Disclosure: I only recommend products I have used myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
Hello Friends!
It has been a hot minute since I’ve written a blog post, but we’ve been a little preoccupied lately with our little bundle of joy! Newborn life is busy, but so incredible! Daisy is almost two months old now, so while I’m definitely not a baby expert at this point, I did want to share some of the baby gear that has made our lives much easier!
There are so many things we use every single day, but that would be a really long list! So this is just a short list of things I would 100% recommend to anyone building their baby registry or wondering what they should purchase for their newborn. These are things that we probably couldn’t function without at this point! And I know there are a thousand different options and brands for each piece of baby gear, so this list is pretty general, but I’ll link what we went with, and any other options people have recommended.
Newborn essentials we can’t live without:
1. Wipeable Change Pads
This one had to be at the top of the list, just because it has been something we use so much, and definitely a life (and laundry) saver! When I first looked into change pads for the top of our thrifted ikea dresser, I had found so many cute fabric options for the typical changing mattress that everyone seems to have. We even bought one of those trendy changing baskets at one point, but immediately took it back after realizing how impractical it was!
It wasn’t until we attended a virtual prenatal/baby class that we realized that babies poop so much, and changing them often gets messy! I started looking at wipeable changing pads, and found some great neutral options that still look really cute in a nursery. They are definitely a lot pricier than the fabric ones, but it’s honestly so worth it! Ones that we didn’t end up going with but that came highly recommended are by Skip Hop, Bumbo, and Keekaroo. We ultimately decided on the Hatch Baby Grow, because it’s also a scale, and we knew with virtual/phone doctors appointments that we would probably have to keep track of her weight. This ended up being super useful after she lost around 10% of her birth weight and we needed to track how much she was eating and gaining daily.
We used a coupon from Buy Buy Baby so that it was a little bit cheaper, and we’re so happy with our decision! It fits perfectly on her dresser, and even has a belt for keeping wiggly babies safe! Not sponsored, and still 10/10 would recommend!
2. Sound Machine
Sound machines seem to be on everyone’s registry, and definitely for a good reason! We weren’t sure if we would need one, but we ended up getting one gifted at a baby shower, and we’re so happy with it! It definitely helps get her to sleep and stay sleeping, and now we seem to find ourselves relying on it for a good night sleep as well! Once she starts sleeping in her own room, we may need to get one of our own!
We went with the Hatch Rest Plus, and although we had a few connectivity issues with it at first, we still love it! It plus into the wall and has a battery, so that you can move it from room to room for nap times. We also got her a portable one from Skip Hop that attaches to the stroller or carseat, and it’s perfect for getting her to settle and nap when we’re not at home.
3. Lovevery Play Gym
If you asked Daisy, this would be her top pick for baby gear for sure! We had initially purchased a simple wooden play gym with a few hanging toys for her nursery, but were so happy when Lovevery gifted us their Play Gym, because she loves it SO much more! It’s so versatile depending on how your baby likes to play, and where they’re at developmentally. Daisy loves looking at the mirror and black and white picture cards that you can clip to the top of the gym or place into the flap at the side. She’s also getting more interested in the hanging rattle that has a bell, and the crinkle pads on the edges. What I love the most though is that there’s so much for her to discover as she grows and learns new skills. I would definitely recommend this to any new parent, along with their Play Kits designed for specific ages.
4. Bouncer or Swing
Another must have to make your life as a new parent a little easier! We ended up getting gifted both the Babybjorn bouncer and 4Moms Mamaroo at our baby shower, and we’re so grateful for both of them! It seems like the Mamaroo has mixed reviews and some babies don’t like them, but Daisy loves hers! We keep it in our living room, and it’s a great spot for her to hang out while we’re cooking or eating. I’m also a huge fan of the Babybjorn bouncer because it’s so easy to move around. We keep it upstairs in her nursery, but it often gets moved around depending on where we’re hanging out. It’s also great to bring into the bathroom if she’s awake when I need to shower!
I didn’t really research other options for baby swings or bouncers because these two came so highly recommended from friends! But I would definitely suggest both the Mamaroo and Babybjorn bouncer for sure!
5. Newborn Sleep Sacks
We have a ton of swaddles, which I love for nap times and lightly covering her in the stroller or carseat – BUT I don’t think I would have survived the first month without sleep sacks! Getting up every 2-3 hours and having to feed, change and put a newborn back to bed is definitely a struggle when you’re sleep deprived, so I can’t even imagine trying to properly swaddle them with a traditional swaddle. We were gifted the Ergopouch and Love to Dream zippered sleep sacks, and they are both fantastic and so easy to use! Daisy definitely prefers having her arms up by her face (which we saw in every ultrasound pic prior to her arrival!), so the Love to dream sleep sack is the perfect design, but it was also nice to have a back-up with the Ergopouch. Thankfully there are a ton of options out there, so I would recommend getting a few styles to see which one your baby likes best.
Postpartum Honourable Mentions:
Because having a newborn often goes hand-in-hand with the fourth trimester, I wanted to include a quick list of things that I purchased to help me prepare for and get through the postpartum healing period:
- The First Forty Days – excellent book that helps you prepare for this period of healing with a lot of traditional eastern insight. It has tons of healthy recipes too!
- Fridamom Postpartum Care Products – I used quite a few of these products while healing from tearing and an episiotomy. Everything they make is magical, but would definitely recommend their peri-bottle, icepack pads, and witch hazel wipes.
- Sitz Bath – I grabbed a cheap Sitz Bath from shoppers drugmart, and got some lavender epsom salts to go with it. This was also a lifesaver!
That’s all! I’m sure this list will change as she gets a bit older, but all of these things have definitely come in handy in the last two months! Leave a comment below if any of these are in your top 5, or if there’s anything else you couldn’t live without for the newborn stage!
Cheers!
Julie
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