When it comes to baby items, I’ve learned it’s best to avoid overbuying before the baby is here. Once you have your baby, you’ll discover more of what you want/need. With most everything just 2-day shipping or curbside pickup away, you’ll be able to get what you need when you need it.
I made the mistake of registering for or purchasing several items that I didn’t end up using as much as I thought I would. My advice: don’t buy multiples of anything. Every baby is different. You’ll figure things out with time. For example, don’t buy multiple packs of the same pacifiers, bottles, diapers, etc. (or at least don’t open them and save the receipt just in case). It’s very possible you/your baby may not end up liking certain items. I have a drawer full of different pacifiers that we don’t use because our baby prefers one specific kind. Don’t buy too many clothes/outfits. If you’re anything like me, you’re just going to want the baby in zippered sleepers/onesies the vast majority of the time. Sure, buy a couple cute outfits, but don’t go overboard. We have outfits our baby didn’t even wear or only wore once, despite only buying a handful of actual outfits. You can always buy more once the baby is here.
That all being said, here are the items we actually love and use. This will be different for everyone, but when I was pregnant I loved learning which products people love. So, here are mine, organized by category:
Feeding
Bottles: These are the only ones we have really used. Flynn is luckily not picky (he was a NICU baby and was started on disposable bottles on day 2 after birth) and doesn’t have bad reflux. So, since he took these easily, we haven’t been motivated to try any others. We also bought these slowest flow nipples which were great for when he was a newborn.
Breast pump: This is the main one I use. I also use this convenient breast pump although I don’t find it to be as efficient as my main pump. I use these bags for storing milk in the freezer. I also prefer this milk collector to the Haaka, as the Haaka sticks out so much and will fall off while nursing. It’s more expensive, but worth it.
Probiotics and vitamin D drops: I highly recommend you use these! Especially if breastfeeding, you need to supplement with Vitamin D. Flynn has not had trouble with painful gas and we have used these since the very beginning. We haven’t needed gas drops or gripe water and I think it’s because of these!
Burp cloths: You can’t have too many! We love these because they’re absorbent, large, and minimalistic looking. They wash well and we have them everywhere. I would get at least 2 packs.
Bottle Warmer and sterilizer: I didn’t know if this would be something we’d end up using, but it was a cheaper option to the $100+ ones out there. First of all, sterilizers are unnecessary. You can sterilize by using boiling water on the stove, the dishwasher, or steam sterilizing bags in the microwave. You also don’t need to sterilize every time you wash bottles. Warm soapy water does the trick most of the time. For information on cleaning vs sterilizing, and how often to do it, the CDC has guidance here. Anyway, we use this periodically for sterilizing, but what we use it most for (and I thought we’d hardly ever use this function) is for bottle warming! You can set it to an exact temperature (we do 37°C) and keep it there constantly so it’s ready to heat up a bottle in a pinch! We like 37°C because it’s body temperature and shouldn’t denature any of the good components in breastmilk.
Drying rack: This one saves counter space, and is not an eyesore.
Bottle brush: We’ve tried a couple others, but this is our favorite. It has a stand for the countertop, has a built in smaller brush for cleaning bottle nipples, and is softer so it doesn’t spray water everywhere.
Nursing pillow and cover: I don’t always find I need it when nursing, but it’s nice to have especially when you’re first learning to breastfeed. I also have the My Brest Friend one, but this one is cheaper and I find it more comfortable and convenient. The cover is also really easy to wash and put back on.
Sleeping
Humidifier: This humidifier is the same one we have in our bedroom. It’s nice looking, has a large tank, and is easy to clean (as easy as cleaning a humidifier can be). We clean ours about every 4-5 days with vinegar.
Baby shusher: Was not sold on this until we saw our newborn photographer use it and Flynn calmed right down! We use it mainly if he’s fussy before sleep.
Baby mattress: This one is completely breathable and washable. It’s a genius product!
Crib: We are obsessed with the look and quality of our crib. It is exactly what I was looking for as a statement piece for the nursery.
Bassinet: I could do an entire blog post on the Snoo. We love it. Flynn is an amazing sleeper and we credit the Snoo for a lot of our sleep success!
Pacifiers: These are our favorite. Flynn loves them, they stay in his mouth extremely well, and they’re all one piece and very easy to clean!
Diapering
Changing pad: A wipeable changing pad is a must unless you want to do more laundry. We love this one. It’s super high quality!
Diaper pail: I went back and forth between this and the Ubbi. Ultimately, I kept hearing that this one contains smell better and the refills for bags really aren’t really that expensive. I also love that you can use it one-handed when you’re holding the baby and trying to throw the diaper away. Before babies start solids, their poop really doesn’t smell bad, so you could also get away with holding off on this item and start by using a regular trashcan that you empty on a regular basis.
Wipes: We love these wipes. They’re great for sensitive skin, and are very wet. I can often change a poopy diaper with just one wipe!
Wipes dispenser: This is great as it has a weighted piece to hold the wipes down to only dispense one wipe at a time.
Diapers: love these. They’re really absorbent and we don’t have many blow outs in them. They are also great for his sensitive skin–haven’t had a diaper rash yet!
Aquaphor: we use this for everything, including after diaper changes to prevent diaper rashes.
Playard: This pack and play also has a bassinet and diaper changing station. We keep it in our living room and it’s sleek-looking and great to have downstairs for easy diaper changes.
Playing
Play gym: Probably our #1 used item. Great for tummy time and learning/development!
Play kits: We have these for 0-3 months and 3-6 months so far, and they integrate so well with the play gym.
Bouncer (splurge): This bouncer is a popular one and we now know why! It’s so functional. Easy to clean and travel with. We also have this bouncer toy that is great for when they’re discovering their hands. I also love that the colors are muted and don’t stand out among our home décor.
Bouncer (budget): I registered for 2 bouncers so we could keep one on each floor. Flynn also loves this one and it has music and vibrations to calm him.
Swing: Flynn loves this swing! It will calm him if he’s fussy and entertain him when he’s bored. It’s a popular baby item for a reason.
Firefly: I think every baby I know loves this toy. We hang it from the play gym, car seat, and stroller.
Parenting
Nail filer: You need this. Baby nails are so sharp and cutting them is difficult and doesn’t get rid of the sharpness. This works amazingly and Flynn doesn’t mind it at all!
Baby monitor: I went back and forth on which monitor to get. I first bought a popular wifi one and then realized I’m on my phone so much and I want something separate that I can watch and listen to while I’m on my phone. Plus, it doesn’t drain your phone battery. What we love about this one in particular: large screen, great night vision, and the automatic noise reduction for canceling out white noise.
Owlet: I know these are temporarily discontinued, but we love ours. It’s amazing peace of mind.
Air purifier: This also has a built in sound machine. We’ve had no issues.
All over ointment: This Tubby Todd all over ointment has been great for his dry, sensitive skin. He’s suffered from rough, bumpy skin and as soon as I discovered this, it hasn’t been an issue. He also has a dry, sensitive scalp and after I put this on, it’s so much better!
Clothing
Bibs: These bibs are adorable and so high quality. They’re great for when you’re trying to protect an outfit, or if you have an extra spitty/drooly baby.
Old Navy sleepers: Love these! We have so many. They have all the features you’d need–2 way zipper, and fold over mittens! In general, as far as clothing goes, I’d recommend mainly getting these for the first few months. They’re what Flynn wears 99.9% of the time!
Kyte Baby sleepers: We have a few of these and they are the softest material and cutest colors. They’re very thin, so not the best for winter, but we are absolutely obsessed.
Bathing
Rubber ducky thermometer: Another thing I thought we might not need. But after his first bath, I bought this right away so we could know the bath water was the right temperature for his sensitive baby skin!
Washcloths: These are thin and affordable. We have so many and use them for baths, wiping down his face/eyes, and covering him during diaper changes to avoid getting peed on!
Cradle cap prevention brush: We use this for shampooing to help prevent cradle cap.
Infant bath tub: You will want a tub like this for when they’re infants. He loves this tub!
Outings
Pacifier clip: So essential for preventing pacifiers from falling on the ground. This one is also super cute to go with all his outfits.
Stroller organizer: We use this as a cup holder too. It fits my 40oz Hydroflask.
Wrap carrier: I don’t find this as useful as my structured baby carrier, but we’ve definitely gotten some use out of it. It’s very soft and is most ideal for small babies. Flynn was born at 9 pounds and 21.5 inches so we had a short window where this worked well. He’s now 14 pounds and while we could still use it, it’s just not as easy as a structured carrier.
Structured baby carrier: love this one! It’s breathable for warmer weather, easy to put on, and comfortable.
Winter cover for baby carrier: This is the most genius thing. You need this is you’re going to be using your structured carrier in cold weather. No need for baby jackets! It seals in your body heat to them and keeps them warm.
Portable sound machine: We are so obsessed with this that we bought two. The sound it makes is so soothing and it gets loud. We brought it to the hospital and used it during labor and postpartum and the sound filled the room. It’s also great for soothing him in the stroller, car, and when he’s napping at my parents’ house.
Stroller: This stroller is a cult favorite for a reason. We love it.
Car seat: I did so much research on car seats. I chose this one because of the extra safety features (load leg), weight (it’s more lightweight than the Mesa), and functionality (the dream drape is the best!).
Car seat adapter for stroller: If you go with the above car seat and stroller, you’ll need this.
Decorating
Glider: This glider is comfortable and high quality. It has performance fabric to repel liquids and stains, and it goes great in our nursery.
Hangers: These baby hangers are functional and look great in his closet.
Basket diaper caddy: Love this for how it looks and it keeps everything handy right on the changing table/dresser.
Room darkening curtains: You’re going to want these for daytime naps. They’re not 100% blackout, but they are darkening enough.