Who’s ready for the world’s longest post?! I’m so excited to share the baby gear that has made our life easier and more enjoyable during Clara’s first year. At the time of writing, our daughter is almost nine months old – so we’ve had a good amount of time to try out these products and feel confident in endorsing them. Many of them came recommended to me first by moms that I know and trust, including friends, family, and clients.

I remember how overwhelmed I felt while trying to put together our registry and budget for alllll of the things when I was pregnant, so I hope this post will be useful for new moms sorting through everything for the first time. Of course, every baby is different and every family has unique needs…this is just one family’s honest experience with baby gear!

You definitely do NOT need to buy all of this gear at once (and some of it you may never need, or it just won’t work for your individual baby!) We added many of these things through the process of trial & error over Clara’s first year. Please take what’s helpful and leave the rest! 🙂

Some links below are affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you choose to purchase the product after clicking (at no additional cost to you). I’ve only linked products that I believe in and would recommend anyway. Thank you for helping support this blog!

 

TL;DR version

If you don’t have time to browse through this whole article, here are five of the things we used the most (or that made our lives more easy/enjoyable) during the first few months:

1. Snoo
2. Huckleberry app
3. Ollie swaddle
4. Vista V2 stroller with bassinet
5. Lovevery play gym

 

 

Sleep

1) Snoo – We debated about this bassinet purchase for months, because it is the single most pricey thing we bought for our baby (even at 25% off). In the end, we took the plunge because we felt it was the safest sleep solution to guard against the risk of SIDS (due to the way it straps her on her back when she sleeps).

A lot of people rave about the “robo-rocking” that gives babies magical nights of sleep. Maybe other families have had better luck, but we still had to do quite a bit of work to get Clara sleeping well. The auto-soothe features put her back to sleep without our intervention a handful of times, but mostly (for us) it was just a stylish bassinet with safety straps. Still, we plan to use this again if we have a second baby.

Pro tip – register for an account with your email address and then put the Snoo in your cart. If you leave it alone, Snoo will email you a 25% off code within a few weeks. You can also find used Snoos on Facebook Marketplace for ~$800.

2) Hatch Rest+ – This combination white noise machine/nightlight can be unplugged to use with battery power, so we could rock her to sleep in one room and then carry it with us to avoid waking her up while we put her down. You can adjust the sound and brightness via Alexa voice commands, which was super helpful when I had my hands full or didn’t want to lean over and risk waking up the baby. Finally, it has a clock on the front – I didn’t realize how nice this feature would be, but I often used it to monitor her sleep times when I left my phone in the other room. We leave the white noise running throughout all her naps and nighttime sleep.

3) Snuza Hero – This breathing monitor clips onto the baby’s diaper and sounds an alarm if breathing stops for any reason. You can also set it to blink or make a sound for every breath. We turned off that setting after the first week, but found it immensely comforting during our first (extra paranoid) week home with her. That way I could look over in the middle of the night and SEE that she was still breathing without having to turn on the lights to check (I found that the Snoo’s white noise made it hard to see or hear the baby’s breathing, but turning it off would wake her up).

We also looked into the Owlet sock, but I preferred the Snuza because it was easier to put on/take off with footie pajamas, it didn’t require wi-fi to be constantly attached to the baby, and it was significantly cheaper.

4) SnuggleMe Lounger – Clara took most of her daytime naps in this little lounger (along with the Ollie swaddle) because she slept better in there than the Snoo. It’s not approved for unsupervised use, so E and I needed to stay and keep an eye on her every single time, but it was worth it for how well she napped in there (sometimes 2-3 hours at a time!) We just moved the lounger to whatever room we were hanging out in. It took a week or so to wean her out of the SnuggleMe when we transitioned her to the crib, but I would use this again if we have another baby.

5) Ollie velcro swaddle – Loooove our Ollie! It was a last-minute impulse purchase for us after watching the Taking Cara Babies newborn sleep class, and I was soooo glad we had it. This swaddle closes with super strong Velcro, and it goes on in a matter of seconds – no complicated wrapping techniques required. Clara napped longer in this thing than the Snoo.

6) Huckleberry app – Of alllll of the items in this post, this is my #1 must-have recommendation for new parents. This app was a LIFESAVER for us on so many levels. On a basic level, it serves as a one-stop-shop for tracking newborn care, including sleep, nursing, bottle feeding, diapers, medication, and growth. I didn’t realize how necessary this would be, but it turns out that remembering how long it’s been since you last fed the baby can be virtually impossible when you’re sleep-deprived and staring dreamily at your new baby! I wish we had downloaded this before the hospital, since the staff kept asking us the last time the baby had pooped, fed, etc. and we always scrambled to remember.

The real magic of Huckleberry is the sleep tracker/predictor (called “SweetSpot”), and it truly shines in this arena. Once the baby is two months old, the app uses your sleep log to predict when baby’s next nap needs to be using appropriate wake windows for their age. This is very useful to avoid an over-tired, fussy baby, and it really helped us to figure out her sleep routine (this can feel a bit like a scientific process in the early days). It’s possible that we just got lucky with a naturally great sleeper, but I do think using this app daily contributed to her sleeping 11-12 hours straight through the night by five months old.

Note: Huckleberry was free at the time we used it, but it now costs $15/month to use the SweetSpot functionality. I would pay three times this amount…that’s how useful it was to us. But please don’t tell the app developers I said that 😉

 

 

 

Feeding

1) Comotomo Bottles – Clara took to these really well, and they’re very easy to clean compared with the Dr. Brown bottles, which we also tried. I’m not sure if this is due to the bottles or just luck, but she hasn’t struggled much with being gassy. If you’re not the gambling type, you can purchase a sampler set of five different popular bottle brands from Babylist to see which one your baby likes best.

2) Burt’s Bees Burp Cloths – I’m obsessed with these – they’re super soft (like a well-loved t-shirt), absorbent, and the perfect size. We own 20 and somehow still go through all of them every few days.

3) Spectra S1 Plus Pump – This pump was fully covered by our insurance company – all I had to do was call and request it. I liked this as my first pump, and learning how to use it felt pretty straightforward (check out YouTube for plenty of tutorials).

The only difference between the blue and the pink Spectra pump is that the blue one is battery-powered. Get that one if your insurance covers it because then you can move around a bit more while you pump instead of being chained to an electrical outlet.

If you end up needing to pump a lot like I did, I would highly recommend investing in a second (or even third) full set of parts so that you don’t need to wash all your parts after middle-of-the-night feeding sessions. The Maymom parts on Amazon worked perfectly for a fraction of the price of Spectra parts.

4) Elvie Pump – I can vividly remember the first time I used my Elvie pumps because it felt like I was so freeeeee after spending hours tied to the Spectra (it can feel like a ball and chain sometimes, even with the battery-powered version!) I was running late for a Zoom call and didn’t have time to pump with the Spectra, so I stuck the Elvies in my nursing bra and let them do their thing. I pumped during the call and nobody knew!

I wish I had started using this earlier (I didn’t because I was afraid it wouldn’t be as efficient as the Spectra, and my output was already a fraction of what Clara needed). It turns out that it was pretty dang close to the output from the Spectra and it made a world of difference for my mental health. It enabled me to move around the house, get chores done, and most importantly, hold Clara close to my chest while pumping. I couldn’t do that while wearing the pumping bra and using the Spectra, and my mental health suffered for it.

I’m not sure if I would skip the Spectra entirely, especially for those early days of pumping when your output can make a big impact on your overall supply. But I would definitely recommend the Elvie in addition to the Spectra!

5) Kindred Bravely Hands-Free Pumping & Nursing Bra – It is realllly hard to find a non-frumpy nursing bra, and this is the closest that I came. More importantly, it’s really easy to use – the Spectra flanges can be put in or taken out very easily, and you don’t need a separate bra if you’re still nursing in addition to pumping.

6) APNO Cream – On my second day in the hospital, the lactation consultants were already gasping at how painful my boobs looked…and they were not wrong 🙁 They wrote me a prescription for APNO (All-Purpose Nipple Ointment), which is a combination antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal cream. It helped a lot with the pain and I’ve heard many other mamas talk about how this was a miracle worker for them. If you want to breastfeed, I hope it will be easy for you – but if you’re struggling, it might be worth asking for an APNO prescription. You can only get it filled at a compounding pharmacy (we used Sullivan’s in Boston).

7) Hey Mama nursing pads – I bought these nursing pads to keep from staining my shirts and bras, but as an added benefit, they’re also extremely soft. This helped a lot when my chest felt like it was made out of needles (the less friction, the better). The adhesive backing keeps them in place so you don’t have to constantly reposition. Also, the packaging is adorable. It’s the small things.

8) Soothies pads – I used these in addition to the APNO, and they really helped with pain and discomfort in the early days.

8) Mushie Frigg pacifiers – We tried several different brands, including the ones provided by the hospital, but these pacifiers were the only ones that would stay in her mouth without us holding it in place. Plus they’re available in beautiful colors!

 

 

Strollers, Carseat, & Carriers

 

1) Uppababy Vista V2 Stroller – At first, we decided against this stroller because of its price and weight – I didn’t want to be lugging 27 pounds of stroller up and down the stairs to our third floor apartment. We originally went with the Minu instead, which is a lighter Uppababy that’s great for traveling and folds with one hand. However, once I started walking 5+ hours a week around the neighborhood with Clara, I realized the Minu wasn’t going to cut it for everyday use. It didn’t do that well with snowbanks or sidewalk salt, and I didn’t love that the bassinet felt kind of flimsy and low to the ground.

We sprung for the Vista when Clara was around three months old, and it was like NIGHT AND DAY compared to the Minu. I wish we had gone with this one from the beginning – now I understand why I see so many moms using this stroller around the city! We still kept our Minu for when we can eventually travel by airplane or take the T again…I can see it being great for both of those situations. But for now, the Vista is our workhorse and it’s made walking so much more enjoyable. Our stroller has been more used than our car this year during COVID, and it’s worth the investment.

I recommend adding this carrying strap for the base (if you have to take it up and down the stairs sometimes like we did) and this nonslip drink carrier/stroller caddy. Both have been super helpful. Skip the Uppababy brand cup holder – it’s not worth it 😉

2) Nuna Pipa RX carseat – We’ve been very happy with the Nuna Pipa RX + RLX base, which has an excellent safety rating. It can be installed in many different ways, and you can use the Pipa RX without the base by installing it with a seatbelt. We thought this would be a useful feature for traveling and possibly taking an Uber into the city…although it turns out that we didn’t need to do either of those things during the pandemic! Still, it’s been a great carseat for us.

3) Happy Baby carrier – I took a gamble on this newer carrier brand after reading great reviews and have LOVED it. We have the Happy Baby Revolution and it works for forward-facing, inward-facing, and back carrying. Clara is super comfy in it, it’s easy to get her in and out, and it was really easy for my husband to use as well. Check out the Happy Baby Facebook group for fit checks, wearing tips, resale, and info about release dates (these carriers have become very popular and sell out quickly)

4) Tushbaby carrier – I have to admit that I got sucked into this one from a well-targeted Facebook ad, but it’s one of the best baby items we own. It’s basically a waist belt with a little shelf seat for the baby to sit on. It’s not a hands-free carrier, but I use it all the time to walk Clara around the apartment since it’s easy to just pop her on and off of the seat without getting her all the way in and out of the Happy Baby carrier.

5) Solly wrap – These are a PUZZLE to figure out at first, not gonna lie! I watched this YouTube tutorial many times before and after the baby was born, but it still took a lot of trial and error to figure out the correct way to wear it. However, once I got the hang of it, it was my carrier of choice for the newborn days because her head felt so secure and supported against my chest. Of all the wrap-style carriers, I like this brand because the material is so lightweight (very important when you have a warm newborn heating you up) and the subtle fabric colors and patterns are beautiful. Priorities, people 😉

6) Cold weather gear – If you live in an area with freezing winters, I highly recommend the following 7 a.m. Enfant products (that brand is pricey but the quality and genius designs are worth it):

• Nido Cloud – a super warm velcro blanket (kind of like parka material) that you can use in the stroller on top of baby’s regular indoor clothing. There’s a hole in the back that allows it to be safely used in carseats as well. I took Clara out for walks in 20-degree weather and she stayed perfectly warm in this! I’m excited to graduate to the 212 Evolution next winter.
• Stroller muffs – at first I thought these were kind of silly-looking, but they are sooo smart and practical! These allow you to easily tend to baby without constantly taking your gloves on and off. I kept them attached to the stroller all winter so that I didn’t have to remember gloves.

 

 

Diapering

1) Pampers Pure diapers – I think it’s a testament to these diapers that she only had three blowouts in her first four months – these worked great for us, and I like that they’re hypoallergenic and made without chlorine bleaching, fragrance, parabens, and latex. We only started experiencing leaks once she started sleeping 11-12 hours straight through the night. At that point, we added Pampers Swaddlers Overnights for bedtime use and kept using the Pampers Pure diapers during the daytime.

2) Keekaroo changer – Every parent recommends this for a reason – the fewer surfaces you have to launder, the better. This wipes down easily and you can take it with you anywhere in the house. We skipped a changing table entirely (see “things we skipped or didn’t need” at the bottom of this post) and used this from birth. When she was a newborn, we used the Keekaroo on top of the bed for easier postpartum accessibility. Once she started getting a little older and more wiggly, we moved the changer to the floor, where it has stayed ever since.

3) Boudreaux’s Butt Paste – Besides the fact that the name makes me giggle every time, this stuff is great. The red tube (maximum strength) cleared up baby’s first diaper rash within a day, and we use the green tube (natural aloe) on a daily basis for prevention. I didn’t end up using many of the other diaper balms I saw recommended because they included fragrance, which our pediatrician recommended against using on baby skin.

4) One-handed wipes dispenser – Bless the mom who told me I needed one of these with a newborn. She was soooo right. This dispenser is weighted so that you can grab wipes with one hand – an absolute essential when you’re in blowout territory. I will never fumble with another wipes package again if I can help it!

5) Disposable changing pads – The only downside to the Keekaroo is that the surface can get a little chilly in the winter months. You can easily solve this by adding a burp cloth or one of these disposable changing pads on top. We chose these because they’re waterproof and large enough to cover the entire surface, which comes in VERY handy when we have a Code Brown Diaper Situation. When folded, they fit easily into a diaper bag, so we also use them for changing diapers on the go – either on a carseat or a picnic blanket for now. Once we start taking her into stores again post-COVID, these will come in handy to put on top of the changing stations in public bathrooms.

6) Munchkin Step diaper pail – I did a loooot of research on diaper pails because I’m really picky about smells. This one hits the perfect balance between minimalist design and stink-busting. I’m a big fan.

(It’s worth mentioning that diaper pails aren’t essential if you’re short on space – many people use a regular trash can and then empty the trash every day. I didn’t think we would be that responsible with a newborn in the house, and I was scared of being one of those parents whose house smells like sewage and doesn’t realize it because they’ve developed smell immunity, ha!)

 

 

Bathing & Grooming

1) Mustela shampoo/body wash gel – The most heavenly scent of all the baby shampoos (I tried many because this is very important to me, ha!) Tear-free and no parabens or phthalates. Our first bottle has lasted us until nine months + counting!

2) Tubby Todd All Over Ointment – This might as well be named “miracle cream” in my book. I tried several creams and lotions when her skin flared up, and this is the only one that worked well – and FAST! This clears up her baby acne and rashes overnight, and we continue to use it daily to keep her sensitive skin happy. Just go ahead and get the giant tub…you won’t regret it. 🙂

3) Boon Soak 3-Stage Bathtub – We had a different bathtub when she was born (we tried a collapsible rinser kind to save on space) and Clara HATED it. We tried the Boon when a friend recommended it, and it was a night-and-day difference. Until she was six months or so, we used the Boon on our kitchen counter next to the sink so that we could wash her more easily. Now we use this tub within the adult bathtub (saves a ton of water) or I bring Clara into the shower with me for a quick rinse. That last tip has stood the test of time…my mom did that when I was a baby, ha!

4) Fridababy 3-in-1 Nose, Nail + Ear Picker – Everyone swears by the Snot Sucker, but Clara actually hated it! It might be handy for when she’s sick and has a plugged up nose, but for everyday boogers, this booger kit is so much easier for us to use and seems to be less traumatic for the baby.

5) Fridababy SnipperClipper – These take the stress out of clipping tiny baby nails because they make it virtually impossible to hurt baby’s fingers. They work more like scissors with a window to see what you’re doing. Happy to report that Clara still has all ten fingers and all ten toes!

 

Solid Food

1) Feeding Littles course – I felt extremely overwhelmed before starting Clara on solid food, and I procrastinated learning about it because it made me so anxious! Finally, a week before she turned six months, my husband and I sat down and watched this course a friend recommended. It covers all of the basics you need to know in only a couple of hours. The course instructors include video footage of many different babies eating, which is so helpful to be able to SEE what the gag reflex looks like. Because of this, we felt a lot more confident and prepared starting baby-led weaning. Worth every penny of $59.

2) Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair – Since we live in a small apartment, I’m always on the hunt for minimalist baby gear. I don’t hate having this in our kitchen! The footrest is adjustable, which is a must-have for safety. The tray can be removed and popped straight into the dishwasher. It also grows with the child and supposedly can be used into adulthood. For great alternatives to the Stokke, check out the Lalo and the IKEA chair (this one comes without a foot rest, but you can buy one to add on).

3) EZPZ dishes + utensils – We have two sets of their silicone mini mats, spoons, and tiny open cups. The spoons and cups are both weighted on the bottom, which helps baby learn how to use them. Clara will sometimes tip over her cup a little but it will right itself again without us intervening.

4) Splash mat – Babies are so cute when they’re eating, but also MESSY!!! We re-purposed an old picnic mat from House of Noa to use underneath her high chair, but anything wipeable that you can fold away will do the trick!

5) Solid Starts app – This app is soooo helpful! You can search their database of over 200 foods, track what your baby has tried so far (along with notes about their reactions), easily find instructions for safe serving based on age, and see each food’s nutritional rating. A must-have!

6) Silicone bibs – we have a couple of these silicone bibs and they’re a lifesaver! They catch stray food and keep it from falling onto the high chair and the floor. These make mealtimes so much easier, and we just throw them into the dishwasher when we’re done with dinner.

7) Ready Set Feed allergy packets – With our pediatrician’s approval, we started adding allergy prevention packets to Clara’s bottles when she was four months old. These gradually and safely introduce baby to major allergens like peanut, egg, and dairy. We give her one packet a day mixed into her bottle, and it’s been a really easy system to keep up with. We’ll keep using these until she’s 12 months old.

 

 

Play

I should preface this by saying that you really don’t need to buy toys for a baby…for them, everyday objects like tissues, tassels, and strings are fascinating enough. But we’ve still had a lot of fun with these things too!

1) Lovevery Play Gym – worth its weight in gold! This has kept Clara entertained for the last eight months, ever since she was a newborn. The gym comes with a great booklet that explains what baby is learning at every age and shows you how to use the mat to help develop those new skills. When she was tiny, the black & white cards and hanging toys fascinated her. Now that she’s bigger, we’ve added the included tent attachment and she has fun playing peekaboo under the sides. We have gotten hundreds of hours of use out of this thing and it’s been one of our favorite baby gifts.

2) The Winkel – this toy is super easy to grab and shake – I swear it’s like baby crack. It’s been one of Clara’s favorites since she was about three months old.

3) Barbell rattle – maybe it’s just me, but there’s nothing funnier than a baby doing some heavy lifting!

4) Freddie the Firefly – this toy features so many different areas for baby to explore (with both bright colors and black & white for the newborn days), all contained in one little crinkly firefly. We clipped this onto the stroller and the carseat to keep her entertained when we were out and about.

5) Black & white accordion book – this held Clara’s attention from her first day home from the hospital, and it really helped a lot to keep her interested in tummy time. You can read it as a traditional book, and it also unfolds into an accordion that you can prop in front of baby when they’re on the floor.

6) Charlie Crane rocker – I didn’t use this often (and no more than 10-15 minutes at a time), but it was still helpful to have a safe space to take with me and strap her in when I couldn’t use a carrier (i.e. running to the bathroom or cooking something). I’ve also heard good things about the Baby Bjorn bouncer for this purpose.

7) Clementino the Orange – this has been Clara’s favorite teether by far, and it’s just so cute when she chomps on it all day long!

8) LouLou Lollipop teethers + clips – these teether designs are so cute (think bubble tea, rainbows, and french fries), and the removable beaded clips also work well as pacifier clips in the early days.

9) Lily & River’s Little Climber – we purchased this Pikler Triangle when Clara was eight months so that she could practice standing and cruising with support (this has rounded edges to help avoid injuries from falling). We figured it would be worth it since she can use it for years to come. Eventually she’ll be able to climb over it, and L&R sells a bunch of fun accessories like slides that can be added on later. For now, it’s been great because it folds up easily for storage!

10) Wooden play gym – this handmade set is so sweet and doubles as a pretty nursery decoration, too! Clara still enjoys using this nine months in!

11) Gathre mat – this is our go-to picnic mat and play mat anytime we leave the house. It folds up and fits easily in the stroller basket or car, and it wipes clean (unlike blankets, which always get leaves and bugs stuck in them outdoors). Definitely go for the double-sided version so that the bottom is wipeable as well. We have this one in the midi+ size, which works well for all of us to hang out on the blanket at the same time.

 

 

Board Books

I’m a HUGE fan of baby books and have enjoyed reading to her since she was a newborn. Reading = built-in snuggle time with my baby! Even if they don’t understand much of the books when they’re little, I think they take in and absorb more details than we realize. Even just getting used to the sound of your voice helps with bonding. I was surprised when my daughter started turning the pages at three months old!

Because babies are not very interactive when they’re infants, I looked for books that were entertaining for ME to read. The more I enjoyed the books, the more likely I was to keep up our reading routine. I was surprised that many baby books can be absolutely mind-numbing to read as a parent! My favorite books have great rhymes and storylines. For now, we mostly read board books because they’re easier for her to hold and turn the pages, and she can destroy a regular book page in two seconds flat.

1. Giraffes Can’t Dance
2. Bear Snores On, Bear’s New Friend, and Bear Says Thanks
3. There’s a Bear on My Chair
4. Jamberry
5. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
6. The Pout-Pout Fish
7. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site
8. If Animals Kissed Good Night
9. Little Blue Truck
10. I’ll Love You Til The Cows Come Home
11. All the World
12. Wherever You Go

I’ve also been collecting “big kid” books for later! If you’re looking for books with beautiful covers to decorate the nursery or save for when baby is older, I’ve listed some of my favorites on this page.

 

 

Clothing

If you only ever buy one type of baby clothing for an infant, it should be zippered footies. Trust me when I say you do NOT want to be messing with snaps in the middle of the night! Zippered footies go on and come off easily and you don’t have to mess with those pesky socks that keep falling off. Some parents will tell you to only get the footies with double zippers, but to me, this didn’t seem to make much of a difference.

We put Clara in zippered footies and long- and short-sleeved bodysuits for most of her first year. I tried several brands; here are the ones I liked best:

• For colder months, Caden Lane’s knotted gowns and footies are wonderful – their poly/spandex fabric is a little bit more substantial, washes really well, and feels sooooo soft when you snuggle with the baby! I also like Angel Dear and Burt’s Bees footies (these run a full size big IMO).
• For warmer months, lightweight bamboo footies are great. I found Kyte and Little Bum Bums held up to washing better than other brands.
• For bodysuits, check out Colored Organics – they are sooo soft and wash well. I’ve also heard things about Primary‘s bodysuits.
• For sizes 3-6 and larger, it’s worth purchasing a few footless zipper rompers as well. This way baby can practice grabbing their toes and standing up! I like Hanna Andersson and Kyte for these.

I always found pants, shoes, and cardigans/jackets to be kind of pointless for a baby, but to each her own. I still bought a few shoes anyway because….photographer mom 😉

Now for the fun stuff…the dress-up clothes! These are 10000% not necessary, but dressing up my baby girl has been one of the biggest joys of my life. What can I say? I love the ruffles, bows, bonnets…ugh, it’s just all sooo sweet. I buy myself $10 shirts from Target and then spend money on my daughter’s closet instead…that’s mom life for you!

These brands are more than I would usually like to pay, but there’s this magical thing in the world of baby clothing called Buy/Sell/Trade. Basically, parents buy and sell discounted, gently used baby clothing on Facebook groups and on secondhand sites like Mercari and Kidizen. You can find amazing deals this way, but more importantly, it’s very easy to sell your baby’s clothing once they’ve outgrown it. You can buy a $30 dress, resell it for $25, and end up paying the same price as you would for larger clothing brands like Old Navy, Gap, etc. Just search for “your brand + BST” on Facebook and you’ll likely find a group of hundreds or thousands of moms who are buying and selling that brand.

With that in mind, here are some of my very favorite clothing brands for baby girls (all with great resale value):

• Wild Wawa – my very favorite brand of all time, featuring lots of embroidered details, knits, and custom art prints (think daisies, rainbows, florals, lemons, etc). I’m obsessed with this company and everything they stand for! Clara’s WW clothing is going in her “forever box” because I love it too much to let it go!
• Dannie & Lilou – handmade linen outfits with incredible quality. These are so, so sweet. Everything from this brand runs one (or sometimes even two) full sizes big, so definitely size down if you’re looking to order for a specific occasion.
• Jamie Kay – pastels and florals. Great for socks, tights, and knit hats
• Noralee – the most magical, dreamy dress-up pieces for little girls
• Pink Chicken – a little boho, a little vintage
• Spearmint – fun prints, especially for footies
• Kate Quinn – cheap baby clothes of all types. Beautiful solid colors as well as fun prints. Their $3 knee-high socks are the best!
• Blueberry Hill – my very favorite company for hats!
• Numi – gorgeous vintage-style pinafores. These sell out on the website within seconds, but here is their wonderful BST community on Facebook
• Angel Dear – fun, colorful prints in a wide range of styles
• H&M – great for inexpensive but high-quality baby basics
• SweetHoney – classic styles in beautiful floral prints
• Bows: my favorites are from Little Poppy Co, Modern Piggy, and Bek & Jet. Baby Bling headbands are also great and don’t leave red marks.
• Shoes: Little Love Bug & Starbie (these are really only for photos…babies don’t need shoes and will just kick them off anyway)

 

 

Labor & Delivery / Postpartum Recovery

 

Here are some things I packed in my hospital bag that I found helpful:

• extra-long phone charger
• your own gown for labor (so much more comfortable) – I liked this one and it’s hospital-approved! Comes in a bunch of colors, and even the L&D nurses commented on how much they liked it!
• pillows and towels from home (the hospital ones are terrible!)
• headphones or Bluetooth speaker – I chose this one and it works great, especially for $10! Making a Spotify playlist is a great activity for those last days of pregnancy that seem to stretch on forever!
• a water bottle with a straw (easier to sip during labor)
• nursing bra
• a comfy robe that’s easy to throw on and off when doctors and nurses pop by (you’ll have a constant flow of people in and out of the room during your stay)
• flip-flops for the shower
• slip-on shoes or slippers (I liked these)
• for the baby:
  • both a newborn and a 0-3m outfit for leaving the hospital (hard to tell which size you’ll need until baby is born)
  • anything you want to use for photos – I brought a little wooden sign to write her birth stats on
  • Ollie velcro swaddle (nurses are ninjas with the hospital swaddles, but this comes in super handy when you need to DIY)

For postpartum recovery:

• Dermoplast cooling/numbing spray (our hospital provided this)
• Fridamom healing foam – I used this in combination with the Dermoplast and it worked wonders. The active ingredient (witch hazel) is the same as Tucks pads, but the foam is easier to use and doesn’t slide out of place like the Tucks pads do
• Sitz bath – the hospital provided one like this upon request. This is a staple for recovery, especially if you need stitches. I added these Fridamom epsom tablets.
• Skip the postpartum pads and go straight for the adult diapers. Everyone swears by the mesh panties, but I hated having to keep the bulky pads in place! The adult diapers are soooo much easier to get on and off and just feel a lot more secure for recovery. I wore this brand for a couple of weeks after birth.
• Fridamom peri bottle – basically, everything that this brand makes is A+++. Their peri bottle was a lot easier to use than the one that the hospital provided.

(I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful for c-section recovery tips!)

 

Nursery Furniture

My favorite room in the house is the baby’s! Since we didn’t have a second bedroom at our old apartment, I wondered if I would ever have the chance to decorate a nursery…so it was honestly a dream come true to put this space together. 🙂

You can find a full tour of the nursery (including before/after pictures) on this page!

Here’s where I found the items in her nursery:

1. daybed (this was one of the best decisions we made for furnishing the nursery – soooo useful on many levels! We use it as a space to read books, change diapers, host overnight guests, take a nap, fold baby laundry, and play with Clara)
2. crib
3. daybed quilt
4. side tables
5. round hamper / toy storage bin
6. floor lamp
7. blush curtains
8. rainbow wallpaper (I designed this and it’s now for sale on Etsy!)
9. round mirror
10. ceramic table lamp
11. wooden baby gym
12. woven rug
13. sheepskin rug
14. bassinet
15. stuffed animals
16. blush throw pillow
17. rainbow blanket
18. floating shelves
19. wooden picture frames
20. pom pom crib pillow
21. crib blanket

 

 

Nursery Closet

• woven storage basket
• clear storage drawers – highly recommend these – I’ve repurposed and re-labeled them over and over again, and they hold up great!
• IKEA bow storage racks – super cheap and easy to rearrange
• closet door storage baskets
• clothing dividers
• diaper/nursing caddy basket

To read more about how I organize her closet and baby clothing, check out this post!

 

Photography & Documenting Memories

Camera – I keep my main professional camera out on the counter at home so that I can easily grab it anytime I see a sweet moment. The best camera is the one you have with you, so this can work with just your phone too! If you’re interested in a good beginner DSLR, check out this camera – it’s the same line that I started on when I first learned photography! I recommend adding this versatile beginner portrait lens.

Mushybooks – I love Clara’s “old school” baby book, complete with scribbled notes and pasted photos…it’s so sweet and sentimental! It has thoughtful prompts, but it’s not so complicated or long that I can’t keep up. You can add optional toddler pages to continue using it through year five. I can’t wait to finish filling this out and give it to her someday.

Monthly Milestone Cards – I’ve enjoyed keeping up with Clara’s monthly photos using these little wooden discs!

Blurb books – I use Blurb to print family albums every year, including both my “big camera” photos as well as iPhone snapshots. You can read a TON about those books and how I make them in this post!

You can find more about how I organize our family photos on this page!

 

 

Things we skipped or didn’t need:

Wipe warmer – baby didn’t seem to mind room-temperature wipes 😉

Bottle drying rack – This seemed like just another thing to clutter up our kitchen counter and grow mold in the crevices? We used plain old dish towels to let the bottles finish drying out of the dishwasher, and then we washed the towels regularly to keep them fresh.

Bottle warmer – One of the best pieces of advice a mom friend gave me when I was pregnant was that babies don’t always need their milk warmed, and this saved us HOURS of time! In the end, we gave Clara her bottles straight from the fridge and she loved them. See if your baby will take cold milk first before springing for the bottle warmer. This will also make your life much easier when you need to prepare a bottle on the go.

Car seat adapter for the stroller – I thought we would use this a lot, but it never left the box (maybe partly because we didn’t take many car outings during COVID). Because it’s not recommended to keep babies in a carseat for more than two hours at a time, it usually made more sense to just transfer her into the stroller’s bassinet or take her out once we arrived at our destination.

Changing table – We didn’t have room for a changing table, but we didn’t end up needing one at all. We used a Keekaroo on top of the daybed when she was a newborn, and once she started wiggling around a little bit more, we moved the Keekaroo to the floor for safety so we didn’t have to worry about her falling when we went to go wash our hands after diaper changes. I think I would find a changing table frustrating because it most of them require you to change the baby sideways instead of facing them directly.

Rocker/glider – We didn’t have room for this either, but I didn’t miss it. As long as you have a comfy place for feeding the baby, you’re all set. For me that was our living room couch where I could kick my feet up and watch Netflix during late-night feeding sessions.

Tons of swaddle blankets – all the adorable prints are so tempting, but we hardly used any regular swaddles unless they were for cute pictures. Instead Clara practically lived in her Ollie swaddle for the first few months! If you prefer to have a couple of regular swaddle blankets on hand, the ones from Copper Pearl were my fave. The stretchy fabric makes it easier to get a tight swaddle, they don’t wrinkle like the muslin ones do, and they come in a bunch of gorgeous prints.

Baby towels – yes, they are adorable and I totally got one anyway, but our adult towels worked just fine for bath time!

Crib mobile – Again, I think these are super cute, but I wanted Clara’s crib to be primarily a place for sleeping instead of playing. I could see a mobile being more useful above the diaper mat so that baby has something to focus on while you’re changing them.

Special baby detergent – We use this fragrance-free adult detergent and that works just fine – as long as you choose something gentle, you can skip the special “baby detergent”

Baby food maker – we chose to do Baby-Led Weaning (where you introduce adult food to babies when they’re ready to start solids), but even if you choose purees, you can use a regular food processor instead.

A fancy diaper bag – I think these are kind of a ripoff – they are just glorified regular bags?! When we go out, I either take my regular old Target backpack (similar one linked here), or if we need to bring a bottle with us, I use this cheap insulated bottle bag. If you really need more organization, check out Tote Savvy for inserts you can use in any old bag.

Baby walkers/exersaucers/Bumbos/etc – these personally weren’t for us (check out the “containers” highlight on this physical therapist’s Instagram for more info). No judgment to anyone who uses them, but we didn’t feel their absence in our house.

 

 

Misc Tips & Resources

• Milestones and Motherhood – Tracking milestones and physical progress makes up a significant part of baby’s first year. From tummy time to sitting to crawling and beyond, this Instagram account is the BEST resource. It’s chock full of free content from a professional physical therapist, including troubleshooting and daily activity ideas. I’ve learned more about baby development from KC’s account than anywhere else.
• Wonder Weeks app – Based on the best-selling book, this free app takes some of the guesswork out of baby’s development and temperament. It walks you through different developmental leaps and predicts weeks when you might encounter a rough period as baby works through new skills and changes. It’s fascinating to learn about the world from Clara’s perspective!
• Lucie’s List – If you want to dive further into baby gear (or I’ve left you confused about what you need some of this stuff for), check out Lucie’s List. This site breaks down categories of items you might need and explains different options in a way that’s easy to understand.
• Sign up for a registry! Even if you don’t intend to share the registry with anyone, do it just for the completion discount. Most sites will give you a discount for every item on your registry during a certain time window (for instance, Amazon’s registry gives you 15% off when your registry is two weeks old).

Local Boston Resources

• Check out Nancy Gair’s newborn group on Tinyhood. Several of my clients raved about her classes and insisted that I take one – they were right! She’s compassionate, hilarious, and wise, and reminds moms to take care of themselves as much as their newborn.
• If you’re searching for a doula, I wholeheartedly recommend Emily Newberg of Baby Bean. She was an incredible resource for my husband and me, and she feels like a member of our family at this point! You can read my honest, unsolicited review of her services here. Emily also runs a free Zoom group for new moms that has been invaluable during the isolation of the pandemic.