Oh, the newborn stage! It can be heaven and not-so-heaven-like all at once. The sleepless nights, the uncontrollable cries in the car seat, and those precious baby snuggles you’ll never want to end.
I’ve had my fair share of baby products over the past seven years and every time I have another baby, there’s something new and improved on the market. Unfortunately, for my husband, I usually get sucked into baby products, but if it’s going to make my life a wee-bit easier, it’s actually benefiting both of us! Happy baby – happy wife – happy life.
These are my tried-and-true must have baby products you want to put on your baby registry! This is why they say babies are expensive…but totally worth the investment!
Nuna Pipa Lite – I’ve had a lot of car seats in the past 7 years…5 different brands to be exact and I wish this one was on the marker when I first had a baby. The design on this seat is flawless, from the fabric to the magnetic UPF 50+ dream canopy that zips up when not in use. Also, from what I understand, this is the lightest on the market right now. I purchased the car seat adapters to effortlessly connect this carseat to my CitySelect Lux Double stroller.
Graco 4ever Convertible Car Seat– You’ll need a convertible car seat at some point, so might as well add it to your registry in case a nice friend wants to purchase one for you! I love love love my Graco 4ever seats and currently have 3 of them in all different stages in my car. You’ll never need another car seat after this purchase.
Stroller System – I’ve linked the CitySelect LUX double stroller because you can always leave one seat off to make it a single stroller, add a carseat, add a glider board, etc. SO MANY OPTIONS! If you’re having more than one kid, this is the investment you want to make. If you’re looking for a single stroller system, look at the Nuna, Uppababy, or CitySelect single.
Nose Frida – If you’re a first time parent you might think this is totally gross, but trust me (and everyone else who swears by this) that you will sing it’s praises when your baby is whistling through their tiny stuffy nose. The Nose Frida is seriously useful & effective in getting all that junk out of their noses.
Baby Delight Lounger – You will come home from the hospital and wonder where you’re supposed to lay your newborn down. I always felt weird about laying my babies flat on their tummies after eating (ain’t nobody trying to deal with terrible reflux issues) and this lounger solves all those problems. It’s light weight, unlike a baby swing, for you to easily move it to whatever room you’re using it. If someone tells you they haven’t been able to take a shower because of their newborn baby, it’s because they don’t have this to put them in by the shower! 😉
Halo Bassinest – Now, I will say I bought mine from a friend at a major discount. The price tag on these things are hefty, but if you’re on your first child and plan to have more in the future, it’s an item you’ll use with all your babies…aka worth the price. I LOVE love love the swivel feature the most because it makes getting in and out of bed incredibly easy without waking the baby. The bassinest pulls right up to my bed and made me feel more relaxed with baby so close, but not in bed with me. I could open my eyes and see his little chest move up and down through the mesh siding without getting up.. I haven’t used much of the LUXE features, so I think it’s safe to say you’ll be fine getting the “less fancy” model.
Rock & Play – Another amazing lifesaving purchase for babies! It’s also elevated like the lounger and portable! It cradles them snug and rocks them to sleep. I pick this over a baby swing, only because baby swings are HUGE and take up way too much room for my liking.
Love To Dream Swaddle – Is this thing new or have I been living under a rock?! I’ve been through SO many swaddles in the past 7 years and this one has been absolutely perfect for many reasons. The material is super stretchy and the the two-way zipper makes for easy diaper changes. I LOVE that my baby can still move his arms and have them by his face. This is how he sleeps best. There was always so much struggle with the swaddles that try to keep the baby’s arms down, and the fabric would always get bunched up in the back or almost covering their face. This swaddle is very similar to the ergoCocoon, which is another favorite of mine.
Aden + Anais Silky Soft Baby Blankets – My ultimate favorite baby blankets there ever was! They’re larger in size and my goodness the softest blankets ever! These blankets are perfect: breathable and versatile! I use as a swaddle, nursing cover (just tie two corners together around your neck), blanket, and car seat cover.
Thermometer – You really need a good thermometer no matter how old your kids are and it’s one of those things you just don’t want to buy yourself (at least that’s how I feel about them). Put it on your registry!
Blooming Bath Lotus – Do yourself a favor and don’t buy a plastic baby tub! Your newborn will uncontrollably slip and slide all over that thing and you’ll need an extra set of hands just to hold your baby in place. These baby tubs are supposed to be HELPFUL…right?! The Blooming Bath Lotus fits in any sink or tub, is super soft and comfortable for your newborn, and can be used as a bathmat for when they are older. Throw in the washer/dryer after use or hang dry to make sure mold doesn’t grow on it!
Haakaa – This was gifted to me from a friend and thank God for friends!! I made the mistake of pumping once early on to relieve some pressure and pain. That started an over supply and my boobs hurt for days. THIS magical device hooks on (LOL) to the boob you aren’t nursing with and collects the let down! That’s it…no machines, tubes, etc needed. I got 1-3 oz each time, yall!!! I’m shook.
Breast Pump – If your going to breastfeed and eventually give your baby a bottle, you’ll need a breast pump! I’ve had the Medela Pump-In-Style pump for 7 years and it still runs like a champ! I’ve only had to replace tubing and valves, just for sanitation reasons.
Milk Snob – This is an item you’ll bring everywhere you go! I use it as a nursing cover, car seat cover, grocery/high chair cover, and even a blanket. The material is lightweight, breathable, and stretchy. I’ve wash & dried it in the washing machine at least a couple dozen times, and it’s still in great condition
Baby Carrier – I always go back and forth about my baby carriers because I’ve used 5 different kinds and would recommend 4/5 of them all! For infants I love the Lillebaby and Baby K’Tan. For 4-6 months and beyond I use the Ergo and Tula. I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with any of these.
Pacifiers – Get the bulk pack because they will be all over your house and stuffed in couches and car seats and inside all your toddler’s toys.
Baby Bottles – Comotomo or Dr.Brown’s are whats popular right now. Technically your baby will only take whatever they take (hello 10 different kinds of bottles in my cabinet…) but these two brands seem to have the best success rates/reviews. RIght now my baby is successfully eating from the Dr.Brown’s bottles.
BEABE Bottle Warmer – Can you believe none of my first three children successfully took bottles?! Sure, they took it a handful of times under desperate situations…aka scream and scream before doing so. I also never bought any of the fancy bottle/feeding gadgets before because seriously, what was the point?! This time, I spared no cost at getting baby #4 to take a bottle! This bottle warmer uses steam to warm the bottle (or any food) in 2 minutes! You can also use to sterilize your bottles after use.
Oxo Drying Rack – I love the look and functionality of this drying rack. It takes up less space than others and super easy to clean. Perfectly fits my pump and bottle parts, and doesn’t make my countertops look hideous. 😉
