So I thought about doing something different for my first time mommies out there. Or perhaps you’re just curious about some baby stuff for a friend who’s expecting. Maybe they’re first timers too! Any who, after my first year of becoming a mom, I realized that there are soooooooo many things out on the market for EVERYTHING, but do you really need it all is the question?! No. You absolutely don’t really need everything out there and maybe it could save you some money for diapers 😅
I’ll start with the must haves and then I’ll go into some “if you want to splurge a little.”
This is an obvious one, and it is totally about preference. What I realized when shopping for the perfect stroller is that, you really have to analyze your lifestyle. By lifestyle, I mean overall what do you do on a daily basis, where are you going most of the time? Are you a jogger who needs a balanced stroller? Are you a shopper who needs lots of storage? You have to take it all into consideration to choose the right stroller for you. I live in the city and I love the jet set lifestyle so I picked something super chic and small. It is so easy to maneuver and it swivels so easy in and out of elevators. So Quinny was a perfect fit for me. Make sure you take all that in consideration when shopping for the perfect stroller.
I absolutely loved everything about this swivel bassinet for my little newborn. Not only does it make it much easier for night time, it really does make a difference that you can just swivel the baby right on to your lap. For night time feedings you don’t really have the energy to get out of bed and to another room every 2-3 hours. So having the baby next to you and not in the bed definitely helped me out a ton! This bassinet is comes in several colors and has some nice features like a subtle night light to check on baby, some soothing music, and even vibration.
I thought a stroller would be ideal but there are certain circumstances where you need to be as “quickly” as possible without having to unload and load a stroller. So having a baby carrier for those quick runs is by far a life changer. At least for me it was. Now there’s a lot of different ones and I personally really enjoyed this Infantino one. It is light, easy to adjust, easy comfortable for baby.
4. Diaper Bag
There are so many good diaper bags out there! Luckily there are so many to choose from and I to this day, I have not switched mine. It’s simple, it’s black and gold, with plenty of storage for all of babies essentials.
5. Burp Cloths
These will save your clothes and baby’s clothes too! After each feeding baby needs to burp and it might come with a little spit up. So it’s nice to have plenty of burp clothes to clean up after each feeding.
6. Onesies
I want to say that for the first 2 months Sofia wore onesies most of the time. They’re so much easier to put on and saves time when it’s time for a diaper change. Stock up on some onesies. I also love the little sacks for night time, easy access when changing baby in the middle of the night.
I really loved the size of these blankets, they were large enough to swaddle and cover while feeding. They are light but kept baby’s temperature just right. I even used them to cover the car seat from too much sun. They really come in handy all year long.
8. Bath Tub
I really like that this bath tub transitions from newborn stage into infant. In the beginning you will do a lot of sink bathing because babies are so tiny! I love that this one fit perfectly on our sink. I also love that it becomes a step stool for toddlers.
9. Car Mirror
This one makes driving a lot more peaceful, especially when you can keep an eye on them at all times. As babies grow they also love to see themselves in the mirror. I loved my Skip Hop mirror.
10. Breast Pump and accessories
This was used everyday for an entire year so it is definitely worth the money. I used it in between feeding to help produce more and also to keep a little stash for emergencies. The hand held ones also come in handy when you need to relieve yourself.
11. Comotomo Bottles
Sofia didn’t really use bottles if I were around, but there was no exception when it came to baby sitting. They are very necessary and helpful when hubby wants to step in to help. So she really liked these comotomo ones that had a larger top compared to the Dr. Brown’s that were highly recommended.
This one saved my husband’s life haha, he loved to help out in any way that he could. So whenever I pumped he would wash and sterilize, wash and sterilize over and over. I really enjoyed the fact that it was designed to sterilize and dry, you can choose the settings for 30 minutes or 60 minutes.
This was also another great accessory that we loved. This made unfreezing milk so simple. You could start it from your phone and it would alert your phone when the milk was ready. It made it all so convenient! I also loved how fast it was.
If you have leather seats, or you just like to be extra protective then this one if for you. My car looks brand new even after having a kid in the back, and it’s thanks to this car seat protector. It prevent any harsh indentions or scratches to the car.
