When I got pregnant, I had this vision of super chic baby gear, all matching and all coordinating with my home décor. Hang on one second….
Ok…sorry….just had to laugh at my pre-baby self for a minute 🙂
Here’s the reality, babies need stuff. Lots of stuff. And in the moment, you will buy just about anything to give them what they need to make them happy and keep them entertained.
Since Landon is my first (mom, don’t think because I said “first” that it means there’s another one coming anytime soon!), we were lucky to get a lot of baby gifts from the multiple baby showers that were thrown for me. I really didn’t have to buy much of anything, but this also meant that I had a lot of extra things that I didn’t need or get a chance to use because babies grow and move onto a new stage so quickly.
So this list contains my MUST HAVES, the nitty gritty, the things that we used day in and day out in the first few months of baby’s life, and still use most of it today. I’ve also included a few things that I didn’t necessarily use but other moms swear by, and I’ll let you know why I didn’t use or why they didn’t work for me.
Wardrobe
–Sleepers w/feet: For the first month, Landon LIVED in his sleepers. I didn’t dress him in cute little outfits much, unless we were taking photos or going somewhere special. So we had tons of footed pajamas, like 15 to be exact. This may seem excessive but he was wearing them everyday, and, sometimes he would wear two or three in a day thanks to blow outs. Some of my favorite sleepers were these from Cat & Jack at Target, the zipper is inverted so it zips from the top down, so when you are changing a diaper in the middle of the night, you don’t have to expose their whole tiny little body to the cold air.
–Onesies: Don’t go overboard with this one. I think I had 3 plain white onesies. I mostly used them for layering under his outfits because it was winter. Some people may use them under pajamas, depends on the temperature of babies sleeping situation. (If you’re unsure how to dress baby for bed, I used this chart and it was really helpful for me to feel more at ease.) Again, he was always in sleepers for the first month and after that, most baby outfits come in sets that include onesies so you will have plenty of those once you start getting or buying full outfits.
–Daytime outfits: I wouldn’t buy an entire 0-3 month baby wardrobe. Besides, people LOVE to buy baby clothes so that is the #1 thing you will get as gifts, whether you register for them or not. I had so many 0-3 month cute little outfits that I ended up giving some away because I felt bad he wasn’t going to wear them all. Just get a handful of outfits for newborn photos, meeting family members or holidays, etc.
–Hats: This may depend on what time of year your little one is born. Mine was born in November, so for the first 5 months of his life, we didn’t leave the house with a hat or hoodie on his head. Even if your little one is born in summer though, you may still want some lightweight beanies to shield from the sun or to keep their head warm if say the air conditioning is on full blast somewhere. Food for thought.
–Socks: Just a few pair, to go with those few cute little outfits 🙂
–Gentle laundry detergent: Babies have sensitive skin so you may not want to use a detergent with any fragrance in it right off the bat. There are plenty of fragrance free, gentle laundry detergents or those formulated gentle just for babies.
Wardrobe items commonly recommended that I didn’t use…
–Scratch mittens: I put a pair on him on the way home from the hospital and that was the only time I ever used them. Their fingernails do grow quickly but I just clip Landon’s nails often. Plus, many sleepers and even newborn outfits have little built in mittens on the sleeves that you can easily pull down over their hands if you prefer.
–Sleeping gowns: I had a few of these but never used them. I get the idea, easy to get in and out for nighttime diaper changes without dealing with snaps and buttons. I guess the snaps on sleepers never bothered me and I felt better about his feet staying warm in the footed pajamas than in a sleeping gown with socks that may or may not stay on. If you want sleepers but don’t like the snap situation, there are Magnificent Me sleepers with magnetic closures that basically close up on their own, pretty amazing, but they are a bit spendier. Just depends on what’s most important to you at 3AM 🙂
Sleeping
–Crib/cradle/bassinet/co-sleeper: Obviously you will need to decide what the sleeping arrangements for baby will be. We had a crib in the nursery, but Landon slept in a cradle in our bedroom for the first 6 months. It is totally personal preference and you may have one thing planned and then change your mind once baby is here. Whatever works best for you and your little one is what is right. I can’t give too much opinion here of which items are best, I used a 25-year-old antique cradle that my little sisters slept in. I have heard really great things about the Halo Bassinet/Co-Sleeper, listed as one of the top sleepers on Babylist’s Best of 2017.
–Crib/bassinet sheets: Get a couple for back-up.
–DockATot: By far, one of the BEST purchases I made for baby. (Click here to check it out and get $10 off if you purchase!) Because I was using the cradle that would only fit a flimsy foam mattress pad, I knew I needed something else to put in the cradle for baby to sleep on. A friend had the DockATot and said it was the best purchase she made, so I went for it, in hopes that it would work with the cradle. Boy did it! The dock sits right in the cradle and it gives baby a safe, comfy feeling while sleeping. Because it is so portable, it allows you to take baby’s bed wherever you go. We brought it out into the living room for naps and on trips, and Landon slept amazingly every time because it’s like he never left his bed. On top of that, when we transitioned him into his crib, the DockATot went right along with him and the transition was pretty darn seamless. PLUS! They are now making activity gyms that hang above the DockATot, eliminating a need for another item to clutter your home in those first few months. This wasn’t available when I purchased but I know it would’ve been a great add-on as we used our activity gym daily.
–Halo Sleepsack Swaddle: You may have read that to reduce the chances of SIDS, you shouldn’t have any loose blankets that could cover baby’s face in their bed for the first year. This Halo Sleepsack Swaddle is INCREDIBLE, it solves the loose blanket problem AND it is super easy to secure without having to worry if it’s too tight or too loose and baby won’t break out of it very easily (at least not until they get a bit older). Landon slept so well from night one and I swear, this blanket is a big part of the reason why. Be sure to pay attention to the TOG factor, a rating scale that rates how warm each Halo blanket is. For most sleeping situations, a TOG 1.0 is going to be plenty warm, again, check out this chart on dressing baby for bed for guidance.
–White noise machine: On night one home from the hospital, I remember not sleeping AT ALL! Babies make so many noises when they sleep! Noises that don’t sound normal or healthy but totally are. I’m pretty sure I jumped out of bed at least 10 times to make sure he wasn’t choking. Enter this white noise machine. Not only does it help the baby sleep by drowning out background noises, it’s gonna help you sleep too, new mama.
–Video Monitor: This is one item that we had from the start but I didn’t take it out of the box until we moved Landon down to the nursery and for the life of me, I don’t know why!! Granted, he was upstairs with me, just in our room, instead of downstairs where he is now, but still. I was so paranoid that he would wake up and I wouldn’t hear him that I would leave the bedroom door open and just be SO quite during his naps. What was I thinking?!?! I could’ve gotten so much more stuff done and moved so much more freely through the house! Its a bit silly some of the things we do as new moms, no? Anyway, we have this Motorola Video Monitor and it works great. It uses Wi-Fi, and you can play music in the baby’s room or speak through the monitor to the baby…although I’m not sure why you would? My only negative about this one is that the battery life is not great, but I just leave it plugged in for the most part.
–Pacifiers: My little guy didn’t take a pacifier until about 3 months old, but once he did, it was ideal for helping him self-soothe to get himself to sleep, especially while we were sleep training. I recommend getting a variety of brands because you never know which type your little one will end up liking. I kept trying to give Landon the Natursutten pacifier because that’s the one I had purchased and wanted him to use, not really thinking he wouldn’t like it. It’s just a piece of rubber, right? I probably tried 5 different brands before finding one he would consistently keep in his mouth, the Ulubulu Nip pacifier.
Sleeping items commonly recommended that I didn’t use…
–Muslin swaddles & receiving blankets: I can’t even tell you how many of these I had. An entire drawer full of beautiful muslin swaddles and I think I used them less than 5 times. Maybe it was just my baby, or maybe it was my poor swaddling ability, but he just didn’t sleep well in those swaddles. The Halo Sleepsack Swaddle, mentioned above, worked so much better for us. As for receiving blankets, also had a ton that we got as gifts and never used a single one. This could be again, the time of year. Because it was winter, I got a couple of shearling lined blankets that baby loved and we just rotated between a couple of those as stroller/car seat/lounging blankets. So, again, if your baby is born during a warmer time of year, the lighter weight receiving blankets would probably be perfect for this.
–Night light: This is probably just because of my middle of the night feeding practices but I never used a night light. You don’t want to turn on a main light because you want to keep baby as asleep as possible during nighttime feedings. However, because hubby was snoozing in bed and had to work in the morning, I would always take baby into the living room to feed. As I walked to the living room, there was a light switch for the kitchen that I could flick on and it provided the perfect amount of dim light for feeding and changing his diaper without waking him up. Not that a night light is a big investment, but figure out where you might be doing nighttime feedings and test the lighting options beforehand if possible.
Changing Station
–Changing table/Dresser/Pack n’ play: Another decision you’ll want to make before baby comes is your diaper changing plans for the first few months. I know this may seem silly but hear me out. You will be changing diapers a lot. I mean A LOT, A LOT. Like 10-12 times a day in the first few weeks. So, you want a set up that is easily accessible and well stocked. A lot of this will depend on your nursery set up and whether or not baby will be in the nursery from the get go as well as if the nursery is close by. Example, Landon’s nursery is downstairs and our bedroom, living room, kitchen, etc. is all upstairs. I knew he would be sleeping in our room at first so it seemed silly to be going up and down the stairs every time I needed to change his diaper. I do have a changing pad on top of his dresser in the nursery that is our changing station now but up until recently, our changing station was the Pack n’ Play set up in the living room. We have the Graco Pack n’ Play Playard and it has been a life saver! It has a little changing area on top, as well as a vibrating chair, both of which are removable in order to use the play pen.
–Changing pad: For those that are using a changing table or dresser, you’ll want a soft changing pad. There’s a lot of different brands out there and almost all have raised edges and a strap to buckle baby in for safety, so you can’t really go wrong.
–Changing pad covers: You’ll want at least 2 covers, to have a back-up when there’s an accident.
–Diapers: Diapers, diapers and more diapers! It will probably take some trial and error to figure out which diapers you like best. I, of course, started out with the super cute printed diapers and quickly realized that I needed function over aesthetic. We then moved to Pampers Swaddlers, which is what they used in the hospital, and I liked these but baby was having a lot of blow outs and he seemed to be soaking the diapers pretty quickly. Then we moved to Pampers Baby Dry. That was the jackpot for us. They are technically “overnight” diapers and are more absorbent so they worked out well for our little guy, hardly ever has blow outs and stays dry all night which helps him sleep better. As far as size, it will depend on how big your baby is at birth but they probably won’t be in Newborn size for very long and some babies can go straight to size 1. Landon was 7lb 14oz at birth and I think we were on to size 1 diapers within 2-3 weeks. I would say start with 2-3 packs of newborn and 4-5 packs of size 1 and then purchase as needed.
–Wipes: Again, quite a few different brands so it’ll just be personal preference. I use Honest Wipes and love the thickness of them. I’ve also heard good things about Waterwipes. You will go through a lot of wipes at first because newborns poo A LOT! I think I stockpiled 12 packages and then purchased as needed. Amazon has been my best friend since becoming a mom, BTW.
–Diaper pail & refill bags: Some people say this is an “extra” that you don’t really need. I’m not one of those people 🙂 If you don’t have a diaper pail, then you’ll be putting the dirty diapers, where? In you garbage? Let me say again, newborns poo A LOT! I guess if you take your garbage out daily then it might work out for you but we don’t, so the thought of leaving dirty diapers in the garbage can for too long makes me gag a little. We have the Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin, which dispenses baking soda into the trash bag each time you close the lid. For the last 6 months, it’s been sitting in my living room next to the changing station and not one issue with smelly diapers here. Unless I just don’t smell it and my friends don’t tell me that my house smells like dirty diapers?!?! 🙂 Kidding.
–Diaper cream: Baby is going to get diaper rash, it’s inevitable. I’ve tried a few different kinds because I had a few after all the baby showers. I know a lot of people love Bordeaux’s Butt Paste. I have used Honest diaper rash cream from the start and then tested the others from time to time but I always went back to Honest. I thought it cleared up the rashes almost instantly. Bordeaux’s works well but I hate the smell. If it worked immensely better than Honest then I would just deal with the smell but I don’t think that’s the case.
–Ointment: Hands down…Aquaphor! I used this before I had the baby, it is amazing for cracked skin and chapped lips. I actually put it on my lips every night. And now, I use it on the baby whenever necessary. Any sort of rash, even diaper rash. He got a REALLY bad diaper rash after I gave him a little apple juice and not even the diaper rash cream would get rid of it. So, I mixed a little diaper rash cream with the Aquaphor and viola! Gone by morning. It’s also great if they scratch their face with those pesky little finger nails that grow so quickly. Put a little on the scratch from time to time to keep it from scarring. I used it after his circumcision to help the healing. Magic in a tube!
–Baby nail clippers: Speaking of baby’s nails growing quickly…you will need baby nail clippers. Let me just say, I was TERRIFIED of clipping his nails the first time. I was sure that I was somehow going to injure his cute little fingers. I read about how safe and easy to use the Baby Frida nail clippers are, so I ordered them and when he was sleeping in his car seat after some errands one day (after putting it off for at least a week) I decided that was my shot. Success! I do suggest doing it when baby is sleeping the first time or two, just to get comfortable. Now, I know its basically impossible to cut him with these clippers so I clip his nails with him moving and shaking all over the place.
–Nasal aspirator: Also from Baby Frida, I use their NoseFrida. There are different types of nasal aspirators and moms who don’t like this one, typically say it’s because you “suck the boogers out of their nose” 🙂 Yes, technically, that is true. However, anything that comes out of baby’s nose stays in the contained little area on one end of the tube and does not come near your mouth. I guess it does sound pretty gross but this puppy works!
–Thermometer: So, I bought the fancy digital forehead scan thermometer. Don’t do it. They are not accurate, AT ALL! I can literally take the baby’s temperature 5 times within a 2 minute period and get 5 different readings. The best way to go is a rectal thermometer, especially for newborns. “We love taking rectal temperatures” said no one, ever. The Safety First Gentle Read Rectal Thermometer makes it as easy and painless (for both of you) as possible, takes only 8 seconds to get a reading and because of the shape, there’s no chance of inserting it too far. Also, while I haven’t tried it, I’ve heard the “pacifier thermometers” don’t work well either so I would steer clear.
Bathing
–Baby bathtub: Ok, so could you get away with not having the things in this category, yes. But I will say, they made bath time much easier and much more enjoyable for the munchkin. A baby bathtub is going to be an insert for either your kitchen sink or your regular bathtub, or can sometimes be used on its own and filled with water, it just depends on which on you get. They are small and help cradle the babies body so that they stay put better than you trying to hold their slippery little bodies in a normal size bathtub. We have the Aquascale 3-in-1 bathtub. It has a built in thermometer and scale, which makes paying attention to babies weight gain in those first few months so easy. I, by the way, was obsessed with the baby’s weight, constantly worried that he wasn’t eating enough or wasn’t gaining enough weight. The scale on this bathtub helped eliminate that worry. The thermometer I didn’t really use because I used the one below, silly, I know. I just liked it better and it seemed more accurate.
–Bath spout cover: You don’t really need a spout cover until later. Typically, they are squishy rubber animals used to protect kids from injuring themselves on the bath spout. We have the 4 Moms Spout Cover, which is also a temperature gauge, and takes the guess work out of too hot or too cold bath water.
–Baby soap & baby lotion: No brainer I guess 🙂 Just choose something gentle and formulated for baby’s skin. We love Aveeno Baby wash and lotion. It is pediatrician recommended, tear-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free and made with natural oat extract which helps calm skin from rashes and irritants.
–Hooded towels & washcloths: Not a necessity, but, come on! They are a bit too cute to pass up, don’t you think?!?! Both are usually softer for babies skin. I especially love these washcloths from Pottery Barn Kids because they are really thick. Many baby washcloths are super thin material and after a wash or two, the edges start to curl up and they start to fray.
Feeding
–4 ounce & 8 ounce bottles: I’ve gotta be up front, I only got the basic bottles that came with my Medela breast pump and luckily the baby had no issues taking them right off the bat. I haven’t given him bottles too much so I also haven’t had to deal with any of the bottle feeding issues. If you are going to be bottle feeding, I have heard really great things about Dr. Brown’s bottles. They have a special vent system that keeps air bubbles from getting into babies tummy to avoid gassiness that comes from bottle feeding. We only used 4 ounce bottles for the first few months so you would be ok just stocking up on that size and then getting 8 ounce bottles later, usually around 3-4 months.
–Nipple cream: If you are breast feeding, this is a MUST! I don’t think many breastfeeding moms get away with not needing any sort of cream or balm. The pain from nursing in the first few weeks is one of the toughest parts of breastfeeding but if you can power through it, it does get better! I used Honest nipple balm and it worked really well. I was healed and past the pain in about 3 weeks just applying this balm after each nursing session.
–Nursing pads: Yet another downside to breastfeeding, you’re going to need to wear nursing pads because you will leak. TMI? You’ll get over it 🙂 Once you start breastfeeding, I swear, what you consider taboo or inappropriate conversation completely changes, especially with other moms.
–Breast pump: Initially, I was going to be going back to work after I had the baby so I got the Medela pump in style advanced pump. It is perfect for the working mom because the pump is housed in a convenient tote and holds a mini cooler for the bottles you pump while at work, plus room for additional parts. I ended up not going back to work after my maternity leave, however, if I had to do it again, I would still get this model. It’s been great from when we do travel because I could easily take everything with me and the pump itself is great quality.
–Milk storage bags: Most breast pumps will come with or have milk storage bags you can purchase that are compatible to that pump so that you can just pump into the bag if needed. My pump/bags have this option, however, pumping into them is a bit tricky and messy. For me, it was much easier to pump into a bottle and just pour the milk into the bags. But, if you are planning to return to work, these will be necessary to get your freezer stash started before you head back.
–Burp cloths: Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding, burp cloths are A MUST. Spit up, drool, boogers, just to name a few bodily functions you’ll need them for. But seriously, you want super absorbent, so skip the cutesy and go for function. I went with these basic white flannel cloths, they are super soft and soak up whatever you need.
–Formula: If you are formula feeding, obviously you need formula. I researched a bit because while I wanted to breastfeed, you never know if it will be right for you and your baby, and I wanted to be prepared. While I can’t give personal experience advice, I read great things about Enfamil Infant Formula being the closest to breast milk as you can get, and it is recommended by many pediatricians. Now, I’m going to give you a #realtalk moment here. While I should have had some formula on hand, just in case we needed it, I didn’t purchase any before baby came. I figured, if there were some physical reason why baby couldn’t breastfeed, we would figure that out in the hospital and hospitals have formula on hand for newborns and we could deal with it then and send hubby to the store before we brought baby home. Maybe that was a rose-colored glasses approach but it made sense to me. In hindsight, I am SO happy I didn’t have formula in the house because breastfeeding is FRICKEN HARD! Like, really hard!!!! Up all night, exhausted, feeding round-the-clock, sore nipples, “I can’t do this anymore” hard! There were multiple times in those first couple weeks that I wanted to give up breastfeeding and if I had had formula in the house, in a mentally weak moment, I might have done it. But, because giving the baby formula meant having to go to the store to get it, thus making me actually think about and not make a rash, sleep deprived, hormonally charged decision, I talked myself down and just kept feeding. At the end of the day, do what feels right for you and know that, whether breast feeding or bottle feeding, each one has its upsides and downsides, and whatever is right for you and your baby is the best. Period.
–Formula dispenser: Had I been formula feeding, HANDS DOWN, I would have purchased the Baby Brezza Formula Pro. With as often as babies eat, why not make bottle prep easier on yourself, especially at 3AM! It’s like a Keurig for baby bottles! 🙂
Feeding items commonly recommended that I didn’t use:
–Breastfeeding covers: I’ll be honest, I don’t breastfeed in public. If you do, more power to you! I wish I wasn’t so hesitant about it. But, even with a breastfeeding cover, it’s just not my thing. My baby was also on a very predictable schedule from the start that made it easy to know when he was going to need to be fed and I could always plan accordingly (i.e. feed at home and then run errands, feed before leaving a friends house, feed in the mother’s nursing room at Nordstrom – I love that place! or just bring a bottle along). You get the picture. I had a few of those cute breastfeeding covers that doubled as scarves, they were just more trouble than they were worth. The are thin, flimsy fabric that hangs around your neck and certainly does cover you and the baby, but it’s nearly impossible to actually see what you are doing. And if your baby is like mine, they pop on and off multiple times, he didn’t just latch and stay put the entire time. Plus, I felt like the baby got so hot under there! I know there are a few covers out there that have a “propped up” effect at the top that allows you to see what baby is doing (Bebe au Lait and Balboa Baby both make them). If I did it again, I’d probably try one of those out. Just don’t spend the money on the cute scarf covers.
–Breastfeeding pillow: Another item that I wouldn’t spend the money on. I got both the boppy and My Breast Friend and I didn’t use either one. Maybe it was just me but I felt like they were more work than they were worth. I know they are supposed to hold baby up higher so you aren’t hunched over, straining your neck and back…now that I type this, maybe this is why I threw my back out a few months ago…hmm. Anyway, it just never seemed comfortable for us. Most of the time I just wound up with a couch throw pillow under my arm to support the weight of the babies head.
Traveling
–Car seat: One of the top things on your list will be a car seat, and I recommend getting this and installing it ahead of time, like weeks ahead of time. The last thing you want is to go into labor early and not have you car seat installed and have to think about and deal with during the chaos. The hospital actually won’t let you leave until they have seen and inspected your car seat. At least ours wouldn’t. I think I installed mine about a month before my due date. It actually got me a bit excited too, every time I got in the car and saw the empty seat, it made me that much more excited for when there would be a little nugget in there 🙂 In terms of safety, all car seats on the market are rated for crash safety. This is one item that you should buy brand new, no buying used or at a consignment store because you won’t know if it’s been in an accident (they can’t be used after that) or if it is expired (I think 5 years is the maximum before safety features are considered out-of-date). So, you can’t really go wrong in this category. Biggest things to consider are if you want an infant seat that is removable and is compatible with and can be popped onto your stroller or do you want to go straight for the convertible car seat that stays put in the car and grows with your baby. I went with an infant seat that snaps onto the stroller. With an infant, they sleep ALL the time and taking them in and out of the car seat when they are tiny is almost more hassle than it’s worth because they wake up as opposed to just sleeping through you pulling the entire seat out and snapping it on the stroller. Of course, this means we will be purchasing a convertible car seat when he outgrows the infant seat, usually around 1 year old. You have to just weigh the pros and cons here. Infant seat pro: convenience and easy portability from car to stroller to inside home without waking baby. Infant seat con: Cost of having to purchase another seat around the 1 year mark. Convertible seat pro: Most come with infant inserts and grow with your child, making it the only seat you’ll need until your child is ready to be in the car with no safety seat at all. Convertible seat con: May make the early infant days a bit tougher, transferring baby to and from car seat to stroller to inside home and disrupt naps. If I had to do it again, I would still, most definitely go with an infant seat and switch to a convertible down the road.
–Child safety mirror: The first time I had to leave the house by myself with the baby, I was terrified. I know it sounds crazy. With your first baby, everything is so new and you really don’t know what to expect and once you are both strapped into the car, there’s not a lot you can do if the baby starts crying. Add to that, the fact that the baby seat is rear facing so you can’t see what is going on or why he might be crying, and you’ve got yourself a perfect storm for an anxiety stricken mama. A safety mirror positioned on the head rest in front of the baby will do wonders to calm your fears. Something about being able to see that little face makes it SO much easier to handle.
–Diaper bag: Now that you’ve read through this list, I don’t think I need to tell you that babies need A LOT of stuff. And when you leave the house, for whatever reason, there are certain things you won’t want to be without. A good quality diaper bag with functionality and lots of compartments will make being out and about so much easier. Look for one with lots of interior and exterior pockets as well as an option to wear it hands free (i.e. cross-body strap or backpack). Also helpful is one that comes with a removable changing pad, a case for holding some wipes and that the bag is made from an easy to clean fabric (think something you can wipe down with a washcloth or easily throw in the washing machine). And I gotta give a little shoutout to my friends who have designed some super chic, super functional diaper bags that even dads want to carry 🙂 Go check out Product of the North and show this cute little family owned, small business some love!
–Stroller: You’ll probably want to shop for your stroller and car seat at the same time if you are getting an infant car seat, just to make sure that the two are compatible. They don’t necessarily have to be the same brand. Mine are different brands and for most, you can buy a little adapter piece so that the two can work together. But, many companies today do a stroller/infant seat bundle that you can purchase together for a slight discount compared to if you purchased them separately. Again, tons of options here, I would personally look for lightweight (for lugging in and out of the car) and some strong and sturdy wheels, especially if you like to go for walks outdoors. If you’re having trouble deciding between the many, many options out there, consult Babylist. Not only can you create a baby registry with products from multiple companies through this website, they also put out their “best of…” list on nearly every category and do a great job comparing different products, listing the pros and cons of each.
–Baby carrier: Some moms swear by baby wearing from the start, that you can put baby on you in a carrier and move around and get all kinds of things done while they sleep. My baby was not that way, he hated the carrier until he was about 5 months old and now he only likes it when we are out running errands, he never sleeps in it, just loves to be able to look around at everything. I do think its worth a shot because I am definitely the minority here. There are a few different styles, Baby Bjorn, Ergobaby or Moby or K’tan wrap. Once Landon got to the point of liking the carrier, we have used the Ergobaby 360, super easy to throw on. We did try the Moby wrap, it is super comfortable but for me it was a bit of a pain to actually get on but that could also be because I hadn’t perfected how to use it or do it quickly.
Extras
–Swing: A swing was a lifesaver for me, especially one that is a little bit portable. We had the 4 Moms Mamaroo chair and it became the only way I could get a shower in those first few weeks. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving him in his cradle where I couldn’t hear if he started crying so I would bring the Mamaroo in the bathroom and strap him in while I jumped in the shower. He loved it too, most times he would just fall asleep in it.
–Play gym: Not that baby is going to be playing with the hanging toys right away, but they love to just look up at them. It’s a great activity from the get go for those moments when baby is awake, just lay them under the toys, sit next to them and move the toys yourself to help them learn to track things with their eyes. Our little guy LOVES (yep, still uses it daily) this Fischer Price Kick & Play Piano Gym because once he started moving his legs, he kicked the piano to make noise endlessly. Now that he can sit up, the piano can flip up and he sits between the piano and toy arch and goes back and forth between both.
–Books: I read about starting to read to babies right away but it seemed silly to me, how is a 1 month old really going to enjoy reading? Turns out, a lot! And it’s proven to help develop their speech abilities at an early age. At first, though, it’s more about the bright colors on the pages and the sound of your voice but Landon LOVED it from the start and it became part of our bedtime routine. Before long, he would “read” right along with us, making noise as we read the words to him.
–Hand & foot rattles: In those first few months, it’s all about baby learning how to move his body parts and hand and foot rattles are a great activity to help them discover that movement. We had little rattles that would velcro around his wrists and little booties with rattles on the toes to wear on his feet. Once he figured out that he was making the rattling sound by moving, he had so much fun with it.
There are obviously so many other toys out there, these are just the ones we used in the first few months. Don’t worry, your home will be filled with tons of toys in no time 🙂