have made it without this thing. I will say, if you have very limited space, this might not be the best swing option for you as it does take up quite a bit of room.
5 – Boppy Lounger – Hudson basically lived in this thing his first 2 months. And spent a lot of time in it after that too. I remember being very sad when I realized he was growing out of it. My friends and I would actually joke about how all of the pictures I sent them of him had the same background – the fabric of our Boppy Lounger. It’s great because it’s easy to take from room to room with you if you need to set the baby down while you do something or sit him next to you on the couch or bed while you pump, etc. (again, supervised of course). Hudson did all of his daytime napping in this before he was big enough for the swing.
6 – Baby Bath with Hammock – We had the popular Puj tub, but it was really only useful the first week or 2 when Hudson was really tiny. Then it just required more hands than 2 people have to hold it together with him upright. So I actually preferred this baby tub that you can put in a regular tub and only fill the baby tub (so doesn’t take a ton of water) and has a bunch of options for baby as he grows up until he’s sitting on his own. At first you use the hammock thing, which I wish we’d done right from the beginning. It was so much easier! And let’s be honest, how awesome does laying in a hammock in the tub look? Why do they not make this in adult size?? Anyway, the hammock allows baby to lay just a little in the water and head stays safely above. Then when Hudson got too big for the hammock, we removed it and he kind of leans propped up on the right side, with his little booty on the little seat type thing. This configuration held him in place really well and allowed him to start having tons of fun kicking away in the water. Now, he sits in the left side, which still has some back support since I don’t feel comfortable with him sitting totally on his own yet, but gives him a little more space until he is able to just sit on his own in the tub.
7 – Aden & Anais Muslin Swaddles – These things are just the best. I’m sure you’ve already heard this a million times. They’re great for everything – swaddling the baby, as a lightweight blanket, draping over the carseat or stroller to provide some shade or cover, serving as a burp cloth when you can’t find one…just everything. They’re super soft and great quality, and you just honestly should have at least 4.
8 – Medela Quick Clean Soap – One of the most annoying chores that comes along with having a baby is washing bottles and pump parts. Non. Stop. My best advice on this is get enough bottles to last you 2 days (once you figure out which ones you’re baby will take – see below) so that you can have a rotation and only wash once per day. Same with pump parts – get 2 sets. Then once per day you can throw everything in with this soap and warm water to soak for 10 minutes, then rinse and set out to dry. No scrubbing required. This is especially important advice if you are going back to work.
9 – HoMedics Sound Machine – I actually do not have this noise machine. I have the Dohm noise machine, which is just fine, but the one I am recommending is less than half the cost and I’m told is actually the loudest one available. Why is this important? Because LOUD white noise is one of the biggest keys to getting a baby to sleep well. This one was actually recommended (due to its max volume) by a Moms on Call sleep consultant as one of the 3 key things to a sleeping baby. Moms on Call is what we followed with Hudson and I basically swear by it, but I’ll get into that in another post.
10 – Swaddles – This is the 2nd key item to getting a baby to sleep well (according to the expert). The 3rd thing is a full baby, if you’re wondering. Some people claim that their baby doesn’t like to be swaddled, but the truth is babies physiologically need to be swaddled. Until around 3 months, they have what’s called the startle reflex, which means they sporadically startle causing their arms to flail which wakes them up…unless they’re swaddled with this little arms in! Some babies, like mine, are little ninjas and seem to be able to get their little arms out of any contraption. So I recommend getting 1 each of 2 kinds of swaddles to try and then get more once you figure out which one works for you. We ended up having to go to the Miracle Blanket the first month or so with our little ninja, which is basically a baby straight jacket. Then once he was a little bigger and couldn’t escape as easily, we switched to the Halo swaddle because it was easier for us to get on and off when changing in the middle of the night.
11 – Kimono Shirts – This is basically what Hudson wore 90% of the time the first month or 2. These are basically the shirts they put on babies in the hospital. Is this the cutest thing for your baby to wear? No. But you realize very quickly that this doesn’t matter because 90% of the time you are just hanging out at the house by yourselves and all you care about is convenience. These are very easy to change the baby in (no bottoms…Hudson was born in the summer, so if you have a winter baby I guess you might want to use pants haha). I also realized very quickly how incredibly difficult it is to stuff those fragile little limbs into sleeves and pant legs. I seriously felt like I was going to break things. The kimono style means you don’t even have to go over the head – which trust me, is not as easy as it looks with a newborn!
12 – Tap Control Lamp – This is one option – I’m sure there are other great ones too. But the take away is you will need a light next to the rocker/changing table that you can easily tap to turn on when going in for middle of the night changings and feedings. It’s also good to make sure it is not too bright (to keep the overall lighting in the room dim so the baby stays in sleep mode).
13 – Lillebaby Complete Airflow 360 Carrier – I’m sure there are several great ones. Personally, I liked this one because it is mesh (read: cooler), especially because my baby was born in June and these things can get hot with a warm little body in them snuggled up to you…especially with those postpartum hormones! I’d also heard this was the best for back support. I have not tried others to compare to, but my friends that have said that this one is definitely much easier on the back. Lastly, it goes from newborn to toddler – no inserts, etc. needed, and baby can face in or out.
14 – My thoughts on Dock-a-tot and SnuggleMe – These have become so popular and I always get asked about them, so I figured I’d share my thoughts. We had a SnuggleMe Organic that was handed down from a good friend (thanks, Cha!). So we did use it with Hudson. And he slept great in it. He also slept great when we took him out of it around 8 weeks. So part of me thinks he would have slept great from the beginning, with or without it. For that reason, I don’t know that we really needed it…we might have just had a good sleeper. However, if you have a baby that is struggling with sleep, then I do think these products are lifesavers. So my advice to people that ask me is, I wouldn’t get it unless you need it. They aren’t cheap. Also, anything that you use with baby, they’ll get used to and you’ll later have to transition them out of, which can be painful. So I’m kind of a proponent of less is more as far as using various things, unless it’s really needed to get them to sleep (so that you can sleep). If you want to register for it in case someone gifts it to you, I’d just recommend not opening and washing until you know if you need it or not. You can always exchange for the million other things you’ll figure out that you need if you don’t.
What You Don’t Need (at least not right away)
In general, you need a lot less than you think you do at first. Babies are all really different in their preferences, so I lean toward the less is more philosophy at first, until you figure out what your baby really needs or likes. We didn’t really end up taking that approach, because we had so many generous friends that had already been down the parenting journey that handed so many things down or lent us things. But if we were not in that situation, this is definitely what I recommend 🙂
Fancy or multiple swings – I spoke to this above, but there are all kinds of crazy spaceship-like contraptions now that can get really pricey and just aren’t necessary.
Fancy high chair – It really blows my mind how expensive these are. Depending on your set up (i.e., if you eat at a table usually), a “space saver” high chair that attaches to one of your chairs can be a great option. We usually eat at our kitchen island, so that wouldn’t work well for us. I definitely didn’t want one with any cloth on it at all (cleaning nightmare). Really the only ones that were a standalone but didn’t have any cloth were $300+, which just seemed nuts to me. So I went with the $20 Ikea one and it works great!
Tons of breastfeeding stuff, breastmilk storage stuff, or fancy pump bag – Everyone is just so different when it comes to the whole breastfeeding experience. It’s actually quite rare to be a huge overproducer that needs a million storage bags/containers and a storage system. Breastmilk is good for 6 days in the fridge. I never had the need to freeze any because I pretty much produced just enough on a daily basis. I didn’t go crazy, but I had a bunch of nursing pads and storage bags that were literally never touched. Since you can Amazon Prime any and everything now, and those are common things that are available at Target, etc. that you can send your hubby out for, it’s just not necessary to stock up on a ton of stuff in advance before you know if you’ll even need it. And the pump bags – just use a tote you have that has a zipper. No need to have a special, fancy bag.
Baby food maker – I bought one of these and used it once and then it was malfunctioning, so I returned, which I was actually glad about. From just using it 1 time I could tell that it was no better than just steaming whatever it was and tossing it in my Ninja blender that I already have and use for smoothies. My Ninja actually pureed it much better and faster, and the clean up was no different. Just one less gadget that you need.
A million bottles – Someone gave me the great advice of not buying a ton of the bottles that you think you’re going to use. Your baby might have other plans! Some babies are very picky about their bottle preferences. So I would recommend just buying a 2- or 3-pack of the ones you’d like to use and wait until you try them and confirm that your baby will take them before buying more. Again, Amazon Prime or sending someone for a quick Target trip will get you what you need in no time once you know it will work for you and baby. Personally, I liked the Avent Natural bottles because they have the least number of pieces (less to wash), screw right into my Spectra pump (again, less to wash), and are inexpensive. Luckily, Hudson took them with no problem!
Lots of newborn clothes – As mentioned above, putting clothes on a newborn is difficult and honestly, just unnecessary. Of course, have a few cute outfits for coming home from the hospital or little trips out of the house here and there, but you really don’t need more than a handful.
Expensive baby furniture – Did you know that most babies chew the crap out of their crib? Like most used/hand-me-down cribs have teeth marks in them because basically all babies do this. So you better believe I wasn’t gonna drop major dough on a perfect, designer crib just for my baby to use it as his teether. There are so many affordable options out there that are super cute, safe and functional for baby furniture that there’s just no reason to splurge.
I hope this is helpful to all of you mamas-to-be as you put together your registry!
I’d love to hear any feedback you have on any of these items, or any recommendations you have for your favorite items!
xo,
Shannon
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