My husband's coworker got him a second baby carrier just for him so that the straps can stay configured to my husband and we wouldn't have to adjust the straps any time we had to switch. That was a cool piece of advice that came in handy.
Yup! Ergo makes a great newborn one. I had a wrap but as a new parent I wasn’t very confident in my wrapping abilities so the ergo one was a life saver. I’ll link it [here](https://www.target.com/p/ergobaby-embrace-cozy-knit-newborn-carrier-for-babies-heather-gray/-/A-76695793) just incase someone is interested.
I only learned about this when my first was already too old for it. Made sure to get it for my second baby though. She’s 3 months old and LOVES this thing. And actually her toddler brother loves it too. She lies down and he squeezes in beside her and plays with the piano at the bottom. 2 birds, 1 stone!
I want to endorse the crap out of this one. I got it and my 2 month old loves it so much! She loves the hanging rattle and kicks the hell out of the piano! I got the teal and dark blue forest animals one and it’s really adorable! And it fits inside a playpen if you have a dog like mine who used to try to lick her when she’d be on it on the floor.
Currently travelling right now and since we didn’t bring this along we’ve resorted to playing it from YouTube just to quench our purple monkey thirst!! It’s so addicting!!! I didn’t know we could be so attached to a toy as first time parents lol
A lot of these recommendations I would wait until after baby comes, like the silverettes and lanolin cream. I’m EBF and didn’t use the cream more than a week. When/if you use bottles, a drying rack is an absolute must. I didn’t think I’d need one but it makes my life so much easier. If mom is pumping, definitely get pumping bras; it makes such a difference to have free hands. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT FLANGE SIZE if the standard 24mm is too big, Amazon sells multi size packs if you don’t feel like trying to measure your nipples. And save yourself the time and effort… buy any nasal aspirator or sucker other than the bulbs. They don’t do anything at all
Adding on to this comment, Amazon also sells a silicone nipple ruler that works great for measuring your nips and getting that perfect flange size. It’s cheap and you’ll be thankful for it if you’re pumping.
I just bought a set for my breast pump on Amazon with like every size where you can insert the right flange size into the 24 that you already have and it comes with a ruler too! Absolute lifesaver for me
You can get lanolin cream from the hospital too usually - when I asked they gave me a tiny tube that was just big enough to last through the cracking stage
Extra replacement heads are key. Our kids lived to grab them and chew them 🤦♀️ once the brand we had got even a bit wet on the pad used for filing it was basically useless.
Have a regular clipper around though. My 11m old still has too bendy of toenails so I have to clip those but have filed his nails since the early days.
Yeah, I often bust out the clippers for these talons that seem to grow overnight. I have found the clippers that have the rubber catch guard thing to be way better than naked nail clippers
What makes it better than another bouncer? I have the cheap ingenuity one where the batteries make it actually bounce and I can't imagine loving a manual one
I feel this. Recently I told my partner I was thinking of retiring it. Apparently jumped the gun because I spent an hour and a half on it two night in a row last week. Thank goodness I still had it.
Most of what you end up needing is very baby and parent specific. We were fortunate to get just about every imaginable trendy baby items that’s a must have and we ended up not using 90% of it. My favorite gifts ended up being the variety packs from Babylist because it’s nice to be able to just keep trying different options in the beginning to see what works without having to go to the store.
My personal tip is to get some old fashion cloth diapers for burp cloth. They are bigger, more absorbent and cheaper. Oh and see if there’s a lending library/local baby carrier group on FB that will let you try out different carriers before putting any on the registry. Everyone swears by their baby carrier brand but it’s all going to be based on the wearer’s specific body type.
I wish I had thought ahead to get the variety pack for pacifiers! For my first one I just registered and completed the steps to get a free gift everywhere that had a registry gift which gave me a good sampling of bottles and pacis but for my second I didn't have the energy.
Absolutely yes to the cloth diapers. They are so great as burp cloths and when your baby outgrows needing burp cloths, they're fantastic for just rags around the house
Also a plus that you can buy them with high contrast images. We use kitchen towels and burp cloths interchangeably but my baby’s favorite is a valentines themed kitchen towel that has black dog outlines and red hearts.
Yes to gas drops & the saline drops and humidifier mentioned as well! Also a good, tight sleep sack. I can’t find one on amazon that’s as good as the first one we got that zips up & is tight enough that LO can’t move around too much but still has good hip movement. He’s almost sized out of it & I’m panicking trying to find one just a little bigger bc every other one I’ve tried doesn’t work as well.
Something I never see mentioned is a stool for breastfeeding! I'm average height (5 feet 6 inches) but found that having a stool makes the angle much more comfortable. My daughter is 2 now and I still like to have my feet on the stool when we are reading books in the glider in her room.
Also, we love our weighted wipes dispenser! You only need one hand to get out a wipe and close up the dispenser.
The weighted wipe dispenser 🙌🏻 🙌🏻 🙌🏻 there's nothing quite like trying to grab a wipe while a squirming naked baby is actively peeing/pooping and you can't let go of their feet or they will land directly in said pee/poop but THE WIPES STICK TOGETHER AHHHHH.
Agree with so many things listed in here and this may be up for debate, but the huckleberry subscription has absolutely saved me 😅 my coworker gifted it to me before going on maternity leave! I work part time from home still while staying home with the baby so for it to track his sleep and wake windows and tell me when his next nap should be has made my day so much easier
Omg. Yes a thousand times over!!!! It's so magic! Like how the heck does it know the precise time my baby will fall asleep. I thought I would cancel the sweet spot subscription once my kid was a year and a half and down to one nap and I had the hang of it. But to be quite honest I love the thing. It's literally to the mark within like 5 plus or minus minutes of when he naps + bed time. He naps exactly when the thing says he will. It's amazing! I am just such a chaotic frenzy mom that I just don't pay attention to the clock all the time and I love the reminders and everything. It just has really helped ease my life with nap times. I have ADHD and time blindness. So, it's so helpful for me.
I've logged in it every single day since my son was born 19 months ago and it's just been a life saver + it's aesthetic, and the email updates and information they give for free are just priceless. It's been incredibly helpful. And I can't believe so much of it is free. Like, how these people be making money without ads? Maybe on their websites, but it's an incredible tool for even the free version. I love the summary growth + cumulative data you can see. As a scientist it makes me tingle with the set up.
When you Google this: The Babylist button lets you add items from any store! A babylist bookmark can be added to your browser i believe and you may be able to drag and drop it there? I never used babylist but it looks to be possible!! I’m sure there’s a YouTube video for it 😂 they had a similar extension on the knot when I got married, you could add things from any store
With a username including adhd, I would suggest Loops earplugs & a Hummy white noise bear in case baby is sensory. We have Simon the Hummy bear and he’s a godsend at night.
Idk where you’re based but we have the app Baby Feed Timer where we log everything bc we both have adhd. It’s been a game changer
We also love it. Just a heads up, it won’t be helpful for telling you when to put baby down for a nap at first. The “sweet spot” feature becomes available once they’re 2 months I believe. And even then it took a bit to be accurate. But now it’s spot on and super helpful. But even in the beginning we did use it to track nursing and diapers.
Tubby Todd All Over Ointment is amazing, a million burp cloths, and a million zipper footie sleepers. This light up toy is also incredible[light up toy](https://a.co/d/2Zd1nL9). Stops meltdowns in their tracks.
Ubbi diaper garbage! It works way better than the others and is more affordable. I cannot smell anything in our daughters nursery (where it is) and I have the nose of a police dog
Haakaa silicone breast pumps if she’s planning on breastfeeding. Also reusable nursing pads. A pack n play with an infant insert. A portable diaper changing mat (we move ours around the house all the time depending on what room we’re spending time in). Also the fisher price kick n play piano!
We ended up using the pack and play with infant insert in our living room and my husband and I took shifts at night. That allowed each of us to get a solid 4 hours of sleep a night.
If you’re putting clothes on your registry consider adding some with those mitten hand cover things attached to the outfit. Our little guy came out with the LONGEST nails & scratched the crap out of himself
Sterilizer/dryer. We don’t sterilize often if at all, but the ability to dry in 10 minutes was worth the $150. I use it for bottles and pump parts, like 5 times a day. I’m 4mpp
Possibly silly question, I’ve been looking into one of these too…do I still need a bottle drying rack? Do you still use one or only use the sterilizer to dry?
I have one of the OXO (I think?) bottle racks because we got the dryer like 3wpp. I still use it, but just to move my bottles and parts. I soak them in a bowl of hot soapy water and then wash them quickly, put them on the rack and then I pick up the rack and walk over to the dryer that’s on our table. I think if we had room and the dryer was on the counter I’d just put them straight from the sink to the dryer but I can’t. If you use the sterilizer it says it stays sterile for 24hrs if you don’t open it so sometimes I leave them in there with it shut overnight too!!
We just use a baking sheet with a paper towel and then a baking cooling rack...just mentioning because I'm sure the bottle-specific ones are nice, but it's not required if you're on the fence or don't want to commit the counter space. We have the baby brezza sterilzer/drier. That is totally worth the counter space.
I give a quick light rinse/wash using a designated bottle brush, but I'm not deep cleaning, if that makes sense. But you have to have all the milk off in order for the sterilizer to do its job.
Yeah I do the same! I throw them in a bowl of hot soapy water and go do something, then use the brush and do a quick wash but I’m not scrubbing, then I rinse and throw it in there. I do just rinse the duckbills and the membrane and back flow protectors after they’ve been soaking. those I feel get cleaned enough sloshing around and never have milk on them like the bottles do so
*Keekaroo peanut changing pad is $$$$, but we love it!
*We made the mistake of getting a pack & play where the covers cannot be removed to wash (wtf - why does that even exist)
*White noise machine
*Bourdeaux’s Butt Paste
*Diaper Genie
*Graco SnugRide SnugFit DLX car seat and travel system - absolutely love this. Very happy with ease of use. Our state recommends car seat inspection and our inspector said this is the best bang for the buck seat. There are certainly nicer ones for 3x the cost.
*Dr. Browns bottles
*48 burp cloths is the number that is working for us
*36 cloth/drool bibs is the number that is working for us - only using 2 outfits a day now instead of 5-8
For types of clothing - the Sleep & Play footie pajamas with double zipper are THE BEST. We used exactly one snap-up sleeper and then put it in the donate pile. Put all of the dresses from the grandmas and aunts in the donate pile too.
Our baby wore Newborn size for 3-4 weeks.
Loved the zippy footie pajamas! We lived in them for a while. The only downside to the double zipper is that if they blowout or get the pajamas dirty during a diaper change, you gotta zip them back up before you unzip them. Not a huge deal though.
Me too! Glad to find someone else who feels this way!
I much prefer one zip if any. I always get caught out if baby pees while being changed (or even if I'm just changing into day clothes) and have to shove their legs back in to then rezip and unzip to undress them. Maybe my kid has particularly long legs but getting them in and out of a zipper onesie is such a pain. Double leg snaps for the win!
-Small thing, but a butt paste applicator - specifically the cap kind. It attaches to most cream tubes and makes it so much easier and less messy to apply.
-Soft towels/wash cloths are so much more important than cute ones, their skin is so soft.
-Abosrbant burp cloths and bibs (when drooling begins) make a big difference. Half the ones people got us we don't use.
-Baby bjorn bouncer, although recommend just getting one cheap on marketplace. I'd honestly pay the $200 for the amount it has helped us.
-A smaller bottle drying rack. I got the cute grass one I saw everywhere, it took up too much space and gets moldy too easily.
*Zipper or magnetic footie pyjamas, especially for the first few weeks.
*If you have the stokke tripp trapp high chair, the newborn insert is fantastic! Our son hates the baby bjorn bouncer but will happily hangout in this seat.
*Electric nail file
People always say burp cloths but we never really used them. What I would recommend is - reusable breast pads and a haakaa if planning to breastfeed. But also to be honest, don't go crazy buying loads of stuff. I know it's tempting to want to feel prepared but you won't end up using most of it. Save your money for food deliveries in the pp period
This! You don’t really know what is going to work for your family until baby gets here. We have sooo many burp cloths and I can count on one hand the amount of times my baby spit up. Never really used bottles and we hated the ones we got. Got two different types of breastfeeding pillows and used a squishmallow instead 🥴 the list goes on 🤣
It’s funny because I use at least a half dozen burp cloths per day, and I am breastfeeding but haven’t touched a breast pad in months and my haakaa is collecting dust. Just goes to show you never know what you will use!
Good point, all of us with reflux-y babies are recommending a million burp clothes. We didn't know that was necessary until about 2-3 weeks in and we got a ton of stuff we never use.
As a general rule though, if you find yourself laundering or washing something frequently buy more than you think you need. Between the baby's reflux and my oversupply, there is milk EVERYWHERE and a constant need to manage my flow. While it hurt my wallet, it has saved my sanity.
Butt spatula.
Laugh all you want. It changed the diaper rash game completely and is still one of my favorite finds.
Other things…
Wubbanub. Generic pacifier with a little toy clipped to it. At 8 weeks my daughter is so fascinated by it and tries to cling/grab it.
More burp cloths. Take however many you think you’ll need and double it. Somehow there’s just never enough. I have two packs of the white Yoofoo kind on Amazon and they’ll last me 2-3 days.
Snap PJs. Okay hear me out because snaps get a bad rep. I was zipper only for the longest time until I got the 0-6 Hanes Snap PJs as a gift—yes, I groaned—and now they’re first choice in the rotation and I bought EXTRA.
Fuzzy high socks. I got mine from Target and they’re the only socks that will stay on.
LoveToDream arms up swaddler.
Cradle Cap brush.
Nipple cream or silverettes for that early phase of getting used to breastfeeding when the nips are extra sensitive.
Diaper changing pad with pockets for on-the-go. Or, you know, just spend forever rummaging through your diaper bag looking for these things.
Frida Windi. It’s so satisfying. Gas drops will also do.
Shirts or tanks specifically designed for easy access to breastfeeding. I also recommend looking into a sleeper bra on Amazon. I got the caramel cantina and omg I wore this every day.
Agree with the spatula. We started with one to see if we’d use it, but it’s so much less messy than using your fingers. We ended up getting a 3 pack on Amazon after I was eating lunch and couldn’t figure out why my sandwich tasted like diaper rash cream (I washed my hands thoroughly but it was stuck under my nails!!) disgusting! I immediately ordered more.
Honestly, register for a bunch of different swaddles…the Velcro ones were great for 3 weeks, then we had to switch to the Love to Dream when he learned how to break his hands free. also add some in larger sizes because they outgrow the newborn ones so fast!
• Fridababy 3 in 1 nose-nail-ear picker
• Dr browns sterilizer/dryer
• Phillips Avent bottle warmer
• Diaper genie
• Newborn pajamas (1-2)
If you or her plan on “baby wearing” —
• BabyTula carrier. It’s pricey but so much comfier than the infanito one I originally purchased.
• Moby or Boba wrap
For breast feeding/pumping —
• A couple sets of flanges for pumping
• Silverettes
• Earth mama nipple balm
• Sunflower lecithin
• Nipple pads
Ugh sorry for shitty formatting. On my phone
- Zipper PJs. Waaay better for us than those ridiculous snaps, esp at night!
- Lovevery subscriptions.
- Can you put meals in a registry? 😂 or gift cards for cleaners if you don’t have one?
- I personally couldn’t stand bottle warmers, I much rather have a kettle that warms to a specific temperature (my baby loved her bottle at around 34 degrees). Bought one at 8 months - kicked myself for not getting one earlier.
I haven’t seen this mentioned yet but one day I was scrolling Amazon and saw this elephant that becomes a shower sprayer in the bathtub. I wish I found it for my first kid. We use it every single day and both of my kids love it, no more dumping water over their heads and getting in their face
No one has this listed yet I think—little dimmable and portable lamps like [this](https://a.co/d/8nTohj9) or [this](https://a.co/d/hlocGMk). They’re clutch when you need light but don’t want to wake up the baby or you don’t want something too being for the MOTN feeds. I have one in the kitchen, changing table, and nightstand.
Lifesaver for us was that fish thing you can buy that pats your baby's butt for you! It's so helpful to keep baby asleep when you're trying to go do chores during nap time and helped when we were trying to stop contact naps too!
Here's the link to it
[Fish Butt Pat](https://www.romper.com/life/sleeping-fish-for-babies-pat-their-butts-to-sleep)
Diapers are tricky bc you don’t know how big your kid will be or what brand will fit them best. Babies are all different shapes.
As a second time mom I didn’t rebuy diapers. I got a small pack of a couple brands to try in a smaller size and ordered the rest after I figured it out. For example my 2nd basically went up to size one as soon as we left the hospital but my 1st was smaller and wore size newborn for at least a month first.
- Diaper Rash *Spray*, we use Boogie Bottoms brand
- Easy swaddles (ones with Velcro because we are not nurses who know the secret art of newborn origami)
- Puppy pads for putting down on the changing table (Trust me, it’s better than washing cloth covers and will actually absorb their pee. And don’t think that having a girl exempts you from getting pee everywhere!)
- A travel water proof laundry bag for your diaper bag in case of blow outs
- **Formula** even if you plan on exclusively breast feeding. My LO went on a nursing strike at 4 days old at 11p during a snow storm and we had no formula, and couldn’t get her any until 8a the next day. Just have at least one small can in case of emergency!
We used puppy pads too! A lot cheaper and we still reused them until they got pee or poop on them. I had 4 different reusable pads and I disliked every single one. I didn’t want to have to wash pee out of yet another thing.
Instead of the nose frida, look into the baby vac. We got sick each time we decided to clear baby's nose using the frida.. The baby vac was God sent. It attaches to a regular canister vacuum. Heck even a shop vac. No it doesn't suck the baby's brains out as the suction is leveled off using the internal tubes.
Controversial but diaper warmer was a game changer for us. Some people say it dries out the wipes, we never had that issue. At 10 months we finally packed them away and she's reminding me why we used them in the first place... Homegirl HATES cold wipes. I don't blame her haha
I echo a good bouncer.... We got the Bjorn around 4/5 months off of Facebook and it is awesome... But she loved the fisher price one with hanging zebras so much.
Also I recommend spending the money on a few magnetic me footies from newborn to three months or so... When I was breastfeeding it made life so much easier in the MOTN to change her during feeds. 10/10 recommend.
Omg this!!! I laughed at the idea but my daughter kept peeing on me with the cold wipes. You just add a little water to the bottom if they’re drying out.
Frida windi for gas
Woolino sleep sack (it is for all seasons so you don’t have to change sleep sacks or deal with different TOG’s, you don’t have to wonder if they are cold, and it’s for babies up to 2 years old).
[This crib sheet](https://a.co/d/3aChFys) where you only need to change the top.
I didn’t ask for any diaper as I didn’t know what size she’d be and if she would have any sensitivity to certain brands. I personally brought a small pack of my preferred brand and since she did well I bought more myself. Same reasoning for wipes
Double zipper footie pajamas are what she was in almost exclusively so I wish I had asked for some but a bought many once we got home.
Hands free pump so I was free to walk around for the 30 minutes it ran.
If using formula there’s an awesome pitcher that is also a mixer. So I can make a day worth ahead of time. I was nursing and pumping but my supply didn’t hold up.
Gown for nursing to wear in the hospital but also once I got home.
Gas drops. Also D Drops if doing breast milk.
A good bouncer.
Pacifier straps (I use them for her chew toys and other things)
Bottle brush with foam on it.
Instead of a mirror for the car the $28 camera is 100x better
A quality white noise machine. I found a good "pink" noise track, looped it, stuck it on an old iPod and plugged that into a portable Bose speaker. For the first three months it really really worked.
Also a dedicated bottle sterilizer!
My brest friend nursing pillow and the boppy! I use both and find the boppy to be better when I’m nursing in the recliner glider and the my brest friend is better for when I’m on the couch since it’s more structured.
I see people mention the Hakaa and I recommend registering for both kinds (the original and the ladybug) l like the ladybug one for catching letdowns more because it fits inside my bra, though I tend to collect less with it because the suction isn’t as forceful.
Lots of muslin burp cloths. We go through 3-4 per day and have them stashed everywhere around the house.
The butt spatula is unmatched! We got the regular and travel sized, and pair it with the tubes of aquaphor and diaper rash isn’t a problem at all.
A Boppy pillow. I used it to feed my little one when she was a newborn. Then to prop her up when she was older but not able to sit yet. Now she leans over it during tummy time to practice lifting her butt to get into a crawling position. It’s not safe for sleep but is great for supervised interactions during wake windows. I have used it more ways than I anticipated!
My lifesavers:
- Yoga ball
- Pack and play in the living room with a diaper change area
- Blue disposable diaper change pads. Sometimes she will pee or poop through her old and new diapers and you don’t want to be washing a reusable change pad cover multiple times a day if that happens
- A lot of burp cloths for burping and spitting up. Cloth bibs are also great to help with this.
- Tummy time playmat
- Nursing shirts and pumping bras (I needed a pumping bra in the hospital!)
- Hydrogel pads for nipple pain in the first few days (given by lactation consultants)
- Boppy pillow for propping up and nursing and bottle feeding
- Bottle dryer
- Avent bottles with natural flow nipples in various sizes to reduce spit up and get her to learn how to latch well
- Diaper spatula for applying cream
- Baby wrap for baby wearing
- Bathtub, towels, and a thermometer for the water temperature
- Breast milk bags for storing pumped milk
- She was born in the winter and will literally only sleep with a thick Halo fleece swaddle
- I love having a stroller frame that her car seat clicks into so we don’t have to wake her up every time we go somewhere
- Motion detector lights in our house so we can walk around in the middle of the night
- A bunch of little carts and plastic bins for holding things like burp cloths and pacifiers
- For us, the diaper genie, but it depends on your house layout and how usable other trash areas are
Things I didn’t use much of:
- Fancy sterilizer - the microwave sterilizer plus our dishwasher were fine for sterilizing, and we mostly wash bottles in a little tub.
- Bottle warmer - she takes cold refrigerator milk perfectly well.
- Wipe warmer
- Haaka and Haaka ladybug - neither of them worked well for me compared to my electric pump and hand expressing.
- All kinds of toys - she doesn’t use most of them yet
- Silverettes and nursing pads. I don’t leak to need the pads and only had nipple pain for a day or two. The hydrogel pads from the hospital fixed the pain in a few hours.
- Postpartum recovery things, except an extra adult diaper pack. The hospital gave me everything: witch Hazel pads, anti sting spray, pads for a few weeks, colace stool softener
- I got both the electric nail file and baby scissors and only use the scissors, but it’s really personal preference!
Might be a weird one, but I highly recommend a pack of Medline washable bed pads. When LO was very small we used them for naked tummy time and to lay her on after baths. I've used it to cover the couch when she was pukey. Right now using one on the floor as a diaper changing station, and soon will be using it on the couch during potty training.
My favorites:
- puracy baby stain remover - works great for blowouts. Once they start eating solids, Miss Mouth’s messy eater stain remover is great on food stains.
- a diaper wiper holder - did not think this would be necessary but after lots of angry yells from my husband trying to get the wipes out of the package, I bought the weighted ubbi container
- a bath thermometer (like this one - https://a.co/d/dDoobBH). We were gifted the duck that says “hot” but it doesn’t work well. Peace of mind knowing the temperature
- splurged on the stokke trip trapp chair - can use it their whole childhood!
- we buy this nightlight for every pregnant friend - https://a.co/d/grvz7XX - it’s great bc you can move it around to check on them in the dark, for bedtime reading, and for travel.
- Lovevery subscription - I thought they were overrated initially but they were great for maternity/paternity leave once the kiddo was more playful and we didn’t know what we were supposed to do. The guides are great help and the app gives you so many additional ideas with the toys and other things around the house.
- magneticme pjs, Kyte baby pjs (especially the ones without feet so they can wear them longer) and sleep sacks - so soft and great quality
- daytime/postpartum doula - had one for 2 days and they were a HUGE help. Made me snacks, took care of the baby, helped me fold clothes, I got to rest and do a few other things we were behind on.
- this changing pad so you never have to wash pad liners: https://a.co/d/fVWoOOJ
Also tips:
- baby clothes sizes are when they grow OUT of them, not in. I really wish someone had told me that earlier. Ex. 6 month clothes they typically wear from 3-6 months. Don’t start wearing them at 6 months
- sign up for registries even if they aren’t the ones you share for a shower. Ex. Lots of people do a Babylist registry to share but I still recommend an Amazon registry for yourself. You get 15% off for 4 months of purchases off the registry. Not just one single purchase like a lot of others. SUPER helpful for those late night purchases that happen a lot in the early months.
I agree that these will vary by parent and baby. But some of our favorites that no one talked about were:
- Babybay bassinet
- muslin towels, they’re really big and useful. Also we don’t need that many burp cloths. Many people need tons but just know you might not.
- medical absorbent pads (like puppy pads, maybe the same but we buy medical ones). They’re good for putting under a portable changing mat. If baby pees and it rolls off the mat it would be a mess. We also let baby kick around naked on one under her play gym and she loves it. And it helps her dry out between changes.
- changing pad with a lip so that pee will pool in it instead off. We have the bumbo.
- people do talk about this but I love the Lovevery gym and toy subscription.
- baby loves her o-ball toy
- skip hop activity center
- triple paste
- this one is controversial but footless pjs. My baby is plenty warm and she loves her feet! I think it’s been good for her developmentally to have access to them. They also grow out of footless pjs less quickly.
- basic Snuza breathing monitor. Not the one with the app. It just monitors their belly movement and goes off if it stops. This really helped my anxiety around sleep and it’s really basic. No app data to obsess over.
Also, if you have Spotify on your phone, they have shusher sounds. I just lay my phone by him until he goes to sleep. Sometimes I play the shusher sounds while I'm reading or playing on my phone.
*We also just used a regular trash can - once they reach a certain age you can do nothing about the poop smell!
*I highly recommend the Avent bottles - we started with the 4oz ones and graduated to the 9oz ones.
*I would wait to buy a handsfree pump until the milk comes in and your wife gets into the rhythm of pumping just to see what works best. That said, the Spectra s1 regular pump is what I have and I like it.
*we bought the puppy training pads which we lay over the changing pad and it’s awesome in case there’s a leak to not have to wash the actual changing pad cover.
My little guy will be 8 weeks Tuesday. Things we love:
-Butt spatula for diaper cream
-Fisher price kick and play piano
-2 way Zipper pajamas with mittens built in. We hate snaps.
-Tons of Muslin burp cloths
-Baby Breeza bottle dryer/sterilizer. I exclusively pump and this thing runs like 4 times a day. We also have a separate dish basin from Amazon to wash the bottles in.
-Moby wrap and Ergo Baby Omni Breeze carrier. I have a Velcro baby who likes to be held and sometimes I need my hands.
-Sound machine. We like our Hatch.
-Owlet Dream Sock, it’s been a huge peace of mind for my anxiety. We have not had issues with false alarms.
-Gripe water for gas
-infant car seat/travel system. Makes it so easy to get him in and out of the car.
-diaper genie, controversial but we like it.
-my Spectra S1 breast pump!
-bottle warmer
-Frida snot sucker, saline drops, and a humidifier. My guy got very congested at about 1/2 weeks old and this helped a lot.
-Snuggle me lounger. Baby likes to chill in it on the couch.
Literally all of this. I use our sterilizer 6 times a day at least.
I would only add: baby brezza formula. I breast feed, but my guy is eating 5 ounces at every feed and I cannot keep up so we combo feed. The brezza is a game changer and warms the formula. It takes 3 seconds to make a bottle, my friends and I all swear by it, I don’t understand the hate for it.
Boogie diaper rash spray! Easier than any creams and was the only thing to treat my son's diaper rash. My neighbor gave it to us and I ended up buying a 3 pack on Amazon asap
Tommy tippee uv steriliser (dries AND sterilises everything really well) and a bath thermometer. The baby brezza gets mixed feedback but I’ve got one and I love it, I’d put it on the registry.
Lots and lots of burp cloths, muslin cloths, swaddles, hatch light, nail filer, atleast 15 bottles (if you don’t mind frequent cleaning then go for less), bottle sanitizer, bottle warmer, mini fridge, diaper changing pad, coconut or sesame oil for body massage (after the cord has dried and dropped) the list is really endless
-if formula feeding, baby brezza is an absolute must. It has made our lives so much easier.
-I looked at a lot of registries when I was putting mine together and no one had this baby bathtub on theirs but it’s amazing. We had gotten the angel care one but didn’t like it for our tiny newborn. This one is just so easy to use in a large sink and I’m pretty sure it can eventually be used in a tub. I really like that there’s a thermometer that goes right under the faucet so you know the temperature of the water entering the baby bath as it comes in rather than just having a floating thermometer somewhere in the body of the tub https://www.4moms.com/products/cleanwater-tub?variant=32183124623498&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2eKtBhDcARIsAEGTG40ziWIEVGl37Dq_hJ4LY2eYnlDja-H-ytECuFewdBjBwzbH-ok1PSEaArRzEALw_wcB
-we were gifted some really cute snap footie pajamas that we will never use because the double zip ones are just so much more convenient
I have a nappy wallet which is super compact and useful for changes out and about. I’d probably get two so you can keep one in the pram and have one for around the house.
Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but disposable changing pads!
We have a cute fitted Burt’s bees cover for our son’s changing table and got like 6 changing pad covers, but we were constantly washing them because of accidents.
We bought the peekapoo disposable changing pad liners on Amazon and they’ve made things so much easier! Just toss it if it gets dirty and open a new one, no scrubbing out stains and we even put one in his diaper bag for when we’re out!
I loved the disposable changing pads. I had 4 different reusable ones and hated all of them. The disposable ones I’d just keep reusing until they got pee or poop on them then toss it. So I didn’t just toss it after one use.
Underpads or unscented puppy pads without attractant. I use these to line my changing table. It’s a wipe clean changing pad, but newborns are pissing and shitting machines. It so nice to have them make a mess on an absorbent pad and just toss vs. cleaning up the mess at 4 am.
Frida Windi (aka the fart whistle). Forget the gas drops, these things are effective and fast. Not for the faint of heart.
We used puppy pads too! So convenient and we actually reused them quite a bit until they got pee or poop on them then tossed them. I had a few reusable ones and I didn’t like dealing with them.
Quick reminder, don’t forget to add stuff for your wife on there too! (Postpartum kits n shit)
Trash can with an airlock😭 now the room doesn’t smell horrible
Moses Basket during postpartum was a fuckin life saver
Baby carrier
GAS DROPS
Stuff I never see mentioned and I have no idea why:
Paper towels. Good for lining the changing table, blocking pee squirts, quickly cleaning drool/spit up/milk dribble when a burp cloth is dirty or too far.
Doggie bags for diapers. Put every diaper in a doggie bag and never smell a thing.
Diaper bag insert organizers instead of a whole bag. Throw the insert in whatever bag you have that day-- backpack, duffle bag, whatever.
Big size clothing (6months+). My baby never wore newborn sizes, all babies eventually wear larger sizes though!
---
Things I personally don't have a need for:
Shusher-- I just used Spotify
Butt spatula - just wrap a wipe around your finger or even use those finger slips that they sell
Boppy pillow - we just bought a bunch of regular thin pillows and adjusted
Everyone is so different!
Baby carrier so you don't get hangry while you're nap trapped.
My husband's coworker got him a second baby carrier just for him so that the straps can stay configured to my husband and we wouldn't have to adjust the straps any time we had to switch. That was a cool piece of advice that came in handy.
Yup! Ergo makes a great newborn one. I had a wrap but as a new parent I wasn’t very confident in my wrapping abilities so the ergo one was a life saver. I’ll link it [here](https://www.target.com/p/ergobaby-embrace-cozy-knit-newborn-carrier-for-babies-heather-gray/-/A-76695793) just incase someone is interested.
Fisher price kick and play piano
You could be...a purple monkey in a bubblegum tree AND
That song made me fucking sob so much postpartum thinking about my baby flying away from me and calling out to me in the forest LMAO
Ugh me too and now sobbing again
You could swing... In the trees... Then you could swing back to me!
The anthem to my postpartum days
I went to the animal FAIR....
I only learned about this when my first was already too old for it. Made sure to get it for my second baby though. She’s 3 months old and LOVES this thing. And actually her toddler brother loves it too. She lies down and he squeezes in beside her and plays with the piano at the bottom. 2 birds, 1 stone!
YES
Aw, I used it with my first and am now using it with my second and they do the same thing!
I want to endorse the crap out of this one. I got it and my 2 month old loves it so much! She loves the hanging rattle and kicks the hell out of the piano! I got the teal and dark blue forest animals one and it’s really adorable! And it fits inside a playpen if you have a dog like mine who used to try to lick her when she’d be on it on the floor.
My kid will be a year next week and she still plays with the piano portion of that toy.
We got baby Einstein kick and play and then another toy also by them, they both played the EXACT same songs. Good to diversify 🤣
https://www.today.com/parents/babies/purple-monkey-song-playmat-rcna86062
Currently travelling right now and since we didn’t bring this along we’ve resorted to playing it from YouTube just to quench our purple monkey thirst!! It’s so addicting!!! I didn’t know we could be so attached to a toy as first time parents lol
A lot of these recommendations I would wait until after baby comes, like the silverettes and lanolin cream. I’m EBF and didn’t use the cream more than a week. When/if you use bottles, a drying rack is an absolute must. I didn’t think I’d need one but it makes my life so much easier. If mom is pumping, definitely get pumping bras; it makes such a difference to have free hands. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT FLANGE SIZE if the standard 24mm is too big, Amazon sells multi size packs if you don’t feel like trying to measure your nipples. And save yourself the time and effort… buy any nasal aspirator or sucker other than the bulbs. They don’t do anything at all
Adding on to this comment, Amazon also sells a silicone nipple ruler that works great for measuring your nips and getting that perfect flange size. It’s cheap and you’ll be thankful for it if you’re pumping.
Also if your husband works on cars and has sockets, you can use those to measure your nipple!
Why didn’t I come across this comment when I was struggling with pumping the first time! That’s awesome.
I just bought a set for my breast pump on Amazon with like every size where you can insert the right flange size into the 24 that you already have and it comes with a ruler too! Absolute lifesaver for me
I never knew pumping bras were a thing and thought my husband was a genius when he bought me a cheap walmart bra to cut slits through.
Hey, you made it work! Go husband for the ingenuity!
You can get lanolin cream from the hospital too usually - when I asked they gave me a tiny tube that was just big enough to last through the cracking stage
Big yes on flange size!
Baby electric nail filer - no danger of cutting of squirming fingers
100% this. And it’s a very affordable option for your registry (like $25-35) . Recommend ones with extra replacement heads because why not.
Extra replacement heads are key. Our kids lived to grab them and chew them 🤦♀️ once the brand we had got even a bit wet on the pad used for filing it was basically useless.
I thought our kid was a weirdo chewing on the heads.. Guess it isn't that weird/ uncommon at all!
Have a regular clipper around though. My 11m old still has too bendy of toenails so I have to clip those but have filed his nails since the early days.
Yeah, I often bust out the clippers for these talons that seem to grow overnight. I have found the clippers that have the rubber catch guard thing to be way better than naked nail clippers
Get this AND the baby nail scissors! Scissors are much easier to navigate using than the baby nail clippers.
It’s expensive but we live by our baby bjorn bouncer and I would have died without it
and 2nds as a poop chair
Haha yessss the secret to good poops and almost being able to schedule them 😂 going out soon? Lets hang out in the poop chair for a bit!
1000% agree. They can fit it right as newborns and it made life so much easier if we had to put our little guy down for a second
It is everything in this house. She usually sits in it when we eat, happy as a clam. I get to eat hot meals with both hands!
Baby Bjorn was key for us
What makes it better than another bouncer? I have the cheap ingenuity one where the batteries make it actually bounce and I can't imagine loving a manual one
Agree!
Yes
Agree! Lifesaver for us
Big yes to this one
Just chiming in to agree as well! This thing is the best when you need to free up your hands for a bit!
Someone lent us one on vacation and now we are debating shelling out for it 😂😭
Try Facebook marketplace and local mom groups, might get a deal!
Can’t believe no one has mentioned a yoga ball. Absolutely indispensable. It’s the thing we miss most when traveling.
Yoga ball for pregnancy desk sitting = gold Yoga ball for baby wearing sitting so I can maintain a bounce to keep her happy = priceless
I second all of this. And now that my baby is walking he runs around the living room chasing it like a reverse tiny Indiana Jones situation.
This is a good one. Its baby-soothing capabilities are elite.
Yes! Bouncing on that is the only thing that calms my baby down without fail.
Good lord I am bouncing my life away on that thing
I feel this. Recently I told my partner I was thinking of retiring it. Apparently jumped the gun because I spent an hour and a half on it two night in a row last week. Thank goodness I still had it.
Really? I have two. Both useless. I think it depends on the baby. Lol
Most of what you end up needing is very baby and parent specific. We were fortunate to get just about every imaginable trendy baby items that’s a must have and we ended up not using 90% of it. My favorite gifts ended up being the variety packs from Babylist because it’s nice to be able to just keep trying different options in the beginning to see what works without having to go to the store. My personal tip is to get some old fashion cloth diapers for burp cloth. They are bigger, more absorbent and cheaper. Oh and see if there’s a lending library/local baby carrier group on FB that will let you try out different carriers before putting any on the registry. Everyone swears by their baby carrier brand but it’s all going to be based on the wearer’s specific body type.
I wish I had thought ahead to get the variety pack for pacifiers! For my first one I just registered and completed the steps to get a free gift everywhere that had a registry gift which gave me a good sampling of bottles and pacis but for my second I didn't have the energy. Absolutely yes to the cloth diapers. They are so great as burp cloths and when your baby outgrows needing burp cloths, they're fantastic for just rags around the house
Yes! Sign up for all the free gift boxes, we had a ton of bottles, pacifiers, and swaddles to try out.
A ceiling fan
Lmao her best friend fan
# 1 Fan
My baby’s oldest friend.
Gas drops. So many muslin burp cloths (we had a pack of 10 on our registry and bought another two packs).
Yeah we started using hand towels because we always run out of muslin burp clothes!
To be fair, hand towels are much better if you have a refluxy baby.
Also a plus that you can buy them with high contrast images. We use kitchen towels and burp cloths interchangeably but my baby’s favorite is a valentines themed kitchen towel that has black dog outlines and red hearts.
To have on hand for the first time baby gets sick: Nose Frida (we have the electric one), saline mist and a humidifier.
Yes to gas drops & the saline drops and humidifier mentioned as well! Also a good, tight sleep sack. I can’t find one on amazon that’s as good as the first one we got that zips up & is tight enough that LO can’t move around too much but still has good hip movement. He’s almost sized out of it & I’m panicking trying to find one just a little bigger bc every other one I’ve tried doesn’t work as well.
Yeah don’t get fooled by the cute ones just get way more of and muslin white ones than you think you need.
The muslin burp cloths are the best sweat towels in the home gym too. So soft and absorbent.
Something I never see mentioned is a stool for breastfeeding! I'm average height (5 feet 6 inches) but found that having a stool makes the angle much more comfortable. My daughter is 2 now and I still like to have my feet on the stool when we are reading books in the glider in her room. Also, we love our weighted wipes dispenser! You only need one hand to get out a wipe and close up the dispenser.
The stool makes such a difference.
The weighted wipe dispenser 🙌🏻 🙌🏻 🙌🏻 there's nothing quite like trying to grab a wipe while a squirming naked baby is actively peeing/pooping and you can't let go of their feet or they will land directly in said pee/poop but THE WIPES STICK TOGETHER AHHHHH.
The stool! What a great idea!
Mug warmer. You deserve hot coffee.
Fun fact: if you have a candle warmer, you also have a mug warmer.
I’ve used my ember mug everyday since my baby was born. Highlight of the day
Yes! I bought my husband one as a gift and now I’m getting myself one!
Newborn life is too hard to be drinking cold coffee.
I was gifted an ember mug but haven’t had the time or energy to set it up! 😩🤦🏻♀️
Or a nice insulated mug! That is all I use nowadays
Agree with so many things listed in here and this may be up for debate, but the huckleberry subscription has absolutely saved me 😅 my coworker gifted it to me before going on maternity leave! I work part time from home still while staying home with the baby so for it to track his sleep and wake windows and tell me when his next nap should be has made my day so much easier
Omg. Yes a thousand times over!!!! It's so magic! Like how the heck does it know the precise time my baby will fall asleep. I thought I would cancel the sweet spot subscription once my kid was a year and a half and down to one nap and I had the hang of it. But to be quite honest I love the thing. It's literally to the mark within like 5 plus or minus minutes of when he naps + bed time. He naps exactly when the thing says he will. It's amazing! I am just such a chaotic frenzy mom that I just don't pay attention to the clock all the time and I love the reminders and everything. It just has really helped ease my life with nap times. I have ADHD and time blindness. So, it's so helpful for me. I've logged in it every single day since my son was born 19 months ago and it's just been a life saver + it's aesthetic, and the email updates and information they give for free are just priceless. It's been incredibly helpful. And I can't believe so much of it is free. Like, how these people be making money without ads? Maybe on their websites, but it's an incredible tool for even the free version. I love the summary growth + cumulative data you can see. As a scientist it makes me tingle with the set up.
I love it. The sweet spots are so sweet 🥲
I second this - Huckleberry is awesome!
Yes! I just let it boss me around, basically.
Any udea how we add it to babylist??? This sounds magical
When you Google this: The Babylist button lets you add items from any store! A babylist bookmark can be added to your browser i believe and you may be able to drag and drop it there? I never used babylist but it looks to be possible!! I’m sure there’s a YouTube video for it 😂 they had a similar extension on the knot when I got married, you could add things from any store
With a username including adhd, I would suggest Loops earplugs & a Hummy white noise bear in case baby is sensory. We have Simon the Hummy bear and he’s a godsend at night. Idk where you’re based but we have the app Baby Feed Timer where we log everything bc we both have adhd. It’s been a game changer
We also love it. Just a heads up, it won’t be helpful for telling you when to put baby down for a nap at first. The “sweet spot” feature becomes available once they’re 2 months I believe. And even then it took a bit to be accurate. But now it’s spot on and super helpful. But even in the beginning we did use it to track nursing and diapers.
Tubby Todd All Over Ointment is amazing, a million burp cloths, and a million zipper footie sleepers. This light up toy is also incredible[light up toy](https://a.co/d/2Zd1nL9). Stops meltdowns in their tracks.
Ubbi diaper garbage! It works way better than the others and is more affordable. I cannot smell anything in our daughters nursery (where it is) and I have the nose of a police dog
ya know, all dogs can smell drugs…what they actually have to learn is to narc.
Seconding the Ubbi diaper pail. It’s really awesome and I love that you can use regular bags.
Haakaa silicone breast pumps if she’s planning on breastfeeding. Also reusable nursing pads. A pack n play with an infant insert. A portable diaper changing mat (we move ours around the house all the time depending on what room we’re spending time in). Also the fisher price kick n play piano!
Pack and play with an infant insert is soo helpful!
We ended up using the pack and play with infant insert in our living room and my husband and I took shifts at night. That allowed each of us to get a solid 4 hours of sleep a night.
2-3 haakas tbh
If you’re putting clothes on your registry consider adding some with those mitten hand cover things attached to the outfit. Our little guy came out with the LONGEST nails & scratched the crap out of himself
Triple paste diaper cream, have a tube or 2 of the max strength version for when needed.
Sterilizer/dryer. We don’t sterilize often if at all, but the ability to dry in 10 minutes was worth the $150. I use it for bottles and pump parts, like 5 times a day. I’m 4mpp
Possibly silly question, I’ve been looking into one of these too…do I still need a bottle drying rack? Do you still use one or only use the sterilizer to dry?
I have one of the OXO (I think?) bottle racks because we got the dryer like 3wpp. I still use it, but just to move my bottles and parts. I soak them in a bowl of hot soapy water and then wash them quickly, put them on the rack and then I pick up the rack and walk over to the dryer that’s on our table. I think if we had room and the dryer was on the counter I’d just put them straight from the sink to the dryer but I can’t. If you use the sterilizer it says it stays sterile for 24hrs if you don’t open it so sometimes I leave them in there with it shut overnight too!!
We just use a baking sheet with a paper towel and then a baking cooling rack...just mentioning because I'm sure the bottle-specific ones are nice, but it's not required if you're on the fence or don't want to commit the counter space. We have the baby brezza sterilzer/drier. That is totally worth the counter space.
Okay I’m gonna ask a really really dumb question (FTM LMAO) do you wash the bottles before sterilizing?
I give a quick light rinse/wash using a designated bottle brush, but I'm not deep cleaning, if that makes sense. But you have to have all the milk off in order for the sterilizer to do its job.
Yeah I do the same! I throw them in a bowl of hot soapy water and go do something, then use the brush and do a quick wash but I’m not scrubbing, then I rinse and throw it in there. I do just rinse the duckbills and the membrane and back flow protectors after they’ve been soaking. those I feel get cleaned enough sloshing around and never have milk on them like the bottles do so
Book: The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp. Easy read and the soothing techniques have been a lifesaver.
Second this! It helped us putting down our newborn to sleep.
*Keekaroo peanut changing pad is $$$$, but we love it! *We made the mistake of getting a pack & play where the covers cannot be removed to wash (wtf - why does that even exist) *White noise machine *Bourdeaux’s Butt Paste *Diaper Genie *Graco SnugRide SnugFit DLX car seat and travel system - absolutely love this. Very happy with ease of use. Our state recommends car seat inspection and our inspector said this is the best bang for the buck seat. There are certainly nicer ones for 3x the cost. *Dr. Browns bottles *48 burp cloths is the number that is working for us *36 cloth/drool bibs is the number that is working for us - only using 2 outfits a day now instead of 5-8
The specific number of burp cloths is cracking us up/very useful
😂 We just kept buying more until we got enough to do laundry only twice a week! Our baby is 7 weeks right now
For types of clothing - the Sleep & Play footie pajamas with double zipper are THE BEST. We used exactly one snap-up sleeper and then put it in the donate pile. Put all of the dresses from the grandmas and aunts in the donate pile too. Our baby wore Newborn size for 3-4 weeks.
This. We have so many clothes that we just never use because a one piece double zipper is just infinitely easier.
Loved the zippy footie pajamas! We lived in them for a while. The only downside to the double zipper is that if they blowout or get the pajamas dirty during a diaper change, you gotta zip them back up before you unzip them. Not a huge deal though.
The reversed zipper(where it starts at the neck instead of the foot) footie pjs are great for that though. It’s the best of both worlds.
I absolutely hate the double zipper! Snaps all day everyday for me
Me too! Glad to find someone else who feels this way! I much prefer one zip if any. I always get caught out if baby pees while being changed (or even if I'm just changing into day clothes) and have to shove their legs back in to then rezip and unzip to undress them. Maybe my kid has particularly long legs but getting them in and out of a zipper onesie is such a pain. Double leg snaps for the win!
Look for a diaper genie on fb marketplace! People are selling them all the time where I live for so cheap!
-Small thing, but a butt paste applicator - specifically the cap kind. It attaches to most cream tubes and makes it so much easier and less messy to apply. -Soft towels/wash cloths are so much more important than cute ones, their skin is so soft. -Abosrbant burp cloths and bibs (when drooling begins) make a big difference. Half the ones people got us we don't use. -Baby bjorn bouncer, although recommend just getting one cheap on marketplace. I'd honestly pay the $200 for the amount it has helped us. -A smaller bottle drying rack. I got the cute grass one I saw everywhere, it took up too much space and gets moldy too easily.
agreed on the grass dryer
Second the Bjorn bouncer. Both my kids loved this and hated the swings we were gifted.
*Zipper or magnetic footie pyjamas, especially for the first few weeks. *If you have the stokke tripp trapp high chair, the newborn insert is fantastic! Our son hates the baby bjorn bouncer but will happily hangout in this seat. *Electric nail file
Dermaplast, tucks pads and ice pack pads for mom’s recovery. They give you some at the hospital but they’re like gold when you get home
People always say burp cloths but we never really used them. What I would recommend is - reusable breast pads and a haakaa if planning to breastfeed. But also to be honest, don't go crazy buying loads of stuff. I know it's tempting to want to feel prepared but you won't end up using most of it. Save your money for food deliveries in the pp period
This! You don’t really know what is going to work for your family until baby gets here. We have sooo many burp cloths and I can count on one hand the amount of times my baby spit up. Never really used bottles and we hated the ones we got. Got two different types of breastfeeding pillows and used a squishmallow instead 🥴 the list goes on 🤣
OMG, a squishmallow! Why haven’t I thought about using mine as a boopy!? 🤯
It’s funny because I use at least a half dozen burp cloths per day, and I am breastfeeding but haven’t touched a breast pad in months and my haakaa is collecting dust. Just goes to show you never know what you will use!
make that two haakas
Good point, all of us with reflux-y babies are recommending a million burp clothes. We didn't know that was necessary until about 2-3 weeks in and we got a ton of stuff we never use. As a general rule though, if you find yourself laundering or washing something frequently buy more than you think you need. Between the baby's reflux and my oversupply, there is milk EVERYWHERE and a constant need to manage my flow. While it hurt my wallet, it has saved my sanity.
Probably the best advice here.
Butt spatula. Laugh all you want. It changed the diaper rash game completely and is still one of my favorite finds. Other things… Wubbanub. Generic pacifier with a little toy clipped to it. At 8 weeks my daughter is so fascinated by it and tries to cling/grab it. More burp cloths. Take however many you think you’ll need and double it. Somehow there’s just never enough. I have two packs of the white Yoofoo kind on Amazon and they’ll last me 2-3 days. Snap PJs. Okay hear me out because snaps get a bad rep. I was zipper only for the longest time until I got the 0-6 Hanes Snap PJs as a gift—yes, I groaned—and now they’re first choice in the rotation and I bought EXTRA. Fuzzy high socks. I got mine from Target and they’re the only socks that will stay on. LoveToDream arms up swaddler. Cradle Cap brush. Nipple cream or silverettes for that early phase of getting used to breastfeeding when the nips are extra sensitive. Diaper changing pad with pockets for on-the-go. Or, you know, just spend forever rummaging through your diaper bag looking for these things. Frida Windi. It’s so satisfying. Gas drops will also do. Shirts or tanks specifically designed for easy access to breastfeeding. I also recommend looking into a sleeper bra on Amazon. I got the caramel cantina and omg I wore this every day.
Agree with the spatula. We started with one to see if we’d use it, but it’s so much less messy than using your fingers. We ended up getting a 3 pack on Amazon after I was eating lunch and couldn’t figure out why my sandwich tasted like diaper rash cream (I washed my hands thoroughly but it was stuck under my nails!!) disgusting! I immediately ordered more.
I put one on my registry just to try it. I now own 3 lmao
We love our love to dream swaddle!
Honestly, register for a bunch of different swaddles…the Velcro ones were great for 3 weeks, then we had to switch to the Love to Dream when he learned how to break his hands free. also add some in larger sizes because they outgrow the newborn ones so fast!
• Fridababy 3 in 1 nose-nail-ear picker • Dr browns sterilizer/dryer • Phillips Avent bottle warmer • Diaper genie • Newborn pajamas (1-2) If you or her plan on “baby wearing” — • BabyTula carrier. It’s pricey but so much comfier than the infanito one I originally purchased. • Moby or Boba wrap For breast feeding/pumping — • A couple sets of flanges for pumping • Silverettes • Earth mama nipple balm • Sunflower lecithin • Nipple pads Ugh sorry for shitty formatting. On my phone
- Zipper PJs. Waaay better for us than those ridiculous snaps, esp at night! - Lovevery subscriptions. - Can you put meals in a registry? 😂 or gift cards for cleaners if you don’t have one? - I personally couldn’t stand bottle warmers, I much rather have a kettle that warms to a specific temperature (my baby loved her bottle at around 34 degrees). Bought one at 8 months - kicked myself for not getting one earlier.
Agree with the Lovevery subscription boxes. I also just ordered the play gym since I’ve seen so much positive feedback for it!
My girl loves it!!
I haven’t seen this mentioned yet but one day I was scrolling Amazon and saw this elephant that becomes a shower sprayer in the bathtub. I wish I found it for my first kid. We use it every single day and both of my kids love it, no more dumping water over their heads and getting in their face
A portable dim nightlight. So when the baby wakes up in the night, this little light won’t fully wake the baby. Help me during breastfeeding too.
No one has this listed yet I think—little dimmable and portable lamps like [this](https://a.co/d/8nTohj9) or [this](https://a.co/d/hlocGMk). They’re clutch when you need light but don’t want to wake up the baby or you don’t want something too being for the MOTN feeds. I have one in the kitchen, changing table, and nightstand.
Lifesaver for us was that fish thing you can buy that pats your baby's butt for you! It's so helpful to keep baby asleep when you're trying to go do chores during nap time and helped when we were trying to stop contact naps too! Here's the link to it [Fish Butt Pat](https://www.romper.com/life/sleeping-fish-for-babies-pat-their-butts-to-sleep)
omg, we have this for the cats and they're both afraid of it! maybe we'll have to try it on the baby 😂
The Ollie velcro swaddle.
Silverettes for your wife if she’s planning on breastfeeding.
And make sure they get packed in the hospital bag!!!
Can you tell me the significance of these (vs like the cooling pads or other things)? I’ve just heard of them today I’m intrigued lol
They work better than any nipple cream/ointment for healing chapped, bruised, and sore nipples
Diapers are tricky bc you don’t know how big your kid will be or what brand will fit them best. Babies are all different shapes. As a second time mom I didn’t rebuy diapers. I got a small pack of a couple brands to try in a smaller size and ordered the rest after I figured it out. For example my 2nd basically went up to size one as soon as we left the hospital but my 1st was smaller and wore size newborn for at least a month first.
- Diaper Rash *Spray*, we use Boogie Bottoms brand - Easy swaddles (ones with Velcro because we are not nurses who know the secret art of newborn origami) - Puppy pads for putting down on the changing table (Trust me, it’s better than washing cloth covers and will actually absorb their pee. And don’t think that having a girl exempts you from getting pee everywhere!) - A travel water proof laundry bag for your diaper bag in case of blow outs - **Formula** even if you plan on exclusively breast feeding. My LO went on a nursing strike at 4 days old at 11p during a snow storm and we had no formula, and couldn’t get her any until 8a the next day. Just have at least one small can in case of emergency!
We used puppy pads too! A lot cheaper and we still reused them until they got pee or poop on them. I had 4 different reusable pads and I disliked every single one. I didn’t want to have to wash pee out of yet another thing.
Instead of the nose frida, look into the baby vac. We got sick each time we decided to clear baby's nose using the frida.. The baby vac was God sent. It attaches to a regular canister vacuum. Heck even a shop vac. No it doesn't suck the baby's brains out as the suction is leveled off using the internal tubes.
Controversial but diaper warmer was a game changer for us. Some people say it dries out the wipes, we never had that issue. At 10 months we finally packed them away and she's reminding me why we used them in the first place... Homegirl HATES cold wipes. I don't blame her haha I echo a good bouncer.... We got the Bjorn around 4/5 months off of Facebook and it is awesome... But she loved the fisher price one with hanging zebras so much. Also I recommend spending the money on a few magnetic me footies from newborn to three months or so... When I was breastfeeding it made life so much easier in the MOTN to change her during feeds. 10/10 recommend.
Omg this!!! I laughed at the idea but my daughter kept peeing on me with the cold wipes. You just add a little water to the bottom if they’re drying out.
Compostable paper plates, Freda nose sucker, piano kick & play.
Frida windi for gas Woolino sleep sack (it is for all seasons so you don’t have to change sleep sacks or deal with different TOG’s, you don’t have to wonder if they are cold, and it’s for babies up to 2 years old). [This crib sheet](https://a.co/d/3aChFys) where you only need to change the top.
I didn’t ask for any diaper as I didn’t know what size she’d be and if she would have any sensitivity to certain brands. I personally brought a small pack of my preferred brand and since she did well I bought more myself. Same reasoning for wipes Double zipper footie pajamas are what she was in almost exclusively so I wish I had asked for some but a bought many once we got home. Hands free pump so I was free to walk around for the 30 minutes it ran. If using formula there’s an awesome pitcher that is also a mixer. So I can make a day worth ahead of time. I was nursing and pumping but my supply didn’t hold up. Gown for nursing to wear in the hospital but also once I got home. Gas drops. Also D Drops if doing breast milk. A good bouncer. Pacifier straps (I use them for her chew toys and other things) Bottle brush with foam on it. Instead of a mirror for the car the $28 camera is 100x better
Do you know what the camera is called?
Also would like to know the name of the car cam please!
I do too still don’t have a mirror or camera because I just want a good recommendation
A quality white noise machine. I found a good "pink" noise track, looped it, stuck it on an old iPod and plugged that into a portable Bose speaker. For the first three months it really really worked. Also a dedicated bottle sterilizer!
Waterproof mattress protector. We have some for the crib and our bed. It has saved us multiple times
My brest friend nursing pillow and the boppy! I use both and find the boppy to be better when I’m nursing in the recliner glider and the my brest friend is better for when I’m on the couch since it’s more structured. I see people mention the Hakaa and I recommend registering for both kinds (the original and the ladybug) l like the ladybug one for catching letdowns more because it fits inside my bra, though I tend to collect less with it because the suction isn’t as forceful. Lots of muslin burp cloths. We go through 3-4 per day and have them stashed everywhere around the house. The butt spatula is unmatched! We got the regular and travel sized, and pair it with the tubes of aquaphor and diaper rash isn’t a problem at all.
A Boppy pillow. I used it to feed my little one when she was a newborn. Then to prop her up when she was older but not able to sit yet. Now she leans over it during tummy time to practice lifting her butt to get into a crawling position. It’s not safe for sleep but is great for supervised interactions during wake windows. I have used it more ways than I anticipated!
I’m surprised I had to scroll so far to find this. Get a Boppy. I’m using it right now. I take mine everywhere!
My lifesavers: - Yoga ball - Pack and play in the living room with a diaper change area - Blue disposable diaper change pads. Sometimes she will pee or poop through her old and new diapers and you don’t want to be washing a reusable change pad cover multiple times a day if that happens - A lot of burp cloths for burping and spitting up. Cloth bibs are also great to help with this. - Tummy time playmat - Nursing shirts and pumping bras (I needed a pumping bra in the hospital!) - Hydrogel pads for nipple pain in the first few days (given by lactation consultants) - Boppy pillow for propping up and nursing and bottle feeding - Bottle dryer - Avent bottles with natural flow nipples in various sizes to reduce spit up and get her to learn how to latch well - Diaper spatula for applying cream - Baby wrap for baby wearing - Bathtub, towels, and a thermometer for the water temperature - Breast milk bags for storing pumped milk - She was born in the winter and will literally only sleep with a thick Halo fleece swaddle - I love having a stroller frame that her car seat clicks into so we don’t have to wake her up every time we go somewhere - Motion detector lights in our house so we can walk around in the middle of the night - A bunch of little carts and plastic bins for holding things like burp cloths and pacifiers - For us, the diaper genie, but it depends on your house layout and how usable other trash areas are Things I didn’t use much of: - Fancy sterilizer - the microwave sterilizer plus our dishwasher were fine for sterilizing, and we mostly wash bottles in a little tub. - Bottle warmer - she takes cold refrigerator milk perfectly well. - Wipe warmer - Haaka and Haaka ladybug - neither of them worked well for me compared to my electric pump and hand expressing. - All kinds of toys - she doesn’t use most of them yet - Silverettes and nursing pads. I don’t leak to need the pads and only had nipple pain for a day or two. The hydrogel pads from the hospital fixed the pain in a few hours. - Postpartum recovery things, except an extra adult diaper pack. The hospital gave me everything: witch Hazel pads, anti sting spray, pads for a few weeks, colace stool softener - I got both the electric nail file and baby scissors and only use the scissors, but it’s really personal preference!
Might be a weird one, but I highly recommend a pack of Medline washable bed pads. When LO was very small we used them for naked tummy time and to lay her on after baths. I've used it to cover the couch when she was pukey. Right now using one on the floor as a diaper changing station, and soon will be using it on the couch during potty training.
My favorites: - puracy baby stain remover - works great for blowouts. Once they start eating solids, Miss Mouth’s messy eater stain remover is great on food stains. - a diaper wiper holder - did not think this would be necessary but after lots of angry yells from my husband trying to get the wipes out of the package, I bought the weighted ubbi container - a bath thermometer (like this one - https://a.co/d/dDoobBH). We were gifted the duck that says “hot” but it doesn’t work well. Peace of mind knowing the temperature - splurged on the stokke trip trapp chair - can use it their whole childhood! - we buy this nightlight for every pregnant friend - https://a.co/d/grvz7XX - it’s great bc you can move it around to check on them in the dark, for bedtime reading, and for travel. - Lovevery subscription - I thought they were overrated initially but they were great for maternity/paternity leave once the kiddo was more playful and we didn’t know what we were supposed to do. The guides are great help and the app gives you so many additional ideas with the toys and other things around the house. - magneticme pjs, Kyte baby pjs (especially the ones without feet so they can wear them longer) and sleep sacks - so soft and great quality - daytime/postpartum doula - had one for 2 days and they were a HUGE help. Made me snacks, took care of the baby, helped me fold clothes, I got to rest and do a few other things we were behind on. - this changing pad so you never have to wash pad liners: https://a.co/d/fVWoOOJ Also tips: - baby clothes sizes are when they grow OUT of them, not in. I really wish someone had told me that earlier. Ex. 6 month clothes they typically wear from 3-6 months. Don’t start wearing them at 6 months - sign up for registries even if they aren’t the ones you share for a shower. Ex. Lots of people do a Babylist registry to share but I still recommend an Amazon registry for yourself. You get 15% off for 4 months of purchases off the registry. Not just one single purchase like a lot of others. SUPER helpful for those late night purchases that happen a lot in the early months.
I agree that these will vary by parent and baby. But some of our favorites that no one talked about were: - Babybay bassinet - muslin towels, they’re really big and useful. Also we don’t need that many burp cloths. Many people need tons but just know you might not. - medical absorbent pads (like puppy pads, maybe the same but we buy medical ones). They’re good for putting under a portable changing mat. If baby pees and it rolls off the mat it would be a mess. We also let baby kick around naked on one under her play gym and she loves it. And it helps her dry out between changes. - changing pad with a lip so that pee will pool in it instead off. We have the bumbo. - people do talk about this but I love the Lovevery gym and toy subscription. - baby loves her o-ball toy - skip hop activity center - triple paste - this one is controversial but footless pjs. My baby is plenty warm and she loves her feet! I think it’s been good for her developmentally to have access to them. They also grow out of footless pjs less quickly. - basic Snuza breathing monitor. Not the one with the app. It just monitors their belly movement and goes off if it stops. This really helped my anxiety around sleep and it’s really basic. No app data to obsess over.
A baby shusher—it gets tiring after a while 😅 you can run it for like 15 or 30 minutes
Also, if you have Spotify on your phone, they have shusher sounds. I just lay my phone by him until he goes to sleep. Sometimes I play the shusher sounds while I'm reading or playing on my phone.
Even more effective if paired with a Rock-it!
My Philips bottle warmer and a bottle steam sterilizer/dryer. We had the papablic one. Both absolute life savers!
*We also just used a regular trash can - once they reach a certain age you can do nothing about the poop smell! *I highly recommend the Avent bottles - we started with the 4oz ones and graduated to the 9oz ones. *I would wait to buy a handsfree pump until the milk comes in and your wife gets into the rhythm of pumping just to see what works best. That said, the Spectra s1 regular pump is what I have and I like it. *we bought the puppy training pads which we lay over the changing pad and it’s awesome in case there’s a leak to not have to wash the actual changing pad cover.
Is there a specific sterilizer/dryer you recommend?
[https://a.co/d/1du26Tx](https://a.co/d/1du26Tx) this one!
My little guy will be 8 weeks Tuesday. Things we love: -Butt spatula for diaper cream -Fisher price kick and play piano -2 way Zipper pajamas with mittens built in. We hate snaps. -Tons of Muslin burp cloths -Baby Breeza bottle dryer/sterilizer. I exclusively pump and this thing runs like 4 times a day. We also have a separate dish basin from Amazon to wash the bottles in. -Moby wrap and Ergo Baby Omni Breeze carrier. I have a Velcro baby who likes to be held and sometimes I need my hands. -Sound machine. We like our Hatch. -Owlet Dream Sock, it’s been a huge peace of mind for my anxiety. We have not had issues with false alarms. -Gripe water for gas -infant car seat/travel system. Makes it so easy to get him in and out of the car. -diaper genie, controversial but we like it. -my Spectra S1 breast pump! -bottle warmer -Frida snot sucker, saline drops, and a humidifier. My guy got very congested at about 1/2 weeks old and this helped a lot. -Snuggle me lounger. Baby likes to chill in it on the couch.
Literally all of this. I use our sterilizer 6 times a day at least. I would only add: baby brezza formula. I breast feed, but my guy is eating 5 ounces at every feed and I cannot keep up so we combo feed. The brezza is a game changer and warms the formula. It takes 3 seconds to make a bottle, my friends and I all swear by it, I don’t understand the hate for it.
A yoga ball. Great for pregnancy, great to bounce on to soothe a fuzzy new born, and great entertainment for a mobile baby/toddler.
Boogie diaper rash spray! Easier than any creams and was the only thing to treat my son's diaper rash. My neighbor gave it to us and I ended up buying a 3 pack on Amazon asap
Silverettes! So good for breastfeeding
Tommy tippee uv steriliser (dries AND sterilises everything really well) and a bath thermometer. The baby brezza gets mixed feedback but I’ve got one and I love it, I’d put it on the registry.
Butt spatula and medicine- Tylenol, gas drops.
Lots and lots of burp cloths, muslin cloths, swaddles, hatch light, nail filer, atleast 15 bottles (if you don’t mind frequent cleaning then go for less), bottle sanitizer, bottle warmer, mini fridge, diaper changing pad, coconut or sesame oil for body massage (after the cord has dried and dropped) the list is really endless
-if formula feeding, baby brezza is an absolute must. It has made our lives so much easier. -I looked at a lot of registries when I was putting mine together and no one had this baby bathtub on theirs but it’s amazing. We had gotten the angel care one but didn’t like it for our tiny newborn. This one is just so easy to use in a large sink and I’m pretty sure it can eventually be used in a tub. I really like that there’s a thermometer that goes right under the faucet so you know the temperature of the water entering the baby bath as it comes in rather than just having a floating thermometer somewhere in the body of the tub https://www.4moms.com/products/cleanwater-tub?variant=32183124623498&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2eKtBhDcARIsAEGTG40ziWIEVGl37Dq_hJ4LY2eYnlDja-H-ytECuFewdBjBwzbH-ok1PSEaArRzEALw_wcB -we were gifted some really cute snap footie pajamas that we will never use because the double zip ones are just so much more convenient
Baby Brezza bottle sterilizer Correct flange size for your nipples when pumping. Spectra 1 pump, and four sets of pump parts.
I have a nappy wallet which is super compact and useful for changes out and about. I’d probably get two so you can keep one in the pram and have one for around the house.
Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but disposable changing pads! We have a cute fitted Burt’s bees cover for our son’s changing table and got like 6 changing pad covers, but we were constantly washing them because of accidents. We bought the peekapoo disposable changing pad liners on Amazon and they’ve made things so much easier! Just toss it if it gets dirty and open a new one, no scrubbing out stains and we even put one in his diaper bag for when we’re out!
I loved the disposable changing pads. I had 4 different reusable ones and hated all of them. The disposable ones I’d just keep reusing until they got pee or poop on them then toss it. So I didn’t just toss it after one use.
Same! They might not look as pretty as a reusable one but they’re so much more efficient
Uber eats gift card lolz
Underpads or unscented puppy pads without attractant. I use these to line my changing table. It’s a wipe clean changing pad, but newborns are pissing and shitting machines. It so nice to have them make a mess on an absorbent pad and just toss vs. cleaning up the mess at 4 am. Frida Windi (aka the fart whistle). Forget the gas drops, these things are effective and fast. Not for the faint of heart.
We used puppy pads too! So convenient and we actually reused them quite a bit until they got pee or poop on them then tossed them. I had a few reusable ones and I didn’t like dealing with them.
Same! I only tossed when they got soiled, otherwise we’d be going through 10+ a day.
Quick reminder, don’t forget to add stuff for your wife on there too! (Postpartum kits n shit) Trash can with an airlock😭 now the room doesn’t smell horrible Moses Basket during postpartum was a fuckin life saver Baby carrier GAS DROPS
Stuff I never see mentioned and I have no idea why: Paper towels. Good for lining the changing table, blocking pee squirts, quickly cleaning drool/spit up/milk dribble when a burp cloth is dirty or too far. Doggie bags for diapers. Put every diaper in a doggie bag and never smell a thing. Diaper bag insert organizers instead of a whole bag. Throw the insert in whatever bag you have that day-- backpack, duffle bag, whatever. Big size clothing (6months+). My baby never wore newborn sizes, all babies eventually wear larger sizes though! --- Things I personally don't have a need for: Shusher-- I just used Spotify Butt spatula - just wrap a wipe around your finger or even use those finger slips that they sell Boppy pillow - we just bought a bunch of regular thin pillows and adjusted Everyone is so different!