I read so many blogs and researched all of the “best baby items” and bought a lot of stuff we probably didn’t need so I wanted to list some of my favorite items and alternatively write about the stuff we could probably go without.
Also spoiler alert you never really know what you need until you have the baby. Because just like every pregnancy, every baby is different so what works for my kiddo might be different from what will work for yours. That being said, I think most of these things are pretty generic and will work for most babies. Also amazon prime is a must and ordering at 2am on your first night home with the baby will happen. Prepare yourself.
Clothing and Changing!
First things first don’t spend a lot of money on clothing. They grow out of “size newborn” so quickly that there’s really no point in buying many onesies in this size. Also they are babies. They poop and spit up all day long so you’ll be changing outfits a couple of times a day. I recommend using Dreft Laundry Detergent. It smells great and is good for baby’s sensitive skin. Having a baby in summer also made things easier- less clothing.
I went back and forth about what to do for a changing table. I had read that it’s a waste of money to get an actual changing table because it serves no purpose after the baby no longer wears diapers. I wanted to get a bookcase from Ikea and just put a changing table on top, but when I measured the height of it, it would have been too short and super annoying to have to be bending down all the time. I also thought about getting another dresser but that takes up a lot more room (and we have all of baby’s stuff in our bedroom..because you know, New York). And I didn’t want to be opening and closing drawers at 2am to get a diaper out. So… this is what we went with
Here are the grey storage baskets and the nursing pads I use, mainly at night.
So far this is working really well. It’s easy to get diapers and an new outfit in the middle of the night and everything is organized so it looks fine not being in a drawer.
Also on our changing table we have the hatch baby smart scale changing pad. This thing is great. We are able to measure how much Braxton eats every feeding and keep track of his weight (we were never concerned about it, but it just gives us peace of mind). Bourdreaux’s Butt Paste, Aquaphor Baby Healing Ointment, and Babyganics hand sanitizer. We also have a wipe dispenser with these wipes they’re water wipes so they’re good for baby’s sensitive skin.
Eating
When I was pumping and giving him a bottle, I preferred these bottles and this soap is amazing. It cleans all of the milk residue off of the bottles and pump. We also use Little Remedies Gas Drops to help settle his tummy if he seems gasy and is not burping.
Bath Time!
We have a tub that goes right inside our own tub and it took Braxton a few times, but he finally loves bath time! There’s an infant sling insert so it grows with baby. The only thing I don’t like, is I have to constantly move him back up as he slides down and I don’t want water getting into his ears. But overall, for the price, I like this tub (it’s only $20!).
We use these washcloths, they say they are for sensitive skin but they’re not as soft as I would like. They do the job though. We’ve been using Aveeno Soap, it has a light scent so if your baby as extra sensitive skin I would use something with no scent, but it seems to be fine for Braxton. We also got this infant care kit, it has pretty much everything you need (nail clippers, hair brush, comb, thermometer, it’s great!). We also use this bucket to get his hair wet and periodically pour water over him so he doesn’t get cold.
Stroller and Carriers
I looked at SO many strollers. I was completely overwhelmed and honestly trusted Amazon reviews a lot to help us decide which one to get. I changed my mind on the color about 6 times, but finally decided on this Evenflo Travel System. It’s a great price and it comes with an infant car seat (that grows with baby) and a bassinet (which we have yet to use, but I’m excited to use it eventually). I also got these clips to clip a blanket to the car seat to block the sun and this fan because it’s hot as hell right now in the city. We also have this organization strap on bag (it’s less than $12!) and this diaper backpack (under $40!).
As far as carriers. I would get one that is more heavy duty. We have the Ergo baby carrier. It’s a little pricey, but it’s great quality and you can machine wash it! We had to get the infant insert so we can use it now with baby! We also have a “sling” type carrier, that I will use for a short walk or around the house to clean/ use both of my hands!
Sleeping!
We have a Pack N’ Play that we started using right when we brought B home, but he really does not like to sleep and be still so we transitioned him to sleeping in a Rock N’ Play. I know there is controversy around babies sleeping in these, but we are in survival mode the first few weeks. We decided not to get a crib because 1. the space and 2. we wanted a pack n’ play anyway and thought it was unnecessary to get both. We used this swaddle that Braxton liked for a few weeks, but we don’t swaddle him anymore because he would rather have his arms out and near his face. I really like sleep sacs as they are easy to change him in the middle of the night and they’re loose so he can move his legs around.
Playtime
We have these black and white contrast cards that he will stare at. We also have this play mat. I love the colors and it folds up really nicely so it doesn’t take up too much space.
I hope this helps! As you can see, you need a lot for a newborn BUT my motto is to keep it simple and to not overbuy. Like I said, all babies are different and what works for us might not work for you.
As far as things you won’t need right away:
-a lot of toys/ stuffed animals (they’re uninterested/ can’t see past like 7 inches or anything in color for that matter)
-size newborn clothing
That’s about it! Honestly there is not much that we have that we aren’t using!
xoxo,
kate taylor
taylormadeforfour.com 