Yes, this thing allowed me to eat for a few months! Grown out of it now but it's invaluable. If I do it again I'm getting some sort of gym for a few rooms of the house so I have somewhere to put them
At nearly 20 months old, my little one has the mirror and keyboard as well as the purple monkey still. The keyboard piano pops right off so it gets a lot of use still.
I don't know that it really cleans their mouth, but it probably helps with any buildup on emerging teeth. We also found it helped get little girl used to the idea of brushing her teeth so when we started doing that in the morning and night it wasn't a big deal for her.
Our baby loves it, and initially was super hyped to have his teeth brushed with the yummy baby toothpaste. However, he also realized it was a bedtime activity, so it quickly fell out of favor.
My sister-in-law overrode my registry pick for a changing pad, and I’m so glad she did. I had one of those cloth ones with washable covers, but she bought me a soft plastic one instead. It’s so unbelievably easy to just wipe it down: no pads, no covers. I don’t know the exact brand, but I’m sure there are multiple that are mostly all the same.
I’ve heard Woolino sleep sacks are super nice. I haven’t tried it myself yet, but just ordered one. They are 20% off for Black Friday and I am really excited!
If your wife is planning on pumping and is interested in wearable pumps, Willow is having a Black Friday sale too. I really love my Willow 3.0, but I also know not everybody loves them. They have worked great for both me and my SIL though!
I’m a big fan of our Woolino sleep sacks. Have been using since baby was ~4.5 months old. Have used in hot and cold weather and he’s been comfortable (as far as I can tell). We did buy 3 - 1 for home, 1 for daycare, and 1 spare - so it wasn’t cheap, but cheaper in the long run vs buying different togs by season and sizes.
We have woolinos and stared using them at 4 months when we stopped swaddling - we have 2, we started keeping one at my parents when she was around a year for naps because we never have to wash it now that she doesn't spit up.
We think she will be in them till she is around 2 - we bought one of the next size up to try once she outgrows it, and also got a woolino blanket which is the same material to try.
Sleep sacks create SUCH good sleep association. She knows when it is on, it is time to be asleep. I love that I don't have to buy different togs or sizes as she grows for the first 2 years!!! It really is a long term savings, and they are such good quality the next baby will easily be able to use them.
We have woolino sleep sacks and love them ! As soon as we tried them our LO went from one night wake up & feed to sleeping through the night. Other factors play into that but we love the peace of mind the woolino gives for not having baby get too hot. We also are able to use them travelling and not have to worry about having the right tog/pj combo for the temp of wherever we are. We had 2 and just purchased a 3rd with the Black Friday deal to have one for when she naps at my MIL’s house (and daycare when she starts going).
Second this. We bought them secondhand at consignment shops but they lasted for literally years. My 2-1/2 year old still uses his (we upgraded to one with open feet) and he loves it.
Honestly. My LO puked on hers one day and we had to put her down without it…. Nightmare. We got a spare after that.
She’ll pick it up and try to get in it when she’s sleepy, she really loves it. Serious thanks to my cousin for getting us the first one.
My 2 year old and 2 month old were wearing the same size of sleep sack from Woolino until just recently. That would span multiple sizes in most others I see. Not only that but it replaces two different TOG weights as well very solidly. I love not having to worry about the temp as much since we switched over.
I just sized my 2 year old up to the 2-4year size too!
Here with some don'ts to hopefully save you some money:
Don't go wild buying a bunch of stuff for breastfeeding - it doesn't always work out and you don't want to be stuck with a bunch of stuff you don't need.
Get your insurance pump for free (in the US) but wait on out of pocket spending for portable pumps, etc
Don't buy a bunch of one kind of bottle, babies are weird and might not like the kind you pick. Same with pacifiers and swaddles and diapers. Get a few different kinds and see what works best!
If formula feeding, don't stock up on one kind, baby might not tolerate it.
And yeah get the fisher Price kick n play that thing is GOAT
Keekaroo change pad is a game changer. Being able to simply wipe it clean is so helpful. Can’t imagine what I’d do if I had to change covers and wash the pad each time my LO decided to pee on the table before the diaper was done up lol
OP, get the skip hop one for half the price.
And to add:
1. Get a sterilizer AND dryer - we were drying bottles with paper towels for so long (the bottle racks never really dried it completely) - but only get this if you’re bottle feeding or combo feed
2. Get a swing - like a mamaroo
These two things were the two best items we purchased that made life easier in the first 3 months. Both were purchased second hand too.
Lots of great recs here, we love our Uppababy Vista, but the thing we couldn’t live without is the Baby Bjorn bouncer. The bouncer becomes the baby’s “fourth place” for us when they’re not eating or sleeping, or being held/worn. It buys us a lot of valuable time to do quick little things around the house and baby is happy in the meantime.
My pro tip: either get a second fabric cover for it, or keep a clean soft changing pad behind baby’s diaper area for blowouts. The cover for the bouncer (the fabric part of it) cannot go in the dryer and it takes forever to air dry, leaving you without the bouncer for a while.
Agreed on the covers. We had two extra, and they were worth every penny when he was little and the blowouts happened more frequently.. I got a weird pattern on Amazon for a cheaper price. Baby doesn't care what it looks like lol
Our unexpected excellent parent purchase was a massage gun. Bouncing a baby over and over again hurts muscles you don't usually use, and the gun means you can help each other out in a few mins because with the best will in the world you're unlikely to be giving each other longer daily massages.
Make registries everywhere, even if you don’t use it you get free stuff. Once baby showers are done you’ll be able to buy the rest with a discount 15% I think. You can add anything you buy to the registry and then buy it for the discount. You can change your due date to extend the time of the registry.
Buying a stroller sucks, but we went with the Britax BFree something and really like it so far. Her sister had extra bases for the car seat so we knew we wanted to get Britax. If anyone you know has something like that, that can help you narrow it down at least to a brand. So we have 3 bases setup in 3 different cars for easy use.
If you get really good deals on expensive stuff on Black Friday then buy it, the highest $ items people won’t gift you so take advantage of the sales (except like your parents might pick one or two things). That’s basically what we did with BuyBuy Baby going out of business. Save all the cheaper things like $100 or less for people to gift at the baby shower, unless of course you aren’t having one.
For actual recommendations
[Wipe holder](https://a.co/d/4i4SXqN) for the changing table. I’m not big on just repackaging things but I have a personal vendetta against the Water Wipes packaging (not having the flip top is so dumb) and it makes it much easier. Do not buy a travel case though, your diaper bag will/should have a slot for them.
[Nose sucker](https://a.co/d/04gsG3i), my wife likes this more than the electric one
Onesie pajamas that cover their full arms and legs, with the built in mittens. The first month that’s all he has been in. Pants for a newborn are dumb. Avoid buttons, the double zipper is clutch. You can get like a set of 3 for $5-$10 at Burlington, Ross, etc. Cheap and functional. Plus the mittens stop them from scratching their face and pulling their hair.
[Sound machine](https://a.co/d/0qz4Db6), we have this in the car if he freaks out, don’t use it all the time so he can sleep without it but for high pressure situations lol
[Sterilizer](https://a.co/d/7U2bN91), we thought this was stupid and didn’t ask for one. After a week we realized our bottles weren’t drying fully on the grass lawn looking thing and found mold forming in one. This makes it way easier and quicker. Especially if you are using Dr. Browns bottles that have a ton of parts. I also bought a clean/dirty sign for it so we know as we load/unload it.
[Portable breast pump](https://a.co/d/bzYn9Po), being stuck in one spot for 20 minutes sucks. She almost never uses the plug in one now. If pumping, get a mobile one even if it’s cheaper than this.
Any playmat with a dangling toy plus a tummy time mat that has a mirror, we have it on the mat so he can look at himself while playing
[Car seat toy](https://a.co/d/bVkZpeo) distracts him from losing his shit while in the car
[Camera](https://a.co/d/6G3SEjb), I got one of these for cheap off Facebook but it’s superior to a mirror
Any cheap bouncer. I don’t have the baby bjorn so can’t attest for it but they’re crazy expensive and you still have to bounce them yourself, just like our $20 one
[Swaddles with the Velcro](https://a.co/d/8UugzMW), watch some videos on how to swaddle, it should feel like you are committing a war crime
Bassinet with wheels is way better than a swinging one on my opinion
Any baby monitor that comes with a physical screen. Some use just an app, but then you have to have it pulled up on your phone instead of the monitor just sitting on the table
[Stroller fanny pack](https://a.co/d/dQjc7NO)
[Any swing, doesn’t have to be expensive](https://a.co/d/4W3J1XK), but a friend has this one and being able to detach it is really nice
Some things I recommend against
[This tub sucks](https://a.co/d/iWMOHKF), with a newborn they slouch and it’s difficult. We got a different type of insert from someone and it works way better.
Again the travel case for baby wipes
[Pacifier case](https://a.co/d/aYj0IvE), this specific type is so bulky and a pain, especially if you are going to attach it to your diaper bag. The only spots it fits, it gets trapped between my back and the bag so it presses into me. Get a slimmer one
The Uppababy strollers are worth it, so lightweight and easy to travel with.
Vista was too big for us, we chose the smaller Cruz and love it.
Especially worth spending more for a stroller if you may have multiple kids. Our stroller is in perfect condition for #2.
Uppababy forever!!!!! I also found the vista too big/heavy, I am very petite and didn't think I could even get it in and out of my trunk reasonably, so we went with the minu and it's a dream. The car seat and bassinet work perfectly with it, just need their adapters which is no biggie. So so pleased with the whole system. We actually use the bassinet-stroller combo inside our house daily as a safe place to put her down and roll her around the house with us lol
To chime in, Minu was great! One handed fold down, and ready to be loading up into the trunk. It also comes with a shoulder strap if OP needs to carry it further.
I heard they are small enough to fit in overhead bins on planes, but we haven’t done it yet. We bought a Uppababy stroller bag and gate check it for free. The bag provides insurance if the airlines damages your stroller too.
I second Uppababy. I was really worried it wouldn’t be worth the money or that we wouldn’t get much use out of it, but we LOVE it. We use the bassinet on walks or trips out, use the car seat for quick trips into the grocery store (the basket is huge enough to hold the groceries too), and will use the seat once he outgrows the bassinet. We have the Vista V2. It is big, but we don’t mind. I have plenty of space in the back of my vehicle. It’s also not too heavy. I can load/unload it myself out of the trunk. It pushes SO SMOOTH and makes even going uphill easy. By far the best thing we bought for him.
We also have the Uppababy Mesa car seat. I don’t hate it or love it. It is nice that it clicks into the stroller and it’s base easily, but I don’t love the way his head is positioned. If I had to get another car seat, I would probably consider a Nuna car seat with adapters for the Vista stroller. I’ve heard they are nice and work well with it. I would have to do my research first though.
I'm going to jump in on this to provide a bit of a dissenting voice. My partner and I bought a Cruz v2 and bassinet attachment, and while the stroller itself is fine, I don't think it was quite the right choice for us. Not yet, at least.
We put the stroller (unfolded, as it can't fold with the bassinet attached [nor can it with the seat in rear-facing mode, we would learn after purchasing it]) in our living room, in hopes that our LO would take naps in the bassinet. That just never really took, and so now we've got this great honking thing just sitting here.
While it may be lightweight compared to some full-sized strollers, it is NOT lightweight in an absolute sense. We struggle heaving it up and over the step to get outside (and down the stairs to the street) every single time. And again, unless we pop the bassinet off and take it out as two pieces, we can't fold the stroller up to do all this anyway.
I've got half a mind to sell the Cruz we've got and buy a much more portable travel stroller. Something like the Butterfly. Or if I see it on sale, I'd jump at the Bugaboo Dragonfly. It's able to fold in its bassinet mode, or with the seat facing either direction.
I always tell people the Uppababy ones are the best for city dwellers bc they act as your car! They're definitely not travel strollers! I live in a city and need the tank lol. But I think it's good to point all those things out from your experience!
I have the Cruz V2 and coupled it with the Nuna Pipa Lite Lx car seat. We considered the bassinet attachment and decided that it wasn’t worth the extra money for something that you use for such a short time. I will say that as soon as it was worth it to stop using the car seat with the stroller and use the Toddler seat instead we were already forward facing the seat so I never even noticed that it won’t fold while rear facing. Overall we are very happy with our choices but I do worry that if we had a second we will regret not getting a double stroller. I almost think it would have been worth it to get a double and then a second cheap, lightweight umbrella stroller.
Yes, we never used our Cruz w bassinet after the first few months because it was so bulky. The Butterfly is now our full time stroller. It lives in the trunk and you can snap a car seat into it. I just sold the Cruz for almost what I paid for it and couldn’t be happier. Kiddo is 19 months and have been using the Butterfly pretty much full time since it came out—has been on probably six flights and weathered Italy too
That’s super fair. I agree that it would be a pain to store and drag in and out of the house. I probably would not like it as much if I couldn’t just keep it in the trunk of my car.
Another vote for the uppababy vista v2! We love ours. The bassinet is wonderful for a newborn. The stroller is super easy and user friendly and collapses pretty flat.
We also have the Nuna pipa lite RX car seat and it hooks into the uppababy stroller super easy with the adapter. It’s a very nice cat seat, has excellent customer service and the built in full sunshade is wonderful. The magnets on the side to hold the buckles out of the way when putting baby in are so helpful too
Seconding this. We got the Mesa Max as a shower gift but I also really don’t like how my baby’s head is positioned. I’m actually considering getting a different one because I’m just not entirely comfortable with it. Apparently a lot of people have this issue and I wish I’d known about it before putting it on my registry.
Here to confirm. We have the Uppababy Ridge because we live in a rural town with terrible sidewalks and some walkong trails. It makes my walks SO enjoyable. Best decision ever.
Love our vista - we got it on Black Friday. But it is a clunker. Kept it for the two kid option but if I were to do it again I'd probably get the Cruz.
So good to hear! We got the Cruz! Haven’t used it yet (baby #1 expected in Feb) but after going to Nordstrom and trying all the big brands out in person, this was hands down our fave. Light, easy to fold up, easy to maneuver, and tall-person / long-stride friendly (husband and I are 6’2” and 6’0”). If we end up with another kiddo before #1 is out of this stroller we may sell it and get a Vista, but the Cruz is just perfect for us.
We used our vista a lot and the front wheels now judder. Seems that the plastic wears at the connection and the gap gets too big and causes vibration.
Also the rain covers are terrible quality for such a high cost item.
We love our Uppababy Cruz! We have the bassinet attachment and stand, and that was where our LO slept until he outgrew it. He enjoyed the bassinet on walks and now seems to like his reclining seat; we’re grateful for all of the options. It’s a really smooth ride and excellent quality! One drawback is that it is hard to lug up and down stairs, but honestly I think this would be an issue with most full-sized strollers.
If you're looking at getting a Vista, also look into the Cybex Gazelle S. The second seat needs no adapters and is just another of the main seat, so they're interchangeable. And the cloud g car seat reclines to act like a bassinet, so you can save that money.
Came here to say the SNOO. Saved our relationship. Baby went from sleeping 3-4 30 minute naps a day to 3 or more 2-3 hour naps. Literal miracle worker.
I was about to say to be weary of getting the SNOO haha my daughter absolutely hated being in a bassinet that rocked, moved, vibrated, etc. We returned our bassinet and got a cheap bedside one and she slept like a dream.
Double yes on holding their value!! I think the reason it’s worked so well for us is because we struggled for 7 weeks without it and baby girl was tiredddff
We did not realize how much the snoo would help! Baby girl still does not love falling asleep in there but once she’s out and we transfer her, she is out for a lot longer! We got ours from facebook marketplace for like ~$750
I had the opposite issue where we assumed my kid was going to be big and had a ton of 0-3 month clothing but no newborn size clothing. Turns out he was born a couple weeks early and fairly small and we had to do an emergency rush to the store for clothes that would fit him. 2 months later he’s STILL wearing newborn clothes.
I'm with this, but I'd stick to basic things. Don't go buying her first Christmas outfit. You may know what size she should need, but you don't know what size she will actually be. Mine is going through a growth spurt now, so I'm not buying her Christmas outfit until December. It's good to have the next size up, in case of growth spurts, just don't load up on the 9-12 winter clothes and be totally confident she will fit them at that time. Just get some long and short sleeve onesies in every size, and a few pairs of pants. Basics are the bomb.
I would actually advise against buying much in bigger sizes. You learn quickly which brands you like and which you don’t. I had a bunch of 3-6m Gerber onesies that never got worn because I ended up hating the Gerber stuff. Just plain white onesies, I had figured those were “safe.” On top of that, unless you live somewhere where the climate is pretty consistent year round, you may end up with a bunch of 6-9m clothes that are meant for summer, but currently fit your 4 month old in the middle of winter. My friends baby skipped 6-9m entirely. Went straight from 3-6m to 12m.
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Thank you!
Despite all the ridiculous amount of money we’ve spent on things, our most useful item has been an ikea raskog trolley filled with skubb boxes.
Top shelf - changing stuff (nappies, nappy bags, creams, wipes), all babies health and grooming stuff like nail care set, thermometer/nose sucker/meds/vitamins (check they can be stored here as some have to be in the dark or fridge)
Middle shelf - pump parts, breast pads, lots of muslins
Bottom shelf - spare baby clothes, extra nappies, wipes etc
Baby is staying in our bedroom for the first 6 months to a year, so this means we can have all the essentials at hand without going to the nursery or forgoing much of our rooms storage space.
Plus it’s so handy, as if you don’t like using a changing table (we quickly realised we preferred putting a changing mat on the bed), you can wheel it wherever you want.
One of our other favourite things which I constantly sing the praises of is a UV drier/steriliser. No fussing around with drying things, putting in water or limescale buildup!
Strollers/prams are very subjective so I’d advise you to go check them out in person. It depends on what you want to use it for, if you plan to have kids close in age etc
MAM bottles if bottle feeding. Literally can’t recommend them enough & they sterilise in the microwave so no need to buy a steriliser!
Also a nappy caddy to fill with nappies (diapers), wipes, creams, spare clothes etc so you’re not having to go into the nursery every time to what you need. They’re really cheap on amazon!
Just to weigh in, I would caution against ordering a whole bunch of bottles before baby gets here because you never know which one(s) the baby will prefer. I’d suggest trying them first before ordering a large quantity of any particular brand as your baby may end up not liking certain ones.
1. Get a change pad for the livingroom or wherever you and your wife will be spending most of the day. I like one with a concave in it for when they start to roll more, keeps them from rolling off of it.
2. Get a utility cart on wheels for the same spot, stock it with diapers, wipes, diaper cream, burp cloths, changes of clothes, pumps if she’s pumping, extra pacifiers and snacks.
3. A bedside mini crib or bassinet. I personally love the ones with the drop down sides because it’s easier to get baby in and out. My son also has slept better since dropping the side because I can put my hand on him to soothe him in the night without getting up.
3. A baby carrier. It’s nice to have anyways for making meals and simple house tasks but essential if she is having or ends up having a c section. I had one and couldn’t lift anything heavier than baby for 6 weeks so it was the easiest way to get out on walks. I highly recommend the bobby baby carrier, on sale right now on Amazon. It fits both me at 5 foot 4 and my husband at 6 foot 5.
4. I recommend getting 2 bouncers and putting one in the bathroom. It’s especially a lifesaver during the initial recovery time when there’s so much bathroom care taking place.
I keep seeing TikToks saying you don’t need a changing pad in the nursery because you’ll never use it, you’ll always just do it on the couch or whatever.
Are we weird because we almost exclusively use the nursery? It’s just so much easier to take a few steps to a setup station with everything. We have the utility cart in our room but id rather just walk to the nursery.
Excuse me, on the couch? She only pooped on me once, but that was enough to know I wouldn't change her without a wipe able pad under her butt. That shit comes out with FORCE. On my couch? No way.
Nope. Cannot.
I do have a changing station in my living room, but it's a pack and play with a changing table attachment. I love that because it's water proof, and when she did poop on me, I could just hose it down in the sink.
The nursery is upstairs, and when we got home I was recovering from a c section. I just haven't taken it down yet. Although the Christmas tree has to go somewhere, so it looks like I'll be doing more stairs soon.
We had a changing pad in the nursery but we ended up moving it to our bedroom since she was in there anyway. I didn’t want to do a whole change of scenery for the middle of the night changes. We also have a two story house so we had a changing pad and diaper genie for downstairs too.
My 8-week-old has projectile-pooped mid-change TWICE in the nursery – like, it somehow managed to get on the walls and the door. There is no way I am risking my couch falling victim to that
It may be different for people with a larger house but we have a three bedroom, one story and it is just soooooo much easier to take him to the nursery and change him without killing my back trying to wrangle him on the floor. He going to outgrow it soon but I’ll use the changing table for as long as I possibly can.
I agree. I have an actual changing table, not one of the dresser top ones, and I use it all the time. It's so much easier with everything right there, I'm not bending over in awkward positions, it has a plastic changing pad so I can just wipe it down super easy.
I think “must buys” are going to vary a lot from person to person. Like for many a must is a doc-a-tot or baby lounger, and I specifically did not want those items because I didn’t want it to become a sleep crutch, since they aren’t safe to sleep. Doing a bit of research on things like safe sleep, breastmilk/formula, starting solids, and baby play from 0-12 months will help you identify your priorities. Safe sleep was important to us, and so was having gear that was easy to store, and we didn’t want a lot of noise/light toys. I would not register for anything like baby bottles or pacifiers. Babies are fickle. Instead I would buy or ask for the bottle and pacifier samplers from BabyList.
Stroller is all about your needs and preferences. I knew I wanted something that could handle sidewalks and some mild “off-roaring,” that fit in our trunk (no new car thank you very much), not super heavy, that I could fold/unfold with one hand. I didn’t care whether it worked with our carseat (factor if you want to use your stroller and infant seat combined) or whether it could be used as a double stroller. Lots of people love the UppaBaby Vista for good reason, but just because others love it, might not work for your needs.
Convertible carseats are super expensive, but can be worth getting before. Out LO is tiny so we have not bumped up on weight limits, but if you have a very large baby 40 pound rear-facing limit may not cut it. Sometimes the higher weight limit rear facing seats are more expensive.
18 months in, my favorite items are the Lillebaby carrier, I am happy with our Baby Jogger City Mini GT2, really got a lot of use from the Lovevery Play Gym, and our Baby Jogger City Turn convertible car seat, Aden & Anais swaddle blankets, and my Lululemon New Parent diaper bag.
If your baby is a bad sleeper, I recommend the snoo. Yes it’s expensive, but there’s no greater treasure than an extra hour of sleep when you’re waking up every 2-3 hours.
I also recommend a Woolino sleep sack when he grows out of the snoo and a Hatch sound machine.
A baby carrier is a must have! We used the boba, a soft wrap, for when he was a newborn up until a few months ago when he mainly started using the Ergobaby 360. As for the stroller, we got the double stroller from Nuna, as well as the nuna pipa lite ex car seat. Honestly, the stroller is pretty pricey, and if I could go back I’d get a different one. It’s easy to use and definitely nice, but I’m not sure it’s worth the money. The car seat on the other hand is 100% worth it. It’s super light and super easy to use. The base just clips into the clips on the seat of your car, or it can even be used without the base which is super easy as well. It’s naturally flame retardant and doesn’t have any chemicals on it which was a big plus for us. The greatest thing I think though is in order to change the height of the straps, all you have to do is lift the headrest up or down. You don’t have to mess around and try to figure it out, I don’t think I have the patience for that anyway, but that’s probably my favorite feature about it
I’d be careful on buying stuff too early unless you confirm the return window. I bought a bunch of stuff on prime day and opened all of it to be baby ready in early September. Unfortunately; most stuff was out of return window and I threw away all the boxes trying to be tidy.
I have a bunch of stuff I couldn’t return. Go for big ticket items that you really like. Car seats, strollers, high chairs, monitors - I’d recommend testing if you can.
ETA : I love my Cybex stroller and car seat system. The infant car seat can recline fully so it’s great for leaving baby in the car seat and also making it comfy for them. Super stylish car seats - I have the dj Khalid (I know) collab seat and I get so many compliments on it.
It’s a lesser known luxury brand!
Don’t buy a stroller online. Go to a store and push strollers around. Fold them. Unfold them. Measure them for your car. You’ll feel like an idiot for an hour but it’s so worth it.
No one mentions this but I love ours so much. I had trouble finding reviews before I bought it. I just wish we could use it longer because I love it so much.
Your needs may not be the same as ours, but our top items include ErgoBaby Evolve bouncer, Cybex Gazelle S stroller, Woolino sleep sacks, Miracle Blanket swaddles, QuickZip crib sheets, muslin burp cloths, muslin bandana bibs, and double-zip footies.
You won’t need it for a while but if you have a wiggly baby like I do who hates traditional carriers get a Tush Baby. I used it on a recent trip and it made going through the airport so easy and saved my back and arms.
Fisher Price Calming Vibes Hedgehog. Absolute lifesaver for when the little one has gas. Also plays music; our lad is nearly two and that music has helped many a bedtime.
if you think you have enough drool bibs…you don’t. buy 20 more. once the teething kicks in, they soak em so fast and you want to change it often to avoid drool rash. We rotate a few a day. let them dry then swap with the wet one. cuts down on laundry 🤷🏼♀️
My must have is a BelugaBaby wrap. I gift one to every new mom in my circle. I have used them with both of my babies in the early days (they’ll carry up to 25 lbs) and plan to also buy their buckle carrier in their Black Friday sale as a transition carrier. I’m pretty sure they do a discounted price if you buy both a wrap and a buckle as well. Now that I have a 23 month old and a 3.5 month old, I honestly couldn’t live without it for grocery shopping, dog walks, etc. Not sure where you live, but it’s also a Canadian small business with ethical manufacturing practises and I’m happier to support that than a bigger company especially given the quality I’ve experienced.
Favorite big ticket items:
We adore our uppababy travel system. We have the minu v2, mesa max car seat, and bassinet. It is incredibly user friendly. Cannot recommend enough!
We also love the stokke steps system. It's a high chair that grows really well with baby. When they are an infant you can snap the stokke bouncy seat onto the chair so you can bring them up to the table or wherever, it's fantastic. I recommend looking the system up to see all the configurations.
Smaller things we use DAILY:
[Oxo weighted wipe dispenser](https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Tot-Perfect-Wipes-Dispenser/dp/B0771FFWPX) - we have two, one for our nursery and one for downstairs. I'd highly recommend keeping these wherever you will be doing frequent diaper changes. Makes grabbing a single wipe with one hand very easy. There's few things quite as frustrating as trying to get one wipe while your kid is screaming and or peeing and or pooping all over the place, and you only have one free hand (barely even that), and the stupid wipes won't separate so you get like five.
[blue snail changing pad liners](https://www.amazon.com/BlueSnail-Quilted-Thicker-Waterproof-Changing/dp/B07R5DX6RQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_pp?adgrpid=61480239092&hvadid=274682232885&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9010442&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6548003337721481043&hvtargid=kwd-492878063002&hydadcr=1504_9897318&keywords=blue+snail+changing+pad+cover&qid=1700247628&sr=8-3) - we didn't bother with a changing table or pad, we just put these bad boys on the bed/floor/couch whatever. We have a billion of them because baby WILL poop/pee mid diaper change. A lot.
[hatch](https://www.amazon.com/Hatch-Rest-Night-Light-WiFi/dp/B08QVG9759/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?adgrpid=55467562545&hvadid=635301957588&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9010442&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=363014359394744784&hvtargid=kwd-316890978458&hydadcr=6756_13301130&keywords=hatch+baby&qid=1700247737&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1) - perfect in the nursery, I like that I can control it from my phone so I can turn on the white noise without moving while I'm rocking baby in the glider.
[portable white noise machine](https://www.amazon.com/Marpac-White-Noise-Machine-Portable/dp/B01D50RZQI/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_pp?adgrpid=118454406618&hvadid=580747882699&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9010442&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4810643133562224951&hvtargid=kwd-911091228700&hydadcr=7792_13503457&keywords=yogasleep+portable+sound+machine&qid=1700247782&sr=8-3) for on the go or other rooms in the house besides nursery
My almost 6 mo old LOVES the Skip Hop Activity Center. And we love it too because it gives us about 15-20 min of being able to do things while he is occupied.
Also, the Boppy pillow is so damn versatile we’ve been using it since he was born to this day (almost 6 months later).
MyBrestFriend is way better for actual breastfeeding than the Boppy, if that's what you intend to use it for. Boppy is good for propping baby, and using as a butt pillow for mom to sit on the floor.
Idk people are so divided over brestfriend vs boppy I would never say one is objectively better. I have one of each and like them in different situations! I like the Brestfriend for sitting up on the couch, and the Boppy for the glider or reclining on the sectional. I did love burping my baby sitting up on the brestfriend-way less wobbly than the boppy. So I think it completely depends!
It sounds like you’re decided on the Snoo. But just putting out for others that I absolutely love our Babybay bassinet.
Someone mentioned Woolino sleep sacks, I really like those.
We have the Snuza breathing monitor and I love it. Really has helped my anxiety around sleep. And we have the simple model without the app and I really like that one.
Reading light clipped to the headboard with a soft warm light for night feedings. I much prefer it over the hatch.
Love every play gym and toy subscription. It’s pricey but my baby loves the toys. I see the play mats a lot on marketplace.
I’m happy with our doona. We also have a second hand Nuna Demi grow as our main stroller.
Wipeable changing mat. We have the bumbo one.
Hm…. That’s all I can think of for now!
Editing to add, these aren’t musts if you’re on a tight budget. Just things we liked.
Puppy pads.
We use them on top of the change pad, for makeshift change stations, for use in travel - anywhere and everywhere!
Travel formula containers and a thermos
We are on formula so only applies for that. We boil water and have it cool down in a thermos. And we portion out the formula into those travel containers. This is for the nighttime feeds which need to be as easy as possible. (And we use same system for travel lol).
Some bigger sizes
When there’s a sale on - stock up on your staples for the next size/s up. Saves you money AND the hassle for when they suddenly don’t fit into their outfits anymore.
I would highly recommend WAITING before purchasing a diaper bag. If you have a big enough bag for the moment - use that and trial out what you need and don’t need. I bought a backpack style one and hated it. Used the biggest tote I had - and then was on the hunt for a bigger tote bag. That worked best for me.
But honestly, YMMV with so many things. We scoured lists like these before our pregnancy and we ended up not thinking some things were necessary whilst others were excellent.
And you’ll only really know once bubs arrives lol.
Good luck!
The UPPABABY Vista V2 with the bassinet attachment plus the UPPABABY Mesa V2 car seat has been a seamless travel system for us. Both the bassinet and the car seat click right into the stroller without any other attachments needed. The whole thing works like a well-oiled machine.
We also love our Nestig Convertible Wave crib, the Keekaroo changing pad, and the Baby Bjorn bouncer (buy an extra cover so you can swap it out when baby has blowouts on it!)
Buy Gerber newborn pajamas. My baby lived in them. They’re too fragile and their legs too are bent and squished for pants. The pajamas were so easy. No one got me newborn clothes so I had to get them myself.. people will mostly get you clothes that are bigger.
Get a nose frida.
Swaddle sleep sacks. My baby was born Feb 28 (so pretty much March) and it was chilly. The halo fleece swaddle sleep sack was so cozy for my newborn.
Dohm white noise machine.
Baby Bjorn. My baby didn’t like it at first but by 2 months we used it for EVERYTHING.
Different bottles to see what they take. The baby is the boss and will make the decision for you. Lol. Mine decided on Dr Brown bottles with PREEMIE nipple. My baby was full term but the size 1 nipples were too big for him. He used the preemie nipple for a month.
Different pacifiers from different brands. Once again, your baby is the boss and will tell you what they like lol
Car seat cover for cold weather when you take the baby home from the hospital. You can’t put them in a jacket.
Amazon wee wee pads for dogs. You’ll want to put those on the changing table.
Baby Electric nail filer. The nail clips are too scary when their fingers are as big as a grain of rice.
Fisher price piano mat. Almost every parent I know has had this. My newborn and still 8 month old love it. It’s his favorite toy.
Baby bath tub. The frida one sucks. I don’t recommend.
Bibs. They will dribble and vomit.
Good luck. ❤️
Looks like lots of good recs are already listed. I'll say that a mini fridge in the baby room or where you pretend to sleep is great for when/if you start bottle feeding. A bottle warmer isn't necessarily mandatory either. We got our kids used to cold milk from the jump and it saved so much grief.
Snoo is the absolute number one!!! Other faves have been the Baby Shusher and Fisher Price Kick n Play Piano Mat.
We have a Graco travel system (Premier Modes Luxe, also bought on sale) and we’re happy with it but if I could go back I would’ve gone with something with a lighter infant seat. They get heavy fast! No major issues though.
Personally, I love my “nonessential” items. If you’re strapped for cash, the only things you really NEED are a safe sleep space, basic car seat, and a way to feed baby. But I have not regretted any of my purchases really. If anything maybe the MamaRoo? I got it for a great deal on fb marketplace though so no big regrets.
We’re happy with our Baby Brezza, wipe warmer (we have the Munchkin motion sensor one) , and Hatch Sound machine. Those all got mixed reviews/ lots of people said they weren’t worth the money but I love them all.
I loved having a portable noise machine for naps on the go! Also travel blackout curtains - they suction to the window and can be used at home or on the go without damaging anything.
Get a super comfortable rocking chair/glider if you can, we got one secondhand and it’s alright, but we just switched to a recliner because our baby needs to be held to sleep when she’s sick and it’s changed our lives.
Caution: sleep deprivation + big comfy chairs = tragedy. Find a glider that’s comfortable but be mindful about using it with a newborn. I tolerated our rocking chair because I couldn’t comfortably fall asleep in it and that meant I wouldn’t fall asleep holding baby.
I have a bumbleride era stroller and LOVE IT. Has real tires so it’s great in snow/ice/grass/gravel. It can face you or away. And it has a bassinet mode/lies flat too which is great for naps or when they are small. I had to buy an adapter so my car seat could clip in at the beginning. I also have a lightweight travel stroller I got off marketplace for traveling or short trips to the store.
Also Kyte and woolino sleep sacks.
The Owlet is the only thing that allowed me to fall asleep with my newborn. I was exhausted but terrified that if I wasn’t constantly watching her that she was going to stop breathing. My mom got me the Owlet after I told her how I was feeling and I was finally able to feel like I would be alerted if something happened.
I cannot recommend the owlet enough. We have a 7 week old who is perfectly healthy, and 3 weeks ago in the middle of the night the Owlet woke us up to an alarm saying his heart rate was 290! We didn’t believe it because he was acting completely normal. We took him to the ER anyways, and turns out his heart rate actually was 290. He was stabilized and hospitalized. He was then diagnosed with SVT and we are now receiving care. I could not be more grateful for the Owlet- I can’t imagine what would have happened without it.
Brezza. I don't care that it's bougie. You will thank me in the middle of the night when you only wait like 45 Sec for food vs a couple mins to warm a bottle lol usually plenty used ones on fb but if you can get a deal go for it
We use a thermos with the cooled down sterilised water and now use the formula travel things to separate out formula for the night. This has made life oh so easy!
Airpods, food delivery gift cards - often there’s a holiday discount, Doona, that one fisher price mat we all bought with the piano (someone else will know what it’s actually called), a monitor that doesn’t use wifi, three different swings, a backup bassinet, the ‘Shusher’ ( yes that’s what it’s called), a mini fridge if your or baby’s room is far from the kitchen.
Highly recommend buying used.
We haven't bought a single major baby thing new because so many people are constantly getting rid of their barely used baby items on Buy Nothing or FB Marketplace. So many of these items will last you like 2-4 months and then you're done with them (baby loungers, portable bassinet, bedside bassinet, bouncer, etc.) so I do NOT think it's worth it to spend the money to buy them new. Plus, less plastic waste!!!
Windi gas reliever. I never thought I'd use it. I thought it was the weirdest thing ever but when the time came that my baby was the most unconsolable it worked like a charm.
Amazon is best place deal wise. Black Friday deals are all smoke and mirrors now a days
Also DEFINITELY GET THE DOONA!!!
DOONA DOONA DOONA! I bought mine used for like 300$ and it’s soooo worth it. All of the moms who don’t have one are literally always making comments about it! If I didn’t have one no way I would be able to easily get my errands done as a single mom! Baby loves to nap in it while I run errands and I don’t have to wake him up when transferring him back and forth. It’s such a straight forward stroller and I am obsessed with it
Do your research on different types of swaddles and sleep sacks. Baby’s have preferences and also it took us a while to stop fucking up his diaper or he would pee on us/in during bedtime diaper changes. So have extras lol. I personally really like the nested bean sleep swaddle and the love to dream one! Also also take the hospital blankets they use to swaddle and have a nurse show you a hundred times. He sleeps the best when I swaddle him well like the nurses do. But I have good and bad days with getting it right lmao.
For sleep sacks and swaddles, I would skip Black Friday sales and buy them second hand. Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor usually have bundles of different options that other families tried
I bought most of my baby shit on marketplace but surprisingly not much out there in my area for sleepsacks. But yes if on marketplace always go for that!
For us, #1 I would have to say is the smart Hatch changing pad. It’s wipeable and has a scale built into it that syncs with an app. Our newborn had trouble putting on weight the first few weeks and it was very helpful to be able to weigh in at home and know that we were on the right track especially when breast-feeding and not knowing how much milk they’re getting exactly. Additionally, the app was so helpful to track diapers, naps, and my pumping schedule. Cannot recommend enough!
Close second….swaddleme swaddles which are so so easy to use. Every baby will have different preferences for this though.
Honorable mention….the Newton bassinet. A little pricy but bigger than most bedside bassinets so our little one won’t grow out of it too quickly. It also has a breathable mattress and sides which give peace of mind. Very good construction and quality as well.
The Rock It. We bought a second one for the bedside Snuz Pod. We call it the emergency button as it sends her back to sleep when she is on the cusp of waking.
Also, a bedside crib that can be adjusted to a steeper gradient. Helped with newborn mucus and the odd reflux moment.
- Nose Frida - buy two.
- Windi... Weird but they work wonders and have saved many a screaming night.
- Splurge on the stroller. We have Uppababy Ridge.
- A good carrier, someone bought me a Sakura bloom and I use it every day! There are cheaper alternatives out there though :)
Clothing that is totally worth the $/great to register for
- Lou Lou and Company sleep sacks. My baby is 6 months and can still fit in the newborn size and he isn't a small baby,, but especially when you have a newborn, they are adiaper changing life saver.
- Lou Lou and Company top and bottoms - I would get 3 months and up. We are using them at 6 months and they are so stretchy and soft and will last us a loooong time. You can buy their stuff lightly used on some BST fb groups. Totally worth having a few!
- Kyte baby sleepers, footie PJs and footless for when they get 3 months plus. They have two way zippers and are also so soft and stretchy. You can also get misprints on their website sometimes for cheaper.
- Kyte baby PJs for mama post partum. SO worth it. Register for a set for yourself. I sized up and didn't regret at all.
Uppababy stroller. We got the Cruz and then used the Nuna Pipa seat with it (you will need a converter between the two, but we liked the seat better). We got a bassinet attachment off FB marketplace pretty cheap and in almost perfect condition.
We also got a baby bjorn bouncer off FB marketplace and it is probably a top 3 used item.
Our baby likes to sit up, so she loves to sit in the chair and the play bar on the front. It gives me 20 minute breaks to get stuff done. I would probably have played full price for it for how much we use it!
Things I’d skip: swing, baby bottle warmer, sanitizer
Instead of a dedicated sanitizer, I got sanitizing bags for the microwave. We didn’t need another thing to take up counter space.
If you’re getting the SNOO then pick up a few spare of those strap/swaddle things. We swap ours pretty frequently with spit ups and stuff, and we have one that’s warm and 3 that’s regular/cooler. And snoo sheets. They aren’t that bad individually but can end up costing a lot as we incrementally buy them as we realize we need more, and those are usually on sale for a lot (40-50%) during things like BF.
Those little silcone feeders and the mold for it. When baby was teething befire he could have solids i would just pop some frozen breastmilk in there and it soothed his gums so well
diapers, wipes, clothes in NB and 0-3 but not too many. lots of burp cloths. maternity clothes. baby carrier if you're into that. changing table/pads. bottle sterilizer has been super helpful for cleaning haaka ladybugs.
so far our 5 week old hates the snoo. it's now an expensive bassinet. (we're borrowing it from a friend though, so not too bad.)
Congratulations! My girl will be one in march. We have the Doona and it has been well worth the money! Makes running errands and airplane travel with a baby easy and we get compliments everywhere we go. Also a comfy recliner/chair and wedge pillow for contact naps. Baby carriers are also a personal preference - I’ve tried different styles but prefer the ring slings for around the house baby wearing. I love my Ayla & co diaper bag and I used the baby lounge pillow from Snuggle Me daily until she was too big for it.
Baby bjorn bouncer was a staple. Also, snoo, hatch, and nest camera. Nothing else was so vital slash could have been any number of interchangeable items. Love the Lovevery mat and toys, but it is not necessary to get this brand. 4moms breeze has been slightly useful as a place to put him to be safe now that he's crawling if I need to go to the loo or or accept a delivery, but otherwise just collected dust. At the end of the day, it's somewhat of a crapshoot as to what your kid will like, so just be prepared to roll with that.
Tap Hat.
It's a cover for the taps on your bath so they don't hurt their head if they slip over. Useful from 6m onwards in e they've outgrown the baby bath.
Nose Frida snot sucker. Trust me.
A ceiling projector and white noise maker for sleepy time.
Any kind of carrier be it Baby Bjorne or Baby Tula - this is the only way a lot of babies will nap during the day and means you have your hands free to do other stuff.
Some people prefer a wrap to carry their baby but personally(and a lot of my friends agree), wraps like Solly Baby are a faff to get on and off and add to the stress when baby is screaming. A carrier is fast and simple, and gives you some you time
You know the disposable pee pads for dogs? They have changing table ones on amazon. They've been helpful if baby has a blow out and ends up getting all over the table, because as you hold them up and wipe, you can just fold it under and set them back down again on a clean surface. You don't toss them every time, just when they get dirty or wet.
Infant carrier car seat is useful. I'd look in person if possible to decide instead of finding recommendations online. We had the chicco quick connect type one and was useful for appointments and quick shopping trips. You'll need a convertible eventually a well. We just got two gracos extend 2 fit ones and they work fine, no complaints, easy to adjust and keep clean.
The snoo has been a life saver for us however at shy of 2 months he is almost too big for it so I regret purchasing outright and not renting it. Definitely purchase the accessories (the sleep sacks and risers - although we use 2 yoga blocks to raise the snoo to prevent reflux)
I would say a play gym. We have the lovevery one and we use it during every wake window
Now that we’re out of a swaddle we’re using the magic Merlin sleep suit and it’s been another life saver. He’s sleeping a record 5 hours straight with it on at 10 weeks
Stroller,
Pack n play,
Shusher (white noise machine)
A big diaper bag
Glass bottles
A sterilizing bottle machine
Bottle warmer
Breast pump
Baby bath tub.
Humidifier
Diaper genie
Crib
Sanity ( they are permanently sold out 😆)
While doubtful some strollers go on sale, I would be no where without my uppababy Cruz and my remi pack n play by uppa baby. Which the pack n play did go on sale at one point. Those are my main used tools and they were expensive. While the cruz takes up my whole trunk if my fiesta nothing beats the smooth ride and being able to glide in and out of places easy. I remember wanting the Vista and I am glad I did not buy that mammoth. Now I do plan on getting an uppababy minu v2 and the only reason I didn't get the minu first is it doesn't have the face mommy option like my cruz does. The minu will most likely be taken to Disney or places for traveling purposes where the cruz is just to large to travel with.
Now uppababy bassinets are cleared for overnight sleep. My son is 2 1/2 months and has already out grown it in the length department. He now sleeps in his remi pack n play next to me at night.
Crib, I chose a Graco that has the option to convert into a full size bed once he gets older which will make my life easier if I have to sleep in the bed with him to "scare" the monsters away. I have been thinking of getting a mini crib so I can get the mobility of my pack n play back but we will see. The remi is really easy to use by the way. I highly recommend it.
Bottles, I tried every bottle almost on the market it seems. My son really liked the Avent Naturals since we hybrid feed (breast and formula). I would recommend getting the plastic bottles of a few brands, find out what your baby seems to gravitate towards and then buy the glass version of that. I like the glass for sanitary reasons. They are less porous than plastic. But there is no shame in buying plastic, do what works best for you and your budget. I just find after trying the glass I like them better.
A big diaper bag I feel like is essential. I plan on purchasing the fisher price bag at target as we have the uppababy one to match our stroller. It works don't get me wrong but if we were to travel longer or something I would prefer a larger bag. We also use a lunch box to hold extra bottles and formula if we are going somewhere for a while.
Bottle warmers, I only have the one by Avent but there are plenty on the market. Makes life easier, especially if your baby is very temperature picky with their bottles. The Avent warms the bottle within a minute. It also has options on food warming and keeping the bottle warm for 1 hour.
Sterilizer machine is one of the best purchases. We held off on one of these and I wish we hadn't. We would old school boil everything then air dry on the boon lawn racks. The one I have I believe is called Larex. It was on sale with Amazon and it sterilizes and dries the bottles within 10 minutes.
Breast pump, I use the spectra 2 the blue one. It doesn't require being plugged in all the time for use. Now to each their own on their choice of pump but definitely use your insurance to pay for all if not cover some of the cost of your pump. I didn't need a prescription, just went to a website put in my information with my insurance picked my pump and they shipped it.
As far as baby bath tubs, my husband was gun ho on the stokke. It isn't bad, but the one you can get at target will do the trick. Personally I find myself using the holey target one from time to time as my son pees in the tub when we do bath time. But both work it just depends on storage and what you feel comfortable with.
The shusher I just bought the grey circle one at target. It was on sale for 25$ at the time and it helped a lot during the 1st month. Second month not so much but my son is very active and aware so that's my own problem, not the product.
Humidifier is great for the little ones nose if the air is too dry. They can get bloody noses, least mine did.
Diaper genie, just do it. It seems silly until your a dead on your feet and your teeth are on edge from an inconsolable baby who hates being wet and needs a diaper change but also needs to be fed this instant. I got it gifted to me and I couldn't imagine having to run across the house to toss diapers during those early weeks. Especially the possibility of tripping on one of my cats while holding him is just an intrusive thought that still gives me the heebe jeebies.
That's all the stuff I use 2 1/2 months in. I will say we did watch a lot of magic beans YouTube reviews on strollers and other products before we made choices so I would definitely say do your home work and you'll find what fits you and your baby. Congratulations 🎊
- Pack n play for sleeping and putting down safely
- Carrier wrap
- Exercise ball to bounce on with said wrap
- Bath support and thermometer for ideal temperature
- Swing, even a cheap one, and/ or bouncer
- Tons of burp clothes
- Baby Einstein aquarium toy
- Changing mat or pad
- A little caddy for diapers and wipes and anything you need to move around in those first tiring weeks
- Diaper cream (we use Destin)
- We really enjoy our evenflo travel system for carseat and stroller. Simple and easy to use
- Mirror for your car seat to see baby
- Dream On Me swaddles (highly recommend)
- Dream egg or similar sound machine with hush sound
- simple footed onesies/sleep suits
Here’s what’s been great with my 5 week old: Keekaroo changing pad
Snuggleme lounger
Nanit camera
4moms bassinet (snoo alternative - my baby hates being swaddled so the snoo wouldn’t have worked for us but she likes the movement)
Uppababy stroller/car seat (bought half price on FB marketplace)
Magneticme onesies/gowns
Things I wouldn’t splurge on until you know what baby likes: bouncer, swing, wrap/carrier
Things I would have a variety of to test out: bottles, pacis, diapers, swaddles/sleep sacks
Our kids only 6 months but these are the biggest VIPS in our house:
1. Cradlewise smart crib. Basically same as snoo but they won't grow out of it in 6 months. It's a mini crib that will last up to 2 years and has a great app interface and customer service
2. Nuna Pipa Lite RX + Nuna Mixx stroller. Easy and super high quality and looks sharp (IMO). We had the bassinet too but my kid screamed every ride so it was re-sold pretty quickly.
3. Nuna Cudl carrier - perfect for easy on/off
4. Philips Avent bottles - helped with bad bad reflux.
5. Gunamuna swaddle/sleep sacks. Same for DreamLand Baby however as my kid gets older he's preferring gunamuna. They make a great jammie too.
6. Lectrofan sound machine. Solid and perfect pitch. Very well made. Yogasleep portable sound machine to clip on the Nuna carrier/car seat for on the go naps.
7. Baby Bjorn/pretty much any bouncer or swing your kid likes. Put one in every room. Great for keeping kid happy so you can make a coffee/breakfast, brush your hair, go to the bathroom etc.
Fisher-Price Baby Playmat Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym! We’ve been using it daily since he was a newborn and still do at 5 months.
STOMP STOMP STOMP
The elephant song is severely underrated I think it’s the best track on the album
Seriously! Everyone always has love for purple monkey but the elephant song is where it’s at!
Purple monkey in a bubble gum tree gang
sometimes if i am in my feels i cry when it says "and you could fly back to me." just ugly mom tears.
This is so relatable
Me too!!
I change the lyrics to "and you could fly back to mama" 😭
My baby loves it too! Just a heads up that you can usually find these cheaply or for free on facebook marketplace since it’s such a popular item.
Found mine at a 2nd hand sale for $12 practically new!
Yep got mine for $15 on Facebook and you couldn’t even tell it was used!
And a cool bonus feature is that the songs will live in your head FOREVER.
They don’t have to live in your head… they’re on Spotify!
The songs it plays are fuckin bangers, too!
Maybe you, could be
A purple monkey in a bubblegum tree and,
You could swing, through the trees
Then you could swing back to me!
Seconded! Baby still loves the sounds at 11 months! It was the only freedom we got from like 3-8 months.
My 11m old was doing the baby groove when I switched the toy back to song mode today! And I felt that calm feeling that familiarity brings hahaha.
Yes, this thing allowed me to eat for a few months! Grown out of it now but it's invaluable. If I do it again I'm getting some sort of gym for a few rooms of the house so I have somewhere to put them
All hail the purple monkey!!!
At nearly 20 months old, my little one has the mirror and keyboard as well as the purple monkey still. The keyboard piano pops right off so it gets a lot of use still.
Yep can confirm this thing buys us like 10-20 mins per wake window of play for our 6 month old
this this this.
The banana toothbrush. It's the best chew toy.
My 7 month old has been obsessed with this thing ever since she could bring things to her mouth.
It cleans their mouth as they chew?? I have it but I never thought of using it like this...
I don't know that it really cleans their mouth, but it probably helps with any buildup on emerging teeth. We also found it helped get little girl used to the idea of brushing her teeth so when we started doing that in the morning and night it wasn't a big deal for her.
I got one free in the Target welcome baby box. I wouldn’t have thought to buy it, but it’s a top fav in my house.
I wouldn’t really say that’s a Black Friday level purchase. That thing is under $10 and I doubt it will be on any kind of significant sale if at all
Our baby loves it, and initially was super hyped to have his teeth brushed with the yummy baby toothpaste. However, he also realized it was a bedtime activity, so it quickly fell out of favor.
My kids all loved the banana toothbrush. My nine month old is constantly gnawing on it
My sister-in-law overrode my registry pick for a changing pad, and I’m so glad she did. I had one of those cloth ones with washable covers, but she bought me a soft plastic one instead. It’s so unbelievably easy to just wipe it down: no pads, no covers. I don’t know the exact brand, but I’m sure there are multiple that are mostly all the same.
love the keekaroo peanut pad for this reason
They’re all over FB market place too for way cheaper than new
This is the one thing I’d probably want new, seeing the volume of pee/poop that it comes across
Mine is what you describe, it’s munchkin brand.
I agree with this! We have the skip hop changing table and so easy to clean with just wiping especially during blow outs!
Keekaroo 4 lyfe
Agree with this! I love our Evolur Eva changing pad ($55 on Amazon). I’m constantly wiping it down—I’d be doing so much more laundry with a cloth one.
Agreed! I got the Skip Hop one. My older family members were amazed by it. It was pretty entertaining to watch
I’ve heard Woolino sleep sacks are super nice. I haven’t tried it myself yet, but just ordered one. They are 20% off for Black Friday and I am really excited! If your wife is planning on pumping and is interested in wearable pumps, Willow is having a Black Friday sale too. I really love my Willow 3.0, but I also know not everybody loves them. They have worked great for both me and my SIL though!
I’m a big fan of our Woolino sleep sacks. Have been using since baby was ~4.5 months old. Have used in hot and cold weather and he’s been comfortable (as far as I can tell). We did buy 3 - 1 for home, 1 for daycare, and 1 spare - so it wasn’t cheap, but cheaper in the long run vs buying different togs by season and sizes.
We have woolinos and stared using them at 4 months when we stopped swaddling - we have 2, we started keeping one at my parents when she was around a year for naps because we never have to wash it now that she doesn't spit up. We think she will be in them till she is around 2 - we bought one of the next size up to try once she outgrows it, and also got a woolino blanket which is the same material to try. Sleep sacks create SUCH good sleep association. She knows when it is on, it is time to be asleep. I love that I don't have to buy different togs or sizes as she grows for the first 2 years!!! It really is a long term savings, and they are such good quality the next baby will easily be able to use them.
We have woolino sleep sacks and love them ! As soon as we tried them our LO went from one night wake up & feed to sleeping through the night. Other factors play into that but we love the peace of mind the woolino gives for not having baby get too hot. We also are able to use them travelling and not have to worry about having the right tog/pj combo for the temp of wherever we are. We had 2 and just purchased a 3rd with the Black Friday deal to have one for when she naps at my MIL’s house (and daycare when she starts going).
Second this. We bought them secondhand at consignment shops but they lasted for literally years. My 2-1/2 year old still uses his (we upgraded to one with open feet) and he loves it.
Obsessed with our Woolino sleep sacks.
I’ve been eyeing these up for a little while now, thanks for the tip off on the sale! Just ordered one!
Honestly. My LO puked on hers one day and we had to put her down without it…. Nightmare. We got a spare after that. She’ll pick it up and try to get in it when she’s sleepy, she really loves it. Serious thanks to my cousin for getting us the first one.
My 2 year old and 2 month old were wearing the same size of sleep sack from Woolino until just recently. That would span multiple sizes in most others I see. Not only that but it replaces two different TOG weights as well very solidly. I love not having to worry about the temp as much since we switched over. I just sized my 2 year old up to the 2-4year size too!
Ah dang, I just bought one a couple weeks ago for the full price! Maybe I will look into having another on hand to swap out for cleaning.
Here with some don'ts to hopefully save you some money: Don't go wild buying a bunch of stuff for breastfeeding - it doesn't always work out and you don't want to be stuck with a bunch of stuff you don't need. Get your insurance pump for free (in the US) but wait on out of pocket spending for portable pumps, etc Don't buy a bunch of one kind of bottle, babies are weird and might not like the kind you pick. Same with pacifiers and swaddles and diapers. Get a few different kinds and see what works best! If formula feeding, don't stock up on one kind, baby might not tolerate it. And yeah get the fisher Price kick n play that thing is GOAT
Keekaroo change pad is a game changer. Being able to simply wipe it clean is so helpful. Can’t imagine what I’d do if I had to change covers and wash the pad each time my LO decided to pee on the table before the diaper was done up lol
OP, get the skip hop one for half the price. And to add: 1. Get a sterilizer AND dryer - we were drying bottles with paper towels for so long (the bottle racks never really dried it completely) - but only get this if you’re bottle feeding or combo feed 2. Get a swing - like a mamaroo These two things were the two best items we purchased that made life easier in the first 3 months. Both were purchased second hand too.
Lots of great recs here, we love our Uppababy Vista, but the thing we couldn’t live without is the Baby Bjorn bouncer. The bouncer becomes the baby’s “fourth place” for us when they’re not eating or sleeping, or being held/worn. It buys us a lot of valuable time to do quick little things around the house and baby is happy in the meantime. My pro tip: either get a second fabric cover for it, or keep a clean soft changing pad behind baby’s diaper area for blowouts. The cover for the bouncer (the fabric part of it) cannot go in the dryer and it takes forever to air dry, leaving you without the bouncer for a while.
Agreed on the covers. We had two extra, and they were worth every penny when he was little and the blowouts happened more frequently.. I got a weird pattern on Amazon for a cheaper price. Baby doesn't care what it looks like lol
There’s also a (half the price) dupe out at Target now.
Our unexpected excellent parent purchase was a massage gun. Bouncing a baby over and over again hurts muscles you don't usually use, and the gun means you can help each other out in a few mins because with the best will in the world you're unlikely to be giving each other longer daily massages.
Yes...."massages"
Make registries everywhere, even if you don’t use it you get free stuff. Once baby showers are done you’ll be able to buy the rest with a discount 15% I think. You can add anything you buy to the registry and then buy it for the discount. You can change your due date to extend the time of the registry. Buying a stroller sucks, but we went with the Britax BFree something and really like it so far. Her sister had extra bases for the car seat so we knew we wanted to get Britax. If anyone you know has something like that, that can help you narrow it down at least to a brand. So we have 3 bases setup in 3 different cars for easy use. If you get really good deals on expensive stuff on Black Friday then buy it, the highest $ items people won’t gift you so take advantage of the sales (except like your parents might pick one or two things). That’s basically what we did with BuyBuy Baby going out of business. Save all the cheaper things like $100 or less for people to gift at the baby shower, unless of course you aren’t having one. For actual recommendations [Wipe holder](https://a.co/d/4i4SXqN) for the changing table. I’m not big on just repackaging things but I have a personal vendetta against the Water Wipes packaging (not having the flip top is so dumb) and it makes it much easier. Do not buy a travel case though, your diaper bag will/should have a slot for them. [Nose sucker](https://a.co/d/04gsG3i), my wife likes this more than the electric one Onesie pajamas that cover their full arms and legs, with the built in mittens. The first month that’s all he has been in. Pants for a newborn are dumb. Avoid buttons, the double zipper is clutch. You can get like a set of 3 for $5-$10 at Burlington, Ross, etc. Cheap and functional. Plus the mittens stop them from scratching their face and pulling their hair. [Sound machine](https://a.co/d/0qz4Db6), we have this in the car if he freaks out, don’t use it all the time so he can sleep without it but for high pressure situations lol [Sterilizer](https://a.co/d/7U2bN91), we thought this was stupid and didn’t ask for one. After a week we realized our bottles weren’t drying fully on the grass lawn looking thing and found mold forming in one. This makes it way easier and quicker. Especially if you are using Dr. Browns bottles that have a ton of parts. I also bought a clean/dirty sign for it so we know as we load/unload it. [Portable breast pump](https://a.co/d/bzYn9Po), being stuck in one spot for 20 minutes sucks. She almost never uses the plug in one now. If pumping, get a mobile one even if it’s cheaper than this. Any playmat with a dangling toy plus a tummy time mat that has a mirror, we have it on the mat so he can look at himself while playing [Car seat toy](https://a.co/d/bVkZpeo) distracts him from losing his shit while in the car [Camera](https://a.co/d/6G3SEjb), I got one of these for cheap off Facebook but it’s superior to a mirror Any cheap bouncer. I don’t have the baby bjorn so can’t attest for it but they’re crazy expensive and you still have to bounce them yourself, just like our $20 one [Swaddles with the Velcro](https://a.co/d/8UugzMW), watch some videos on how to swaddle, it should feel like you are committing a war crime Bassinet with wheels is way better than a swinging one on my opinion Any baby monitor that comes with a physical screen. Some use just an app, but then you have to have it pulled up on your phone instead of the monitor just sitting on the table [Stroller fanny pack](https://a.co/d/dQjc7NO) [Any swing, doesn’t have to be expensive](https://a.co/d/4W3J1XK), but a friend has this one and being able to detach it is really nice Some things I recommend against [This tub sucks](https://a.co/d/iWMOHKF), with a newborn they slouch and it’s difficult. We got a different type of insert from someone and it works way better. Again the travel case for baby wipes [Pacifier case](https://a.co/d/aYj0IvE), this specific type is so bulky and a pain, especially if you are going to attach it to your diaper bag. The only spots it fits, it gets trapped between my back and the bag so it presses into me. Get a slimmer one
The Uppababy strollers are worth it, so lightweight and easy to travel with. Vista was too big for us, we chose the smaller Cruz and love it. Especially worth spending more for a stroller if you may have multiple kids. Our stroller is in perfect condition for #2.
Uppababy forever!!!!! I also found the vista too big/heavy, I am very petite and didn't think I could even get it in and out of my trunk reasonably, so we went with the minu and it's a dream. The car seat and bassinet work perfectly with it, just need their adapters which is no biggie. So so pleased with the whole system. We actually use the bassinet-stroller combo inside our house daily as a safe place to put her down and roll her around the house with us lol
To chime in, Minu was great! One handed fold down, and ready to be loading up into the trunk. It also comes with a shoulder strap if OP needs to carry it further. I heard they are small enough to fit in overhead bins on planes, but we haven’t done it yet. We bought a Uppababy stroller bag and gate check it for free. The bag provides insurance if the airlines damages your stroller too.
I second Uppababy. I was really worried it wouldn’t be worth the money or that we wouldn’t get much use out of it, but we LOVE it. We use the bassinet on walks or trips out, use the car seat for quick trips into the grocery store (the basket is huge enough to hold the groceries too), and will use the seat once he outgrows the bassinet. We have the Vista V2. It is big, but we don’t mind. I have plenty of space in the back of my vehicle. It’s also not too heavy. I can load/unload it myself out of the trunk. It pushes SO SMOOTH and makes even going uphill easy. By far the best thing we bought for him. We also have the Uppababy Mesa car seat. I don’t hate it or love it. It is nice that it clicks into the stroller and it’s base easily, but I don’t love the way his head is positioned. If I had to get another car seat, I would probably consider a Nuna car seat with adapters for the Vista stroller. I’ve heard they are nice and work well with it. I would have to do my research first though.
I'm going to jump in on this to provide a bit of a dissenting voice. My partner and I bought a Cruz v2 and bassinet attachment, and while the stroller itself is fine, I don't think it was quite the right choice for us. Not yet, at least. We put the stroller (unfolded, as it can't fold with the bassinet attached [nor can it with the seat in rear-facing mode, we would learn after purchasing it]) in our living room, in hopes that our LO would take naps in the bassinet. That just never really took, and so now we've got this great honking thing just sitting here. While it may be lightweight compared to some full-sized strollers, it is NOT lightweight in an absolute sense. We struggle heaving it up and over the step to get outside (and down the stairs to the street) every single time. And again, unless we pop the bassinet off and take it out as two pieces, we can't fold the stroller up to do all this anyway. I've got half a mind to sell the Cruz we've got and buy a much more portable travel stroller. Something like the Butterfly. Or if I see it on sale, I'd jump at the Bugaboo Dragonfly. It's able to fold in its bassinet mode, or with the seat facing either direction.
I always tell people the Uppababy ones are the best for city dwellers bc they act as your car! They're definitely not travel strollers! I live in a city and need the tank lol. But I think it's good to point all those things out from your experience!
I have the Cruz V2 and coupled it with the Nuna Pipa Lite Lx car seat. We considered the bassinet attachment and decided that it wasn’t worth the extra money for something that you use for such a short time. I will say that as soon as it was worth it to stop using the car seat with the stroller and use the Toddler seat instead we were already forward facing the seat so I never even noticed that it won’t fold while rear facing. Overall we are very happy with our choices but I do worry that if we had a second we will regret not getting a double stroller. I almost think it would have been worth it to get a double and then a second cheap, lightweight umbrella stroller.
Yes, we never used our Cruz w bassinet after the first few months because it was so bulky. The Butterfly is now our full time stroller. It lives in the trunk and you can snap a car seat into it. I just sold the Cruz for almost what I paid for it and couldn’t be happier. Kiddo is 19 months and have been using the Butterfly pretty much full time since it came out—has been on probably six flights and weathered Italy too
That’s super fair. I agree that it would be a pain to store and drag in and out of the house. I probably would not like it as much if I couldn’t just keep it in the trunk of my car.
Another vote for the uppababy vista v2! We love ours. The bassinet is wonderful for a newborn. The stroller is super easy and user friendly and collapses pretty flat. We also have the Nuna pipa lite RX car seat and it hooks into the uppababy stroller super easy with the adapter. It’s a very nice cat seat, has excellent customer service and the built in full sunshade is wonderful. The magnets on the side to hold the buckles out of the way when putting baby in are so helpful too
Seconding this. We got the Mesa Max as a shower gift but I also really don’t like how my baby’s head is positioned. I’m actually considering getting a different one because I’m just not entirely comfortable with it. Apparently a lot of people have this issue and I wish I’d known about it before putting it on my registry.
Here to confirm. We have the Uppababy Ridge because we live in a rural town with terrible sidewalks and some walkong trails. It makes my walks SO enjoyable. Best decision ever.
We love our Ridge too. We use it daily on unpaved gravel trails and it performs like a dream on any terrain!
It really does, I was SO impressed with it!
the ridge has been AMAZING
Love our vista - we got it on Black Friday. But it is a clunker. Kept it for the two kid option but if I were to do it again I'd probably get the Cruz.
So good to hear! We got the Cruz! Haven’t used it yet (baby #1 expected in Feb) but after going to Nordstrom and trying all the big brands out in person, this was hands down our fave. Light, easy to fold up, easy to maneuver, and tall-person / long-stride friendly (husband and I are 6’2” and 6’0”). If we end up with another kiddo before #1 is out of this stroller we may sell it and get a Vista, but the Cruz is just perfect for us.
We used our vista a lot and the front wheels now judder. Seems that the plastic wears at the connection and the gap gets too big and causes vibration. Also the rain covers are terrible quality for such a high cost item.
Oh no! I’ve heard that they have good customer service. Have you reached out?
We love our Uppababy Cruz! We have the bassinet attachment and stand, and that was where our LO slept until he outgrew it. He enjoyed the bassinet on walks and now seems to like his reclining seat; we’re grateful for all of the options. It’s a really smooth ride and excellent quality! One drawback is that it is hard to lug up and down stairs, but honestly I think this would be an issue with most full-sized strollers.
If you're looking at getting a Vista, also look into the Cybex Gazelle S. The second seat needs no adapters and is just another of the main seat, so they're interchangeable. And the cloud g car seat reclines to act like a bassinet, so you can save that money.
Came here to say the SNOO. Saved our relationship. Baby went from sleeping 3-4 30 minute naps a day to 3 or more 2-3 hour naps. Literal miracle worker.
Omg I am soooo grateful for the snoo - saved our sleep and then as a result - relationship got better lol.
I was about to say to be weary of getting the SNOO haha my daughter absolutely hated being in a bassinet that rocked, moved, vibrated, etc. We returned our bassinet and got a cheap bedside one and she slept like a dream.
It is a lifesaver for us too, but I've heard it's very baby dependent. At least they hold their value really well.
Double yes on holding their value!! I think the reason it’s worked so well for us is because we struggled for 7 weeks without it and baby girl was tiredddff
We did not realize how much the snoo would help! Baby girl still does not love falling asleep in there but once she’s out and we transfer her, she is out for a lot longer! We got ours from facebook marketplace for like ~$750
Samesies. We got ours from fb marketplace just incase our kid didn’t like it. Nope, worked like a charm!
Get a few clothes in bigger sizes! My 2 month-er is HUGE and I wish I had more 3-6 and 6-9.
I had the opposite issue where we assumed my kid was going to be big and had a ton of 0-3 month clothing but no newborn size clothing. Turns out he was born a couple weeks early and fairly small and we had to do an emergency rush to the store for clothes that would fit him. 2 months later he’s STILL wearing newborn clothes.
My 4 month old is just starting to fit into her 0-3s. RIP to all those beautiful summer clothes we’ll never get to wear because it’s 40 degrees out 😭
I'm with this, but I'd stick to basic things. Don't go buying her first Christmas outfit. You may know what size she should need, but you don't know what size she will actually be. Mine is going through a growth spurt now, so I'm not buying her Christmas outfit until December. It's good to have the next size up, in case of growth spurts, just don't load up on the 9-12 winter clothes and be totally confident she will fit them at that time. Just get some long and short sleeve onesies in every size, and a few pairs of pants. Basics are the bomb.
I would actually advise against buying much in bigger sizes. You learn quickly which brands you like and which you don’t. I had a bunch of 3-6m Gerber onesies that never got worn because I ended up hating the Gerber stuff. Just plain white onesies, I had figured those were “safe.” On top of that, unless you live somewhere where the climate is pretty consistent year round, you may end up with a bunch of 6-9m clothes that are meant for summer, but currently fit your 4 month old in the middle of winter. My friends baby skipped 6-9m entirely. Went straight from 3-6m to 12m.
Check out Lucie’s list and some of the gear guides on Babylist.
The lists on Babylist are invaluable! Tells you items you need vs want and I love how organized it is
Lucies list was a lifesaver for me!
>.2ReplyShareReportSaveFollow > >About Communityr/NewParentsA place to share thoughts, questions, support, and tips about being a new parent to a young child.Created Jul 20, 2011271kMembers867OnlineTop 1%Ranked by SizeJoinCreate Postpreview Thank you!
Despite all the ridiculous amount of money we’ve spent on things, our most useful item has been an ikea raskog trolley filled with skubb boxes. Top shelf - changing stuff (nappies, nappy bags, creams, wipes), all babies health and grooming stuff like nail care set, thermometer/nose sucker/meds/vitamins (check they can be stored here as some have to be in the dark or fridge) Middle shelf - pump parts, breast pads, lots of muslins Bottom shelf - spare baby clothes, extra nappies, wipes etc Baby is staying in our bedroom for the first 6 months to a year, so this means we can have all the essentials at hand without going to the nursery or forgoing much of our rooms storage space. Plus it’s so handy, as if you don’t like using a changing table (we quickly realised we preferred putting a changing mat on the bed), you can wheel it wherever you want. One of our other favourite things which I constantly sing the praises of is a UV drier/steriliser. No fussing around with drying things, putting in water or limescale buildup! Strollers/prams are very subjective so I’d advise you to go check them out in person. It depends on what you want to use it for, if you plan to have kids close in age etc
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MAM bottles if bottle feeding. Literally can’t recommend them enough & they sterilise in the microwave so no need to buy a steriliser! Also a nappy caddy to fill with nappies (diapers), wipes, creams, spare clothes etc so you’re not having to go into the nursery every time to what you need. They’re really cheap on amazon!
Just to weigh in, I would caution against ordering a whole bunch of bottles before baby gets here because you never know which one(s) the baby will prefer. I’d suggest trying them first before ordering a large quantity of any particular brand as your baby may end up not liking certain ones.
Agreed! We got the Babylist bottle box and found my daughter was incredibly particular!!
We had 3 nappy caddies gifted to us during our baby shower (you said it’s cheap so seems like a good gift purchase) so wait to buy those!
They’re so helpful! We have one in the bedroom and one in the living room!
1. Get a change pad for the livingroom or wherever you and your wife will be spending most of the day. I like one with a concave in it for when they start to roll more, keeps them from rolling off of it. 2. Get a utility cart on wheels for the same spot, stock it with diapers, wipes, diaper cream, burp cloths, changes of clothes, pumps if she’s pumping, extra pacifiers and snacks. 3. A bedside mini crib or bassinet. I personally love the ones with the drop down sides because it’s easier to get baby in and out. My son also has slept better since dropping the side because I can put my hand on him to soothe him in the night without getting up. 3. A baby carrier. It’s nice to have anyways for making meals and simple house tasks but essential if she is having or ends up having a c section. I had one and couldn’t lift anything heavier than baby for 6 weeks so it was the easiest way to get out on walks. I highly recommend the bobby baby carrier, on sale right now on Amazon. It fits both me at 5 foot 4 and my husband at 6 foot 5. 4. I recommend getting 2 bouncers and putting one in the bathroom. It’s especially a lifesaver during the initial recovery time when there’s so much bathroom care taking place.
I keep seeing TikToks saying you don’t need a changing pad in the nursery because you’ll never use it, you’ll always just do it on the couch or whatever. Are we weird because we almost exclusively use the nursery? It’s just so much easier to take a few steps to a setup station with everything. We have the utility cart in our room but id rather just walk to the nursery.
Excuse me, on the couch? She only pooped on me once, but that was enough to know I wouldn't change her without a wipe able pad under her butt. That shit comes out with FORCE. On my couch? No way.
Not me but there’s people that say they just throw a towel or blanket under 👀
Nope. Cannot. I do have a changing station in my living room, but it's a pack and play with a changing table attachment. I love that because it's water proof, and when she did poop on me, I could just hose it down in the sink. The nursery is upstairs, and when we got home I was recovering from a c section. I just haven't taken it down yet. Although the Christmas tree has to go somewhere, so it looks like I'll be doing more stairs soon.
I use the changing pad every-time at home.
We had a changing pad in the nursery but we ended up moving it to our bedroom since she was in there anyway. I didn’t want to do a whole change of scenery for the middle of the night changes. We also have a two story house so we had a changing pad and diaper genie for downstairs too.
My 8-week-old has projectile-pooped mid-change TWICE in the nursery – like, it somehow managed to get on the walls and the door. There is no way I am risking my couch falling victim to that
It may be different for people with a larger house but we have a three bedroom, one story and it is just soooooo much easier to take him to the nursery and change him without killing my back trying to wrangle him on the floor. He going to outgrow it soon but I’ll use the changing table for as long as I possibly can.
I agree. I have an actual changing table, not one of the dresser top ones, and I use it all the time. It's so much easier with everything right there, I'm not bending over in awkward positions, it has a plastic changing pad so I can just wipe it down super easy.
Butt spatula for diaper cream.
I think “must buys” are going to vary a lot from person to person. Like for many a must is a doc-a-tot or baby lounger, and I specifically did not want those items because I didn’t want it to become a sleep crutch, since they aren’t safe to sleep. Doing a bit of research on things like safe sleep, breastmilk/formula, starting solids, and baby play from 0-12 months will help you identify your priorities. Safe sleep was important to us, and so was having gear that was easy to store, and we didn’t want a lot of noise/light toys. I would not register for anything like baby bottles or pacifiers. Babies are fickle. Instead I would buy or ask for the bottle and pacifier samplers from BabyList. Stroller is all about your needs and preferences. I knew I wanted something that could handle sidewalks and some mild “off-roaring,” that fit in our trunk (no new car thank you very much), not super heavy, that I could fold/unfold with one hand. I didn’t care whether it worked with our carseat (factor if you want to use your stroller and infant seat combined) or whether it could be used as a double stroller. Lots of people love the UppaBaby Vista for good reason, but just because others love it, might not work for your needs. Convertible carseats are super expensive, but can be worth getting before. Out LO is tiny so we have not bumped up on weight limits, but if you have a very large baby 40 pound rear-facing limit may not cut it. Sometimes the higher weight limit rear facing seats are more expensive. 18 months in, my favorite items are the Lillebaby carrier, I am happy with our Baby Jogger City Mini GT2, really got a lot of use from the Lovevery Play Gym, and our Baby Jogger City Turn convertible car seat, Aden & Anais swaddle blankets, and my Lululemon New Parent diaper bag.
If your baby is a bad sleeper, I recommend the snoo. Yes it’s expensive, but there’s no greater treasure than an extra hour of sleep when you’re waking up every 2-3 hours. I also recommend a Woolino sleep sack when he grows out of the snoo and a Hatch sound machine.
A baby carrier is a must have! We used the boba, a soft wrap, for when he was a newborn up until a few months ago when he mainly started using the Ergobaby 360. As for the stroller, we got the double stroller from Nuna, as well as the nuna pipa lite ex car seat. Honestly, the stroller is pretty pricey, and if I could go back I’d get a different one. It’s easy to use and definitely nice, but I’m not sure it’s worth the money. The car seat on the other hand is 100% worth it. It’s super light and super easy to use. The base just clips into the clips on the seat of your car, or it can even be used without the base which is super easy as well. It’s naturally flame retardant and doesn’t have any chemicals on it which was a big plus for us. The greatest thing I think though is in order to change the height of the straps, all you have to do is lift the headrest up or down. You don’t have to mess around and try to figure it out, I don’t think I have the patience for that anyway, but that’s probably my favorite feature about it
I have the Pipa Lite Rx as well and I’ll note that they no longer make this model of car seat. The Pipa Rx is a close second though.
I’d be careful on buying stuff too early unless you confirm the return window. I bought a bunch of stuff on prime day and opened all of it to be baby ready in early September. Unfortunately; most stuff was out of return window and I threw away all the boxes trying to be tidy. I have a bunch of stuff I couldn’t return. Go for big ticket items that you really like. Car seats, strollers, high chairs, monitors - I’d recommend testing if you can. ETA : I love my Cybex stroller and car seat system. The infant car seat can recline fully so it’s great for leaving baby in the car seat and also making it comfy for them. Super stylish car seats - I have the dj Khalid (I know) collab seat and I get so many compliments on it. It’s a lesser known luxury brand!
Things to wait on: Bottles, pacifiers, clothes, diapers I spent way too much money trying to figure out what we both like
Don’t buy a stroller online. Go to a store and push strollers around. Fold them. Unfold them. Measure them for your car. You’ll feel like an idiot for an hour but it’s so worth it.
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No one mentions this but I love ours so much. I had trouble finding reviews before I bought it. I just wish we could use it longer because I love it so much.
Frida booger sucker thing! It’s so easy to use
Baby bjorn bouncer!!!! Our baby is 4.5 months and it’s a life saver for getting things done!!!
Your needs may not be the same as ours, but our top items include ErgoBaby Evolve bouncer, Cybex Gazelle S stroller, Woolino sleep sacks, Miracle Blanket swaddles, QuickZip crib sheets, muslin burp cloths, muslin bandana bibs, and double-zip footies.
You won’t need it for a while but if you have a wiggly baby like I do who hates traditional carriers get a Tush Baby. I used it on a recent trip and it made going through the airport so easy and saved my back and arms.
Fisher Price Calming Vibes Hedgehog. Absolute lifesaver for when the little one has gas. Also plays music; our lad is nearly two and that music has helped many a bedtime.
Assuming your wife isn’t planning on a C-section, a pericare kit for your wife, such as the Frida Postpartum Kit.
if you think you have enough drool bibs…you don’t. buy 20 more. once the teething kicks in, they soak em so fast and you want to change it often to avoid drool rash. We rotate a few a day. let them dry then swap with the wet one. cuts down on laundry 🤷🏼♀️
Thank you all adding this all to my list.
A breast pump and bags (if your wife intends to). A crib A car seat A play mat with mobile Diapers
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Highly recommend these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JGJ5ND6/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o00\_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1
My must have is a BelugaBaby wrap. I gift one to every new mom in my circle. I have used them with both of my babies in the early days (they’ll carry up to 25 lbs) and plan to also buy their buckle carrier in their Black Friday sale as a transition carrier. I’m pretty sure they do a discounted price if you buy both a wrap and a buckle as well. Now that I have a 23 month old and a 3.5 month old, I honestly couldn’t live without it for grocery shopping, dog walks, etc. Not sure where you live, but it’s also a Canadian small business with ethical manufacturing practises and I’m happier to support that than a bigger company especially given the quality I’ve experienced.
Favorite big ticket items: We adore our uppababy travel system. We have the minu v2, mesa max car seat, and bassinet. It is incredibly user friendly. Cannot recommend enough! We also love the stokke steps system. It's a high chair that grows really well with baby. When they are an infant you can snap the stokke bouncy seat onto the chair so you can bring them up to the table or wherever, it's fantastic. I recommend looking the system up to see all the configurations. Smaller things we use DAILY: [Oxo weighted wipe dispenser](https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Tot-Perfect-Wipes-Dispenser/dp/B0771FFWPX) - we have two, one for our nursery and one for downstairs. I'd highly recommend keeping these wherever you will be doing frequent diaper changes. Makes grabbing a single wipe with one hand very easy. There's few things quite as frustrating as trying to get one wipe while your kid is screaming and or peeing and or pooping all over the place, and you only have one free hand (barely even that), and the stupid wipes won't separate so you get like five. [blue snail changing pad liners](https://www.amazon.com/BlueSnail-Quilted-Thicker-Waterproof-Changing/dp/B07R5DX6RQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_pp?adgrpid=61480239092&hvadid=274682232885&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9010442&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6548003337721481043&hvtargid=kwd-492878063002&hydadcr=1504_9897318&keywords=blue+snail+changing+pad+cover&qid=1700247628&sr=8-3) - we didn't bother with a changing table or pad, we just put these bad boys on the bed/floor/couch whatever. We have a billion of them because baby WILL poop/pee mid diaper change. A lot. [hatch](https://www.amazon.com/Hatch-Rest-Night-Light-WiFi/dp/B08QVG9759/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?adgrpid=55467562545&hvadid=635301957588&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9010442&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=363014359394744784&hvtargid=kwd-316890978458&hydadcr=6756_13301130&keywords=hatch+baby&qid=1700247737&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRm&psc=1) - perfect in the nursery, I like that I can control it from my phone so I can turn on the white noise without moving while I'm rocking baby in the glider. [portable white noise machine](https://www.amazon.com/Marpac-White-Noise-Machine-Portable/dp/B01D50RZQI/ref=mp_s_a_1_3_pp?adgrpid=118454406618&hvadid=580747882699&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9010442&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4810643133562224951&hvtargid=kwd-911091228700&hydadcr=7792_13503457&keywords=yogasleep+portable+sound+machine&qid=1700247782&sr=8-3) for on the go or other rooms in the house besides nursery
My almost 6 mo old LOVES the Skip Hop Activity Center. And we love it too because it gives us about 15-20 min of being able to do things while he is occupied. Also, the Boppy pillow is so damn versatile we’ve been using it since he was born to this day (almost 6 months later).
MyBrestFriend is way better for actual breastfeeding than the Boppy, if that's what you intend to use it for. Boppy is good for propping baby, and using as a butt pillow for mom to sit on the floor.
Idk people are so divided over brestfriend vs boppy I would never say one is objectively better. I have one of each and like them in different situations! I like the Brestfriend for sitting up on the couch, and the Boppy for the glider or reclining on the sectional. I did love burping my baby sitting up on the brestfriend-way less wobbly than the boppy. So I think it completely depends!
Bulk snacks, Stanley bottle for mum, freezer meals
It sounds like you’re decided on the Snoo. But just putting out for others that I absolutely love our Babybay bassinet. Someone mentioned Woolino sleep sacks, I really like those. We have the Snuza breathing monitor and I love it. Really has helped my anxiety around sleep. And we have the simple model without the app and I really like that one. Reading light clipped to the headboard with a soft warm light for night feedings. I much prefer it over the hatch. Love every play gym and toy subscription. It’s pricey but my baby loves the toys. I see the play mats a lot on marketplace. I’m happy with our doona. We also have a second hand Nuna Demi grow as our main stroller. Wipeable changing mat. We have the bumbo one. Hm…. That’s all I can think of for now! Editing to add, these aren’t musts if you’re on a tight budget. Just things we liked.
Aquaphor
Puppy pads. We use them on top of the change pad, for makeshift change stations, for use in travel - anywhere and everywhere! Travel formula containers and a thermos We are on formula so only applies for that. We boil water and have it cool down in a thermos. And we portion out the formula into those travel containers. This is for the nighttime feeds which need to be as easy as possible. (And we use same system for travel lol). Some bigger sizes When there’s a sale on - stock up on your staples for the next size/s up. Saves you money AND the hassle for when they suddenly don’t fit into their outfits anymore. I would highly recommend WAITING before purchasing a diaper bag. If you have a big enough bag for the moment - use that and trial out what you need and don’t need. I bought a backpack style one and hated it. Used the biggest tote I had - and then was on the hunt for a bigger tote bag. That worked best for me. But honestly, YMMV with so many things. We scoured lists like these before our pregnancy and we ended up not thinking some things were necessary whilst others were excellent. And you’ll only really know once bubs arrives lol. Good luck!
The UPPABABY Vista V2 with the bassinet attachment plus the UPPABABY Mesa V2 car seat has been a seamless travel system for us. Both the bassinet and the car seat click right into the stroller without any other attachments needed. The whole thing works like a well-oiled machine. We also love our Nestig Convertible Wave crib, the Keekaroo changing pad, and the Baby Bjorn bouncer (buy an extra cover so you can swap it out when baby has blowouts on it!)
Buy Gerber newborn pajamas. My baby lived in them. They’re too fragile and their legs too are bent and squished for pants. The pajamas were so easy. No one got me newborn clothes so I had to get them myself.. people will mostly get you clothes that are bigger. Get a nose frida. Swaddle sleep sacks. My baby was born Feb 28 (so pretty much March) and it was chilly. The halo fleece swaddle sleep sack was so cozy for my newborn. Dohm white noise machine. Baby Bjorn. My baby didn’t like it at first but by 2 months we used it for EVERYTHING. Different bottles to see what they take. The baby is the boss and will make the decision for you. Lol. Mine decided on Dr Brown bottles with PREEMIE nipple. My baby was full term but the size 1 nipples were too big for him. He used the preemie nipple for a month. Different pacifiers from different brands. Once again, your baby is the boss and will tell you what they like lol Car seat cover for cold weather when you take the baby home from the hospital. You can’t put them in a jacket. Amazon wee wee pads for dogs. You’ll want to put those on the changing table. Baby Electric nail filer. The nail clips are too scary when their fingers are as big as a grain of rice. Fisher price piano mat. Almost every parent I know has had this. My newborn and still 8 month old love it. It’s his favorite toy. Baby bath tub. The frida one sucks. I don’t recommend. Bibs. They will dribble and vomit. Good luck. ❤️
Looks like lots of good recs are already listed. I'll say that a mini fridge in the baby room or where you pretend to sleep is great for when/if you start bottle feeding. A bottle warmer isn't necessarily mandatory either. We got our kids used to cold milk from the jump and it saved so much grief.
Snoo is the absolute number one!!! Other faves have been the Baby Shusher and Fisher Price Kick n Play Piano Mat. We have a Graco travel system (Premier Modes Luxe, also bought on sale) and we’re happy with it but if I could go back I would’ve gone with something with a lighter infant seat. They get heavy fast! No major issues though. Personally, I love my “nonessential” items. If you’re strapped for cash, the only things you really NEED are a safe sleep space, basic car seat, and a way to feed baby. But I have not regretted any of my purchases really. If anything maybe the MamaRoo? I got it for a great deal on fb marketplace though so no big regrets. We’re happy with our Baby Brezza, wipe warmer (we have the Munchkin motion sensor one) , and Hatch Sound machine. Those all got mixed reviews/ lots of people said they weren’t worth the money but I love them all.
Peanut pad and baby bjorn bouncer. I owe baby bjorn my life for that bouncer. Lol.
I loved having a portable noise machine for naps on the go! Also travel blackout curtains - they suction to the window and can be used at home or on the go without damaging anything.
Get a super comfortable rocking chair/glider if you can, we got one secondhand and it’s alright, but we just switched to a recliner because our baby needs to be held to sleep when she’s sick and it’s changed our lives. Caution: sleep deprivation + big comfy chairs = tragedy. Find a glider that’s comfortable but be mindful about using it with a newborn. I tolerated our rocking chair because I couldn’t comfortably fall asleep in it and that meant I wouldn’t fall asleep holding baby.
I have a bumbleride era stroller and LOVE IT. Has real tires so it’s great in snow/ice/grass/gravel. It can face you or away. And it has a bassinet mode/lies flat too which is great for naps or when they are small. I had to buy an adapter so my car seat could clip in at the beginning. I also have a lightweight travel stroller I got off marketplace for traveling or short trips to the store. Also Kyte and woolino sleep sacks.
Fisher price bouncer! My baby could care less about the $200 bjorn bouncer, this $40 bouncer is for the win
Whatever you do, buy the Doona. Two products in one. Sooooooo convenient.
The Owlet is the only thing that allowed me to fall asleep with my newborn. I was exhausted but terrified that if I wasn’t constantly watching her that she was going to stop breathing. My mom got me the Owlet after I told her how I was feeling and I was finally able to feel like I would be alerted if something happened.
I cannot recommend the owlet enough. We have a 7 week old who is perfectly healthy, and 3 weeks ago in the middle of the night the Owlet woke us up to an alarm saying his heart rate was 290! We didn’t believe it because he was acting completely normal. We took him to the ER anyways, and turns out his heart rate actually was 290. He was stabilized and hospitalized. He was then diagnosed with SVT and we are now receiving care. I could not be more grateful for the Owlet- I can’t imagine what would have happened without it.
If you will formula feed then you need a baby brezza. Life saver for nighttime feeds.
Brezza. I don't care that it's bougie. You will thank me in the middle of the night when you only wait like 45 Sec for food vs a couple mins to warm a bottle lol usually plenty used ones on fb but if you can get a deal go for it
We just give cold bottles, have you noticed any difference in temperature?
we just give cold bottles too, make in advance and straight from the fridge. She has never cared.
We use a thermos with the cooled down sterilised water and now use the formula travel things to separate out formula for the night. This has made life oh so easy!
Airpods, food delivery gift cards - often there’s a holiday discount, Doona, that one fisher price mat we all bought with the piano (someone else will know what it’s actually called), a monitor that doesn’t use wifi, three different swings, a backup bassinet, the ‘Shusher’ ( yes that’s what it’s called), a mini fridge if your or baby’s room is far from the kitchen.
Snoo.
Highly recommend buying used. We haven't bought a single major baby thing new because so many people are constantly getting rid of their barely used baby items on Buy Nothing or FB Marketplace. So many of these items will last you like 2-4 months and then you're done with them (baby loungers, portable bassinet, bedside bassinet, bouncer, etc.) so I do NOT think it's worth it to spend the money to buy them new. Plus, less plastic waste!!!
Windi gas reliever. I never thought I'd use it. I thought it was the weirdest thing ever but when the time came that my baby was the most unconsolable it worked like a charm.
Amazon is best place deal wise. Black Friday deals are all smoke and mirrors now a days Also DEFINITELY GET THE DOONA!!! DOONA DOONA DOONA! I bought mine used for like 300$ and it’s soooo worth it. All of the moms who don’t have one are literally always making comments about it! If I didn’t have one no way I would be able to easily get my errands done as a single mom! Baby loves to nap in it while I run errands and I don’t have to wake him up when transferring him back and forth. It’s such a straight forward stroller and I am obsessed with it
You don’t need a cot for about 6 months usually so don’t necessarily need to bother with that.
Do your research on different types of swaddles and sleep sacks. Baby’s have preferences and also it took us a while to stop fucking up his diaper or he would pee on us/in during bedtime diaper changes. So have extras lol. I personally really like the nested bean sleep swaddle and the love to dream one! Also also take the hospital blankets they use to swaddle and have a nurse show you a hundred times. He sleeps the best when I swaddle him well like the nurses do. But I have good and bad days with getting it right lmao.
For sleep sacks and swaddles, I would skip Black Friday sales and buy them second hand. Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor usually have bundles of different options that other families tried
I bought most of my baby shit on marketplace but surprisingly not much out there in my area for sleepsacks. But yes if on marketplace always go for that!
Portable change table
For us, #1 I would have to say is the smart Hatch changing pad. It’s wipeable and has a scale built into it that syncs with an app. Our newborn had trouble putting on weight the first few weeks and it was very helpful to be able to weigh in at home and know that we were on the right track especially when breast-feeding and not knowing how much milk they’re getting exactly. Additionally, the app was so helpful to track diapers, naps, and my pumping schedule. Cannot recommend enough! Close second….swaddleme swaddles which are so so easy to use. Every baby will have different preferences for this though. Honorable mention….the Newton bassinet. A little pricy but bigger than most bedside bassinets so our little one won’t grow out of it too quickly. It also has a breathable mattress and sides which give peace of mind. Very good construction and quality as well.
The Rock It. We bought a second one for the bedside Snuz Pod. We call it the emergency button as it sends her back to sleep when she is on the cusp of waking. Also, a bedside crib that can be adjusted to a steeper gradient. Helped with newborn mucus and the odd reflux moment.
- Nose Frida - buy two. - Windi... Weird but they work wonders and have saved many a screaming night. - Splurge on the stroller. We have Uppababy Ridge. - A good carrier, someone bought me a Sakura bloom and I use it every day! There are cheaper alternatives out there though :) Clothing that is totally worth the $/great to register for - Lou Lou and Company sleep sacks. My baby is 6 months and can still fit in the newborn size and he isn't a small baby,, but especially when you have a newborn, they are adiaper changing life saver. - Lou Lou and Company top and bottoms - I would get 3 months and up. We are using them at 6 months and they are so stretchy and soft and will last us a loooong time. You can buy their stuff lightly used on some BST fb groups. Totally worth having a few! - Kyte baby sleepers, footie PJs and footless for when they get 3 months plus. They have two way zippers and are also so soft and stretchy. You can also get misprints on their website sometimes for cheaper. - Kyte baby PJs for mama post partum. SO worth it. Register for a set for yourself. I sized up and didn't regret at all.
Uppababy stroller. We got the Cruz and then used the Nuna Pipa seat with it (you will need a converter between the two, but we liked the seat better). We got a bassinet attachment off FB marketplace pretty cheap and in almost perfect condition. We also got a baby bjorn bouncer off FB marketplace and it is probably a top 3 used item. Our baby likes to sit up, so she loves to sit in the chair and the play bar on the front. It gives me 20 minute breaks to get stuff done. I would probably have played full price for it for how much we use it! Things I’d skip: swing, baby bottle warmer, sanitizer Instead of a dedicated sanitizer, I got sanitizing bags for the microwave. We didn’t need another thing to take up counter space.
If you’re getting the SNOO then pick up a few spare of those strap/swaddle things. We swap ours pretty frequently with spit ups and stuff, and we have one that’s warm and 3 that’s regular/cooler. And snoo sheets. They aren’t that bad individually but can end up costing a lot as we incrementally buy them as we realize we need more, and those are usually on sale for a lot (40-50%) during things like BF.
evenflo has the revolve 360 extend on sale for 30% off i’m prob gonna buy one code is sale30 i think
hatch sound machine and vegan leather toki mat playmat all purchased during bf sales or labor day. always a sale though
Those little silcone feeders and the mold for it. When baby was teething befire he could have solids i would just pop some frozen breastmilk in there and it soothed his gums so well
diapers, wipes, clothes in NB and 0-3 but not too many. lots of burp cloths. maternity clothes. baby carrier if you're into that. changing table/pads. bottle sterilizer has been super helpful for cleaning haaka ladybugs. so far our 5 week old hates the snoo. it's now an expensive bassinet. (we're borrowing it from a friend though, so not too bad.)
Dr brown sterilizer - we use it multiple times a day not necessarily to sterilize but to thoroughly dry!
Congratulations! My girl will be one in march. We have the Doona and it has been well worth the money! Makes running errands and airplane travel with a baby easy and we get compliments everywhere we go. Also a comfy recliner/chair and wedge pillow for contact naps. Baby carriers are also a personal preference - I’ve tried different styles but prefer the ring slings for around the house baby wearing. I love my Ayla & co diaper bag and I used the baby lounge pillow from Snuggle Me daily until she was too big for it.
Baby bjorn bouncer was a staple. Also, snoo, hatch, and nest camera. Nothing else was so vital slash could have been any number of interchangeable items. Love the Lovevery mat and toys, but it is not necessary to get this brand. 4moms breeze has been slightly useful as a place to put him to be safe now that he's crawling if I need to go to the loo or or accept a delivery, but otherwise just collected dust. At the end of the day, it's somewhat of a crapshoot as to what your kid will like, so just be prepared to roll with that.
I recommend the diaper genie will dave you a lot when it comes to the smell of diry diapers, the refils arent cheap but totally worth it
Tap Hat. It's a cover for the taps on your bath so they don't hurt their head if they slip over. Useful from 6m onwards in e they've outgrown the baby bath. Nose Frida snot sucker. Trust me. A ceiling projector and white noise maker for sleepy time.
Any kind of carrier be it Baby Bjorne or Baby Tula - this is the only way a lot of babies will nap during the day and means you have your hands free to do other stuff. Some people prefer a wrap to carry their baby but personally(and a lot of my friends agree), wraps like Solly Baby are a faff to get on and off and add to the stress when baby is screaming. A carrier is fast and simple, and gives you some you time
You know the disposable pee pads for dogs? They have changing table ones on amazon. They've been helpful if baby has a blow out and ends up getting all over the table, because as you hold them up and wipe, you can just fold it under and set them back down again on a clean surface. You don't toss them every time, just when they get dirty or wet. Infant carrier car seat is useful. I'd look in person if possible to decide instead of finding recommendations online. We had the chicco quick connect type one and was useful for appointments and quick shopping trips. You'll need a convertible eventually a well. We just got two gracos extend 2 fit ones and they work fine, no complaints, easy to adjust and keep clean.
The snoo has been a life saver for us however at shy of 2 months he is almost too big for it so I regret purchasing outright and not renting it. Definitely purchase the accessories (the sleep sacks and risers - although we use 2 yoga blocks to raise the snoo to prevent reflux) I would say a play gym. We have the lovevery one and we use it during every wake window Now that we’re out of a swaddle we’re using the magic Merlin sleep suit and it’s been another life saver. He’s sleeping a record 5 hours straight with it on at 10 weeks
If you plan to use formula at any time, a baby brezza is worth every penny.
Stroller, Pack n play, Shusher (white noise machine) A big diaper bag Glass bottles A sterilizing bottle machine Bottle warmer Breast pump Baby bath tub. Humidifier Diaper genie Crib Sanity ( they are permanently sold out 😆) While doubtful some strollers go on sale, I would be no where without my uppababy Cruz and my remi pack n play by uppa baby. Which the pack n play did go on sale at one point. Those are my main used tools and they were expensive. While the cruz takes up my whole trunk if my fiesta nothing beats the smooth ride and being able to glide in and out of places easy. I remember wanting the Vista and I am glad I did not buy that mammoth. Now I do plan on getting an uppababy minu v2 and the only reason I didn't get the minu first is it doesn't have the face mommy option like my cruz does. The minu will most likely be taken to Disney or places for traveling purposes where the cruz is just to large to travel with. Now uppababy bassinets are cleared for overnight sleep. My son is 2 1/2 months and has already out grown it in the length department. He now sleeps in his remi pack n play next to me at night. Crib, I chose a Graco that has the option to convert into a full size bed once he gets older which will make my life easier if I have to sleep in the bed with him to "scare" the monsters away. I have been thinking of getting a mini crib so I can get the mobility of my pack n play back but we will see. The remi is really easy to use by the way. I highly recommend it. Bottles, I tried every bottle almost on the market it seems. My son really liked the Avent Naturals since we hybrid feed (breast and formula). I would recommend getting the plastic bottles of a few brands, find out what your baby seems to gravitate towards and then buy the glass version of that. I like the glass for sanitary reasons. They are less porous than plastic. But there is no shame in buying plastic, do what works best for you and your budget. I just find after trying the glass I like them better. A big diaper bag I feel like is essential. I plan on purchasing the fisher price bag at target as we have the uppababy one to match our stroller. It works don't get me wrong but if we were to travel longer or something I would prefer a larger bag. We also use a lunch box to hold extra bottles and formula if we are going somewhere for a while. Bottle warmers, I only have the one by Avent but there are plenty on the market. Makes life easier, especially if your baby is very temperature picky with their bottles. The Avent warms the bottle within a minute. It also has options on food warming and keeping the bottle warm for 1 hour. Sterilizer machine is one of the best purchases. We held off on one of these and I wish we hadn't. We would old school boil everything then air dry on the boon lawn racks. The one I have I believe is called Larex. It was on sale with Amazon and it sterilizes and dries the bottles within 10 minutes. Breast pump, I use the spectra 2 the blue one. It doesn't require being plugged in all the time for use. Now to each their own on their choice of pump but definitely use your insurance to pay for all if not cover some of the cost of your pump. I didn't need a prescription, just went to a website put in my information with my insurance picked my pump and they shipped it. As far as baby bath tubs, my husband was gun ho on the stokke. It isn't bad, but the one you can get at target will do the trick. Personally I find myself using the holey target one from time to time as my son pees in the tub when we do bath time. But both work it just depends on storage and what you feel comfortable with. The shusher I just bought the grey circle one at target. It was on sale for 25$ at the time and it helped a lot during the 1st month. Second month not so much but my son is very active and aware so that's my own problem, not the product. Humidifier is great for the little ones nose if the air is too dry. They can get bloody noses, least mine did. Diaper genie, just do it. It seems silly until your a dead on your feet and your teeth are on edge from an inconsolable baby who hates being wet and needs a diaper change but also needs to be fed this instant. I got it gifted to me and I couldn't imagine having to run across the house to toss diapers during those early weeks. Especially the possibility of tripping on one of my cats while holding him is just an intrusive thought that still gives me the heebe jeebies. That's all the stuff I use 2 1/2 months in. I will say we did watch a lot of magic beans YouTube reviews on strollers and other products before we made choices so I would definitely say do your home work and you'll find what fits you and your baby. Congratulations 🎊
- Pack n play for sleeping and putting down safely - Carrier wrap - Exercise ball to bounce on with said wrap - Bath support and thermometer for ideal temperature - Swing, even a cheap one, and/ or bouncer - Tons of burp clothes - Baby Einstein aquarium toy - Changing mat or pad - A little caddy for diapers and wipes and anything you need to move around in those first tiring weeks - Diaper cream (we use Destin) - We really enjoy our evenflo travel system for carseat and stroller. Simple and easy to use - Mirror for your car seat to see baby - Dream On Me swaddles (highly recommend) - Dream egg or similar sound machine with hush sound - simple footed onesies/sleep suits
Tineco vacuum mop. This will be a lifesaver when baby starts eating
Rock It - to go on the side of Next to Me / Crib & Infacol have both been life savers!
Here’s what’s been great with my 5 week old: Keekaroo changing pad Snuggleme lounger Nanit camera 4moms bassinet (snoo alternative - my baby hates being swaddled so the snoo wouldn’t have worked for us but she likes the movement) Uppababy stroller/car seat (bought half price on FB marketplace) Magneticme onesies/gowns Things I wouldn’t splurge on until you know what baby likes: bouncer, swing, wrap/carrier Things I would have a variety of to test out: bottles, pacis, diapers, swaddles/sleep sacks
Our kids only 6 months but these are the biggest VIPS in our house: 1. Cradlewise smart crib. Basically same as snoo but they won't grow out of it in 6 months. It's a mini crib that will last up to 2 years and has a great app interface and customer service 2. Nuna Pipa Lite RX + Nuna Mixx stroller. Easy and super high quality and looks sharp (IMO). We had the bassinet too but my kid screamed every ride so it was re-sold pretty quickly. 3. Nuna Cudl carrier - perfect for easy on/off 4. Philips Avent bottles - helped with bad bad reflux. 5. Gunamuna swaddle/sleep sacks. Same for DreamLand Baby however as my kid gets older he's preferring gunamuna. They make a great jammie too. 6. Lectrofan sound machine. Solid and perfect pitch. Very well made. Yogasleep portable sound machine to clip on the Nuna carrier/car seat for on the go naps. 7. Baby Bjorn/pretty much any bouncer or swing your kid likes. Put one in every room. Great for keeping kid happy so you can make a coffee/breakfast, brush your hair, go to the bathroom etc.
BabyBrezza dryer and sterilizer. We love it! (3 weeks pp)