Your Favorite Baby Items
Your Favorite Baby Items!
Help a girl out…
Our baby’s due date is still a few months out, but it feels like it’s coming at me F-A-S-T and I/we feel less than prepared to be honest! I’m sure everyone feels this way with their first baby so I’m sure I’m not alone, but still… I could really use your help!
Bear // Bunny in Overalls // Bunny // Puppy
The nursery is coming along. It will definitely be down to the wire to get everything done, but who doesn’t love a good deadline?! Ha! 😉 Although we did order our crib, rocker, car seat, highchair, stroller, travel stroller, and pack and play. And this weekend we’re shopping for the dresser/changing table. So I guess we aren’t TOTALLY behind, but somehow it still feels that way… tell me that’s normal!!
Your Recommendations!
But with that being said I would *love, love, love* to know from YOU what your favorite baby items (big or small!) have been over the years. There are so many options and to be honest it’s completely overwhelming. I’m deep into the registry process with my showers just a handful of weeks away and honestly I’ve been using it as a giant checklist for Ryan and I!
So tell me all your secrets in the comment section below! Your favorite items, the items you got and were like “meh, not useful”, and the items that are random but amazing, etc.. I know every baby is different, but from swings to swaddles, I’d love to know your thoughts.
Comment Below!
Shop
Favorite Finds
Also, I know babies don’t *really* need much and for that I am grateful! I want to make sure we are wise with the items we order and register for especially since we don’t have a ton of space and I don’t want to be wasteful. But for a first time mom, the baby things are just so fun, I don’t want to miss a second of this sweet season.
Leave A Comment
Book Club
Join Our Discussion
Explore
More Motherhood
Join The Club
Stay up to date on our latest book pick, author exclusives, giveaways, and more!
Stay Connected
Great list of baby items! I think a baby carrier is a must-have and should definitely be included. It’s versatile and convenient, and can make a big difference in daily life with a baby. Thanks for sharing your recommendations!
Congratulations!!
Great choice with the UppaBaby Vista! While it’s a little heavy getting in/out of the trunk of a car, it’s so sturdy, has a smooth ride, a large basket (SO important!) and expands easily with the RumbleSeat if you end up needing to turn a single stroller into a double stroller down the road. I got mine in 2017, and it’s gotten heavy use through 3 kids both in city and suburban environments, and it’s still going strong.
For situations where a stroller is impractical, I *highly* recommend a good soft-structured carrier. I love my Ergobaby, but also try out Lillebaby or Tula and see what you like. I used a SollyBaby wrap when my babies were super tiny, but a soft structured carrier distributes weight so you can easily wear baby for hours– whether in a crowd, on a hike, or just trying to get stuff done around the house when baby wants to be held. And it’s great even as baby grows into a toddler. My carrier has lasted through 3 babies, and I often still carry my 3yr-old in it.
All the best to you both!
Thank you so much for posting this. I am pregnant as we so I LOVE following this journey with you and I need ALL the knowledge as this is my first! So excited to research some of these things! I was wondering everyone’s thoughts on the SNOO. I’ve been told by multiple people it is a must have it is just so pricey…. but if you plan on having multiple children it would be worth it. Interested in everyone’s thoughts on it.
Congratulations!!! Very sweet. And I think you are right to be excited and wanting to celebrate the moment to let it not pass by! Hanna Anderson sleep sacks once they quickly outgrew the halo. Those are amazing. The graco blossom high chair is hideous but great lol. Cooking parties galore. Lovery toys really are fantastic (not a need but fun soon). Be aware that you might do better with a different bottle than you expect. Be prepared to switch and be prepared to up the nipple size (so weird no one tells you that). On that note too if you plan to breastfeed, rent a medical grade pump at first, lansinoh cream, and those sunflower lechtin supplements really do work. No pressure though at all. And those big cushiony/ bouncy rugs are so great for babies playing. Have a great time!
Aiden & Anaise bamboo swaddles are the best. Has to be the bamboo ones though, they are the softest. Same with their bamboo burpee bib (burp) cloths. AMAZINGLY soft and big. Kyte baby has the softest pajamas that last being washed every single week, often times twice because they are the fave in this house.
You’ve got so much to sort through!! Hatch sound machine, bebe au lait muslin bibs, Ollie swaddle (it’s pricey but you only need one size for life), Kyte sleep sack (again so pricey but they’re extra long and you can use them a lot, we have a 0.5 TOG for summer in Orlando and 1.0 for winter), lovevery subscription (makes a great Xmas gift from grandparents), BUTT SPATULA, tubby Todd all over ointment, portable fan that clips onto the stroller
Hi Ashley!
So happy for you. I agree with the Doona as mentioned above. We actually have the uppababy carseat/stroller but we were gifted the Doona and it’s amazing! I reach for it much more often — like times we’re just heading out for lunch or dinner and think maybe baby will fall asleep in carseat. Most recently we took it on the airplane (seat approved) and it was so convenient for travel! She slept 2 hours in it because it was familiar for her.
Something else I haven’t seen mentioned yet is this Inglesina seat. We keep in the car and use it everywhere! Take it into restaurants, or even my parents house, so they don’t have to get a highchair. It’s so nice and one of my most used baby items.
https://www.amazon.com/Inglesina-Fast-Table-Chair-Award-Winning/dp/B00IOGIM9S/ref=sr_1_3?crid=RVE8059WQRGW&keywords=baby+seat+for+table&qid=1645236674&sprefix=baby+seat+%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-3
Some of my faves for our little girl have been- the love every play gym, hatch sound machine, portable sound machine, Burt’s bees burp cloths, Philips avent pacis, water wipes, bjorn bouncer, and diaper geni!
The baby furniture that we got was the Westwood Olivia collection. It’s great quality and even more beautiful in person. The only downside is that it took ages to arrive.
For a swing, we were gifted with the MamaRoo and our baby seemed to like that.
Baby care/nursing/insanely helpful general tips- Karing for Postpartum (she has lots of free helpful content on her Instagram- @karrie_locher), Carseat/travel safety- Safe in the Seat (also lots of free content on Instagram- @safeintheseat), Sleep- Taking Cara Babies, Swaddle- Ollie Swaddles, Halo swaddles and later on Halo Sleepsack, Onesies- Cloud9 three packs from Target (lived in these the first 6 or 7 months), Hatch light/sound machine…good luck!!
The Ollie swaddle is a dream! Our third is almost 4 months and it’s amazing. Also:
-Baby Bjorn bouncer
-Solly baby wrap
-Babyganics diapers and water wipes – prevented diaper rashes in all our babes
-Tubby Todd All Over Ointment (gets rid of baby acne)
Everyone mentions hatch, but if you get it make sure to get the rest+! It’s battery powered so will work for travel in the car or a power outage!! I didn’t know this and didn’t exchange our base model, so now we have two. Lovevery is amazing, the best toys!! My son still plays with them from months and months ago and they’re such great quality! We loved the snoo bassinet, the Merlin sleep sack for transition from swaddle to normal sleep sack. Love our Nanit monitor. Random, but Phillips hue lights are awesome so you can dim any light! We have them around the house, but are especially great in our bedroom and nursery!! The cheap burp cloths on Amazon are also fantastic. We used the thick ones for burping, etc. on our shoulder but kept the cheap ones around for spit ups throughout the day so we didn’t need to use/waste as many thick ones. Definitely DIDN’T need all the blanket swaddles we have They’re cute, but we hardly used them. Ohh bibs pacis!!! 3 of my friends said their baby didn’t take a paci until I gifted them bibs or frigg pacifiers!
A baby swing. Seriously one of the only things my son would sleep in when he was a newborn. I had a lot of hang ups on it because you’re not supposed to let them sleep there but he was sleeping 2 hours at a time.
I think we have literally tried it all as first time parents of a sweet little boy! The things that have been the biggest hits for us –
Kyte Baby sleep sack – you’ll use swaddles for so little time so the investment in this sleep sack was so worth it. Keeps little man nice and warm but not too hot. So soft too!
Sophie the Giraffe – he loves this teether! I didn’t get the hype until we broke it out
Wander and Roam mat – makes it so much less stressful to put baby down when they’re starting to roll. Super cute and safe material for baby to play on. You can do other things in the room and know they’re safe and sound
So excited for you and Ryan and your sweet little boy!!
I echo a lot of what’s said in the comments – a noise machine and burp cloths early on are life savers! I tried a million burp cloths and brands and found I used the ones that had a fleece lining the most (lots of kinds available on Amazon). They weren’t as cute as other well known brands, but the fleece provided almost a waterproof layer so I didn’t get soaked!
I was also given advice to have a few different kinds of bottles and pacifiers on hand for my baby to try, and I was glad I did – every baby is different, but my baby would only take one brand of pacifier. I think I would have given up on pacifiers if I hadn’t had a few brands to try early on!
Congratulations!
The book Precious Little Sleep was a game changer. It is full of tricks to get your baby to sleep and nap, and has lots of different techniques for different personalities.
In addition the Fisher Price bouncer provided endless amusement
Congratulations!!! Some of our favorite items have been: keekaroo peanut changer, bottle sterilizer and dryer, BabyBrezza formula maker, the Ollie swaddle (hands down the best!), babybjorn bouncer, skip hop activity center, lovevery playmat, and the takingcarababies newborn sleep course.
The Doona car seat will change your life!!! Amazing for errands when you’re alone, no carrying a heavy car seat anywhere! Also I love the uppababy stroller and have the Uppababy car seat in other car so not constantly switching car seat back and forth. Both car seats were very useful in own way! Kissy Kissy has the sweetest soft newborn gowns and footies in pastel non-cheesy prints. Lou Lou Company newborn gowns, pajamas, summer rompers. LectroFan loud white noise. BabyShusher or portable white noise. Mina Baie classy leather diaper bag backpack. Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother is not pretty but perfect for putting on the floor to watch during tummy time. Keekaroo peanut changer so you don’t have to wash cloth cover every day. Keekapoo disposable pads too
Congratulations! So happy for you and your hubby! I loved soft organic sleepers with footies attached for the first three months (fourth trimester) for my little ones.
Congratulations! I will say, when we welcomed our first we made a concerted effort to not go crazy buying everything on the market for our baby. You really don’t need a sleep aid contraption (you just need @takingcarababies newborn class — can’t stress this enough!). You don’t need a million places to put your baby down (they develop best playing on a floor mat). In my opinion, the game changers for us were blackout shades (I’m talking complete darkness in the nursery), a noisemaker (one stationery with no lights for nursery, and one for on the go — I recommend YogaSleep hush), the happi tummi wrap (Amazon), and again taking Cara babies newborn class (it’s not sleep training, just laying a foundation for good sleep and my daughter is almost 3 still loves her bed and sleeps 11-12 hrs a night!). Those are my non-negotiables. Oh an a wipeable changing pad because who needs extra laundry?! Congratulations again! Oh and follow @safeintheseat to learn how to properly strap in your baby and become a master car seat installer (seriously, she’s amazing).
Congratulations! There’s so much a baby needs it can be overwhelming. Below are a couple unexpected but sanity saving things that worked for us:
Our biggest thing was a sound machine! We found a little $30 one on Amazon (we called it the hockey puck) and that sucker came EVERYWHERE with us. It held a charge overnight so it could be in his crib, but also was great on walks, car trips, you name it! We used it regularly until about 6 months.
Whether you plan to nurse, bottle feed, or exclusively pump, BUY EXTRA PARTS. We only have one set of bottles and pump parts Nad it meant washing things multiple times a day. You can get extra pump parts from Amazon, We bought enough that I only needed to wash everything nightly. If you want to just nurse, go ahead and spend the $20 on a manual pump, it saved me on the early days of engorgement. Also, find a pediatrician with a lactation consultant on staff, they’re an amazing resource.
Burp cloths. So many burp cloths. The cloth diaper inserts work best, but Copper Pearl ones are also very absorbent.
Hi!
I’ve got two girls now and these are some things that I’ve used with both of them and use often!
-Halo sleep swaddles and newborn sack
-Hatch Sound Machine
-Bandana Bibs
-Homeade or fleece burp cloths. Store bought does not absorb enough.
-TakingCaraBabies Sleep class. Changed my life.
-Dapple bottle soap.
-Sams club account for buying diapers. We save $10 on Huggies diapers each purchase compared to target or grocery store.
-Wubbanub pacifiers. Hard to lose and can wash them! Plus baby loves to hold onto them.
-Original bumbo seat and tray.
-Fisher-price sweet snugapuppy swing.
These are things we loved! Congratulations on your little one!
Congratulations!! Three favorite baby items: Tubby Todd All Over Ointment Cream (cures all kinds of rashes), Lovevery Playkits, and a portable stroller fan.
Not needed for a registry, but because babies outgrow clothes so fast in the first year I consignment shop for most of my daughter’s clothes. Not only does it save a lot of money but you can find tons of very cute never or hardly worn clothes.
Oh I forgot to add that my favorite onesies for the newborn stage are the Lemon & Loom brand. They have the zipper sewn on the inseam and not on top of the tummy. They are SO soft and they have the sweetest colors and patterns! I also get them for my toddler and he loves them too! It was a lifesaver this go around with my second baby in the newborn stage. My 10 month old is still wearing the 3-6 months size because they stretch so much, so in my option they’re totally worth it! Only down side is that they sell out quickly once they’re in stock.
Karrie Locher is a nurse and excellent resource for all things newborn and postpartum! She has baby gear checklists and baby care courses that are great. https://www.karingforpostpartum.com/insta
Definitely keep it minimal at the beginning because it may take a while to figure out what he likes. I’d say some must haves though are:
Sleep sacks (we love the halo best), activity mat, bouncer, bassinet, baby carrier (I’ve tried them all and prefer a wildbird ring sling for 3+ mo and something like a Solly or Moby for newborn), a few different pacifiers to see his preference (if he’ll take it), burp cloths burp cloths burp cloths! We buy cloth diapers and use those as burp cloths bc they’re super absorbent. All free and clear detergent, tubby Todd fragrance free bath stuff, purple desitin ointment. Huggies are the best diapers in my opinion. A nosefrida. And don’t forget to register for your stuff if you’re nursing!
Former NICU nurse here & also new mama to a sweet little boy!
First off, Congratulations!!
Second, creating a baby registry can be sooooo overwhelming. We have tried to be fairly minimalistic with our baby gear, because it truly can start to take over your home. There’s just SO much out there now that it seems like you HAVE to have, so here’s our top loves & dislikes:
Love:
-uppa baby stroller set
– Dr Brown’s Bottles (always good to have regardless of how you end up feeding little one. These are the only bottles that have been clinically shown to help reduce gas in babies and preferred by most child speech therapist)
-Thule jogging stroller
-Kyte baby sleep sacks & onsies (sooo soft!)
-TakingCara Babies newborn class was a LIFESAVER. (Cannot speak more highly of any baby product. It’s what we gift to other new parents now!)
-wish I had been able to snag an Oli swaddle.
-portable sound machine
-Ballard Designs Nesting Baskets by Bunny Williams
-Christy Britt Designs did a large calligraphy Bible verse for over the crib. Def A treasured piece of art!
Dislikes:
-Halo bassinet- maybe I’m clumsy, but the legs are bulky and I tripped on them all the time. Also not worth the price. *fyi- you can rent the SNOO if you want to go that route & it’s much cheaper than purchasing.
-uppa baby car seat- I like ours, but it is HEAVY. wish I had purchased the Nuna car seat with adapter for the uppa baby stroller.
-Boppi Newborn lounger- has been recalled & causing an increase in plagiocephaly in babies. Wish I had gotten the dockatot.
-any jumper for babies- causing an increased risk for hip dysplasia & malformation of hip joint.
You’re going to be a wonderful mother!
Merlin Magic Sleepsuit is a life saver for around 4 months.
Bibs pacifiers were the best for my girls.
Ergo 360 carrier! The solly wrap is cute, but not fast to put on and is best for just newborns in my opinion.
The snuggle me organic is cute, but my baby didn’t really like it.
A changing mat that is not made of cloth is really the best thing you could have! Much easier and quicker to clean when there are little accidents! Also a changing mat on the go is pretty practical 🙂
Congratulations!! Three favorite baby items: Tubby Todd All Over Ointment Cream (cures all kinds of rashes), Lovevery Playkits, and a portable stroller fan.
My top three most used things were:
1. Burt’s bees burp cloths. So soft and absorbent!
2. Boppy lounger (but a Moses basket would basically be the same thing)
3. (For when they’re older) Joovy walker with the removable tray
We didn’t get it but if you’re thinking you’ll travel a bit, I suggest a blackout tent cover that goes over/attaches to the pack and play. We’ve used one and it’s super helpful for hotel rooms when you can’t really control how much light there is.
A Baby Bjorn bouncer
Anything Copper Pearl
You can use the UPPABaby bassinet as a Moses basket!
LouLou and Company outfits
We also love our Baby Brezza sterilizer and dryer if that’s something you’ll need
Muslin blankets especially with the Florida heat and covering the car seat
Instacart or something along those lines subscription. It comes in so handy!
Hi Ashley!
I have two under two and both kids absolutely loved being wrapped up in the Solly baby wrap. There is a bit of a learning curve on how to properly use it but once you have it down, it’s seriously the best thing to hold your baby close during the fourth trimester. Both kids also enjoyed bouncing in the Baby Bjorn Bouncer. It was nice to strap them in and they can be on the floor bouncing while I was getting ready for the day or making dinner. I also have to second the Hatch sound machine. It’s seriously a dream device. We can have conversations or watch TV or packages can be delivered without waking the baby up. It’s not glamorous but the best diaper cream we have found is the Baby Bum Paste (with a paddle) and the Ubbi diaper pail. I have also really enjoyed the Big Little Feelings course to help prep me for the toddler years. Lastly, both kids love, love, LOVE Sandra Boynton’s books. There is just something about them that the kids just can’t get enough of and make them giggle! I know registering and thinking about what you need can be so overwhelming. I hope this helps a bit!
Millie Moon diapers, Ava + Oliver faux leather changing mat for changing table, Sakura Bloom carrier (they have slings and carriers), Cybex stroller and car seats , Fawn Design diaper bag, Baby Brezza Formula machine if you use formula, Life Factory glass baby bottles, Ryan & Rose Pacifiers and clips, Chelsey Wang Baby care products, Pipette Diaper rash cream (has squalane), anything from Helmsie Baby and Creative Co-Op!
Copper Pearl swaddles are the best. I never even took the muslin swaddles out of the drawer because I swore by the Copper Pearl ones. Plus they have other matching items. And Kyte Baby sleep sacks! Both companies have products that feel like butter.
Definitely a hatch rest sound machine! They’re the best and as your baby becomes a child you can set times for the light to turn green or red signaling it’s bed time/ time to get up.
Also when thinking about bottles, if u want to breastfeed, I highly recommend ones that your breastmilk storage bags fit in. Like the Playtex Nursers, or Kinde. It makes the warming of milk and feeding much easier and less to wash, since the storage container is essentially the bottle too!
Hey Ashley!
We just had our second baby! Our first was born in Celebration, FL 🙂
My all time favs are:
The Taking Cara Babies course for sleeping. I can’t recommend this enough. It’s a gentle way to help your babies learn to sleep starting as newborns.
The Ollie swaddle for sleeping. It’s Velcro and so easy/safe.
The solly baby wrap.
The Feeding Littles Course for when little one starts solids.
The Bringing up Bebe book. Also Yumi for when baby starts solids. We followed the French way of introducing foods and our two your old will eat anything from brie cheese to olives to curry.
UppaBaby Stroller and Infant Car Seat. Nuna convertible car seat.
The Guava travel crib.
The Lovevery play kits for toys.
I’d recommend starting with the basics then buying things if you need them. That way you’re not growing in baby things / overwhelmed creating a registry.
Also one thing I learned having a babe in florida is that little onesies or footie sleepers are all you need for the first few months. Baby will be too sweaty/little to really get on many “outfits”.
My biggest takeaway is that you need way less than everyone tells you. Basically you need a place for baby to sleep, a place to change them (you end up changing them wherever you happen to be in the house so I set up little baskets with wipes and diapers in all the main rooms), bottles and all that if you’re formula feeding, and a wrap/bouncy seat for at home.
Hopefully that helps 🙂
Hi Ashley,
I just gave birth to my baby boy on 1/29 and I created a Pinterest board of the mama and baby stuff that I have loved so far and could not do with out so far:
https://pin.it/3TfHxoJ
Second a Moses basket! We got one for our second who will be one month old this weekend and it’s easily one of our most used items at this stage. I’ve also switched to all white burp clothes this time. This one spits up like crazy and the white are much easier to keep fresh looking.
I absolutely LOVE baby wearing. I swear by a Solly wrap; my husband prefers a structured Ergo carrier that our 3 year old actually still fits in. We took our oldest to Paris for a week when she was 3 months and I used the Solly the entire trip. Lightweight, easy to pack, and simple to wrap after watching a tutorial video once or twice.
A bouncer seat is also a must for me. We have the Bloom Coco that I love. My 3 sisters love the Babybjorn bouncer. Both fold down to make them relatively compact and easy to travel with.
We also love our Hatch sound machine and Peanut changing pad.
I can’t wait to see your final nursery reveal! Congratulations on your precious little one!
You are right that you need less than you think…I’ve always been clutter-phobic and we lived in a townhouse when our first 2 babies were born, so I totally get the less is more mentality.
Besides what you mentioned, I would say a white noise machine, Aiden and Anais swaddles, Avent brand bottles/sippy cups/pacis, Honest brand diapers, wipes and wash and the Skip Hop activity center when he’s a little older.
The Cuddle and Kind dolls are the absolute cutest and although it’s not a need, the Beaufort Bonnet bow swaddle is so dreamy and makes the best newborn pics!
Enjoy all this time…I know you’ve waited so long xo
I made sure when I picked a stroller that it was one I could easily fold up and put in the car by myself. You will be taking that stroller everywhere and it’s important that it’s not heavy or hard to break down.
Moses basket!! My Moses basket was my favorite baby item by far! Our daughter slept in it in our room for the first couple months. She was in there on our island while I made dinner. Next to the couch while we watched tv at night. Can be in the bathroom while you shower. So portable! Just swaddle your sweet baby boy & you can keep him right by you anywhere in the house & be hands free. Takes up very little space. More convenient than a pack & play for the first few months. Don’t feel behind! After fertility issues & miscarriages I was afraid to buy anything too early. Than I was put on bed rest & she was early. I had to borrow a car seat from a friend to bring her home You got this!! Also, lots of plain white onesies. Easy way to dress them. Easy loads of laundry those first few months. Congratulations & best wishes
Since having my baby, I’ve created an Amazon list of my absolutely most loved baby items especially for those first six weeks!
A&D Prevent and Treatment cream! Best hands down. Their treatment cream is supremely better than all the other diaper rash creams I’ve tried.
Copper Pearl Swaddle Blankets! So soft and you can wrap them up tight like a snug little bug. Plus they come with matching hats…bonus point for that!
Noodle and Boo wash! Somehow they bottled up the very best of the newborn scent. It’s Heaven.
Muslin burp cloths – you can never ever have enough!
My biggest regret is buying a baby swing that I couldn’t easily transport from one room to another, so when you are looking at those, keep that in mind!
So excited for you! Can’t wait to see all the baby goods you love!
1. Halo sleepsack
2. Fridababy Windi Gaspasser (lifesaver)
3. Angel Dear Swaddle blankets (didn’t use to swaddle, just as a lightweight blanket for a summer baby)
4. Gund Tinkle Crinkle Bunny (great car seat toy)
5. Bumco Baby Bum Brush
6. Uppababy Cruz Stroller AND bassinet! So helpful.
7. Our car seat was too heavy – go light!
8. Pima knits – I had fancier outfits but only wanted baby in soft things (Kissy Kissy, Mini La Mode, Magnolia Baby, Little English, Luigi Kids, Pixie Lily, Auraluz)
9. Mini Chappywrap! Perfect car seat blanket or Little Giraffe for winter
My favorite baby item was the quilted toile fabric shopping cart insert. I used that so often. I felt comfortable having Will then Lilly in a public shopping area knowing everything they could reach was washed in my washer from home.
It even came with its own seat belt.
It was a homemade gift from a loved one, but I’ve seen one from Mudpie a while back. Best wishes with your little one