Before your baby comes you make sure you have all the things. You make a list and check it twice, probably 17x actually. You register for everything that the stores tell you you NEED and you register for all the things that instagram and facebook ads throw in your face. Now fast forward to baby’s arrival – you have all the things…. and use like 4 of them. Maybe you have all this stuff you won’t use, but in times like this (Covid) you’re not eager to run to the store to return, so you’re stuck with it. Or maybe you’re worried about not having what you need because you haven’t been able to go to the stores.
I hope this list is helpful in condensing yours and helps you feel less overwhelmed. Having a baby is exhausting enough, you shouldn’t have to stress about making sure you have what you need. This list is filled with things that we swore by for the first three months of Rayna’s life – starting with BuyBuyBaby sale items first – other than that they’re in no particular order. There are a few items that are linked that are from stores other than BuyBuyBaby, as well.
- This Halo Bassinet was an absolute lifesaver! We didn’t have one at first, I had originally registered for a Fisher Price one. However, I ended up needing an emergency c-section and a friend happened to have one they just finished using and they sent it our way! The drop down arm was a god sent post-op and Rayna loved the little vibrations and music. Plus, it’s 20% off right now!
- We love our Dock-A-Tots! We have the Deluxe+ and the Grand and use them both!
- Our favorite diapers are Pampers Pure and we use the Pampers Pure Wipes. We tried the Huggies brand for a little, mid-pandemic, when we couldn’t get our hands on more Pampers. I prefer the Pampers more. & you get a gift card with purchase.
- 25% off of Carter’s clothing. We LOVE their 2 way zip up PJs! Those are the ones we SWEAR by!!! They are so easy, especially for those middle of the night changes! Almost all the clothing brands are also on sale right now, too!
- Rayna was never a huge fan of being swaddled and we chose to let her arms roam free and she LOVED it, especially in this Halo Sleep Sack.
- If you choose to breastfeed or pump – I used the Medela Freestyle Flex breast pump, more on that in a later post. It was good, I loved the flexibility of it, but I think next time I will also get one that plugs into the wall.
- I prefer the Boppy Lounger for baby to hang in over the regular Boppy Nursing pillow – although that one is great for positioning when breastfeeding, but Rayna is formula fed so I used the lounger more!
- The Uppababy V2 is the stroller we have and love! We got the bassinet stand and used the bassinet in our living room for her to sleep in when we weren’t using it on the stroller! It’s also on sale at Nordstrom later this month if you miss it at BBB.
- The nuna Pipa Lite LX – which goes on sale at Nordstrom this month – is so light and easy to use! She loves her carseat.
- We use all Babyganics products for her, from the dish soap to her bath soap!
- Books! Doesn’t matter what they are or where they come from! As a former teacher, please read to your baby daily/nightly!
- Rayna has lovedddd bath time since day one. This Fischer Price tub is her favorite and I love how it grows with her. Up until about a month old it was easy to wash her in the kitchen sink though, so we’d sometimes use this flower tub.
- A variety of pacifiers! If your baby will be breastfed, MAM is most like a nipple and what we use. Every baby is different when it comes to pacifiers, and the same goes for bottles! We use the Dr. Browns Anti-Colic Glass bottles. We started with that two set and have grown our collection and the size of the bottles since we know she likes them.
- We tried a few formulas and our (Rayna’s) favorite is the Earth’s Best.
- We love our 4moms Breeze Plus. I used the bassinet in it and changing table, plus its great to put her in if I have to run to the bathroom and I’m not comfortable leaving her on the couch, especially now that she’s a wiggle worm!
- This is the sweetest play mat that also doubles as our milestone blanket for monthly pics!
- Rayna loves the car ride motion on this 4moms MamaRoo
- The only thing that is an absolute cry-stopper is this Baby Bjorn chair. My only regret is not getting the infant insert and putting her in it sooner!
- The suction bulbs to get snots out were not for me, I felt like I was going to suction her brains out. I know this thing sounds gross but the Nose Frida was the best!
- Another great Frida product that we love is the MediFrida – it is a pacifier that you put the medicine syringe on to give to your baby! It’s great, especially for Gripe Water
- We wanted a monitor that wasn’t connected to the internet so we went with the Infant Optics and we’re very happy with it.
- Something I wish I’d had sooner was the Solly Wrap. I tried a different one that I thought would be easier and wasn’t!
- This Hatch Rest sound machine has also been a lifesaver! In the early weeks she liked a heartbeat sound, then the nursery rhymes, and now white noise.
- We started out using the Baby Brezza formula maker, but then I found out about some class action lawsuits claiming it didn’t dispense formula to water properly. Instead we got this water warmer and it’s great!
Honestly, when they’re that little they do not need much! I did not include basic nursery furniture, clothes, or toys onto this list because a lot of that stuff is just personal preference. Below are some suggestions for both.
Clothing:
- Have clothes for newborn and 0-3 month for when the baby is born… you can always worry about bigger sizes later. Aside from cutesy outfits, the following were important for us to have:
- Socks! Babies get so cold so have 2-3 pairs
- 5 footie pajamas – in the newborn especially, make sure that there is the little flap that goes over the fingers because you don’t want them scratching themselves. A nurse at the hospital told us mitts were a choking hazard.
- 2 or 3 Side-snap (aka Kimono style) onesies in the shirt and long sleeve are great for when you babe has the umbilical cord still attached!
- 2 or 3 Plain white onesies in t-shirts and long sleeve
- 5 receiving blankets
- 5 burp cloths – 3-Ply three fold cloth diapers work best 😉
- 2 or 3 towels and washcloths for bath time.
- You’ll be doing laundry all the time so don’t worry about having too little.
- DO NOT WASH CLOTHES UNTIL YOUR BABY GETS HERE. That is my biggest piece of advice, that was given to me. Take it or leave it, but if you wash all your newborn clothes and your baby comes out 8 lbs you won’t need them and now can’t return them. JUST WAIT. Make piles of laundry and when you get home from the hospital have whoever is helping you cut the tags off and throw the load in!
Toys
- They’re still so little at this stage that they’re not going to actually be playing with the toys, at least not until closer to 3 months. However, there are things they can benefit from developmentally…
- Black and white colored toys
- Primary color toys
- Toys that make noises
- Toys that light up
