For such little things, babies sure do need a lot! I am known to be an overpacker and would also consider myself a person who overbuys especially when preparing for our sweet baby. Looking back, there aren’t a lot of things I regret buying but there are things I am SO thankful we had and used a ton. I read a lot of newborn guides when creating my registry but since its so personal, I thought I would provide some more options and favorites for you!
Before we get started, I want to share two amazing tips for you. Guys – I am SO proud of these. Every time I use them, I have to announce to Tony how “happy I am that I have these” and I’m passing it on to you.
Tip 1: At the hospital, they will give you a peri bottle. SAVE IT. We use the peri bottle to rinse of Emmie’s head in the bath so she doesn’t get any in her eyes.
Tip 2: Doggie pee pads. Yes you read correctly. This goes along with number 9 but sometimes things get VERY messy and it is not even worth trying to save the outfit or getting the changing table all messy. I love these little pee pads because I can lay her down, clean her up, and then fold it over to have a clean surface. After we throw away and no crazy mess to clean up!
I’m starting off with one of the most expensive one but also one of my favorites. Tony is a total techy and I let him do the research on the baby monitor and I’m so glad he picked this one. Nanit allows you to view your baby on your phone or tablet and also allows you to do so while opening other apps on your phone. It has insights telling you when baby woke up, how long they were awake, and alerts you on your phone if motion or sound is detected. Its amazing and although expensive, we will use it for our future babies too. HIGHLY recommend 🙂
2. Baby Bath
Bathing a newborn at first is terrifying. They are so small and adding water and soap to them, makes it even more scary that they’ll slip or move around especially in the water. We love this baby bath because Emmie is so comfortable in it and it supports her well compared to other bath’s I’ve seen. We’re still bathing her in our sink but soon we’ll switch over and move the bath into the tub where she will still need the support. Also at a great price point.
3. Solly Wrap
Babywearing is my jam. In the beginning, its so comfortable to wear baby close and be able to move around and have a hand (or if baby’s head is resting against your chest, two hands). As Emmie got older, I could start to hold her on one shoulder, and eventually one hip, but it is difficult to do anything one handed! The wrap makes her feel close to me, allows me to clean, and even calms me too. At first I was intimidated by learning how to tie it, but honestly I figured it out the first time and in her first week of life (when I was most fragile). We also had the baby bjorn one which is more structured which Tony used/uses a lot more than I do but is also great!
Once Emmie was about one month old, her favorite place to be was in her bouncer. The bouncer has three levels so as they gain more head control, you can sit them up more. It folds flat, is easy to travel with, easy to clean (we’ve had too much experience with that), and there are optional toys you can attach to the front. Its also light enough you can bring anywhere around the house – which when mama wants a shower, is super nice!
When we were searching for bassinets, it was very important to me to have a mesh siding for safety and so that I could see Emmie easily. The first few months she after she was born, I would wake in the middle of the night in a panic to make sure she was okay in her bassinet. It was important to me to have something safe and beautiful that would be in our room. The baby bjorn was just that and had the added bonus of a slightly bouncy frame that helped soothe baby. I knew I wanted to physically get out of bed to get Emmie in the middle of the night because I knew I’d need to do so to wake myself up (compared to bassinets that swing into the bed) but it obviously depends on your preference. Either way, we loved this bassinet.
6. Bare Boppy
Sunday will mark our 5 month breastfeeding journey – something I am very proud of! Something I could NOT live without was the boppy. I will admit, I had a love hate relationship with it and some weeks would question why I had it. Breastfeeding is SO hard and figuring out positions to hold baby is one reason why. This helps support baby while making you more comfortable. It also came in handy because when Emmie was really young, most people felt more comfortable holding her with the boppy underneath as extra support and to support their arms.
There isn’t much to say about this one. It masks the smell of things you don’t want to smell? We ordered our in white and its used MANY times a day!
8. Hatch baby
I’m sure you already know this, but babies love sound machines because when they’re in the womb, it is loud with the sound of mom’s heartbeat, her blood flowing, and various sounds. Sounds machines do a great job mimicking this sound and also drowns out sound to keep baby asleep. This sound machine is operated by an app and you can set schedules, change colors, and sounds.
9. Bamboo quilted changing pad liners
In-between diaper sizes, and really with a child in general, things can get CRAZY messy on the changing table. I won’t go into detail but just take my word for it. Having a changing pad liner I could throw on when I didn’t want to risk getting the changing pad wet was a lifesaver. Plus they’re waterproof and come in a pack of 3!
Okay so this is not for your newborn, however if you’re nursing that newborn, you will both be happier if you have this. I didn’t use this much past the second month but I’m so glad I had it as we began our breastfeeding journey. I had heard a lot of great reviews about it and better yet – its clean!
We were lucky to not have a baby that spit up often but even with that, we still have them strategically placed around the house. From drool, nursing mishaps, to spit up I love these because they’re absorbent and I liked the size and texture of them.
12. Bottle warmer
This is not needed for every baby, but for Emmie, she struggled to take a bottle. One thing we found was that she took warm bottles much easier than room temp bottles, which in the beginning was very helpful for us. The bottle warmer also doubles as a sterilizer so it is nice to be able to throw things in there for a quick clean.
13. Copper Pearl Car Seat Cover
As I assume many moms are, when Emmie was born, the idea of anyone getting near her (let alone germs) really put me into mama protection mode. The protective feeling you have once they’re born is intense and having this car seat cover put me at ease because I felt I could protect her in public. It also provides shade when needed and can be used as a nursing cover too!
This thing has seriously saved our lives several times. This portable sound machine charges easily and is always in our diaper bag for car trips, traveling, and even on stroller walks. It is easy to charge and bring around!
15. Zen Sleep Suit + Magic Merlin Sleep Suit
When Emmie was 2 months, we transitioned her out of the swaddle. We were so nervous to see how she would do but two products made the transition easier for us and her! First, was the Magic Merlin Sleep Suit. It was helpful because it would muffle her startle reflex so if she moved, it wouldn’t completely wake her up. They’ve given me a code to share with you – ADASHOFBRUCK15 for 15% off! Second, we also loved the Zen Sleep Suit mostly because of the thick quality fabric. We had used their swaddle when she was 4-8 weeks old and loved it!
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