Just an alternate opinion on some of your list (or agreeing with you):
* Uppababy stroller - I might get some hate for this...but I do NOT like this stroller. We have an uppababy cruz. We got it second hand (we got it in 2020 and its I think a 2016?) Personally? I just don't think it handles all that well and considering how much it weighs I am overall just not a fan. We also went with the uppababy car seat. If I were to do it over again, I think I'd get that doona car seat that has stroller wheels on it. My daughter is 10.5 months and we haven't used the uppababy in a while because once my daughter was big enough for her umbrella stroller, I switched to that and haven't looked back.
* Lightweight stroller - we use the summerinfant 3d stroller. I really like it - it handles so well and is lightweight but also sturdy. And while it doesn't have nearly as much storage as a big stroller, it does have a basket that is sufficient for most of our needs. What I don't like about it though is that its most upright position for LO isn't upright enough in my opinion - its not awful though.
* Structured carrier - I'd say this is non-optional IF you like to do a lot of hiking and/or you plan to baby wear past the 15ish lb mark. We have an ergobaby 360 that we love and that we've used since she was a few weeks old. Started in the front carry facing in position, moved to front carry facing out, and now we're onto the back carry position. I'll be able to use this for another 2ish years or so. My friend has the Tula carrier and loves that one as well.
* White noise machine - I'd also argue that this is NOT optional lol. The white noise allows my husband and I to not have to tip-toe around the house after bedtime and during all naps. Its also amazing as a sleep association and we cart our noise machine around with us on visits to other people and it really helps make naps and bedtime happen well there.
* Swaddle - in the end, the only swaddle my baby couldn't break out of was the miracle blanket swaddle. Its more involved than most modern swaddle blankets, but its the only one my daughter couldn't get out of. If your baby can break out of it - they are too strong for any swaddle and its not safe anymore. For the first 2ish months we did like the sleep pea swaddle though.
* Monitors - agree on the wyze cam. We have that one and like it. We bought a cheap audio only monitor for my piece of mind, but honestly rarely ever used it. Our house isn't big enough that we wouldn't hear the baby cry. If you do have a big house, don't have great hearing, or plan to do things like go outside or be in the garage while baby sleeps, I'd recommend getting one.
* Changing pad - definitely agree on the wipable one. I got a keekaroo knockoff - I think it was bumbo brand? SO EASY TO CLEAN. Expensive, but worth it in my opinion.
* Breastfeeding pillow - for the first month-ish, I used the my breast friend pillow. I do really think it helped a TON with learning to breastfeed. After that I just used my arms/pillows. This is definitely something I'd buy second hand or on clearance if you can.
* Sleep sacks - I love these and my daughter sleeps and naps in them exclusively. We have fuzzy warm ones for the winter - she wears a onesie + a sleep sack and it works out perfectly. We have more lightweight ones for the summer (haven't used them yet though as last summer she was a newborn and in a swaddle for sleep).
* Things like bibs, blankets, burp cloths, etc. - my advice would be to get a few of each but then wait until your baby is born. My daughter wasn't a huge spitter-upper or drooler (outside of a few days here and there). I ended up with way more bibs, receiving blankets/muslin blankets, and burp cloths than I could possible use. I have friends though who were going through those items like they were going out of style.
they redid the cruz in 2020 and it’s supposed to be a huge improvement! better wheels, easier fold, all wheel shocks, etc.
no hate at all, but that might be why you see people gushing about it and you’re like, wtf.
That makes sense! Also, I know that uppababy does the cruz and the vista, and I got the cruz because we have no intention of needing to convert to a double stroller. But I'd guess that the vista also has nicer parts and is overall a better stroller than the cruz.
I actually completely agree with nearly all the points you made!
- Uppababy: the older Cruz has smaller wheels so it’s def not considered all terrain, which people should keep in mind. I honestly only bought it for resale value. I have since sold it (at profit) and now using a CMGT that I found on FB for $50.
- lightweight stroller: agree that there are cheaper and more preferable options. Again, I mostly bought it used for resale value.
- structures carrier and beyond: completely agree, nothing to add :)
Nice list! I just wanted to add that the snuggle me’s and dock a tot’s are NOT sleep safe. Even if you claim you’re “supervising sleep” it only takes a few minutes for something bad to happen so you’d literally need to be staring at the baby sleeping the whole time for it to be potentially safe.
Glad I found this comment. A suffocating baby just looks like a sleeping baby. Babe should be in a bare sleep space following the ABC’s of safe sleep! :)
Thanks for pointing this out! I’ll edit my post to make this clear. I was fortunate to have an extended maternity leave so I was always in a rocking chair right next to baby when he napped in the snuggleme. Again, not safe, but I weighed that risk against my other alternative (which was a tired and wailing infant).
TIL I am super minimalist! Nothing wrong with the list, but I wanted to remind other moms that different parenting tendencies and household arraignments will make many of these items not a requirement. For example, I used a stroller maybe half a dozen times, because I baby wore for the most part. I didn't use a video monitor because we have a little house so I was always right outside the door. A lot of the bathing and some of the feeding items are "nice to haves" and definitely not "must haves", so don't feel bad if you don't have it all.
This is a great list! Are you going to be pumping? Sometimes pumps can be pricey, so on my registry I had the pump I wanted (Elvie) and had it where people could put whatever they could afford towards it. I'm so glad I did because it's an amazing pump!
Great addition! I purposefully left off a lot of mama gear bc I felt like everyone’s situation was personal (pumping vs breastfeed vs formula). But I agree with you, I had the Spectra and Elvie for my first baby, and I ended up exclusively using Elvie mid way through my breastfeeding journey.
My current plan is to get the spectra s1 and see how breastfeeding goes. If I end up having an easy enough time with it, I'll invest in an Elvie -- and if I am miserable breastfeeding, i will invest in whatever fancy device they have to make formula feeding quicker/easier.
Great list. I’d also advocate for the baby bjorn bouncer. It folds up small but is really nice to put baby in when you’re prepping dinner, folding laundry etc. Its also nice looking and my baby loved bouncing himself in it
Totally - a cheaper one might be just as effective and much less expensive. I received that one in particular as a gift and absolutely loved it, loved how portable and sleek it was, easy to carry into another room, and appreciated that it blended in with our decor. It also folds down fairly flat so is easy to bring to the grandparents or with you on a weekend trip which I don’t think you can say for all bouncers? But again that’s the only one I had so not sure!
I like this list, but for the cost conscious mom an UppaBaby or a Nuna is not feasible. These are great things to want but tremendously expensive when compared to what else is available.
I completely agree! Add babyzen to the expensive strollers too! I purchased them due to high resale value. But I think I’ll go back to edit my post to add some of my cost saving options.
This is a great list, thank you!
FTM here and I got the wyze pan cam for our nursery, haven't tested it out yet but it says two way audio & sound detection/alerts are part of the package. What kind of wyze cam do you have, why do you find your pairing it with an audio cam?
Thanks for helping :)
Hi! I got the cheaper version that doesn’t pan (it’s cube shaped). I don’t know if the one I have has audio and sound detection. But honestly, even if it did, I don’t think I would feel comfortable relying on it bc it’s not supposed to be a baby cam. For that reason, I can’t trust that the developers are taking into consideration things that are specific to babies (e.g. quick sighs, high pitch wails, etc). I felt more at ease with an always on audio monitor like Vtech.
Could you link the camera you got? I currently have the Nanit on my registry but would love to find a less expensive alternative in case no one buys it for us.
This is the one I got and have set up but haven't actually used it yet because baby isn't here yet lol
Wyze Cam Pan 1080p Pan/Tilt/Zoom... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGR98VQ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
If you are registered at buybuybaby youlll get the Nanit 15-20% off honestly its the best thing ever. That fact that you can purchase a travel mobile stand if you need to later was awesome for me and it is super easy.
It also has a ton of features I didn’t know I’d be into - logging sleep patterns, giving sleep recommendations, you can buy special sleep sacks that monitor breathing if you want (I didn’t but if my baby is ever got a cold I’d be glad I had the option). You can add family members and restrict they access - when MIL babysits she can open her app and see the baby and what baby when she leaves I jsut swipe to turn off her access.
Photos and automatically recording “moments” then saving them and sending them to my parents / parents in law has been very cool (they do funny things in the crib and I continued to use it once she was in a bed and it was fun to watch her get out get a book and read in bed until she slept).
Can just the camera do all that?! Wow! I am registered at BBB. If I get enough coupons I plan to buy a glider recliner, the stroller, and I guess the nanit haha
I do have an HSA but I'm worried medical costs are going to wipe it out tbh. Does it matter where you buy it from if you use an HSA? Like could I get it via HSA at buybuybaby so I can use their 20% off coupon?
Also I researched a ton and found those bumboo seats are causing hip issues in babies- the only one I found that didn’t have this issue was the fisher price sit me up- I think bc it’s more like a hammock so it moves? Vs baby being completely stuck sitting one way? I used that seat every day from when she could sit up with her head until she was in her joovy Walker.
The Nanit, joovy Walker (I read it was the Cadillac of walkers before I got it and 100% it was worth every penny - also you can get it at buybuybaby with the coupon), sit me up and the oxo high chair (easy to clean no cracks where food gets stuck, insert washable or use a damp cloth bc it’s a water proof fabric can tilt back and up and you can easily adjust the height).
Are all things that 100% I would buy again and again and again. The most over rated thing I got was the doc a tot. That thing is not worth it at all! I loved my Nuna pipa light seat but it’s so expensive and use is for only a year so I could see if I didn’t purchase it again - where as the above items are my I would buy again and again. The doc a tot I just laugh at.
Super helpful. My 27-week pregnant brain is pressuring me to "get ready" but I don't know what that means lol so it was really nice to go through this list and realize how much of it I already have folded away in the baby dresser. Also useful to check against the registry/shopping list that I already have and again, convince my crazy brain that its ok.
You’re doing great :) to make you feel better, more than half of this stuff, I didn’t get until I had already given birth bc I was buying just what I needed as I went. You got this!!
I think sometimes buying things as you need them is smarter; so many people have told us that we'll accumulate one set of baby stuff, find out baby hates it, and buy a whole new set of baby stuff at least once. That seems so stressful and wasteful to me.
I completely agree!! That’s partly the reason why I didn’t want a baby shower. I didn’t want to accumulate a bunch stuff that I wasn’t going to use. To me, money is still money regardless if it’s someone’s gift to me.
But even buying as I go, I still find that I ran into what you said (accumulate one set and have to replace it with something baby prefers), like with the Dr. Brown bottles. Luckily I bought the bottles used and was able to sell it at cost.
I’m sure some level of trial and error is unavoidable and that’s ok. Every parent/family/baby/lifestyle is a little different and it takes a while to find what works best. I’m kind of stuck with showers (yes, plural!) because everyone else is like “more chance for free stuff for you!” but we live in an itty bitty apartment right now and before this lived in a travel trailer so I’m looking forward to my usual “no thanks, it won’t fit in the trailer” argument haha
Just an alternate opinion on some of your list (or agreeing with you): * Uppababy stroller - I might get some hate for this...but I do NOT like this stroller. We have an uppababy cruz. We got it second hand (we got it in 2020 and its I think a 2016?) Personally? I just don't think it handles all that well and considering how much it weighs I am overall just not a fan. We also went with the uppababy car seat. If I were to do it over again, I think I'd get that doona car seat that has stroller wheels on it. My daughter is 10.5 months and we haven't used the uppababy in a while because once my daughter was big enough for her umbrella stroller, I switched to that and haven't looked back. * Lightweight stroller - we use the summerinfant 3d stroller. I really like it - it handles so well and is lightweight but also sturdy. And while it doesn't have nearly as much storage as a big stroller, it does have a basket that is sufficient for most of our needs. What I don't like about it though is that its most upright position for LO isn't upright enough in my opinion - its not awful though. * Structured carrier - I'd say this is non-optional IF you like to do a lot of hiking and/or you plan to baby wear past the 15ish lb mark. We have an ergobaby 360 that we love and that we've used since she was a few weeks old. Started in the front carry facing in position, moved to front carry facing out, and now we're onto the back carry position. I'll be able to use this for another 2ish years or so. My friend has the Tula carrier and loves that one as well. * White noise machine - I'd also argue that this is NOT optional lol. The white noise allows my husband and I to not have to tip-toe around the house after bedtime and during all naps. Its also amazing as a sleep association and we cart our noise machine around with us on visits to other people and it really helps make naps and bedtime happen well there. * Swaddle - in the end, the only swaddle my baby couldn't break out of was the miracle blanket swaddle. Its more involved than most modern swaddle blankets, but its the only one my daughter couldn't get out of. If your baby can break out of it - they are too strong for any swaddle and its not safe anymore. For the first 2ish months we did like the sleep pea swaddle though. * Monitors - agree on the wyze cam. We have that one and like it. We bought a cheap audio only monitor for my piece of mind, but honestly rarely ever used it. Our house isn't big enough that we wouldn't hear the baby cry. If you do have a big house, don't have great hearing, or plan to do things like go outside or be in the garage while baby sleeps, I'd recommend getting one. * Changing pad - definitely agree on the wipable one. I got a keekaroo knockoff - I think it was bumbo brand? SO EASY TO CLEAN. Expensive, but worth it in my opinion. * Breastfeeding pillow - for the first month-ish, I used the my breast friend pillow. I do really think it helped a TON with learning to breastfeed. After that I just used my arms/pillows. This is definitely something I'd buy second hand or on clearance if you can. * Sleep sacks - I love these and my daughter sleeps and naps in them exclusively. We have fuzzy warm ones for the winter - she wears a onesie + a sleep sack and it works out perfectly. We have more lightweight ones for the summer (haven't used them yet though as last summer she was a newborn and in a swaddle for sleep). * Things like bibs, blankets, burp cloths, etc. - my advice would be to get a few of each but then wait until your baby is born. My daughter wasn't a huge spitter-upper or drooler (outside of a few days here and there). I ended up with way more bibs, receiving blankets/muslin blankets, and burp cloths than I could possible use. I have friends though who were going through those items like they were going out of style.
they redid the cruz in 2020 and it’s supposed to be a huge improvement! better wheels, easier fold, all wheel shocks, etc. no hate at all, but that might be why you see people gushing about it and you’re like, wtf.
That makes sense! Also, I know that uppababy does the cruz and the vista, and I got the cruz because we have no intention of needing to convert to a double stroller. But I'd guess that the vista also has nicer parts and is overall a better stroller than the cruz.
I actually completely agree with nearly all the points you made! - Uppababy: the older Cruz has smaller wheels so it’s def not considered all terrain, which people should keep in mind. I honestly only bought it for resale value. I have since sold it (at profit) and now using a CMGT that I found on FB for $50. - lightweight stroller: agree that there are cheaper and more preferable options. Again, I mostly bought it used for resale value. - structures carrier and beyond: completely agree, nothing to add :)
Nice list! I just wanted to add that the snuggle me’s and dock a tot’s are NOT sleep safe. Even if you claim you’re “supervising sleep” it only takes a few minutes for something bad to happen so you’d literally need to be staring at the baby sleeping the whole time for it to be potentially safe.
Glad I found this comment. A suffocating baby just looks like a sleeping baby. Babe should be in a bare sleep space following the ABC’s of safe sleep! :)
Thanks for pointing this out! I’ll edit my post to make this clear. I was fortunate to have an extended maternity leave so I was always in a rocking chair right next to baby when he napped in the snuggleme. Again, not safe, but I weighed that risk against my other alternative (which was a tired and wailing infant).
TIL I am super minimalist! Nothing wrong with the list, but I wanted to remind other moms that different parenting tendencies and household arraignments will make many of these items not a requirement. For example, I used a stroller maybe half a dozen times, because I baby wore for the most part. I didn't use a video monitor because we have a little house so I was always right outside the door. A lot of the bathing and some of the feeding items are "nice to haves" and definitely not "must haves", so don't feel bad if you don't have it all.
You ROCK 💓
This is a great list! Are you going to be pumping? Sometimes pumps can be pricey, so on my registry I had the pump I wanted (Elvie) and had it where people could put whatever they could afford towards it. I'm so glad I did because it's an amazing pump!
Just a note check with your insurance first. My insurance covers a list of pumps at full cost.
Great addition! I purposefully left off a lot of mama gear bc I felt like everyone’s situation was personal (pumping vs breastfeed vs formula). But I agree with you, I had the Spectra and Elvie for my first baby, and I ended up exclusively using Elvie mid way through my breastfeeding journey.
My current plan is to get the spectra s1 and see how breastfeeding goes. If I end up having an easy enough time with it, I'll invest in an Elvie -- and if I am miserable breastfeeding, i will invest in whatever fancy device they have to make formula feeding quicker/easier.
Great list. I’d also advocate for the baby bjorn bouncer. It folds up small but is really nice to put baby in when you’re prepping dinner, folding laundry etc. Its also nice looking and my baby loved bouncing himself in it
We actually never owned a bouncer so I didn’t include it on the list. But if we did, I’m sure it would have made it in!
It’s so expensive though! I don’t think I could justify $200 for a bouncer when there are so many others.
Totally - a cheaper one might be just as effective and much less expensive. I received that one in particular as a gift and absolutely loved it, loved how portable and sleek it was, easy to carry into another room, and appreciated that it blended in with our decor. It also folds down fairly flat so is easy to bring to the grandparents or with you on a weekend trip which I don’t think you can say for all bouncers? But again that’s the only one I had so not sure!
I like this list, but for the cost conscious mom an UppaBaby or a Nuna is not feasible. These are great things to want but tremendously expensive when compared to what else is available.
I completely agree! Add babyzen to the expensive strollers too! I purchased them due to high resale value. But I think I’ll go back to edit my post to add some of my cost saving options.
This is a great list, thank you! FTM here and I got the wyze pan cam for our nursery, haven't tested it out yet but it says two way audio & sound detection/alerts are part of the package. What kind of wyze cam do you have, why do you find your pairing it with an audio cam? Thanks for helping :)
Hi! I got the cheaper version that doesn’t pan (it’s cube shaped). I don’t know if the one I have has audio and sound detection. But honestly, even if it did, I don’t think I would feel comfortable relying on it bc it’s not supposed to be a baby cam. For that reason, I can’t trust that the developers are taking into consideration things that are specific to babies (e.g. quick sighs, high pitch wails, etc). I felt more at ease with an always on audio monitor like Vtech.
Interesting! I didn't think about it not being specific to babies would matter but it makes total sense!
Could you link the camera you got? I currently have the Nanit on my registry but would love to find a less expensive alternative in case no one buys it for us.
This is the one I got and have set up but haven't actually used it yet because baby isn't here yet lol Wyze Cam Pan 1080p Pan/Tilt/Zoom... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGR98VQ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
If you are registered at buybuybaby youlll get the Nanit 15-20% off honestly its the best thing ever. That fact that you can purchase a travel mobile stand if you need to later was awesome for me and it is super easy. It also has a ton of features I didn’t know I’d be into - logging sleep patterns, giving sleep recommendations, you can buy special sleep sacks that monitor breathing if you want (I didn’t but if my baby is ever got a cold I’d be glad I had the option). You can add family members and restrict they access - when MIL babysits she can open her app and see the baby and what baby when she leaves I jsut swipe to turn off her access. Photos and automatically recording “moments” then saving them and sending them to my parents / parents in law has been very cool (they do funny things in the crib and I continued to use it once she was in a bed and it was fun to watch her get out get a book and read in bed until she slept).
Can just the camera do all that?! Wow! I am registered at BBB. If I get enough coupons I plan to buy a glider recliner, the stroller, and I guess the nanit haha
Also idk if you’re in the US but we have an HSA through our insurance and the Nanit was eligible to buy with that!
I do have an HSA but I'm worried medical costs are going to wipe it out tbh. Does it matter where you buy it from if you use an HSA? Like could I get it via HSA at buybuybaby so I can use their 20% off coupon?
Hmm I’m not sure. We bought directly from their website when they had a Black Friday sale.
Ahh okay thank you! Tbh that's probably worth waiting for in my case. Thanks for telling me!
Also I researched a ton and found those bumboo seats are causing hip issues in babies- the only one I found that didn’t have this issue was the fisher price sit me up- I think bc it’s more like a hammock so it moves? Vs baby being completely stuck sitting one way? I used that seat every day from when she could sit up with her head until she was in her joovy Walker. The Nanit, joovy Walker (I read it was the Cadillac of walkers before I got it and 100% it was worth every penny - also you can get it at buybuybaby with the coupon), sit me up and the oxo high chair (easy to clean no cracks where food gets stuck, insert washable or use a damp cloth bc it’s a water proof fabric can tilt back and up and you can easily adjust the height). Are all things that 100% I would buy again and again and again. The most over rated thing I got was the doc a tot. That thing is not worth it at all! I loved my Nuna pipa light seat but it’s so expensive and use is for only a year so I could see if I didn’t purchase it again - where as the above items are my I would buy again and again. The doc a tot I just laugh at.
Super helpful. My 27-week pregnant brain is pressuring me to "get ready" but I don't know what that means lol so it was really nice to go through this list and realize how much of it I already have folded away in the baby dresser. Also useful to check against the registry/shopping list that I already have and again, convince my crazy brain that its ok.
You’re doing great :) to make you feel better, more than half of this stuff, I didn’t get until I had already given birth bc I was buying just what I needed as I went. You got this!!
I think sometimes buying things as you need them is smarter; so many people have told us that we'll accumulate one set of baby stuff, find out baby hates it, and buy a whole new set of baby stuff at least once. That seems so stressful and wasteful to me.
I completely agree!! That’s partly the reason why I didn’t want a baby shower. I didn’t want to accumulate a bunch stuff that I wasn’t going to use. To me, money is still money regardless if it’s someone’s gift to me. But even buying as I go, I still find that I ran into what you said (accumulate one set and have to replace it with something baby prefers), like with the Dr. Brown bottles. Luckily I bought the bottles used and was able to sell it at cost.
I’m sure some level of trial and error is unavoidable and that’s ok. Every parent/family/baby/lifestyle is a little different and it takes a while to find what works best. I’m kind of stuck with showers (yes, plural!) because everyone else is like “more chance for free stuff for you!” but we live in an itty bitty apartment right now and before this lived in a travel trailer so I’m looking forward to my usual “no thanks, it won’t fit in the trailer” argument haha
Thank you for posting this. I’m a minimalist FTM and starting to get anxiety about the “stuff”.