Now that I have a 6 week old on my hands, that makes me a pro right? Ha, anything but.
As I’m looking back at the last six weeks, I was trying to think of what I could not have lived without or am glad that I purchased/recieved. I tried to go for a more minimalist approach with our baby gear. Our house isn’t the biggest and I didn’t want to add more stuff just because I thought we may need it. For instance, we didn’t get a swing, a mamaRoo, a Pack n Play/changing table set and tried not to go overboard with buying clothing. (FYI, hand-me-downs are the best.) This list doesn’t include big purchases (carseat, stroller, etc), but rather everyday items to consider. I know it’s different for every person and baby, but I wanted to compile what worked for us.
- Basic Clothing
I feel like this is a no brainer, but having basic white onesies, sleepers and socks is all you really need to dress a baby. With having a winter baby, I opted for sleepers with footies and long sleeve onesies with the fold over mittens. Carters always has great sales, but there are so many places to get cute clothes! - Rock ‘n Play
This is what E sleeps in at night in our room and for some of her naps during the day. We don’t have the Cadillac version of the RnP, but it’s still awesome and is worth its weight in gold. (Our pediatrician approves of her sleeping in it, though I know not all do.) - Gerber Cloth Diapers as Burp Cloths
When I received these at one of my shower, I was confused for a split second until I was told “they make the best burp cloths!” and I have to say, I agree. The center is thicker and they’re absorbent. - SwaddleMe Swaddles
E LOVES to be swaddled and I’m absolutely terrible at doing it with loose blankets, so these are a Godsend. It takes me two seconds to wrap her up and I find it helps her fall asleep faster. E is 22 inches and is going to grow out of them soon sadly. I’ve ordered a Halo sleep sack for her to use next, so we’ll how that goes. - Diaper Bag Backpack
I love having a backpack as a diaper bag. I don’t have to constantly adjust a tote on my shoulder and makes carrying a bag hands free. There’s plenty of storage, the fabric is wipeable, hangs from my stroller and is a bit stylish. My only complaint is that this one doesn’t hang low enough on my back for my preference, but I just look past that. - Nuk Pacifier
My kid came out of the womb wanting to suck on anything she could get her mouth on. It’s also a natural thing for babies to do. Our pediatrician and lactation consultant recommended this specific type of pacifier for a newborn vs the big green one the hospital gives you. We don’t use it to put her to sleep, but it’s great if she’s a bit fussy throughout the day.
I’m excited to see E grow and start interacting more. She’s already so much more alert and making those cute and funny baby noises. Our needs are going to change as she grows, in which we’ll just re-evaluate and adjust.
–m.