baby gear we love from first born and beyond
Scroll down to find the following sections:
Sleeping, Diaper Changing, Formula Feeding, Breastfeeding, Solid Foods Feeding, Health and Safety, Bathing and Moisturizing, General Lounging, Toys and Learning Time, Car Seats and Strollers, Books and Resources, Registry Benefits
(updated now that I’ve got 2 babies: every kid is so different, but I’ve gone through these and kept what worked for both!)
Navigating the right gear for your little one can be extremely stressful. I remember when I was pregnant spending an entire span of 5 hours ruminating over which pack n play or bassinet I wanted because it seemed like nothing I found fit our personal style, safety standards, or overall needs. With every item on your registry, and with every step along the way, it is important to remember that every person parents differently, and you should never feel guilty for wanting your version of the best for your baby. There is no better parent for your little baby than YOU. That being said, here are some of our favorite items that we settled on and that have helped us along the way. I am constantly updating this with more and more ideas and tips. You by no means need all of these things, these are just what worked for us. I hope this helps, and if nothing else, I hope it gives you some good ideas! Happy parenting! Xox, Trish
Items to consider registering for that we LOVE and use all the time:
SLEEPING:
Halo SleepSwaddle
(we LOVE the Halo especially for first few weeks- after a few weeks G wanted his arms out but still liked the security of being tucked in with it- we only have two but rotate and wash often (they’re just blankets anyway so you don’t need to wash constantly unless they spit up)
For transitioning out of the swaddle (when they start to roll over) we love the Halo Easy Transition Sleepsack -his arms can stay out so when they learn to roll they won’t get stuck
We also LOVE the Kyte Baby sleep sacks (linked here) for when your baby gets bigger. They are SUPER soft, don’t pill when you wash them, and made of bamboo which is one of the most eco friendly materials you can find! You can choose the TOG (temperature gauge) based on how warm or cold your house is.
From 6 months to a year we used the Breathable Mesh Crib Liner for him so that he wouldn’t get his little arms and legs stuck between the bars. It’s essential if you buy a crib liner during those early months that you keep an eye on them and that you buy a MESH liner so that they can breathe through it in case they end up sleeping right up next to the side of the crib. From a year and up we bought a fabric bumper and rail guard because he started standing up in his crib and falling/hitting his head on the rails and bars (would rather play than sleep!) and he was strong enough to roll away from it versus sleeping close up to it. Our bumper is from Pottery Barn (make sure to securely fasten to the crib so baby doesn’t find themself stuck between the crib and the bumper) we like how they offer organic cotton with no chemicals, and our rail guard is from Trend Lab (linked here)
Bassinet of choice:
We use the Nuna Sena Travel Crib next to our bed and love it
We are using this as a bassinet - from birth to 6 months or so, and then using it as his crib at night until 12 mo so he can stay in our room with us
It’s recommended by the AAP that your baby sleeps in your room with you for the first 6 months at least to reduce the risk of SIDS by over 50%. Remember not to co-sleep -aka baby NOT in bed with you (the risks of blankets covering them or you rolling over aren’t worth the rewards of snuggling)
We like this one because after that it works as a play gym up until 3 years--we chose this because it's small and not hideous looking like most of the play cribs are
This crib is so easy to fold up, comes with organic sheets, is mesh all the way around for 360 airflow, small enough to fit in our bedroom during those first few months where I’ll be breastfeeding constantly, and is highly recommended safety wise. Also, it’s just gorgeous in the “night black” color IMO lol. It’s $299, which for what you get I think is worth it.
Note: At first we had the Mini version of this crib, but he outgrew it by month 3 so we recommend the standard size of this!
Crib of choice:
During the day our baby sleeps in his actual crib Hudson Babyletto 3 in 1 crib (linked here)in the nursery and we monitor with baby monitor
Having your baby sleep in his or her crib during the day allows for an easier transition to their own room when the time is right
BuyBuyBaby honored our 20% off for this brand crib
Newton Baby (linked here) Crib Mattress
Our baby LOVES this mattress - he sleeps in the crib during the day and we feel confident that even without a waterproof liner over the crib mattress, we can simply unzip this mattress cover and wash it in the washer
hypoallergenic, very breathable, certified free of toxic chemicals
We have a pottery barn fitted mattress sheet and a waterproof mattress pad on top as well
Crib Skirt
Pottery barn makes adorable crib skirts (they go under the mattress to hide the open space between mattress and floor
Baby Monitor (make sure yours is secured and no cords near baby)
We use the Infant Optix 360
Very helpful to have one even if you live in a small house or apartment- it’s good to check to make sure they’re safe and breathing while you’re cleaning/organizing/showering etc
Sound Machine of choice for their nursery during the day for naps, and for your room at night when they sleep in their bassinet near you. We use Hammacher Schlemmer (which I have had since I lived in NYC to drown out the noise of taxi cabs - it’s still going strong today and G loves it!) Update: We have a DOHM from Target now too and it is awesome!!
Baby Shusher (linked here) -Essential for travel - especially on the plane!! Sometimes the ONLY thing that will get them calm is noise reduction.
Baby Banz Headphones (linked here)- We adults can’t tolerate how loud the PA system is on the airplane, imagine being a baby! Having G wear these noise cancelling headphones on the plane was extremely helpful! Also amazing of course for concerts, etc if you’re bringing your baby around a bunch of noise!
Wubbanub pacifier stuffed animal
Our little guy loveeeees his two pacifiers - it’s a lifesaver during diaper changes and trips to pediatrician, also apparently pacifiers reduce risk of SIDS so we give him the pacifier before bed too - and don’t worry ab the “nipple confusion” thing w breastfeeding - most babies will take both with no issue if you introduce both early - plus they need to be able to take an artificial nipple aka bottle if you're gonna pump anyway!
Make sure you move it away from the baby when they’re done sucking before bed since they have a stuffed animal attached for safety
If you prefer, you can just use a regular pacifier of course!
Free & Clear detergent (we like Seventh Gen sensitive unscented) or we will sometimes refill the detergent at our local refill shop to save plastic
DIAPER CHANGING:
Changing table pad of choice
(no strong brand feelings on this one, but make sure whichever brand you get that it’s strapped onto the furniture and do not leave baby on there unsupervised- they can roll off!)
Ubbi Diaper Pail (steel interior)
Love it -Doesn’t require special bags, (but we love the special bags, that being said!) Won’t stink up the room - smell doesn’t stay since it’s steel, very easy to slide open and closed, & it locks!
Diapers of choice -
Honest Company has come a long way since having our first baby. When he was little they didn’t have wetness indicators, didn’t hold up well, but now with our second they are AMAZING! They are more eco-friendly than your typical Huggies brand, they biodegrade, and just overall way easier to use than cloth diapers (well, duh). Much easier to manage poop explosions than cloth. Make sure you SUBSCRIBE on their website, it’ll save you 20-30% everytime!
We did try cloth diapering, and if you have the patience these were just fine:
gDiapers - Good option if you’re doing cloth. Not only are the liners compostable AND flushable (which means no poop smells in the house!) but they’re affordable, subscription based, and the outside is cloth and adorable.
We still found it was too difficult since the poop, while it stays contained in the waterproof lining, stains said lining, and who has time to rinse out poop while you’re in the middle of diaper changing?
You would have to have a clean cloth diaper nearby to replace it with. I cannot imagine doing this with a newborn, it would be an absolute nightmare with how many times they poop in a day (10-12!). With a one year old it is definitely more manageable (1-2 poops a day)
Hand sanitizer pump for next to diaper changer
Laundry detergent: Seventh Generation pods - Free and Clear so it’s gentle on their skin!
Boppy or Cloud Island waterproof changing table liners!
We love these because they’re so easy to use! We wash them all the time bc if he pees or poops during diaper changes it makes it way easier to just quickly replace w a new one and you don’t have to wash that sheet
Oxo Tot Wipes Dispenser is way easier to use one handed and he doesn’t mind the cold wet wipes anymore
Oxo Tot On the Go Wipes Dispenser- so far so good on not leaking, love how we can just refill as needed and we don’t have a bunch of different sized pouches of wipes in the diaper bag anymore, this also comes in a bigger version that has a pouch to hold diapers which I have heard good things about too, but for us since it sits in our diaper bag we like the thinner one.
Pacifiers for babies who get fussy with diaper changes (like ours did!) Our baby likes the Philips Soothies that you get from the hospital (they’re made of silicone so we feel they are safe to use on a daily basis)
FORMULA FEEDING:
Simba Twist-Lock Stackable Formula Dispenser and Snack Containers (linked here)- This was a recent discovery by my friend Lorraine via Amazon and it might be my FAVORITE baby item yet. Gone are the days of the munchkin brand dispenser which spills into the different dividers leading to innaccurate measuring, gone are the days of scooping individual amounts of powder on the go. Now, I can fill up each compartment with an exact amount, it screws tight, and when I am ready to make a bottle on the go I simply remove the lid and pour from the spout to the bottle. I usually label each compartment with masking tape so I can be certain to remember the amount I filled it with, currently he’s drinking 8oz at each feeding! Not only that, but when he’s bigger we can use these for snacks!! LOVE.
Dr Browns GLASS vent bottles (linked here)- And make sure you get the silicone sleeves to fit yours too! We use the wide and narrow. You’ll want the 4oz bottles for when they’re little and 8oz for when they drink more/are older so you’re not having to make another bottle during one feed when they eat more. These are the best, we love how they help with gas, and even our breastfed baby likes these! Our pediatrician said not to introduce a pacifier or bottle until 3 or 4 weeks in, because of nipple confusion, but take that with a grain of salt, I think most babies are pretty adaptive. Our babies didn’t mind!
Burp bibs for spit up! - Carter’s makes really soft ones but we also like the kind that velcro over neck - prevents outfit changes!
Haaka Silicone Bottle Brush (linked here)- oh my how I love this. It’s so easy to clean and disinfect, and will last a lifetime probably!!!
Oxo Tot Drying Rack (linked here) - This is the BEST drying rack. We originally had the boon lawn with G but the water gets stuck between the grass and the container and causes mold - gross! This one is SO Easy to use, AND dishwasher safe - total win! Plus, it’s beyond strong so it’s perfect for our heavier glass baby bottles! Also, it’s prettier on the countertop :)
For bottle dish soap we just use Trader Joe’s dish soap or Seventh Generation Free&Clear dish soap with scalding hot water to soak everything
To warm the bottles of milk we just use a mixing bowl or glass with warm/hot water and sit the bottle in there.
It’s not recommended to use a microwave because of “hot spots” so this evenly warms it nicely
Dr. Brown’s Formula PItcher OR Glass Pitcher for Bulk Formula or for Pumped Milk (linked here) if you use formula you can make in bulk and it’ll save you tons of time! We decided not to use the Dr Brown’s for our second baby, because he breastfed mostly anyway, AND because we wanted to eliminate plastic! Glass is safer.
Favorite formula brand: Bobbie (linked here) They didn’t have this when G was little so he got Enfamil Enspire, (for some reason he didn’t tolerate the organic formula we tried), but for our second baby this exists now and he LOVES it (I have it on hand for whenever I’m out shopping so my husband can feed him if we’re in a pickle in case we don’t have stored milk). When I quit breastfeeding in a few months I will go full time Bobbie! Make sure you subscribe to them if you decide to go with them!
Mother’s Bliss gas drops if needed (check with doctor first!) but our second baby liked these! We only needed one bottle total tho - his colic stage didn’t last long!
Note: formula can be tricky - some babies are allergic to certain ingredients so you have to test it out. For example, we wanted G to like HappyBaby Organic but he was allergic and had hard stools from it (which is a bad thing) so we switched to Enfamil Enspire and he loved that - don’t give up it can be very discouraging when certain formula or breastfeeding doesn’t work but remember FED is BEST!
BREASTFEEDING:
For my first baby, I only breastfed him for a week or two because I was told the heart medicine I was on could get into the breast milk. For my second baby, I successfully breastfed him from the start because I literally didn’t have any other option - we were in the middle of a formula shortage. So I have experienced both from the start! You do what you feel is best. Breastfeeding for me was very challenging physically (he bit me when he got teeth - there was literal blood, and I had to keep breastfeeding through the pain, he wouldn’t sleep through the night, I was not eating enough food because I didn’t have time to feed myself, and mentally I was very stressed out - I lasted 11 months because I was so hard on myself and refused to quit until the shortage was over -many nights I only got 45 minutes of consistent sleep to the point where I was hallucinating. Let me be clear, I am not blaming the baby, a lot of it was me being harder on myself than I needed to be, and a lot of that came from hormones from being filled with milk! I am grateful for the bonding and nutrients he got, but remember, our mental health is very important just like the health of your baby is very important. Moms are literally superheroes. Never have I ever had more respect for women than after being a mom. You are a superhero - you created a human and are keeping them alive and safe, and loved and nourished. I don’t think you can go wrong with formula or breastfeeding!! It’s true: FED IS BEST. Speech over, here is what helped me a lot in the breastfeeding process:
Lasinoh lanolin ointment - super helpful to line the flanges of your pump with this and also for breastfeeding/ pumping nipple relief in general
Medela hands-free nursing bra-a must for pumping (if you choose to pump - I had a problem with oversupply and pumping made that way worse for me - so I exclusively breastfed because it was better for my tatas- kept the milk supply even - I got super engorged with the pump). I chose to pump for a little bit, however, because I donated my pumped milk to babies - which was a really nice experience! I was able to donate about 108 oz. You can find a local milk bank - if you live in Texas here is a good one I used: https://texasmilkbank.org - the people make it super easy and the process seamless - you get your blood drawn, fill out the health information, etc and they send you the freezer box to ship the milk in. There are local drop-offs in some areas as well.
Haaka makes a good hand-held manual silicone pump - I found that to be super helpful for letting out excess milk and storing it
For pumping: get measured or look up sizing for your flanges. Everyone has different nipple sizes, and while counterintuitive, if you get a size that is too big, it’s actually really painful because more of the areola goes into the flange than is supposed to. You want to mimic your baby, so ask a lactation consultant at the hospital if they can recommend a size for you. For example, I had to order smaller flanges from Amazon (size 20) and I was using 28 before - which was too big for me but I had no idea until the consultant told me!
Spectra S1 pump - i liked this better than Medela which I used in the hospital because it’s so gentle and quiet… you can get different size flanges the more you pump since your boobs will grow)
Haaka Silicone Breast Milk Storage bags (linked here): These are the best, healthiest, nontoxic, convenient way to store your milk! Because storing your precious milk in chemical plastic bags is just not ideal. AND because when you go to thaw your milk, silicone is WAY healthier and easier and these are from an awesome company. AND because you can use these for storage pouches for food purees in the future. Also, we have used them to put frozen corn in them for when my toddler has bumped his head LOL.
SOLID FOODS FEEDING:
Ingenuity SmartClean Chairmate and Booster Seat- Boutique Collection (linked here)
Truly in love with this. We went back and forth for months in preparation of his first solid food. I compared the BabyBjorn, the OxoTot, the Graco Switch and the Blossom. None of them were as affordable and impressive to me as this one. Since we actually only have stools for chairs at our kitchen table we decided it was worth getting a $29 chair from Ikea so we could strap this Chairmate onto it. So happy we did. The Chairmate itself only costs $69 and honestly it has way better features than some of the $199+ options out there!
We love the size of the tray, the soft cushion, how easy it is to clean every single part of it, no areas to get food/water stuck (aka breed mold), adjustable, turns into a booster seat
Bella Tunno Silicone Plates or EZPZ Silicone plates - Food grade high quality silicone, naturally sticks to their high chair tray, plus, Bella Tunno donates a meal to a kid in need with every purchase - love their company and their products!
BabyBjorn Bibs or Any Silicone Catcher Bib - So easy to hook around their neck when they’re already strapped into the high chair, super easy to clean, and spilled food, milk goes from their mouth to the little moat on the bottom of the bib- love them! Best part is you really only need a couple, they clean so easily and quickly. The BabyBjorn bibs are stiff, so be sure not to fasten too tight.
Organic Baby Food - essential! (Target sells Beech Nut, Happy Baby, and Earths Best brands which all are great - just try to choose ones without citric acid added in the early stages as it can build up gas in their tummies. We like to purchase the jars because they are more eco-friendly than the plastic pouches. Although when we travel we use the plastic pouches and squirt it on a spoon (such as in the airport before we board the plane). We feed him in his stroller when we travel! Update: With baby #2 I think we will subscribe to Once Upon A Farm and have them ship to our house- our toddler loves their products and they are cold pressed so FAR superior to the shelf stable pouches!!
Silicone Food Storage (linked here) We didn’t use these with G, but these look great! If we find time with our second baby I will use these! Anything silicone is preferable to plastic.
Inglesina Attachable Table Chair* - *We ended up not needing ours, but might in the future. Simply because most restaurants provide high chairs, and I stay at home with G so I always just put him in our Ingenuity chair! BUT we’ve heard really great things so for those of you who are always on the go and can’t seem to find high chairs, or for those of you who like to sit at your kitchen bar instead of the table, this would be a good option!
Beaba Silicone Feeding Spoons - silicone is one of the safest materials you can use for your baby. No toxic chemicals, safe to heat, soft on their gums during the teething stages. Love these, they do stain with carrots etc, but I don’t even mind because I love them so much.
Boon Silicone Feeder- awesome for teething babies and babies who have trouble with spoons at first! You can fill it with baby food of your choice, super easy to clean, chemical free. Full disclosure we only used this for a couple weeks, but others have said it was their favorite. Every baby is different.
The Big Book of Organic Baby Food by Stephanie Middleberg - this book has so many great recipes and awesome guidelines for every stage of solid foods. Love it!!
GoSili Sippy Cups and Bottles with Straws (linked here)- Silicone is nontoxic and a great alternative to plastic!! G loved them!
HEALTH/SAFETY:
Little Remedies saline nasal drops (you can put a little on a q tip and gently swab snot from nose while they’re little - also helps moisten nasal passages so they breathe easily)
NoseFrida Snot Sucker - use with saline spray ^ to get mucus out - so effective and not as gross as it seems
Fridababy Nail clipper/nail file - Worth the extra $! When they’re little it’s hard to clip nails so file works better at first, then you’ll start to use the nail clipper which is much easier and faster - and this brand is by far the safest, easiest to use in my opinion. I have the cheap SafetyFirst one for my toddler, but it is much harder to use it on smaller fingers since it’s easier to make a mistake!
Vaseline and gauze for circumcision healing - we cut the gauze pads into smaller squares since we had to change his diaper so often it was way easier and more economical to get the most out of the gauze! This really really helped him heal and we felt more comfortable making sure there was no friction between the circumcision and the diaper
Vaseline for baby butt if it’s irritated from straining stools - when we tried Organic baby formula at first since he was intolerant to it he got really constipated and had hard stools, which caused some irritation on his booty (no fun for babies!) so vaseline helped him heal.
Under-the-tongue thermometer - but use under their arm (your hospital might give you-you don’t actually use it in their mouth though you put it in their armpit)
Forehead Thermometer -expensive but extremely fast working and will last through the toddler years and beyond. This is not recommended for babies because it’s not as accurate of a read on them, but you’ll love it for toddlers!
Vicks Rectal Thermometer (your hospital will tell you to take temperature this way if they have a fever because it’s the most accurate way)
BATHING AND MOISTURIZING:
We used the AngelCare Bath support chair but he gets cold since he’s not submerged in the water, I think these are better for if you’re bathing both kids at the same time and have the whole bathtub filled up. We switched to the SkipHop Moby whale bath tub with support sling and he loves it!
For baby acne: ERA ORGANICS SUPERBALM (linked here) - it was the ONLY THING that worked for my second son and it worked in two days!!!
SkipHop Moby Whale thermometer - to take temperature of water
Silicone Scrubbers (For preventing Cradle Cap) (linked here)- You could spend a fortune on the DermFrida, but fear not, Target sells these same exact things for $4 for gently exfoliating skin on scalp - use with shampoo and then after with coconut oil (OR EraOrganics Super balm! Worked like a charm for both of my babes!
Organic Coconut Oil (just get from grocery store)- their skin gets very dry! This has worked wonders on G’s scalp and whole body - people always compliment his skin and that’s our secret! Not worth spending $12 on a tiny bottle of oil from honest co especially since there are so many ingredients if your baby is allergic to one of them it’s hard to rule out which. NOTE: Coconut oil isn’t good for newborn acne. For baby #2 we didn’t use this on his face and head - just the superbalm.
Aquaphor for extreme eczema or cradle cap (our baby had a patch of dry skin on his forehead that we’ve used Aquaphor and plain lanolin (one of the main ingredients in Aquaphor) for and it really works!
- Hooded bath towels - try warming in the dryer so when they get out of the bath they’re especially cozy!
- SkipHop Moby Bath water thermometer (for example Skiphop whale thermometer that floats and tells you if water is too hot or too cold)
GENERAL LOUNGING ITEMS:
Finn and Emma Play Mat (linked here) SO, with Baby #2 here, we learned that the Boppy lounger keeps getting recalled because it isn’t good for their breathing. But this amazing thing is the best because they lay flat (unlike Boppy), AND it’s wider than a Dock-a-Tot so the risk of suffocation is much lower!! Still, make sure to watch your babe if they fall asleep in this. We use it all the time, and even connected our Fisher Price play gym roof to it so he can play with his toys.
BabyBjorn Bouncer - he LOVES this thing and we do too
so easy to fold up and allows us to be hands free when needed- we use while we’re showering or cooking, etc etc because it’s nice and secure and he’s happy in it. Super easy to clean, travel with etc.
Easier to use when they’re about a month old + so they don’t slouch as much
Boppy Noggin Nest
Not sure if it makes much difference, but we like to use this only when he’s on his back in the play gym so he doesn’t distribute all the weight to one side of his head (causing flat spots)
Note: do not use this in car seat, and do not use when they sleep or are unsupervised, as they can roll over into the side and it can affect their breathing. We solely use this for awake play time when he is on his back.
Update this didn’t last long because once he learned to roll he decided he preferred to sleep on his tummy - which is fine as long as they’re strong enough to roll over. Always still put them to sleep on their back and let them roll if they feel up for it. Do not swaddle at this stage- keep their arms free so they can roll back and forth.
- Socks! Hats! Onesies! Undershirt onesies
Sun bucket hat for walking with baby outside - Our Pediatrician told us to make sure you don’t use sunscreen when they’re little - just cover them with sun shirts and hats if you’re going to be out and about
Nursery Rocker of Choice:
I didn’t think we needed a rocker, but I am so glad we got one because now I feel like it’s one of the most essential items for your nursery. It’s so nice to be able to have a big comfy rocking chair with a leg rest or ottoman while you’re feeding you’re little babe- especially if you’re breastfeeding or pumping. Those first few weeks can be extremely rough (will be extremely rough- there’s no way around it) and your legs will be swollen from all the IV fluids so you’re gonna want to have a nice chair to sit in with your feet up!
Davinci Rocker and Ottoman (linked here)
We have this in grey and love it $375 for both the rocker and the ottoman which doubles as storage and they deliver right to door fully assembled! BuyBuyBaby sells it
TOYS AND LEARNING TIME:
Play Gym of choice (for the early months):
FisherPrice Ball Pen Play Gym or LOVEvery Baby Play Gym
We have the FisherPrice Ball Pen/Play Gym and it rocks even though we haven’t even used it with the ball pen feature yet - G looks around at everything and smiles - loves the light-up musical elephant. I also credit this to him learning how to roll and getting stronger head support! I sat him in the gym every day and he got used to the routine, worked on his strength.
While we love our little play gym/ball pen from Fisher Price, especially since it’s soft, but if you’re wanting something more eco-friendly and way cuter, check out Lovevery because if i had to do it again that’s what I would get! It turns into a fort later on too! Another option is SkipHop - smaller company, also provide adorable soft play gyms.
Infantino Go Gaga Links - Extra toy links for play gym - essential! When they get bored of one toy simply switch it out with the link!
Infantino Go Gaga Foam puzzle piece mat - Essential for when they are learning to crawl, stand, and walk. Definitely helps them fall more safely! We bought 4 of these so we could pad down the part of our family room that is all hardwood flooring! He also likes how you can pop out the pieces on this one - different fun shapes!
SkipHop Baby PlayPen (linked here)- Essential for the crawling era! We bought two so we could use some of the sections to drill into the wall and use as a gate between the family room and the kitchen. It stands up super well, G loves looking through the mesh, definitely less eco footprint than most (It’s mainly mesh and metal! very little plastic!) and WAY less ugly than the other playpens we have seen. WIN WIN. ALSO: we use this now as a baricade around our Peloton so that our kids don’t touch the bike. Endless possibilities.
BabyEinstein Jumperoo
We used this for a month or so with G and he of course loved it BUT: I would wait to introduce this until they can crawl, or at least limit use until then. It is super easy to use it as a crutch to entertain them and get things done around the house, but when they know they can jump in this all day they find it unnecessary to develop those crawling motor skills, strength in neck shoulders and arms. G bounced around in this for weeks until we realized we were inhibiting him from learning the technique of crawling. Once we took it away, and he was forced to be on the ground on his tummy, it took him a while to learn to crawl, and he was very frustrated, BUT he finally got there right at 10 months! I strongly believe he wouldn’t have learned to crawl if we kept him jumping along and didn’t take this away from him.
I don’t recommend the Johnny Jumper as there have been issues with it falling from the doorway, etc. These will do the trick just fine! We love the Baby Neptune one specifically because you can hook other favorite toys to it
Favorite Toys:
Cheengoo Octopus Rattle- organic, soft, won’t hurt them when they inevitably smack the toy in their face, rattle is soft, tentacles are DELICIOUS apparently!
Comotomo Teether (linked here)- he LOVES this. It’s the same concept as the octopus because it feels like they’re chewing on fingers. This is super flexible, easy to clean, and all silicone based - chemical free.
OBall brand (everything they make is awesome and babies/toddlers LOVE) soft, easy to hold - G has the football and the blue ball, they also make a rattle which is adorable too
Infantino Lion and Elephant Teethers (linked here)- the chime on these are so subtle and you will not get frustrated hearing it constantly. We named our lion “Lemon the Lion” and G brings it everywhere in his car seat - it’s by far his favorite thing to chew on besides the tentacles of the Cheengoo Octopus!
Lamaze Mortimer the Moose - This was his absolute favorite when we hooked it in the play gym at about 3 months. Loves to chew on the crunchy hooves, and we love how it has high contrast colors and textures of all kinds, squeaks, and is easy to travel with for his development.
Sophie La Girafe - Every baby every loves this. So easy to hold for them, they love the texture to chew on it, and it squeaks - plus it’s cute so I don’t mind carrying it around! Beware tho - they will hit their face with it and it’s not the nicest thing when it’s jabbed in their eye.
Sassy Wonder Wheel - loves to spin this!
Foam puzzle piece set for your floor. Perfect for when they’re learning to crawl because they will surely face-plant a couple of times before they get the hang of it and the foam is not only colorful and engaging, but it’s nice and cushiony to break their falls and encourage them to try again. G seems to enjoy putting himself THROUGH the puzzle pieces so that’s been hilarious.
CAR SEAT/STROLLERS
Peg Perego Primo Viaggo Atmosphere Infant car seat (linked here) (OR get the NUNA RAVA car seat from the start)
With our first, we chose this one for the early stages of life (first year) because of its safety ratings and its ability to plug into the BOB stroller with an adapter. With our second, we realized this was probably a waste of money and should just get Nuna Rava from the start.
Whatever you choose car seat wise, the MOST IMPORTANT thing is to make sure you get the car seat base installed professionally for your cars, either at your hospital or local fire department. And also make sure you have a "load leg" on the base (it’s the leg that comes out of the base and sits on the car floor)
Bob Revolution Flex Jogging Stroller
This is far and away the highest rated jogging stroller we’ve seen and we can’t wait to run with our little guy in it when he’s bigger
We’ve been using it with the Peg Perego Infant Car Seat adapter as our everyday stroller and LOVE IT
UPDATE: We are officially past the stage where he needs to sit in the car seat in this and now that he can sit in the stroller normally and go on a jog with me and my husband it is a GAME CHANGER. LOVE this stroller so much!!
Once they have neck support for Travel:
Summer Infant 3D Lite Umbrella Stroller (linked here)
I know, “Umbrella Stroller” sounds cringeworthy and cheap, right? This one is an incredible value for the price, super easy to fold up and travel with, and super comfy and sturdy for our little guy. We loved using it around the airport and throughout our travels at our destinations! We also use this as his high chair when we’re in the airport to feed him solids before the flight. Usually will get the plastic pouches even though it’s less eco-friendly than the jars, but we only do the plastic when we’re on the go and try to find recycling facilities that accept the pouches.
If you want a fancier travel stroller that is delightfully smooth and SO easy to fold, but of course more expensive, I highly recommend the Baby Jogger City Mini - my mom discovered it from one of my cousins and it is incredible. I love that you can add a kick board to it for your older kid to ride along with it. We carry it around with us everywhere now. (Update as of 2yrs old and 5 yrs old kiddos).
1 YEAR and UP:
Nuna Rava Car Seat (linked here)
or Britax Advocate ClickTight in Otto Safe Wash (linked here)
Of course, you can save the money on the infant seat and just go straight to a nice convertible seat like the Nuna Rava from the start, but we didn’t really know that at the time LOL and for us the Peg Perego Infant seat did its job because it clicked into our BOB stroller during those first few months when he had zero neck support. The Nuna is way too bulky to attach to anything when they’re little like that, so it’s more of a luxurious car seat that you keep IN your car.
When G got close to outgrowing his infant car seat (he was already 29.5 inches long at 10 mo!!) we did a ton of research on convertible car seats, and ended up going with Nuna for our day-to-day. We love how it’s free of chemical fire retardants (which have been linked to cancer and hormone disruption), has great reviews for comfort and durability, and of course safety.
We also purchased a Britax Advocate ClickTight in “Otto Safe Wash” for the grandparents to keep at their houses. Until I traveled with our baby, I thought people with multiple car seats for one kid were somewhat boujee, but now I get it. It is a LOT to have to carry that in addition to everything else so if you can afford to send your parents one to keep at their house if you travel there often enough, do it!
The Otto Safe Wash is their only line that is free of chemical flame retardants, so we were super pleased to find that one available on Black Friday for $100 off (at Albee Baby - everywhere else was sold out!). This way we don’t have to travel with the car seat and since it’s cheaper but with all the same safety ratings we decided it was worth it!
LOVE Both the Nuna and The Britax. When we were in Texas we were super impressed with how easy it is to strap G into the seat. Love the “Click Tight” feature (it clicks when the straps are tight enough for your baby so there’s no guess work).
BOOKS AND RESOURCES:
Happiest Baby on the Block has some great tips like the 5 S’s … swaddle… sling… sucking … etc to keep baby calm and happy - interesting research and can definitely help you understand cues during those first few weeks especially!
The Wonder Weeks app - cool info on what your baby sees at every stage, predictable “stormy days” and sunshine days etc which helps you understand why baby is crying ($2.99) - truly only used this a few times, but it was interesting to be in the know about what other moms were talking about with the Wonder Weeks.
The Bump app - sort of like “The Wonder Weeks” but free and more basic. It goes with you from pregnancy through newborn stage!
Any baby sign language book!
Glow Baby app - free and LOVE it. It updates on both you and your spouse’s app in real time and you can log diapers, food in ml or oz, pumping amounts, temperature, etc. Not only that but it’s very user friendly and there are a ton of great news articles and shares in the “community” tab.
Instagrams to follow: @takingcarababies and @babysleepmadesimple are fantastic Instagram handles to follow - both are nurses and mothers with amazing tips!
Shutterfly app - they always have awesome discounts on printing pictures and the quality of the matte pictures is actually fantastic. Best part is you can upload right from your phone to the app without having to wait for them to download -then just ship to your front door (you won’t want to drive for a while!)
MediTot Mindfulness and Meditation training
I went to a workshop at our local yoga studio to learn about how to help keep your babies and kids of all ages mindful, reduce stress, and encourage communication about their mental health which I think is SO important
It was a fabulous learning experience for me and I am so excited to use the techniques - I wrote a blog post on it here.
Here are some resources that were brought up in the class:
“Connected Kids” (linked here)
Books by Susan Kaiser-Greenland “The Mindful Child”
“Whole Brain Child” and Whole Brain Child Workbook by Daniel Siegel - UPDATE from me as a mom of 2: this is BEYOND HELPFUL FOR TANTRUMS!!
Here are some tools you can use to enhance meditation and mindfulness exercises:
Sound bowl
Holberman Sphere - practice breathing and how your diaphragm expands and contracts
Freeze dance - practice listening and staying still
Slumberkins - learn how to navigate feelings
Crystals
Daniel Tiger song when upset
Breathe with them and tell them you’re breathing because you’re upset but choosing to be calm
Ask them how they’re feeling and encourage them to use words other than “good” and “happy”
Print out list of 30 feelings by Brene Brown
Examples of Mindfulness & Meditiation Techniques
Conscious Breathing: Belly breathing, Counting Breaths, Fingertip Challenge
Meditation: Humming or Sound Bowl, Guided Meditation (practice visual story time), Body Scan (“where do you feel yucky or stressed?”)
Mindfulness: Crafts and Coloring (what colors do they keep going to, sometimes it means they need more of that color-associated chakra), Basic Yoga, Mindful Movements (maze, labyrinth)
How to Get Started on Mindfulness and Meditation:
Set an example
Start small
Don’t force it if the exercise isn’t working try something else or try again later that day, use mindful movement (shake out the sillies, sound bowl, etc)
Create a dedicated space - even setting up pillows to sit on in their room helps
Show them “what’s in it for them” - encourage rewards such as golden stickers for meditation to add to their sticker book, etc)
Here are things that get a lot of hype, but we thought we would use but we did NOT find use for:
Dock a Tot, Auto Rock N Play, 4MomsMamaroo - don’t let your baby sleep in these, they can roll over and suffocate - Fisher Price has since recalled their AutoRocknPlay. A lot of moms like the 4MomsMamaroo - but if you’re one of them just make sure you’re supervising them while they’re in there- don’t walk away and let them fall asleep in it!
Wipes Warmer - because, they will get over it and won’t care that the wipes are room temperature…
MomFrida - I found the Peribottle they give you at the hospital was way more effective and easier to use
Brica window shades for the car (our windows are tinted)
Rinser Pitcher - these get moldy sitting in the bath tub, you’re better off just using a plastic cup you have lying around - and washing it in the dishwasher regularly!
Bumbo foam seat. By 6 months when we actually went to try one of these out, G’s little thighs were already too big! Not sure how they can write “up to 1 year” for that reason. I also just think it’s kind of unattractive and you can get the same benefits from getting your baby used to a high chair or having them sit in the BabyBjorn (which is good from newborn stage and beyond!!).
REGISTRY BENEFITS:
We registered at BuyBuyBaby because you can use your Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupons at BuyBuyBaby as well!
We also registered at Target and Amazon even though we didn’t register very much at either place (might as well take care of their free welcome boxes!) Target has awesome coupons in theirs, a free Dr Browns bottle, etc.
NOTE: For the first year we also belonged to BEYOND+ (where you get 20% off every purchase at both BuyBuyBaby and BedBath&Beyond. BUT after they auto-renewed us after the first year which was a pain to get refunded for, I would just caution you on that. No fun to get charged $40 for something you won’t use the second year.)
Target Circle and Target Cartwheel
We registered for one thing at Target - which was cool because we liked their “welcome kit” - they gave us a Dr Browns bottle in it and a ton of great coupons!
Since then, we shop at Target for pretty much everything
If you’re doing formula, sign up for their welcome member pack - Enfamil sent us a booklet with $100 worth of coupons that you spread out over different months (they all had different expiration dates and you can use them at all grocery stores as a rebate check) Each coupon is $5 off any Enfamil product - it rocks.
As you may have heard, they pretty much just poop, pee, sleep during first month! Then they start to smile second month, learn to roll over… take more interest in toys… stay awake longer… sleep longer…. it’s a journey! :)
