Baby

Newborn Essentials

Photo via Sabrina Leone.

When setting up our baby registry, I honestly had no idea where to start. There are so many products and opinions! These are the newborn essentials we have found most helpful as first-time parents. xoxo

Car Seat and Stroller: We love the Doona Infant Car Seat because it is so convenient to transition from a car seat to a stroller and back again mid-nap without any fuss. The largest complaints we heard were how heavy it is to lift into the car and that it is a little short for taller guys. While it is slightly heavy, it is comparable to a carrier and nothing I cannot handle on my own. Alex has mentioned that the arm is slightly short for him but it is not annoying enough to really bother him. We also love the UPPAbaby VISTA V2 Stroller for our neighborhood walks. The bassinet rides smoothly enough for a nap and it will be nice to swap for the forward-facing seat without having to buy a new stroller. As the weather starts to heat up, we have used the AMACOOL Battery Operated Stroller Fan on almost every walk and even in the car on some extra hot days.

Sleep: The Eufy Life S340 Smart Sock and Monitor is so easy to use at home or when traveling. The camera connects via WiFi and we are able to stream the feed on our phones wherever we go and on an iPad at home. The smart sock is my favorite feature for nighttime sleep because it gives me peace of mind and is integrated into the camera app instead of being separate. We have been living by Moms on Call Basic Baby Care 0-6 Months for sleep training and while we have made a few adjustments, it has worked really well! The HALO 100% Cotton Sleepsack Swaddle and Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen Portable Dream Machine are must-haves for a great night’s sleep. We use a lighter and looser swaddle blanket for daytime naps but always have the Hatch on for sleep.

Diaper: The Munchkin Step Diaper Pail has worked really well in containing odor and keeping our dog uninterested. I think most diaper pails are about the same, but we have not had any issues with this one or the refillable bags. I quickly learned that baby wipes dry out quickly and are usually difficult to get out of the package, the OXO Tot Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser has been a great solution to both of those problems. I miss having it when we travel and I spend a good deal of time struggling to get wipes out of packaging. Dottie came home from the NICU with an awful diaper rash and we tried every product there was. The nurses and doctors all told us to use diaper cream with zinc oxide in it, which most have, but none of those products worked for us. My mom swore by  A+D Original Diaper Rash Ointment so we gave it a try and it did the trick.

Feeding: If you use formula at all, the Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced is completely worth it. Dottie knows when it is time for bottles and I could never move as fast as the Baby Brezza. As far as bottles go, we have loved Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow® Anti-Colic Newborn Bottles because they are so easy to pack, clean, and have interchangeable nipple sizes to fit your needs. Babies are way messier than I ever imagined and I am constantly doing laundry, especially trying to get formula out of things. We have plenty of cute and good quality burp cloths that I love, but these Muslin Burp Cloths Large are great for the middle of the night or extra messy feeds.

Bath: Bathtime is a favorite in our house and the 4-in-1 Grow-with-Me Bath Tub by Frida Baby makes everything so much easier. We also really love the Noodle & Boo 2-in-1 Newborn Hair & Body Wash, which is actually tearless, and the Noodle & Boo Super Soft Moisturizing Lotion post-bath. I also don’t think I realized how often you have to clip babies’ fingernails, but the NailFrida The Snipper Clipper Set is very simple and has worked well for us.

Travel: We are fans of the Graco Pack ‘n-Play Dome LX-Playard because of the bassinet and changing table attachments. When traveling with a newborn it is nice to have designated safe places for sleep and changing. The Hatch Rest has a portable option, but we have used the Yogasleep Hushh Portable White Noise Sound Machine when traveling because it is already in the diaper bag.