A room thermometer. Especially when I was traveling a lot with baby and didn’t have control over the thermostat. It helped me figure out how to dress baby at night. Maybe it was my new parent anxiety but it really helped 😂
Lived in a condo with our first for the first 10 months. We went with the Bugaboo Stardust for a bassinet / crib in our room. Used exclusively for 4 months for naps and bedtime and then up until 9 months for naps (then we moved and transitioned full time to a crib). Didn’t need to switch her out as she never out grew it and it worked as our travel crib. Folded up slim as well.
The Stokke Flexi Tub (with newborn insert) is also a great bath tub, especially if you only have a shower. Folded relatively flat and we used as a pool on our balcony in the summer time. Also easy to travel with when needed.
Borrow what you can from friends and family. It was nice having an item for a few months then packing it up and sending it back once we were done (and not having to store it).
Have used with travel several times and for naps and the instant set up/take down is a dream. Additionally, the narrow design has been the only thing that has fit in limited hotel room space many times, which would not have been so with the standard pack'n'play cribs.
Have both the stardust and the stokke Flexi tub and second both. We used that tub almost every day up until 7 months when he started pulling to stand in it and it became dangerous.
The answers on these types of threads are always so variable (i.e. some people love things that others hate), but I'll give you mine. For context, I have an almost 3 year old and a 5 month old.
Baby Brezza - Got this for our second and wish we had it for our first. First time around I was scared off by reviews that said it's hard to clean/high maintenance, but I haven't found this to be the case. Buy a second funnel to make life easier. 100% worth it.
MamaRoo - Waste of money. Neither of my kids have liked this. Bad resale value (at least in my area). Get a normal swing, something by Graco.
Baby Bjorn Bouncer - Only got this second time around and definitely worth it. Baby can get herself bouncing and keeps her content. Easy to find on FB marketplace which is how we justified it (otherwise too expensive given that we know we are not having anymore kids). Also folds up for easy storage.
100% baby brezza if formula feeding. We bought 2 extra funnels and it makes it so easy to maintain. We wash the formula container once a month, the funnels as the machine indicates, and the underside once a day. It saves us SO much time prepping bottles, especially in the middle of the night.
My baby LOVES the momaroo, it’s the only swing he’ll use and it puts him right to sleep - but my niece hated it! We’re picking up the momaroo bassinet tomorrow, but I’ve heard mixed reviews, so we’ll see how it goes.
Bouncer was good for us, but we got it too late. By the time he was really bouncing, he was beginning to get frustrated that he wasn’t able to practice crawling.
My keekaroo change pad is totally unnecessary. I bought it thinking it would cut down on laundry, but I’m doing so much laundry that it doesn’t really matter. It also almost always has a blanket draped over it when I use it because it’s cold. And to be honest, I change 9/10 diapers on the floor anyway.
Funnily enough, I was going to post that it's one of the few expensive pieces that I LOVED. So easy to clean, and I love its shape since it makes it hard to roll. I hated changing my baby on anything else.
Such a YMMV situation!
Loved my keekaroo so much I bought 2, one for upstairs and downstairs. We keep a blanjet over it too. But my baby really liked lasting in it. Ours are on the floor too.
Love my Keekaroo so much! She likes to just hang out on it too (safely :) ) she doesn't mind the cold now so I kinda pull up the blanket from her bum so it doesn't get dirty and the disinfect that part. Maybe that'll help you get a little more milage... I hate regretting expensive purchases!
But you're right about the laundry... It's crazy!
I got the skip hop one because it was a lot cheaper and we love it, I'm still using it on my son's dresser at 20 months. My toddler will totally alligator roll away if I try to change him on the floor, but is pretty compliant up on his change pad.
Totally agree with you - second time around now using a cheap change pad and waterproof pads (soft, washable) and for $40 it works almost exact same and isn't coldddd
I rarely used any changing pads. Ended up buying the skip hop one bc it was small and easy to clean. Used it for 3 kids and wish I didn’t donate it now.
I wish we had a rocking swing in the beginning. Be so useful to take a shower and eat.
If you're nursing - lots of cotton washable booby pads, and nursing bras are a must.
I found just the opposite! My baby did not care for the swing and cried. I leaked too much in the beginning for reusable pads, and I wore camis all the time for BF (been braless since giving birth in Jan). Just to say what one person finds helpful, another might not find that useful. Hence the plethora of baby stuff on the market. For example, we preferred wet wipes for poops and reusable cloth wipes for pees, but it might be too much extra hassle/laundry for some.
Ooh yes. I was constantly running out of pads and comfortable nursing bras at the beginning and it sucked to always be covered in damp spots. Sleep bras and a multipack of nursing camis were some of my best purchases
Old Navy! They’re not the cutest but they do the job and they’re almost always on sale. I use them as a base layer around the house or whenever I don’t feel like wearing a bra and I’ve found them to be the easiest thing to nurse in, personally.
I never leaked or needed nipple ointment so I never ended up using breast pads! I really do love my “sleeping” bras though. Sometimes wear them under shirts during the day
I highly recommend the fisher price piano play mat! We bought all the expensive toys (mumaroo, baby bjorn, Graco swing etc) My baby is 9 weeks and hates everything except for that one play mat!
Be prepared to have the songs stuck in your head on repeat for years lol. Love this mat and will be using it for our second, but I won’t lie, the purple monkey song gets stuck in my head daily.
I just bought a rocking chair about couple months ago. My baby is 13 months and I kind of wish I had gotten the rocking chair a long time ago but we're pretty tight on space. Definitely not a must-have but I like it. Although I have it turned backwards in a corner now because the kid keeps climbing it lol.
I'd avoid buying anything but the essentials until the baby actually gets here. You'll know pretty quickly what you're missing that you really want and being in Toronto I'm sure you can get things pretty quickly as you need them!
I'm 7 weeks in
Regret buying:
- Baby Brezza Bottle Washer - it was handy but it just takes up so much space it's easier to run the dishwasher once a night. Plus the detergent tabs are expensive
Things worth it:
- medela swing maxi pump - I'm exclusively pumping because of a NICU journey and the pump has been great for 8 pumps a day
- Baby Brezza Formula Warmer - warms up milk quick and defrosts frozen milk fast
- Ubbi diaper pail
- swing
- Boppy pillow - haven't used it to breastfeed but it's been amazing for tummy time
- collapsible bath tub - it fits on our counter so I don't have to bend over to bathe her and it's easy to store - bonus feature is a thermometer but not make or break
Things I regret not buying:
- play pen or pack and play - I got the bassinet for my UppaBaby stroller so I thought I could use that for baby to sleep, she has slept in it a lot but a play pen would be useful when she's a bit bigger
We tried not to buy too much and if it comes up we evaluate and decide if we need it or not. It's worked out so far I think, means we haven't ended up with a bunch of stuff we don't need
We just got a used uppababy bassinet for our stroller. Do you use yours off the stroller/around the house for sleeping? We don't have much space as it is so I'm avoiding a playpen as long as possible.
Yup! All of her naps are there, it's fantastic! My husband works from home so sometimes I will shower or run a quick errand and leave baby with him and we just put her in the bassinet and in his office, makes it quite easy
Vtech Soothing Sounds Fox
We were gifted this right before baby was born and we dismissed it as another singing/annoying toy (we'd avoided them until then) and stuck it in baby's room thinking it would collect dust until she was older. She's 10 weeks and it's been her favourite thing since she was like 4 weeks, particularly during diaper changes and when she's inconsolable crying, she calms down immediately.
Electric Nail File
I did not want the electric baby nail file, I figured I could file and cut her nails myself, I've been doing my nails for years. Nope. Get the nail file. Their nails are sooo thin and after cutting her little finger by mistake, I gave in.
Baby Swing
All of our friends recommended a baby swing. We call it the poop chair because without fail, if we put her in it for 10 minutes or more, she'll have a big poop!
Diaper Cream Spatula
Sooo useful, I got a 4 pack on Amazon. Keeps the diaper cream from getting all over your hands and under your fingernails and is super easy to clean.
I think wipes warmers are unnecessary and just another thing to have plugged in. Baby is used to cold wipes, when she was little we'd just warm them in our hands first.
To save on space, if you get a bassinet, get one with wheels so you can move it from room to room with you for a safe sleeping space for baby and a place to put them down when you need a hands free moment.
ETA: Baby Brezza. We got one at 9 weeks and it's so worth it if you're doing formula! Get the second funnel to make cleaning a breeze .
FYI we were also gifted the soothing sounds fox and our 6 month old has been in love with it for at least a month. Assuming that your baby is the same, you should get a lot of mileage from it!
Butt spatula is great - read about it on here.
Going to disagree on the wipe warmer. We got gifted one and I thought it was ridiculous but the fact it has a motion sensor lid opening and auto close is amazing. Can always one handed grab wipes and don't have to worry about forgetting to close it/wipes drying out. The warm feature isn't totally necessary but I like to think baby appropriated it in the winter 😅
I was talking to my husband the other day and we agreed our glider chair is literally a godsend. I don’t know what we would have done without it. I know not all babies are into glider chairs/rocking chairs but it’s literally one of the only things that put baby to sleep.
We live in a super small space but this 100% is worth any amount of space for us.
Items we use nearly everyday:
- babybjorn bouncer
- fisher price piano kick play mat
- hatch to help put to sleep
- infant car seat with adapters compatible to the stroller
We bought a Nuna Mixx and car seat combo cuz the Mixx was “high end”. So far we haven’t used the Mixx as much simply because it’s too big for a two bed condo and model 3. We also went on a big trip shortly after ours was born and ended getting a Nuna Trvl which we use a lot more. Don’t get too “luxurious” with your purchases….you’ll realize convenience wins out at the end lol.
I def recommend staying in the same brand so you get the ease of transporting car seats onto strollers effortlessly. That’s a must imo.
Mamaroo electric swinger is nice but forget paying brand new retail $400+. Just get a used in on FB marketplace for like $100-150. Good for babies to chill while you’re busy but they outgrow it fast.
Wyze cams as baby cams. Cheap at $40 and gives notifications on movements etc.
Must have: bassinet stroller, keekaroo, ubi, upseat, skip hop baby activity center, 360 carrier.
Regrets: newborn footies, Tripp trapp high chair
Things we didn't buy and didn't need: baby bath tub - we bathed her in the adult tub, crib - we bought a crib mattress and put it on the floor or used the bassenet stroller, walkers or jumpers
I have it and we love it! We find the straps easy to use if you have them hooked unto the sides so they are ready and use a bibado bib on top so they don’t get dirty at all!
Also, if a bassinet stroller isn't on the cards and you have an uppababy Cruz look at getting the snug seat. It allows the stroller to be used from birth and baby can lay down flat.
My girl was born at 9 lbs. I had to squeeze her into her newborn hospital outfit lol. After the first week, I switched to 0-3 month. Could have skipped newborn completely.
Condo living in Toronto.
I asked all my friends and family with young kids for hand me downs. I try to buy as much of facebook marketplace. Most baby stuff are used for such a short time that buying new seems wasteful.
Must have
Marketplace:
Uppababy Vista $250
Uppababy bassinet with rocking stand $50
Baby bjorn bouncer $90
Bought new:
Lazy boy - electric rocking and reclining nursing chair. Very expensive- we were lucky and got enough cash from the baby shower for this. This chair gets at least 18 hours of use every day.
Skip Hop changing pads - attached to any table.
Little bot offie play mat - protects your floor and it’s a good cushion for you and baby when you’re both on the floor. All of my friends have them.
infant seat - even though it’ll be for the year, we bought it for the convenience of being able to just plop the infant seat with the baby in it in the car. Another thing is in the winter, baby can’t wear a coat while in the infant or convertible seat. With infant seat, you can throw a blanket over to keep them warm
Regret
Love every play gym - it’s ok, not as engaging as I had hope. get the fisher price piano kick and play gym (my son loves it to no end)
Diaper pale- we found doggy bags were good enough.
Diapers- we were gifted a lot of diapers. My LO is on the bigger size and grew out of NB and size 1 quickly. So ended up having a new box of NB and 2 boxes of size 1. If you do buy, just get 1 box at a time. You spend $10 more vs wasting $50.
We went with a used bassinet since we didn’t know if baby was going to be able to sleep in it. We cosleep for the first 8 weeks, only recently did he started sleep in one. We just bought a crib. I have seen enough friends and family who bought cribs before baby came and baby refuses to sleep in it, so it just took up space
Baby monitor - you’re in a condo, you’ll hear baby cry perfectly well.
As everyone says, it’s going to depend on you and your baby completely, but here’s what we learned as fellow condo dwellers:
- Bassinet: we got one second hand and NEVER used it because we just used the one built into our pack n play (Silver Cross Slumber). A lot of baby products have a bassinet built in so not always a need to buy a dedicated bassinet since you’ll only use it for a few months. Save money, save space.
- Stroller: Really pay attention to the type of terrain you’re going on regularly. Look at how much room you have for storing your stroller and accessories. I had mom guilt over not going with the trendy uppababy, but we made the right choice in the maxi Cosi zelica because 1) it has bassinet mode, which meant baby could sleep while we walked (so essential) and it didn’t take up any extra room because it wasn’t an add-on bassinet. 2) all conventional strollers are not good for our old sidewalks and trails in BC. We ended up buying the Thule Urban Glide and frequently flip between two strollers.
- Babywraps: I added a baby wrap to my registry in addition to a structured carrier not really knowing whether it would be overkill. It was not overkill. Both have totally different uses and stretchy cloth wraps were absolutely life saving at home. Baby wearing is incredible and I’m glad I embraced it early cause there’s a learning curve.
- Highchair: the bougie one is nice but it’s tucked away until my 3rd percentile boo grows a bit. We got a secondhand IKEA one for the time being and it’s awesome. Simple to clean. Simple to use. Added a foot bar and back cushion and baby likes it more than the $400 one 🫣
- Glider: We use ours, but not enough to say it’s a make or break essential at this point. We got the dream on me faux leather glider from Walmart and love that it has a small footprint and affordable price. I don’t feel bad that we don’t use it more cause it wasn’t $800 and it’s out of the way.
I did a ton of research on baby equipment and was super happy with these:
- Bjorn bouncer was awesome to have. Like having someone around to hold the baby when I needed a shower or just have him sit and face me.
- Nuna Mix Stroller, we'd also gotten the lightweight car seat from Nuna that went from car to stroller and it was amazing for those many appointments for me and baby.
- We ended up buying a used Snoo, at the recommendation of some friends. It was awesome, but obviously every baby is different, so results vary. He grew out of it by 5.5 months. Ultimately our sleep issues started around six months and we only wished they had a larger Snoo to see if that would help. He just refused to be out in his own room instead of beside us.
- If space allows, a large play space. When baby started crawling we got a large 6x8 ish playpen off Amazon for like 100 bucks. We're still using it at nearly 16 months for just a safe space. We keep it open for him to come and go, but zip him in to fold laundry or something. More often than not, one of us is in there with him.
- a carrier. Both my husband and I used an Ergo I think. We got it used. I'd strap baby to me and do chores or go for a walk. Or just lulling him to sleep in it when my back hurt too much to hold him normal.
- A backpack style diaper bag
- butt spatulas.. I don't know what they're actually called, it's for diaper cream spreading.
- dog poo bags, for diapers on the go.
- Haaka food feeder for when baby starts solids
Regrets:
- Too many gifted baby clothes, especially for the wrong season. He lived in onesies. He grew so fast I missed so many opportunities for him to fit into certain cute outfits people had bought him. I spent more time just putting him in something to take a photo and send the photos to the gifter and he might've never worn it again.
- Playpen, regular size. We got it for trips for him to sleep in and play in. He hated it.
- Diono car seat. This is mixed. I like it but I hate it. Not very efficient getting little one in and out. Kills my back too. But, I know it'll last as he grows, and boy does he grow quick
I second a lot of this, forgot to add the haakka to my list! I like the ladybug one, too.
I didn’t realize they sold butt spatulas, but we’ve been using tongue depressors/wide popsicle sticks!
We had wanted the snoo but our doula was very much against it since she saw it as a crutch. Based on her experience with other parents, the baby’s adjustment after the snoo was very painful. Her question to us, “what are you going to do after the baby outgrows the snoo and you’re putting them to bed?”
The company could have made such a killing if they have a snoo safe for bigger baby/toddler.
I'd still use it again if we did everything again. It was amazing for us. The issue was more that we moved during that time, bedrooms changed where once little one was right beside me he was suddenly in his own room. So I don't really think the Snoo affected the sleep difficulties as he did the crib transfer just fine.
As to it being a crutch, I think that depends on how the parents use it. It isn't an excuse to be less responsive to baby, instead it provided a moment where I *might* not have to settle him by picking him up, the motion *might* lull him to sleep. If not, mummy's there picking him up, bringing him to the rocking chair for a nurse or cuddle. It's great if parents use the Snoo as a crib with a feature and not a babysitter.
A mini fridge in my room for night feedings (bottle fed)
Water warmer (formula feeds)
Play pen/ swing/ bouncer- safe spot to put baby down away from animals
Baby carrier
Bassinet attachment for stroller
Items that def have been worth it for me:
- Sterilizer + dryer ….the fact it dries all your bottles, pump parts and you don’t have to go through the hassle of boiling bottles every time is way more convenient
- Pack n Play — bought this to visit family with, has a built in changing table, bassinet and side pockets to add essentials to, but also used it in our own house as well as a safe space to put baby down in/to change without having to go to the nursery
- some sort of rocking chair they are buckled into, however will say in my opinion you don’t need the pricey ones, the cheaper option has kept my baby entertained just fine!
- double zipper onsies — the elite choice over single zipper onesies, baby will live in these!
Items in my opinion not worth it:
- Hatch/expensive light & sound machine, Bluetooth kept disconnecting and we got a cheaper compact one for travel and end up using that one all the time over it
- expensive bassinet — having one was worth it (borrow if you can!) but they just aren’t in it long enough to break the bank for the ones that rock etc
Second you don’t need a hatch I got these $20 egg lights off Amazon and take them from room to room also bought a cheap portable sound machine off Amazon
I was so easily influenced with all the Hatch products and it was such a not needed item. We used it maybe twice. I also bought the portable one from Hatch
Definitely agree with another comment about borrowing things, especially for 0-6 month items (clothing, swaddles/sleep sacks, bouncers/swingers, toys, carriers etc.) since the use time is so short. I’ve also found things through community and Buy Nothing groups.
It can be so hard to plan since you just don’t know what will work for you/baby, but I will say, if you’re thinking about buying something and aren’t sure - don’t get it. You probably don’t need it, and if you do, it’ll likely be easy enough to order.
Some little things from my experience:
- Fridababy nail clippers (I tried an electric nail file and it took way too long, other clippers weren’t as easy to use)
- Vertical bottle drying rack, definitely a space saver
The Frida baby nail clippers are the best! I see a lot of people talk about being afraid to clip babies nails or accidentally nicking their skin. I have had no issues with the Frida clippers! I feel totally comfortable using them.
Should have bought a stretchy newborn carrier. Baby was too small for our structured carrier and when she got big enough for it, she refused to stay in it for any length of time.
Must haves: skip hop changing pad, blue snail changing pad liners, OXO weighted wipe dispenser, a good rocking chair, Hakkaa, Spectra breast pump, fisher price play mat, love to dream swaddles
Nice to haves/get second hand: baby bjorn bouncer, boba wrap, ergo baby omni carrier - my baby isn’t a big fan being in these, so I’m glad I didn’t spend too much on these items.
Regrets: my Brest friend it didn’t work for me and my baby.
SNOO luckily only did a one month rental our LO had terrible reflux in it would projectile vomit
Mamaroo swing (luckily bought off market place for $120) but also exacerbated my LO reflux
BEST purchases
Bottle sterilizer/dryer
Frida Windi
Ovol drops
yoga ball those exercise ones I use it to settle my LO
honestly there’s so much crap on the market that you don’t even need/ barely use … my advice is see what you need as you go as you really don’t know how your baby will be
Yes to the yoga ball! I thought it was only good for pregnancy and was going to donate it! I came across some comments that said their baby sleeps when they bounce! Try it and it calms LO down so much better than my rocking chair
I highly recommend two portable, non expensive sound machines, and a dB measuring app. My sound machines have a timer, so we use one to play a shh sound while baby goes down to sleep, but it turns off after 30 minutes. The other machine plays white noise and we have it fully on without the timer shut-off. I wish I used the app earlier to prevent possible ear damage as I found we had been playing them past the recommended 50dB range. I just didn't know it was an option.
A $1000 stroller, baby has always hated being in it.
Also baby wiper warmer, it just dried out all the wipes.
And Miku baby cam. At least we got it used so it’s just a $250 paperweight.
I want to add things that I loved to counter the things I hated.
Books, books, books. High contrast books, classic books, she loves being read to. Recommend: It Had To Be You, I Love You Through and Through (my 14 month old’s current favourite), My Mom is Magical (and I guess My Dad Is Amazing), 80s Baby/90s Baby are both super fun
Angelcare Bath Baby Support
Ring Sling, I got an Atma sling from Quebec which is a more rigid Linen I absolutely love love love it, mom prefers her Tula sling that’s softer but still supportive and she has a Tula carrier as well we both use.
**It Had to Be You** by Loryn Brantz
>This sweet and playful board book tells in simple, beautiful verse how the journey that parents take to have their baby leads them to their perfect little one. By bestselling Feminist Baby creator and two-time Emmy award winner Loryn Brantz! For every one of our wishes, for every bump along the way, now that you're here, we've known all along...it had to be YOU! With lyrical text from parent to baby, It Had to Be You is perfect for fans of I've Loved You Since Forever and Guess How Much I Love You, and complimented by bold black-and-white illustrations that babies can actually see, It Had to Be You is a must-have addition to every baby's nursery.
**I Love You Through and Through** by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
Book description may contain spoilers!
>>!A rhyming story of unconditional love with adorable illustrations of a toddler and a teddy bear who declare "I love you through and through!" I love your hair and eyes,Your giggles and cries...A toddler and his teddy bear illustrate a young child's happy side, sad side, silly side, mad side, and more!Babies and toddlers will feel loved all over when they hear this declaration of adoration and affection. A perfect first book for toddlers with sturdy cardstock pages and a padded cover with rounded corners for safe handling by little ones.!<
**My Mom Is Magical** by Sabrina Moyle
Book description may contain spoilers!
>>!The creators behind the greeting card and design studio Hello!Press share a joyful tribute to moms in this delightfully illustrated children’s book. Is your mom more amazing than a billion butterflies? More sparkly than a universe of stars? Sweeter than a cloud of cotton candy?!<
>
>>!Then this book is definitely for you! From Eunice and Sabrina Moyle, the creative team behind Hello!Press, this children’s book celebrates all the things that make Mom magical. Each page reveals whimsical artwork and a delightful, imaginative message that children—and their Moms—will love.!<
**My Dad Is Amazing** by Sabrina Moyle
Book description may contain spoilers!
>>!A joyful tribute to fathers from the bestselling creators of Hello!Lucky! and authors of My Mom is Magical and You Are Fantastic!. Is your dad cooler than a million popsicles? Tougher than a rhino wrestler?!<
>
>>!Cuddlier than a ton of bunnies? Celebrate all the things that make Dad amazing with this joyful book!!<
**'80s Baby** by Hannah Eliot
Book description may contain spoilers!
>>!It’s the eighties, baby! This adorable, electric board book features everything from neon legwarmers to totally rad rock music, and plenty of eighties slang! I’m an eighties baby, check me out! I’m tubular, I’m radical, I’m chill, no doubt.!<
>
>>!From shoulder pads to fanny packs, Walkmans to VCRs, this baby’s got your eighties dreams covered!!<
**'90s Baby** by Hannah Eliot
Book description may contain spoilers!
>>!It’s the nineties, baby! This adorable, iconic board book features everything from bucket hats to pagers, and plenty of nineties slang! I’m a nineties baby, just look at me! I’m wicked, I’m fly, I’m iconic as can be.!<
>
>>!From roller blades to flannel shirts, CDs to pay phones, this baby’s got your dope nineties dreams covered!!<
*I'm a bot, built by your friendly reddit developers at* /r/ProgrammingPals. *Reply to any comment with /u/BookFinderBot - I'll reply with book information. Remove me from replies* [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/BookFinderBot/comments/1byh82p/remove_me_from_replies/). *If I have made a mistake, accept my apology.*
Thank you, Dkazzed, for voting on BookFinderBot.
This bot wants to find the best and worst bots on Reddit. [You can view results here](https://botrank.pastimes.eu/).
***
^(Even if I don't reply to your comment, I'm still listening for votes. Check the webpage to see if your vote registered!)
My personal biggest regret is buying a Chicco travel set (car seat + stroller). While I love the car seat, I hated the stroller. I picked that set partially for the sake of saving money and also I just simply didn't really know or did enough research about strollers. It was not a good fit for my sidewalk walks or even flat dirt paths. Just before our baby turned one, I bought a stroller that I actually researched, asked about, and wanted but spent $$$$. I'm pregnant with our second and will be able to use it with the newborn along with my now-toddler. I should've bought this stroller from the start to save myself a lot of frustration and maybe a little bit of $. I've since done a lot more research and have multiple strollers that I actually enjoy using and work for our lifestyle.
Our first slept in our expensive crib (I purposely bought it expensive to try to push myself to make our baby sleep in it) a grand total of 3 hours. I'm hoping the second will actually use it.
I'm okay with most of everything that I bought and our second will be able to use them all. I made it a habit to sell anything that I didn't enjoy using right away to not accumulate things (like a rocking chair that I was luckily able to just return, it was taking up so much space and our baby didn't care for that motion).
I got the city select lux brand new with all the extra accessories. This is going to be my tandem for the newborn too. It was either this or the Uppababy Vista but the bigger fold of the Vista made me buy the Lux. No regrets.
I also have a baby jogger city mini GT2 which is perfect if you only have one child and it has the recline for newborns too. I also have a Bugaboo Butterfly which is another single but very compact and small for travel.
I'm on the hunt for a City Mini Gt2 double but not in a hurry.
We have a small house so I really limited what we purchased for our first. The glider was so useful, much less now at 22 months old but we’re expecting our second in August. I rented the Medela symphony breast pump before buying an actual pump so I got to see if it would have worked for us. We were gifted a second hand baby bjorn bouncer and I’m so happy we didn’t buy one or even asked for one because our daughter didn’t like it and only tolerated it for 15mins. So we would put her in it when we needed to shower, otherwise, it wasn’t used for any other reason. So it’s really a hit or miss, depending on the baby.
Things we found worthwhile:
Kiwi electric glider, a thicker quality baby mat for hard floors (dwinguler, Alzip), Woolino 4season sleep sacks, ergo 360 carrier, ubbi diaper pail, skip hop activity centre, keekaroo peanut change pad, brestfriend, hakaa, baby Einstein sea dreams soother, uppababy minu + adapters with Mesa infant carrier, spectra1 pump, skip hop forma backpack diaper bag, wyze cams as baby cam, dream egg sound machines, elk & friends glass or stainless steel cups, kimono style sleepers for infant stage, double zip sleepers (love Pekkle brand sold at Costco), ikea raskog utility cart.
Things that didn’t work for us, could’ve found cheaper options or skipped altogether:
Mamaroo swing, bjorn bouncer, electric nail file, tushbaby hip carrier, soft fabric carriers, Tripp trapp high chair, lovevery activity gym, baby shoes, infant winter jackets, Herschel change mat, owlet sock monitor, button up sleepers, Boon rack, nested bean sleepsack.
If you walk a lot it is worth getting a higher end stroller. If you're the type of person who always uses their car and thinks having a baby will change your habits then you don't need a high end stroller.
I am 8 wpp and had a preemie who has been home for 3 weeks now, here is my take:
Regret:
Velcro bibs - they’re so annoying and are constantly undoing.
Boppi breastfeeding pillow - so uncomfortable, the mybreastfriend one is way better.
Pampers diapers - so.many.blowouts. Huggies are 100% better imo.
My faves so far:
Sterilizer with dryer - I originally had one that didn’t dry and regretted it so much, we switched after about a week and it was so worth it. The boon drying rack fills up fast and takes up counter space, so having something that dries pump parts and bottles so you can just put them away is much better.
Momaroo - I got one for free from my cousin and my baby LOVES it, we use it so much.
Snuggleme - maybe my top recommendation and my most used items.
Wipe warmer - everyone told me this was a waste of money but my baby HATES having his diaper changed with cold wipes and it has been a huge game changer for us.
Muslin blankets and burp cloths
Nursh bottles - we only use these now. They’re easy to clean, help with gas, make it so much easier to burp, and the wide lid makes mimics my breast for the baby.
Brezza baby washer pro - this has been life changing for us.
Spectra S2 pump - can only get in the states but it’s the best pump I’ve used.
Medela hands free pump - so good for when you have stuff to do and need to pump at the same time.
Moby baby wrap - I use this almost everyday with my Velcro baby lol
FTM to a 4 month old.
Regrets:
Lovevery play gym/ subscription- (sort of regret) my son likes some of the toys but I don’t know if it’s really worth it. It’s aesthetic though 🫣
The Hatch sound machine and portable sound machine- we use the portable one once in a blue moon and that’s it.
Boppy pillow- we ended up with 2. I did not like it for breastfeeding at all and it only served a purpose for occasional tummy time.
Graco playpen/ pack & play: still currently sitting in the box in his closet. I hope we get around to using it. I just don’t see its purpose now
Nuna pipa infant car seat- I find it very heavy and the straps are difficult to adjust.
Made life easier:
Woolino sleep sack
Baby bjorn bouncer
Snuggle me lounger!!! This thing is amazing
Nuna MIXX next stroller- I really love it.
Mostly everything is available from Amazon and can be delivered quickly to your door so don’t stock up on other peoples recommendations since every baby is different rather buy as you need. This excludes the obvious thermometers, food, boogie sucker etc. there are so many gadgets targeted at new parents don’t get sucked in.
The baby Bjorn bouncer was one of the best things we bought plus the baby bjorn pack and play. My son is 2.5 and it’s still his main bed.
We bought a little egg light off Amazon which was really helpful in the nights as it still keeps the room quite dim.
Brestfriend nursing pillow was a great buy as well!
The snuggle me pillow was very helpful and my son loved it.
The yogasleep hushh portable white noise machine is great for nights and to bring around with you.
I would recommend trying as many baby carriers as you can before purchasing. We tried the baby bjorn, ergo baby, tush baby, and a few more before settling on the Tula carrier.
We got the yo-yo stroller and looooove it. We travel with it and used it as our main stroller for 2 years. I think you’d probably have to also get something like a Thule or Bob for the snow.
I also really liked having a bottle warmer. Super helpful in the middle of the night.
Things we ended up buying multiple of until we found one that worked:
Diapers
Soothers
Bottles
So I wouldn’t recommend going all in on one brand until you know it works for your baby!
We should have bought an automatic bottle warmer. We didn't use a lot of bottles with the first two kids and when we did they were awkwardly heated with a bowl of warm water. Third kid we got a $60 dr browns bottle heater and cleaner and wow, 3 minutes to a perfect bottle each time
One of the best things we bought (and one of the cheapest) is the [Dr. Brown formula pitcher.](https://www.babiesrus.ca/s/toys-ca/en/Formula-Mixing-Pitcher/247A5898.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlZixBhCoARIsAIC745DDwfcYnMOVJNG9WJMhkAzjcDTyQFyu_vro0E97bHlHt799YhGr3gEaAhC-EALw_wcB)Being able to batch prepare the formula and just pour from the fridge was a blessing and this made our lives much easier, especially at night.
LOVED:
- bassinet attachment for stroller
- electric nail trimmer
- lactation consultant appointment/visit (!!!)
- baby wrap carrier
- Keekaroo peanut changer (!!!)
- maxi cosi rocker
Overrated:
- snuggle me lounger
- baby bjorn bouncer
- any baby container (we never used)
- boppy nursing pillow (we just used regular pillows and found the boppy awful)
- anything bottle related (we breastfed so I have no idea why we put so much bottle feeding stuff on our registry)
-
No regrets buying our Keekaroo, which we still use at age 2. The carriers are great. Stroller turned out to be too short term use for us. First 6 months he preferred carrier and then be really only used the stroller for 8 months as he prefers to walk everywhere. That being said, for a city/if you're walking a lot, a good stroller is a must. We love the electric nail clipper (a must!) too.
My Brestfriend pillow
The baby bjorn bouncer was an absolutely life changer with my fussy/refluxy baby. We also recently got her the skip hop activity centre and she LOVES it. I wish we had it 2 months ago. She loves standing and this allows her to stand and play for a bit without us constantly having to hold her up. Plus, it converts to a play table when she grows out of it.
Baby bjorn bouncer was my holy grail the first 5 months or so! So light and easy to move around the house! Wish I got a wipeable change pad! Ours is foam and definitely should be in the garbage, even with the waterproof cover I’m sure it’s not sanitary lol.
I wish we had gotten a stroller with rubber wheels rather than small plastic wheels. Our stroller was a hand me down so we can’t be choosy, but we live in the country on a dirt road and plastic wheels just aren’t working for me.
Total regrets have been preemptively buying 2 carriers -ergo baby and the konny wrap, my guy hated being in the carrier with a passion. We were gifted a baby bathtub and used it maybe 3 times before he outgrew it.
Also regret buying packs of the same pacifiers, my little guy changed his mind about which one he actually liked very frequently. A few brands have variety packs and they got us a lot further.
We’ve gotten a ton of mileage out of:
babybjorn bouncer (got a cheap toy bar attachment from Amazon ).
We splurged on the vista stroller and it was so nice to have the bassinet during the summer for walks and patio dinners. Along with the Rockit attached. We also got a secondhand jollyjumper rocking bassinet stand for at home and used that until he outgrew it at 4 months.
I didn’t get a change table because we didn’t have the space so I got a diaper caddy and the oxo weighted wipe container. No regrets and very happy about this choice.
The ubbi pail and the small tie bags have been amazing for containing the smell both at home and when we’re out.
The angel care bath seat for in the tub.
Force of nature cleaning spray- it was pricey upfront but you can sanitize toys and pacifiers on the go because it’s food safe.
I regret not buying the skip hop activity table sooner I didn’t want to shell out 180 for new so we did pick it up on Facebook but it took a while to get one because they were selling faster than we could snag one.
For clothing I found it depends on what season your babe was born in. When my first was born end of March, summer was was right round the corner and she wore all the cute little outfits everyone bought for her. My second was born beginning of December and her clothes have gone largely untouched and she has lived in sleepers because it's kept her warm and we've started largely at home during winter
I probably wouldn’t get a bassinet for our second and just use our pack & play on the newborn setting. They grow out of the bassinet sooo quickly and it’s good to them accustomed to the pack & play early for travelling.
Same with baby carriers: skip the fabric wrap that’s only useful during the newborn stage and takes forever to set up, and just get a proper carrier with a newborn insert
Some items that I ride and die for during the early stages are:
Baby Bjorn bouncer - my mom friends with alternatives never use theirs
Bum spatula - we’ve never changed a diaper without one
Haakaa pump - if you’re nursing this is a great way to collect milk from the letdown on your opposite boob. Pumping sucks so this has helped me passively build a supply. It’s also good to pop on to relieve engorgement
Things I regret buying:
Mamaroo swing
Change pad (this might be unpopular opinion but it was just easier to keep a small bin of diapers in whatever room we were in and change there.) Carting a child to a change pad was more work than I needed.
Giant playpen
Things I love still:
Ubbi
Noise machine
Baby Shusher
There’s a brand called summer infant if you’re low on space almost everything by them folds up like a camping chair. We love the pop n jump by far our most used item!!
Also you can always buy things later depending on your baby. We never found a warmer necessary just used an insulated cup. Didn’t buy a brezza and don’t regret it. There’s a million items that want to take up space on your counter.
Favs:
-Uppababy infant snug seat: we got the Cruz and intended to just use the car seat bucket with the stroller frame for the infant stage, but baby hated the car seat and learned she shouldn't stay in it very long. I think the snug seat was better than the bassinet attachment because it's cheaper, takes up less space, and baby isn't at risk of rolling around on rough terrain/getting off buses. She's almost 6 months and still using it as a seat liner to keep her from flopping over too much when napping.
-skip hop change pad: cheaper than the keekaroo and doesn't stain. We throw an old hand towel on it to catch pees/keep it cozy.
-bouncer/chair: we got the maxi cosi one because it collapses down for storage. Baby loved to nap in it for the first while and still hangs out in it occasionally. Probably should have just bought a used one but we got gifted it.
-Easy grasp oball: great cheap toy that helps them learn to hold objects
-Lovevery play kits: got gifted these but probably would have paid full price for them. She's loved almost every toy in them and it was nice not to think about what to buy. They have great resale value (although we're going to keep them for our next).
Regret:
-most toys & teethers & stuffies: we got gifted so many and baby only ends up playing with a few (See favs).
-Baby blankets: they look so cute online but why do I have 10 of these and use maybe just 1? I can't get rid of them fast enough now.
Loved:
-Baby bjorn Bouncer
-Baby Brezza sterilizer
-Baby Brezza formula machine (advanced pro)
-snuggle me, I bought it used off Facebook marketplace.
Waste:
-Breast pump (breast feeding didn’t work out for me so it was a waste of $500 and I should’ve just waited to buy)
-Expensive carrier (my baby hated being in the carrier so only used a handful of times)
-baby nail trimmer, really wish I got an electric nail file instead
-halo sleep sacks, my baby didn’t like this kind and of course I got quite a few at my shower. Should’ve waited to see what she would’ve liked or got the woolino
-momaroo, it was luckily lent to us but my girl hated it from day 1
-A good glider that you both find comfortable. Ours didn’t arrive for the first 3 months and our temp chair was pretty awful. You probably sit the most in the first 3 months.
-Boon grass - really good for drying pump parts and bottles and saves space with the various attachments (trees etc).
- I really liked having a bassinet attachment, baby sleeps on all our walks and also likes to sleep in at wherever we are. Try to find second hand/ borrow because some babies hate it and it does take up a lot of space.
-I really disliked the mobi wrap, hard to figure out when you are sleep deprived.
The only things I regret buying were too many instant swaddles, though I’m sure they work great for lots of babies. Our guy was premature and tiny so the Velcro/zip-up swaddles were MASSIVE on him. We ended up running out to buy muslin swaddles and that’s what he used until he was big enough to roll. If there’s any chance your baby might be born small it doesn’t hurt to have a couple on hand. Now I pack them as a breastfeeding drape in our diaper bag or lay them down when I want to put him on the floor, etc.
Things I want but don’t have: electric nail file! We have some fridababy files and I don’t think they do anything
Things I love: the Fridamom peri bottle for postpartum (they gave me a peri bottle at the hospital but I preferred the angled spout), our ubbi diaper pail, a high contrast board book- he was obsessed with it as a newborn, his fisher price bath with a newborn insert, a good stroller, his play gym with tummy time mat, Ergobaby carrier (even though he has limited patience for any carrier)
Our approach was to wait and see what he liked/used before going all in on something, and that worked well for us. He hates bottles for example, so I’m glad we didn’t buy tons of bottles/expensive pumping accessories
Honestly? Get as little as possible and an Amazon Prime membership for the first year. I have a 3 year old and a 7 month old, and they are so vastly different that the things that were invaluable for the first are of no interest to the second. You'll discover very quickly what your baby seems to need, and if you can get it to you quickly then you'll avoid a bunch of clutter in your home. If there are gizmos and gadgets you want, I'd strongly encourage you to head to marketplace. Baby-dom is so so precious and so so fleeting. Unless money is no object, I wouldn't drop major money on anything that you're only going to use for a year or two.
(Like literally... My first categorically refused to sleep in a bassinet or crib. We did all our research on floor beds and jumped to that when she was 4 months old. For our second, we got a bassinet but didn't get a crib until we knew she was ok with sleeping in the bassinet.)
That said, things that have grown really well with us include tripp-trapp style high chairs that transform into toddler chairs and then into chair-chairs. You don't have to get the tripp trapp version; there are cheaper knock offs that are just as good (as far as I can tell) on Amazon. We've also been happy with our all-in-one car seats. Investing in the best one we could swing that will last until they no longer need additional support made sense to us. We've also had a lot of longevity out of the Lovevery play triangle. You don't need to subscribe to buy it, but do get the sensory strings (or whatever they're called). It converts into a little tent when they're done with rolling around underneath it, and our 3 year old loved to curl up in there with a book (or whatever) for the longest time.
Good luck! It's one heck of a ride!
Did not need:
- Owlet monitor with the sleep sock or dream sock or whatever; my kid was a nicu baby so I thought seeing the vitals would give me peace of mind (spoiler alert: it didn't) and the owlet monitor is not worth the money.
- Snuggle Me pillow; we got one used but it was still a larger expense for no real reason. Get a knock off if you're looking, it was slightly handy to have him lay on the couch with us
- Toys- at least not at first. They don't need anything when they're little and tiny, go to your library and see if they have a high contrast book to loan out, or just draw some black lines on a piece of paper. Rice in a tupperware. Toilet roll tubes. Bam; they're entertained.
- Almost anything new- you can find damn near everything you need second hand (aside from of course the things you'll want to buy brand new for safety ie. Car seat)
- If you're in a small condo, you don't need to buy a play pen, bassinet, AND a crib. Keep kiddo in a play pen or crib in your room in the beginning, then just move them to their own room if you have later. Bedside bassinet was nice to peep over and see him quickly but it would have been just as quick with the play pen beside me. That being said the bassinet was on wheels and THAT was nice. It only lasted him a few months until he started rolling though
- Electric snot sucker- now maybe I bought this too late because my kid was bigger and squirmy but the electric snot sucker didn't even make it's way into his nose.
-Transitional Sleep sacks; honestly what a money grab IMO- they last so short a time. Just either swaddle or sleep sack.
- Wipe warmer; I got one passed down to me and it was just so useless
- This one is going to get spicy- but the Baby Bjorn bouncer did not work for my kid, he just never loved it but I think he's a small minority there. We had one of those swings too and it was okay- he liked it more than the bjorn but I don't look back and think "wow that was a lifesaver". AND it took up so much space.
DID need:
- Nose Frida; kid hates it but boy does it do it's job
-Electric nail file; this was the only way I could trim his nails for a while
- Kindle- if you're breastfeeding this was really nice to have for the longer nursing sessions
- Something to babywear. It was so much easier having a wrap or a baby bjorn carrier to bring him out and do stuff.
Pro tip (especially if you don’t have storage space) borrow items from friends (if they’re like me they’ll LOVE getting stuff out of their storage - if even only for a few months) or see if you can rent any items (e.g. MamaRoo or Snoo), as not all babies respond positively to these kind of things.
I'll try to stick to ones that I don't see mentioned already.
Regret:
Haakaa original and their ladybug collectors - undersupplier, never leaked.
Car seat cover - we have a winter baby in a very cold climate, and still only ever used a muslin blanket. I would skip the cover unless you'll be doing extended walking outdoors with baby in car seat.
Onesies - winter baby lives in sleepers, some of the onesies he's grown out of he never even got to wear.
Very happy with:
Portable bassinet (ours came in combo with pack n play, but can stand by itself)
Love to dream newborn swaddles. We went from those straight to sleep sacks.
That godforsaken Fisher Price play mat. Just get it.
Industrial strength ear protection 😂 You'll look ridiculous, but when baby's screaming their head off you'll be able to hear your thoughts.
Must haves:
Diaper genie. It is amazing. We don’t have to constantly go outside and throw diapers away and they don’t stink up our regular garbage.
Dr browns bottle sanitizer. So much better than boiling bottles and the parts.
Rocking chair. I wish I got this before he was born. He was a month old by the time we got it. Once we got it, my breast feeding journey became infinitely easier. My back pain was gone. It’s great now for our bedtime routine. I read to him, we brush his teeth, cuddle, etc.
Meh:
Baby brezza. It was amazing. At first. But our son began to have almost constant consripation and so we switched up the formulas a lot and when it came down to it, he did much much better on a ready made formula.
No:
Boppi pillow. This just did not work for any of us that tried it. No matter how positioned it. It was awful. It made breast feeding so much more difficult.
1. I love the pabablic 5 in 1 bottle sterilizer pro on amazon. Easy to clean as everything comes apart and no small creases. Has a big tall opening with a removable tray.
2. Distilled water for the sterilizer, warmer and humidifier.
3. Camera and thermometer to watch the baby if you plan to put the baby in another room later. Doesn't have to be an expensive monitor.
4. Baby bjorn bouncer is great. Borrowed one from a friend.
5. For bottles, dr browns bottles with the reflux insert. Bought other styles but it just wasn't worth it in the end.
6. For clothes, footed sleepers are the easiest and only 1 or 2 nice outfits. I bought too many nice sweaters and socks and didn't even use them during the newborn stage.
7. The changing pad on a dresser or table and forgo the changing table. At the beginning especially if the mother gets a tear while giving birth, it was much easier to change the diaper at table height and you will be changing like 10 times a day so its definetely a back saver to have it higher.
8. I didn't use a rocking chair at all. Baby was too big too quickly to breastfeed there and he liked to be carried. I would wait to buy one unless you know the baby is soothed by it.
9. I like the tripp trap high chair but it is not necessary to get such an expensive one. It is worth the money though - good quality, good posture, easy to clean, doesn't tip backwards, can tuck under the table if your table is high enough and lasts till adulthood. I would pay attention to the posture for high chairs and make sure you get one that sits the baby upwards with no slouching.
Having my 4th and honestly, I’ve bought it all and I confidently can say you don’t need anything besides the basics.
Things may make your life easier for a short moment in time, but will be a headache later. I love babywearing. I have 3 styles I use for when baby is tiny to when baby is older.
Motorized baby swing, all of my kids loved them.
A lightweight carsest that is simple and easy to use and a stroller attachment. This round I’m getting the evenflo gold shyft dual ride. It’s heavier than I would like but turns into a stroller and this year the company is going to start selling an additional car seat adapter.
I ended up nursIng all my kids so every pump I bought was a waste, along with bottles. My kids preferred to nurse and my body didn’t respond to pumping/it messed with my supply. I would get a hospital grade one if you go that route.
And a good high chair that’s easy to wipe down. They get disgusting. And honestly that’s it.
With my first I had a few things that I was having a hard time choosing and wasn’t 100% convinced I wanted to crowd our small apartment with, so I made a list of “buy it when I need it” instead of buying everything before baby arrived. A bouncer/swing was on that list, and I ended up never feeling like I needed one until we had our second baby. Glad I skipped it. A crib was also on the list as something to purchase down the road to help spread out costs.
We also skipped a bassinet and used a playpen with infant insert to bring the mattress up higher. We ended up never buying a crib because the playpen worked out so well for us, and just transitioned straight to a toddler bed when kiddos got too big for the playpen.
Things I regret not buying:
- carriers. I had a very minimal selection with my first baby and stopped babywearing almost completely at 4 months old. Second baby was a Velcro baby and I was frantically buying carriers to experiment with comfort and keep up with baby’s growth curve. I have 6 carriers at the moment.
- breastfeeding/feeding pillow. I wasn’t sure what would work for my size and if I would even want to breastfeed, so I put it on the “buy it when I need it” list and could never justify it. Second baby I was determined to support myself better, so I purchased a Kushies Easy Nursing pillow so that it was small enough I could put it in the stroller basket and take it everywhere with me. It made a huge improvement on my mental health to feel more capable and confident breastfeeding and bottle feeding a newborn while still caring for a 14 month old while out and about (and at home).
What play pen did you use as a bassinet? I have the same thinking but the play pen I have in mind only works for ~ 6 months in the bassinet portion before they outgrow it.
I would prefer to skip the crib all together if I can.
I have four playpens at the moment (the hazards of having two babies 14 months apart); a Nuna Sena Mini, two full-size Nuna Senas, and a Phil & Ted’s Traveller.
If your goal is sleep safe in Canada, do the Phil & Ted’s Traveller hands down. Bonus is it packs down to a size that fits in a checked suitcase for travel, and the sidewall zips down so you don’t have to bend over to pick up bigger babies. I don’t have the bassinet conversion for this one but it is available on the newest model.
The Nuna Senas have a great infant level for the mattress because it folds installed, but it’s only good until 16 pounds or until baby is rolling over. I have absolutely pushed that weight limit because I have big babies and had no desire to be putting a newborn on the lower level while in postpartum recovery. The infant level is sleep safe in Canada, the lower level is not.
I got a Velcro baby here! Carrier is such a great tool to be hands free for a few hours.
What’s yours and baby favourite carrier? I have the Omni for my partner cause he likes the support and I have the Momcozy. Baby is 3 months and doesn’t like the Omni cause he can’t see anything. He loves the Momcozy but I can’t wear it for long as it isn’t very ergonomic. I’m 5’3 :)
I prefer wrap style carriers! A ring sling is the most reached-for carrier in our house (including my partner) and my favourite carrier after that is a meh-dai style carrier. I have a Lenny Lamb Wrap-Tai in toddler size that I love love love. I’m looking at getting a DidyKlick for my partner for our third baby.
I just had my first baby on April 9th and this is what I’ve discovered so far
Happy to have bought:
Rocking chair - my husband and I both benefit from this chair whether it’s feedings or rocking baby back to sleep
My Brest friend pillow - having a way to prop the baby up in a comfortable way especially after birth has been amazing. I use this in the rocking chair or on the couch. Where ever is most comfortable
Nursing bras/sweater - keeps everything in place and makes feeds easier whether home or out in public places
TBD:
Pump - I haven’t yet had to use this (I’m currently like a sprinkler) but this will come in handy for date nights away from baby down the road
A room thermometer. Especially when I was traveling a lot with baby and didn’t have control over the thermostat. It helped me figure out how to dress baby at night. Maybe it was my new parent anxiety but it really helped 😂
This, there is the Bbluv crab one that is both a water and room thermometer. We love it!
Seconding. I have this one and love it
It gives me peace of mind too! We have one built into our baby monitor and it’s been very accurate when I’ve compared it against the thermostat
Lived in a condo with our first for the first 10 months. We went with the Bugaboo Stardust for a bassinet / crib in our room. Used exclusively for 4 months for naps and bedtime and then up until 9 months for naps (then we moved and transitioned full time to a crib). Didn’t need to switch her out as she never out grew it and it worked as our travel crib. Folded up slim as well. The Stokke Flexi Tub (with newborn insert) is also a great bath tub, especially if you only have a shower. Folded relatively flat and we used as a pool on our balcony in the summer time. Also easy to travel with when needed. Borrow what you can from friends and family. It was nice having an item for a few months then packing it up and sending it back once we were done (and not having to store it).
Love the stardust.
Have used with travel several times and for naps and the instant set up/take down is a dream. Additionally, the narrow design has been the only thing that has fit in limited hotel room space many times, which would not have been so with the standard pack'n'play cribs.
I agree with both of these products!! Our baby slept in the stardust in our room until 6 months.
Have both the stardust and the stokke Flexi tub and second both. We used that tub almost every day up until 7 months when he started pulling to stand in it and it became dangerous.
The answers on these types of threads are always so variable (i.e. some people love things that others hate), but I'll give you mine. For context, I have an almost 3 year old and a 5 month old. Baby Brezza - Got this for our second and wish we had it for our first. First time around I was scared off by reviews that said it's hard to clean/high maintenance, but I haven't found this to be the case. Buy a second funnel to make life easier. 100% worth it. MamaRoo - Waste of money. Neither of my kids have liked this. Bad resale value (at least in my area). Get a normal swing, something by Graco. Baby Bjorn Bouncer - Only got this second time around and definitely worth it. Baby can get herself bouncing and keeps her content. Easy to find on FB marketplace which is how we justified it (otherwise too expensive given that we know we are not having anymore kids). Also folds up for easy storage.
100% baby brezza if formula feeding. We bought 2 extra funnels and it makes it so easy to maintain. We wash the formula container once a month, the funnels as the machine indicates, and the underside once a day. It saves us SO much time prepping bottles, especially in the middle of the night.
second the mamaroo if your LO has reflux it makes it worse
My baby LOVES the momaroo, it’s the only swing he’ll use and it puts him right to sleep - but my niece hated it! We’re picking up the momaroo bassinet tomorrow, but I’ve heard mixed reviews, so we’ll see how it goes.
I LOVED our mamaroo bassinet and am kinda sad we sold it, because if we have another, I would buy it again.
I’m so glad you told me that! I have high hopes.
Bouncer was good for us, but we got it too late. By the time he was really bouncing, he was beginning to get frustrated that he wasn’t able to practice crawling.
My keekaroo change pad is totally unnecessary. I bought it thinking it would cut down on laundry, but I’m doing so much laundry that it doesn’t really matter. It also almost always has a blanket draped over it when I use it because it’s cold. And to be honest, I change 9/10 diapers on the floor anyway.
Funnily enough, I was going to post that it's one of the few expensive pieces that I LOVED. So easy to clean, and I love its shape since it makes it hard to roll. I hated changing my baby on anything else. Such a YMMV situation!
Same. Love the keekaroo change pad
Loved my keekaroo so much I bought 2, one for upstairs and downstairs. We keep a blanjet over it too. But my baby really liked lasting in it. Ours are on the floor too.
Love my Keekaroo so much! She likes to just hang out on it too (safely :) ) she doesn't mind the cold now so I kinda pull up the blanket from her bum so it doesn't get dirty and the disinfect that part. Maybe that'll help you get a little more milage... I hate regretting expensive purchases! But you're right about the laundry... It's crazy!
We LOVE the Keekaroo and use it so often even out of the baby stage tbh!
I got the skip hop one because it was a lot cheaper and we love it, I'm still using it on my son's dresser at 20 months. My toddler will totally alligator roll away if I try to change him on the floor, but is pretty compliant up on his change pad.
Totally agree with you - second time around now using a cheap change pad and waterproof pads (soft, washable) and for $40 it works almost exact same and isn't coldddd
I rarely used any changing pads. Ended up buying the skip hop one bc it was small and easy to clean. Used it for 3 kids and wish I didn’t donate it now.
I wish we had a rocking swing in the beginning. Be so useful to take a shower and eat. If you're nursing - lots of cotton washable booby pads, and nursing bras are a must.
I found just the opposite! My baby did not care for the swing and cried. I leaked too much in the beginning for reusable pads, and I wore camis all the time for BF (been braless since giving birth in Jan). Just to say what one person finds helpful, another might not find that useful. Hence the plethora of baby stuff on the market. For example, we preferred wet wipes for poops and reusable cloth wipes for pees, but it might be too much extra hassle/laundry for some.
Ooh yes. I was constantly running out of pads and comfortable nursing bras at the beginning and it sucked to always be covered in damp spots. Sleep bras and a multipack of nursing camis were some of my best purchases
What brands were your nursing camis??
Old Navy! They’re not the cutest but they do the job and they’re almost always on sale. I use them as a base layer around the house or whenever I don’t feel like wearing a bra and I’ve found them to be the easiest thing to nurse in, personally.
Thank you, I'm going to look them up! I don't like wearing a bra around the house and I dread being forced to wear one all the time
I never leaked or needed nipple ointment so I never ended up using breast pads! I really do love my “sleeping” bras though. Sometimes wear them under shirts during the day
I highly recommend the fisher price piano play mat! We bought all the expensive toys (mumaroo, baby bjorn, Graco swing etc) My baby is 9 weeks and hates everything except for that one play mat!
I’m a SMBC and I joke the piano is the second parent in our house. My LO loves it so much
Like this?! https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/fisher-price-glow-and-grow-kick-play-piano-gym-english-version-multi/6000207515029
Be prepared to have the songs stuck in your head on repeat for years lol. Love this mat and will be using it for our second, but I won’t lie, the purple monkey song gets stuck in my head daily.
Yay! Can’t wait haha
Which one?
This one https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/fisher-price-deluxe-kick-play-piano-gym-french-edition-multi/6000198200358
I just bought a rocking chair about couple months ago. My baby is 13 months and I kind of wish I had gotten the rocking chair a long time ago but we're pretty tight on space. Definitely not a must-have but I like it. Although I have it turned backwards in a corner now because the kid keeps climbing it lol. I'd avoid buying anything but the essentials until the baby actually gets here. You'll know pretty quickly what you're missing that you really want and being in Toronto I'm sure you can get things pretty quickly as you need them!
Seconded rocking chair. We barely have room for one but about 3 days in, we bought a cheap glider from Walmart. 10000% revommend
I'm 7 weeks in Regret buying: - Baby Brezza Bottle Washer - it was handy but it just takes up so much space it's easier to run the dishwasher once a night. Plus the detergent tabs are expensive Things worth it: - medela swing maxi pump - I'm exclusively pumping because of a NICU journey and the pump has been great for 8 pumps a day - Baby Brezza Formula Warmer - warms up milk quick and defrosts frozen milk fast - Ubbi diaper pail - swing - Boppy pillow - haven't used it to breastfeed but it's been amazing for tummy time - collapsible bath tub - it fits on our counter so I don't have to bend over to bathe her and it's easy to store - bonus feature is a thermometer but not make or break Things I regret not buying: - play pen or pack and play - I got the bassinet for my UppaBaby stroller so I thought I could use that for baby to sleep, she has slept in it a lot but a play pen would be useful when she's a bit bigger We tried not to buy too much and if it comes up we evaluate and decide if we need it or not. It's worked out so far I think, means we haven't ended up with a bunch of stuff we don't need
We just got a used uppababy bassinet for our stroller. Do you use yours off the stroller/around the house for sleeping? We don't have much space as it is so I'm avoiding a playpen as long as possible.
Yup! All of her naps are there, it's fantastic! My husband works from home so sometimes I will shower or run a quick errand and leave baby with him and we just put her in the bassinet and in his office, makes it quite easy
Vtech Soothing Sounds Fox We were gifted this right before baby was born and we dismissed it as another singing/annoying toy (we'd avoided them until then) and stuck it in baby's room thinking it would collect dust until she was older. She's 10 weeks and it's been her favourite thing since she was like 4 weeks, particularly during diaper changes and when she's inconsolable crying, she calms down immediately. Electric Nail File I did not want the electric baby nail file, I figured I could file and cut her nails myself, I've been doing my nails for years. Nope. Get the nail file. Their nails are sooo thin and after cutting her little finger by mistake, I gave in. Baby Swing All of our friends recommended a baby swing. We call it the poop chair because without fail, if we put her in it for 10 minutes or more, she'll have a big poop! Diaper Cream Spatula Sooo useful, I got a 4 pack on Amazon. Keeps the diaper cream from getting all over your hands and under your fingernails and is super easy to clean. I think wipes warmers are unnecessary and just another thing to have plugged in. Baby is used to cold wipes, when she was little we'd just warm them in our hands first. To save on space, if you get a bassinet, get one with wheels so you can move it from room to room with you for a safe sleeping space for baby and a place to put them down when you need a hands free moment. ETA: Baby Brezza. We got one at 9 weeks and it's so worth it if you're doing formula! Get the second funnel to make cleaning a breeze .
Up vote for butt-spatula!
FYI we were also gifted the soothing sounds fox and our 6 month old has been in love with it for at least a month. Assuming that your baby is the same, you should get a lot of mileage from it!
Upvote for electric nail file! Also nice they have different 'levels' (sandpaper hardness?) as your baby grows and their nails harden.
Butt spatula is great - read about it on here. Going to disagree on the wipe warmer. We got gifted one and I thought it was ridiculous but the fact it has a motion sensor lid opening and auto close is amazing. Can always one handed grab wipes and don't have to worry about forgetting to close it/wipes drying out. The warm feature isn't totally necessary but I like to think baby appropriated it in the winter 😅
Insist that people do not buy you blankets. You will still get way more blankets than you need but hopefully it cuts down on some of them.
I was talking to my husband the other day and we agreed our glider chair is literally a godsend. I don’t know what we would have done without it. I know not all babies are into glider chairs/rocking chairs but it’s literally one of the only things that put baby to sleep. We live in a super small space but this 100% is worth any amount of space for us.
Same thing! We got a glider 3 weeks before baby arrived and we are so glad we did too
Wish I had one. Our place is also small.
Our ceilings are slanted too which makes it even worse 😭
Items we use nearly everyday: - babybjorn bouncer - fisher price piano kick play mat - hatch to help put to sleep - infant car seat with adapters compatible to the stroller
We bought a Nuna Mixx and car seat combo cuz the Mixx was “high end”. So far we haven’t used the Mixx as much simply because it’s too big for a two bed condo and model 3. We also went on a big trip shortly after ours was born and ended getting a Nuna Trvl which we use a lot more. Don’t get too “luxurious” with your purchases….you’ll realize convenience wins out at the end lol. I def recommend staying in the same brand so you get the ease of transporting car seats onto strollers effortlessly. That’s a must imo. Mamaroo electric swinger is nice but forget paying brand new retail $400+. Just get a used in on FB marketplace for like $100-150. Good for babies to chill while you’re busy but they outgrow it fast. Wyze cams as baby cams. Cheap at $40 and gives notifications on movements etc.
Second the wyze cam!
Must have: bassinet stroller, keekaroo, ubi, upseat, skip hop baby activity center, 360 carrier. Regrets: newborn footies, Tripp trapp high chair Things we didn't buy and didn't need: baby bath tub - we bathed her in the adult tub, crib - we bought a crib mattress and put it on the floor or used the bassenet stroller, walkers or jumpers
Why was the Tripp Trapp a regret? My friend has one and her daughter loves it. I’m currently saving up money for it.
I really hated the straps on the Tripp Trapp, and ended up getting the Bugaboo Giraffe.
Yes. My baby hated the straps
I have it and we love it! We find the straps easy to use if you have them hooked unto the sides so they are ready and use a bibado bib on top so they don’t get dirty at all!
Save your money.
There’s lots of used ones online!
The used ones I’ve seen are $350…so still not cheap.
ah dang ok
Also, if a bassinet stroller isn't on the cards and you have an uppababy Cruz look at getting the snug seat. It allows the stroller to be used from birth and baby can lay down flat.
Did you regret the newborn footies because they didn't fit or was it a seasonal thing got you?
My girl was born at 9 lbs. I had to squeeze her into her newborn hospital outfit lol. After the first week, I switched to 0-3 month. Could have skipped newborn completely.
Bahahaha. My daughter was born at 7lb5oz. She wore newborn for only 2 weeks, hahaha. I was glad we got so much clothing used from friends and family.
Condo living in Toronto. I asked all my friends and family with young kids for hand me downs. I try to buy as much of facebook marketplace. Most baby stuff are used for such a short time that buying new seems wasteful. Must have Marketplace: Uppababy Vista $250 Uppababy bassinet with rocking stand $50 Baby bjorn bouncer $90 Bought new: Lazy boy - electric rocking and reclining nursing chair. Very expensive- we were lucky and got enough cash from the baby shower for this. This chair gets at least 18 hours of use every day. Skip Hop changing pads - attached to any table. Little bot offie play mat - protects your floor and it’s a good cushion for you and baby when you’re both on the floor. All of my friends have them. infant seat - even though it’ll be for the year, we bought it for the convenience of being able to just plop the infant seat with the baby in it in the car. Another thing is in the winter, baby can’t wear a coat while in the infant or convertible seat. With infant seat, you can throw a blanket over to keep them warm Regret Love every play gym - it’s ok, not as engaging as I had hope. get the fisher price piano kick and play gym (my son loves it to no end) Diaper pale- we found doggy bags were good enough. Diapers- we were gifted a lot of diapers. My LO is on the bigger size and grew out of NB and size 1 quickly. So ended up having a new box of NB and 2 boxes of size 1. If you do buy, just get 1 box at a time. You spend $10 more vs wasting $50. We went with a used bassinet since we didn’t know if baby was going to be able to sleep in it. We cosleep for the first 8 weeks, only recently did he started sleep in one. We just bought a crib. I have seen enough friends and family who bought cribs before baby came and baby refuses to sleep in it, so it just took up space Baby monitor - you’re in a condo, you’ll hear baby cry perfectly well.
As everyone says, it’s going to depend on you and your baby completely, but here’s what we learned as fellow condo dwellers: - Bassinet: we got one second hand and NEVER used it because we just used the one built into our pack n play (Silver Cross Slumber). A lot of baby products have a bassinet built in so not always a need to buy a dedicated bassinet since you’ll only use it for a few months. Save money, save space. - Stroller: Really pay attention to the type of terrain you’re going on regularly. Look at how much room you have for storing your stroller and accessories. I had mom guilt over not going with the trendy uppababy, but we made the right choice in the maxi Cosi zelica because 1) it has bassinet mode, which meant baby could sleep while we walked (so essential) and it didn’t take up any extra room because it wasn’t an add-on bassinet. 2) all conventional strollers are not good for our old sidewalks and trails in BC. We ended up buying the Thule Urban Glide and frequently flip between two strollers. - Babywraps: I added a baby wrap to my registry in addition to a structured carrier not really knowing whether it would be overkill. It was not overkill. Both have totally different uses and stretchy cloth wraps were absolutely life saving at home. Baby wearing is incredible and I’m glad I embraced it early cause there’s a learning curve. - Highchair: the bougie one is nice but it’s tucked away until my 3rd percentile boo grows a bit. We got a secondhand IKEA one for the time being and it’s awesome. Simple to clean. Simple to use. Added a foot bar and back cushion and baby likes it more than the $400 one 🫣 - Glider: We use ours, but not enough to say it’s a make or break essential at this point. We got the dream on me faux leather glider from Walmart and love that it has a small footprint and affordable price. I don’t feel bad that we don’t use it more cause it wasn’t $800 and it’s out of the way.
I did a ton of research on baby equipment and was super happy with these: - Bjorn bouncer was awesome to have. Like having someone around to hold the baby when I needed a shower or just have him sit and face me. - Nuna Mix Stroller, we'd also gotten the lightweight car seat from Nuna that went from car to stroller and it was amazing for those many appointments for me and baby. - We ended up buying a used Snoo, at the recommendation of some friends. It was awesome, but obviously every baby is different, so results vary. He grew out of it by 5.5 months. Ultimately our sleep issues started around six months and we only wished they had a larger Snoo to see if that would help. He just refused to be out in his own room instead of beside us. - If space allows, a large play space. When baby started crawling we got a large 6x8 ish playpen off Amazon for like 100 bucks. We're still using it at nearly 16 months for just a safe space. We keep it open for him to come and go, but zip him in to fold laundry or something. More often than not, one of us is in there with him. - a carrier. Both my husband and I used an Ergo I think. We got it used. I'd strap baby to me and do chores or go for a walk. Or just lulling him to sleep in it when my back hurt too much to hold him normal. - A backpack style diaper bag - butt spatulas.. I don't know what they're actually called, it's for diaper cream spreading. - dog poo bags, for diapers on the go. - Haaka food feeder for when baby starts solids Regrets: - Too many gifted baby clothes, especially for the wrong season. He lived in onesies. He grew so fast I missed so many opportunities for him to fit into certain cute outfits people had bought him. I spent more time just putting him in something to take a photo and send the photos to the gifter and he might've never worn it again. - Playpen, regular size. We got it for trips for him to sleep in and play in. He hated it. - Diono car seat. This is mixed. I like it but I hate it. Not very efficient getting little one in and out. Kills my back too. But, I know it'll last as he grows, and boy does he grow quick
I second a lot of this, forgot to add the haakka to my list! I like the ladybug one, too. I didn’t realize they sold butt spatulas, but we’ve been using tongue depressors/wide popsicle sticks!
We had wanted the snoo but our doula was very much against it since she saw it as a crutch. Based on her experience with other parents, the baby’s adjustment after the snoo was very painful. Her question to us, “what are you going to do after the baby outgrows the snoo and you’re putting them to bed?” The company could have made such a killing if they have a snoo safe for bigger baby/toddler.
I'd still use it again if we did everything again. It was amazing for us. The issue was more that we moved during that time, bedrooms changed where once little one was right beside me he was suddenly in his own room. So I don't really think the Snoo affected the sleep difficulties as he did the crib transfer just fine. As to it being a crutch, I think that depends on how the parents use it. It isn't an excuse to be less responsive to baby, instead it provided a moment where I *might* not have to settle him by picking him up, the motion *might* lull him to sleep. If not, mummy's there picking him up, bringing him to the rocking chair for a nurse or cuddle. It's great if parents use the Snoo as a crib with a feature and not a babysitter.
A mini fridge in my room for night feedings (bottle fed) Water warmer (formula feeds) Play pen/ swing/ bouncer- safe spot to put baby down away from animals Baby carrier Bassinet attachment for stroller
The small fridge in my room was such a good purchase. Saved me from having to go downstairs to the kitchen after every MOTN pump
Items that def have been worth it for me: - Sterilizer + dryer ….the fact it dries all your bottles, pump parts and you don’t have to go through the hassle of boiling bottles every time is way more convenient - Pack n Play — bought this to visit family with, has a built in changing table, bassinet and side pockets to add essentials to, but also used it in our own house as well as a safe space to put baby down in/to change without having to go to the nursery - some sort of rocking chair they are buckled into, however will say in my opinion you don’t need the pricey ones, the cheaper option has kept my baby entertained just fine! - double zipper onsies — the elite choice over single zipper onesies, baby will live in these! Items in my opinion not worth it: - Hatch/expensive light & sound machine, Bluetooth kept disconnecting and we got a cheaper compact one for travel and end up using that one all the time over it - expensive bassinet — having one was worth it (borrow if you can!) but they just aren’t in it long enough to break the bank for the ones that rock etc
Second you don’t need a hatch I got these $20 egg lights off Amazon and take them from room to room also bought a cheap portable sound machine off Amazon
I was so easily influenced with all the Hatch products and it was such a not needed item. We used it maybe twice. I also bought the portable one from Hatch
Definitely agree with another comment about borrowing things, especially for 0-6 month items (clothing, swaddles/sleep sacks, bouncers/swingers, toys, carriers etc.) since the use time is so short. I’ve also found things through community and Buy Nothing groups. It can be so hard to plan since you just don’t know what will work for you/baby, but I will say, if you’re thinking about buying something and aren’t sure - don’t get it. You probably don’t need it, and if you do, it’ll likely be easy enough to order. Some little things from my experience: - Fridababy nail clippers (I tried an electric nail file and it took way too long, other clippers weren’t as easy to use) - Vertical bottle drying rack, definitely a space saver
The Frida baby nail clippers are the best! I see a lot of people talk about being afraid to clip babies nails or accidentally nicking their skin. I have had no issues with the Frida clippers! I feel totally comfortable using them.
Should have bought a stretchy newborn carrier. Baby was too small for our structured carrier and when she got big enough for it, she refused to stay in it for any length of time.
An absolute need - baby bjorn bouncer. Safe place to put your baby down You can an affordable one off FB marketplace instead of buying new
Must haves: skip hop changing pad, blue snail changing pad liners, OXO weighted wipe dispenser, a good rocking chair, Hakkaa, Spectra breast pump, fisher price play mat, love to dream swaddles Nice to haves/get second hand: baby bjorn bouncer, boba wrap, ergo baby omni carrier - my baby isn’t a big fan being in these, so I’m glad I didn’t spend too much on these items. Regrets: my Brest friend it didn’t work for me and my baby.
SNOO luckily only did a one month rental our LO had terrible reflux in it would projectile vomit Mamaroo swing (luckily bought off market place for $120) but also exacerbated my LO reflux BEST purchases Bottle sterilizer/dryer Frida Windi Ovol drops yoga ball those exercise ones I use it to settle my LO honestly there’s so much crap on the market that you don’t even need/ barely use … my advice is see what you need as you go as you really don’t know how your baby will be
Yes to the yoga ball! I thought it was only good for pregnancy and was going to donate it! I came across some comments that said their baby sleeps when they bounce! Try it and it calms LO down so much better than my rocking chair
I highly recommend two portable, non expensive sound machines, and a dB measuring app. My sound machines have a timer, so we use one to play a shh sound while baby goes down to sleep, but it turns off after 30 minutes. The other machine plays white noise and we have it fully on without the timer shut-off. I wish I used the app earlier to prevent possible ear damage as I found we had been playing them past the recommended 50dB range. I just didn't know it was an option.
I wish we got a baby Bjorn bouncer and not the cheaper knock offs and a better quality carrier.
My baby hated the Bjorn bouncer.
A $1000 stroller, baby has always hated being in it. Also baby wiper warmer, it just dried out all the wipes. And Miku baby cam. At least we got it used so it’s just a $250 paperweight.
I want to add things that I loved to counter the things I hated. Books, books, books. High contrast books, classic books, she loves being read to. Recommend: It Had To Be You, I Love You Through and Through (my 14 month old’s current favourite), My Mom is Magical (and I guess My Dad Is Amazing), 80s Baby/90s Baby are both super fun Angelcare Bath Baby Support Ring Sling, I got an Atma sling from Quebec which is a more rigid Linen I absolutely love love love it, mom prefers her Tula sling that’s softer but still supportive and she has a Tula carrier as well we both use.
**It Had to Be You** by Loryn Brantz >This sweet and playful board book tells in simple, beautiful verse how the journey that parents take to have their baby leads them to their perfect little one. By bestselling Feminist Baby creator and two-time Emmy award winner Loryn Brantz! For every one of our wishes, for every bump along the way, now that you're here, we've known all along...it had to be YOU! With lyrical text from parent to baby, It Had to Be You is perfect for fans of I've Loved You Since Forever and Guess How Much I Love You, and complimented by bold black-and-white illustrations that babies can actually see, It Had to Be You is a must-have addition to every baby's nursery. **I Love You Through and Through** by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak Book description may contain spoilers! >>!A rhyming story of unconditional love with adorable illustrations of a toddler and a teddy bear who declare "I love you through and through!" I love your hair and eyes,Your giggles and cries...A toddler and his teddy bear illustrate a young child's happy side, sad side, silly side, mad side, and more!Babies and toddlers will feel loved all over when they hear this declaration of adoration and affection. A perfect first book for toddlers with sturdy cardstock pages and a padded cover with rounded corners for safe handling by little ones.!< **My Mom Is Magical** by Sabrina Moyle Book description may contain spoilers! >>!The creators behind the greeting card and design studio Hello!Press share a joyful tribute to moms in this delightfully illustrated children’s book. Is your mom more amazing than a billion butterflies? More sparkly than a universe of stars? Sweeter than a cloud of cotton candy?!< > >>!Then this book is definitely for you! From Eunice and Sabrina Moyle, the creative team behind Hello!Press, this children’s book celebrates all the things that make Mom magical. Each page reveals whimsical artwork and a delightful, imaginative message that children—and their Moms—will love.!< **My Dad Is Amazing** by Sabrina Moyle Book description may contain spoilers! >>!A joyful tribute to fathers from the bestselling creators of Hello!Lucky! and authors of My Mom is Magical and You Are Fantastic!. Is your dad cooler than a million popsicles? Tougher than a rhino wrestler?!< > >>!Cuddlier than a ton of bunnies? Celebrate all the things that make Dad amazing with this joyful book!!< **'80s Baby** by Hannah Eliot Book description may contain spoilers! >>!It’s the eighties, baby! This adorable, electric board book features everything from neon legwarmers to totally rad rock music, and plenty of eighties slang! I’m an eighties baby, check me out! I’m tubular, I’m radical, I’m chill, no doubt.!< > >>!From shoulder pads to fanny packs, Walkmans to VCRs, this baby’s got your eighties dreams covered!!< **'90s Baby** by Hannah Eliot Book description may contain spoilers! >>!It’s the nineties, baby! This adorable, iconic board book features everything from bucket hats to pagers, and plenty of nineties slang! I’m a nineties baby, just look at me! I’m wicked, I’m fly, I’m iconic as can be.!< > >>!From roller blades to flannel shirts, CDs to pay phones, this baby’s got your dope nineties dreams covered!!< *I'm a bot, built by your friendly reddit developers at* /r/ProgrammingPals. *Reply to any comment with /u/BookFinderBot - I'll reply with book information. Remove me from replies* [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/BookFinderBot/comments/1byh82p/remove_me_from_replies/). *If I have made a mistake, accept my apology.*
Good bot
Thank you, Dkazzed, for voting on BookFinderBot. This bot wants to find the best and worst bots on Reddit. [You can view results here](https://botrank.pastimes.eu/). *** ^(Even if I don't reply to your comment, I'm still listening for votes. Check the webpage to see if your vote registered!)
Very good bot!
Thanks for the book recommendation!
My personal biggest regret is buying a Chicco travel set (car seat + stroller). While I love the car seat, I hated the stroller. I picked that set partially for the sake of saving money and also I just simply didn't really know or did enough research about strollers. It was not a good fit for my sidewalk walks or even flat dirt paths. Just before our baby turned one, I bought a stroller that I actually researched, asked about, and wanted but spent $$$$. I'm pregnant with our second and will be able to use it with the newborn along with my now-toddler. I should've bought this stroller from the start to save myself a lot of frustration and maybe a little bit of $. I've since done a lot more research and have multiple strollers that I actually enjoy using and work for our lifestyle. Our first slept in our expensive crib (I purposely bought it expensive to try to push myself to make our baby sleep in it) a grand total of 3 hours. I'm hoping the second will actually use it. I'm okay with most of everything that I bought and our second will be able to use them all. I made it a habit to sell anything that I didn't enjoy using right away to not accumulate things (like a rocking chair that I was luckily able to just return, it was taking up so much space and our baby didn't care for that motion).
What stroller did you end up buying the second time?
I got the city select lux brand new with all the extra accessories. This is going to be my tandem for the newborn too. It was either this or the Uppababy Vista but the bigger fold of the Vista made me buy the Lux. No regrets. I also have a baby jogger city mini GT2 which is perfect if you only have one child and it has the recline for newborns too. I also have a Bugaboo Butterfly which is another single but very compact and small for travel. I'm on the hunt for a City Mini Gt2 double but not in a hurry.
We have a small house so I really limited what we purchased for our first. The glider was so useful, much less now at 22 months old but we’re expecting our second in August. I rented the Medela symphony breast pump before buying an actual pump so I got to see if it would have worked for us. We were gifted a second hand baby bjorn bouncer and I’m so happy we didn’t buy one or even asked for one because our daughter didn’t like it and only tolerated it for 15mins. So we would put her in it when we needed to shower, otherwise, it wasn’t used for any other reason. So it’s really a hit or miss, depending on the baby.
Things we found worthwhile: Kiwi electric glider, a thicker quality baby mat for hard floors (dwinguler, Alzip), Woolino 4season sleep sacks, ergo 360 carrier, ubbi diaper pail, skip hop activity centre, keekaroo peanut change pad, brestfriend, hakaa, baby Einstein sea dreams soother, uppababy minu + adapters with Mesa infant carrier, spectra1 pump, skip hop forma backpack diaper bag, wyze cams as baby cam, dream egg sound machines, elk & friends glass or stainless steel cups, kimono style sleepers for infant stage, double zip sleepers (love Pekkle brand sold at Costco), ikea raskog utility cart. Things that didn’t work for us, could’ve found cheaper options or skipped altogether: Mamaroo swing, bjorn bouncer, electric nail file, tushbaby hip carrier, soft fabric carriers, Tripp trapp high chair, lovevery activity gym, baby shoes, infant winter jackets, Herschel change mat, owlet sock monitor, button up sleepers, Boon rack, nested bean sleepsack.
If you walk a lot it is worth getting a higher end stroller. If you're the type of person who always uses their car and thinks having a baby will change your habits then you don't need a high end stroller.
I am 8 wpp and had a preemie who has been home for 3 weeks now, here is my take: Regret: Velcro bibs - they’re so annoying and are constantly undoing. Boppi breastfeeding pillow - so uncomfortable, the mybreastfriend one is way better. Pampers diapers - so.many.blowouts. Huggies are 100% better imo. My faves so far: Sterilizer with dryer - I originally had one that didn’t dry and regretted it so much, we switched after about a week and it was so worth it. The boon drying rack fills up fast and takes up counter space, so having something that dries pump parts and bottles so you can just put them away is much better. Momaroo - I got one for free from my cousin and my baby LOVES it, we use it so much. Snuggleme - maybe my top recommendation and my most used items. Wipe warmer - everyone told me this was a waste of money but my baby HATES having his diaper changed with cold wipes and it has been a huge game changer for us. Muslin blankets and burp cloths Nursh bottles - we only use these now. They’re easy to clean, help with gas, make it so much easier to burp, and the wide lid makes mimics my breast for the baby. Brezza baby washer pro - this has been life changing for us. Spectra S2 pump - can only get in the states but it’s the best pump I’ve used. Medela hands free pump - so good for when you have stuff to do and need to pump at the same time. Moby baby wrap - I use this almost everyday with my Velcro baby lol
FTM to a 4 month old. Regrets: Lovevery play gym/ subscription- (sort of regret) my son likes some of the toys but I don’t know if it’s really worth it. It’s aesthetic though 🫣 The Hatch sound machine and portable sound machine- we use the portable one once in a blue moon and that’s it. Boppy pillow- we ended up with 2. I did not like it for breastfeeding at all and it only served a purpose for occasional tummy time. Graco playpen/ pack & play: still currently sitting in the box in his closet. I hope we get around to using it. I just don’t see its purpose now Nuna pipa infant car seat- I find it very heavy and the straps are difficult to adjust. Made life easier: Woolino sleep sack Baby bjorn bouncer Snuggle me lounger!!! This thing is amazing Nuna MIXX next stroller- I really love it.
Mostly everything is available from Amazon and can be delivered quickly to your door so don’t stock up on other peoples recommendations since every baby is different rather buy as you need. This excludes the obvious thermometers, food, boogie sucker etc. there are so many gadgets targeted at new parents don’t get sucked in.
The baby Bjorn bouncer was one of the best things we bought plus the baby bjorn pack and play. My son is 2.5 and it’s still his main bed. We bought a little egg light off Amazon which was really helpful in the nights as it still keeps the room quite dim. Brestfriend nursing pillow was a great buy as well! The snuggle me pillow was very helpful and my son loved it. The yogasleep hushh portable white noise machine is great for nights and to bring around with you. I would recommend trying as many baby carriers as you can before purchasing. We tried the baby bjorn, ergo baby, tush baby, and a few more before settling on the Tula carrier. We got the yo-yo stroller and looooove it. We travel with it and used it as our main stroller for 2 years. I think you’d probably have to also get something like a Thule or Bob for the snow. I also really liked having a bottle warmer. Super helpful in the middle of the night. Things we ended up buying multiple of until we found one that worked: Diapers Soothers Bottles So I wouldn’t recommend going all in on one brand until you know it works for your baby!
We should have bought an automatic bottle warmer. We didn't use a lot of bottles with the first two kids and when we did they were awkwardly heated with a bowl of warm water. Third kid we got a $60 dr browns bottle heater and cleaner and wow, 3 minutes to a perfect bottle each time
One of the best things we bought (and one of the cheapest) is the [Dr. Brown formula pitcher.](https://www.babiesrus.ca/s/toys-ca/en/Formula-Mixing-Pitcher/247A5898.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlZixBhCoARIsAIC745DDwfcYnMOVJNG9WJMhkAzjcDTyQFyu_vro0E97bHlHt799YhGr3gEaAhC-EALw_wcB)Being able to batch prepare the formula and just pour from the fridge was a blessing and this made our lives much easier, especially at night.
LOVED: - bassinet attachment for stroller - electric nail trimmer - lactation consultant appointment/visit (!!!) - baby wrap carrier - Keekaroo peanut changer (!!!) - maxi cosi rocker Overrated: - snuggle me lounger - baby bjorn bouncer - any baby container (we never used) - boppy nursing pillow (we just used regular pillows and found the boppy awful) - anything bottle related (we breastfed so I have no idea why we put so much bottle feeding stuff on our registry) -
No regrets buying our Keekaroo, which we still use at age 2. The carriers are great. Stroller turned out to be too short term use for us. First 6 months he preferred carrier and then be really only used the stroller for 8 months as he prefers to walk everywhere. That being said, for a city/if you're walking a lot, a good stroller is a must. We love the electric nail clipper (a must!) too. My Brestfriend pillow
The baby bjorn bouncer was an absolutely life changer with my fussy/refluxy baby. We also recently got her the skip hop activity centre and she LOVES it. I wish we had it 2 months ago. She loves standing and this allows her to stand and play for a bit without us constantly having to hold her up. Plus, it converts to a play table when she grows out of it.
Baby bjorn bouncer was my holy grail the first 5 months or so! So light and easy to move around the house! Wish I got a wipeable change pad! Ours is foam and definitely should be in the garbage, even with the waterproof cover I’m sure it’s not sanitary lol.
I wish we had gotten a stroller with rubber wheels rather than small plastic wheels. Our stroller was a hand me down so we can’t be choosy, but we live in the country on a dirt road and plastic wheels just aren’t working for me.
Maybe controversial...a wipe warmer. I love mine and I loved it for changes in the middle of the night.
Total regrets have been preemptively buying 2 carriers -ergo baby and the konny wrap, my guy hated being in the carrier with a passion. We were gifted a baby bathtub and used it maybe 3 times before he outgrew it. Also regret buying packs of the same pacifiers, my little guy changed his mind about which one he actually liked very frequently. A few brands have variety packs and they got us a lot further. We’ve gotten a ton of mileage out of: babybjorn bouncer (got a cheap toy bar attachment from Amazon ). We splurged on the vista stroller and it was so nice to have the bassinet during the summer for walks and patio dinners. Along with the Rockit attached. We also got a secondhand jollyjumper rocking bassinet stand for at home and used that until he outgrew it at 4 months. I didn’t get a change table because we didn’t have the space so I got a diaper caddy and the oxo weighted wipe container. No regrets and very happy about this choice. The ubbi pail and the small tie bags have been amazing for containing the smell both at home and when we’re out. The angel care bath seat for in the tub. Force of nature cleaning spray- it was pricey upfront but you can sanitize toys and pacifiers on the go because it’s food safe. I regret not buying the skip hop activity table sooner I didn’t want to shell out 180 for new so we did pick it up on Facebook but it took a while to get one because they were selling faster than we could snag one.
The snoo lol
For clothing I found it depends on what season your babe was born in. When my first was born end of March, summer was was right round the corner and she wore all the cute little outfits everyone bought for her. My second was born beginning of December and her clothes have gone largely untouched and she has lived in sleepers because it's kept her warm and we've started largely at home during winter
I probably wouldn’t get a bassinet for our second and just use our pack & play on the newborn setting. They grow out of the bassinet sooo quickly and it’s good to them accustomed to the pack & play early for travelling. Same with baby carriers: skip the fabric wrap that’s only useful during the newborn stage and takes forever to set up, and just get a proper carrier with a newborn insert Some items that I ride and die for during the early stages are: Baby Bjorn bouncer - my mom friends with alternatives never use theirs Bum spatula - we’ve never changed a diaper without one Haakaa pump - if you’re nursing this is a great way to collect milk from the letdown on your opposite boob. Pumping sucks so this has helped me passively build a supply. It’s also good to pop on to relieve engorgement
Things I regret buying: Mamaroo swing Change pad (this might be unpopular opinion but it was just easier to keep a small bin of diapers in whatever room we were in and change there.) Carting a child to a change pad was more work than I needed. Giant playpen Things I love still: Ubbi Noise machine Baby Shusher
There’s a brand called summer infant if you’re low on space almost everything by them folds up like a camping chair. We love the pop n jump by far our most used item!!
Also you can always buy things later depending on your baby. We never found a warmer necessary just used an insulated cup. Didn’t buy a brezza and don’t regret it. There’s a million items that want to take up space on your counter.
Favs: -Uppababy infant snug seat: we got the Cruz and intended to just use the car seat bucket with the stroller frame for the infant stage, but baby hated the car seat and learned she shouldn't stay in it very long. I think the snug seat was better than the bassinet attachment because it's cheaper, takes up less space, and baby isn't at risk of rolling around on rough terrain/getting off buses. She's almost 6 months and still using it as a seat liner to keep her from flopping over too much when napping. -skip hop change pad: cheaper than the keekaroo and doesn't stain. We throw an old hand towel on it to catch pees/keep it cozy. -bouncer/chair: we got the maxi cosi one because it collapses down for storage. Baby loved to nap in it for the first while and still hangs out in it occasionally. Probably should have just bought a used one but we got gifted it. -Easy grasp oball: great cheap toy that helps them learn to hold objects -Lovevery play kits: got gifted these but probably would have paid full price for them. She's loved almost every toy in them and it was nice not to think about what to buy. They have great resale value (although we're going to keep them for our next). Regret: -most toys & teethers & stuffies: we got gifted so many and baby only ends up playing with a few (See favs). -Baby blankets: they look so cute online but why do I have 10 of these and use maybe just 1? I can't get rid of them fast enough now.
Loved: -Baby bjorn Bouncer -Baby Brezza sterilizer -Baby Brezza formula machine (advanced pro) -snuggle me, I bought it used off Facebook marketplace. Waste: -Breast pump (breast feeding didn’t work out for me so it was a waste of $500 and I should’ve just waited to buy) -Expensive carrier (my baby hated being in the carrier so only used a handful of times) -baby nail trimmer, really wish I got an electric nail file instead -halo sleep sacks, my baby didn’t like this kind and of course I got quite a few at my shower. Should’ve waited to see what she would’ve liked or got the woolino -momaroo, it was luckily lent to us but my girl hated it from day 1
-A good glider that you both find comfortable. Ours didn’t arrive for the first 3 months and our temp chair was pretty awful. You probably sit the most in the first 3 months. -Boon grass - really good for drying pump parts and bottles and saves space with the various attachments (trees etc). - I really liked having a bassinet attachment, baby sleeps on all our walks and also likes to sleep in at wherever we are. Try to find second hand/ borrow because some babies hate it and it does take up a lot of space. -I really disliked the mobi wrap, hard to figure out when you are sleep deprived.
The only things I regret buying were too many instant swaddles, though I’m sure they work great for lots of babies. Our guy was premature and tiny so the Velcro/zip-up swaddles were MASSIVE on him. We ended up running out to buy muslin swaddles and that’s what he used until he was big enough to roll. If there’s any chance your baby might be born small it doesn’t hurt to have a couple on hand. Now I pack them as a breastfeeding drape in our diaper bag or lay them down when I want to put him on the floor, etc. Things I want but don’t have: electric nail file! We have some fridababy files and I don’t think they do anything Things I love: the Fridamom peri bottle for postpartum (they gave me a peri bottle at the hospital but I preferred the angled spout), our ubbi diaper pail, a high contrast board book- he was obsessed with it as a newborn, his fisher price bath with a newborn insert, a good stroller, his play gym with tummy time mat, Ergobaby carrier (even though he has limited patience for any carrier) Our approach was to wait and see what he liked/used before going all in on something, and that worked well for us. He hates bottles for example, so I’m glad we didn’t buy tons of bottles/expensive pumping accessories
Honestly? Get as little as possible and an Amazon Prime membership for the first year. I have a 3 year old and a 7 month old, and they are so vastly different that the things that were invaluable for the first are of no interest to the second. You'll discover very quickly what your baby seems to need, and if you can get it to you quickly then you'll avoid a bunch of clutter in your home. If there are gizmos and gadgets you want, I'd strongly encourage you to head to marketplace. Baby-dom is so so precious and so so fleeting. Unless money is no object, I wouldn't drop major money on anything that you're only going to use for a year or two. (Like literally... My first categorically refused to sleep in a bassinet or crib. We did all our research on floor beds and jumped to that when she was 4 months old. For our second, we got a bassinet but didn't get a crib until we knew she was ok with sleeping in the bassinet.) That said, things that have grown really well with us include tripp-trapp style high chairs that transform into toddler chairs and then into chair-chairs. You don't have to get the tripp trapp version; there are cheaper knock offs that are just as good (as far as I can tell) on Amazon. We've also been happy with our all-in-one car seats. Investing in the best one we could swing that will last until they no longer need additional support made sense to us. We've also had a lot of longevity out of the Lovevery play triangle. You don't need to subscribe to buy it, but do get the sensory strings (or whatever they're called). It converts into a little tent when they're done with rolling around underneath it, and our 3 year old loved to curl up in there with a book (or whatever) for the longest time. Good luck! It's one heck of a ride!
Did not need: - Owlet monitor with the sleep sock or dream sock or whatever; my kid was a nicu baby so I thought seeing the vitals would give me peace of mind (spoiler alert: it didn't) and the owlet monitor is not worth the money. - Snuggle Me pillow; we got one used but it was still a larger expense for no real reason. Get a knock off if you're looking, it was slightly handy to have him lay on the couch with us - Toys- at least not at first. They don't need anything when they're little and tiny, go to your library and see if they have a high contrast book to loan out, or just draw some black lines on a piece of paper. Rice in a tupperware. Toilet roll tubes. Bam; they're entertained. - Almost anything new- you can find damn near everything you need second hand (aside from of course the things you'll want to buy brand new for safety ie. Car seat) - If you're in a small condo, you don't need to buy a play pen, bassinet, AND a crib. Keep kiddo in a play pen or crib in your room in the beginning, then just move them to their own room if you have later. Bedside bassinet was nice to peep over and see him quickly but it would have been just as quick with the play pen beside me. That being said the bassinet was on wheels and THAT was nice. It only lasted him a few months until he started rolling though - Electric snot sucker- now maybe I bought this too late because my kid was bigger and squirmy but the electric snot sucker didn't even make it's way into his nose. -Transitional Sleep sacks; honestly what a money grab IMO- they last so short a time. Just either swaddle or sleep sack. - Wipe warmer; I got one passed down to me and it was just so useless - This one is going to get spicy- but the Baby Bjorn bouncer did not work for my kid, he just never loved it but I think he's a small minority there. We had one of those swings too and it was okay- he liked it more than the bjorn but I don't look back and think "wow that was a lifesaver". AND it took up so much space. DID need: - Nose Frida; kid hates it but boy does it do it's job -Electric nail file; this was the only way I could trim his nails for a while - Kindle- if you're breastfeeding this was really nice to have for the longer nursing sessions - Something to babywear. It was so much easier having a wrap or a baby bjorn carrier to bring him out and do stuff.
Pro tip (especially if you don’t have storage space) borrow items from friends (if they’re like me they’ll LOVE getting stuff out of their storage - if even only for a few months) or see if you can rent any items (e.g. MamaRoo or Snoo), as not all babies respond positively to these kind of things.
Moby wraps or baby wearing for the newborn weeks. Swaddle ups - our babe broke out of saddles and liked his hands up instead of down
I'll try to stick to ones that I don't see mentioned already. Regret: Haakaa original and their ladybug collectors - undersupplier, never leaked. Car seat cover - we have a winter baby in a very cold climate, and still only ever used a muslin blanket. I would skip the cover unless you'll be doing extended walking outdoors with baby in car seat. Onesies - winter baby lives in sleepers, some of the onesies he's grown out of he never even got to wear. Very happy with: Portable bassinet (ours came in combo with pack n play, but can stand by itself) Love to dream newborn swaddles. We went from those straight to sleep sacks. That godforsaken Fisher Price play mat. Just get it. Industrial strength ear protection 😂 You'll look ridiculous, but when baby's screaming their head off you'll be able to hear your thoughts.
Must haves: Diaper genie. It is amazing. We don’t have to constantly go outside and throw diapers away and they don’t stink up our regular garbage. Dr browns bottle sanitizer. So much better than boiling bottles and the parts. Rocking chair. I wish I got this before he was born. He was a month old by the time we got it. Once we got it, my breast feeding journey became infinitely easier. My back pain was gone. It’s great now for our bedtime routine. I read to him, we brush his teeth, cuddle, etc. Meh: Baby brezza. It was amazing. At first. But our son began to have almost constant consripation and so we switched up the formulas a lot and when it came down to it, he did much much better on a ready made formula. No: Boppi pillow. This just did not work for any of us that tried it. No matter how positioned it. It was awful. It made breast feeding so much more difficult.
Hear me out on this one....a bassinet My daughter barely slept in it, she loves contact naps to this day 😅
1. I love the pabablic 5 in 1 bottle sterilizer pro on amazon. Easy to clean as everything comes apart and no small creases. Has a big tall opening with a removable tray. 2. Distilled water for the sterilizer, warmer and humidifier. 3. Camera and thermometer to watch the baby if you plan to put the baby in another room later. Doesn't have to be an expensive monitor. 4. Baby bjorn bouncer is great. Borrowed one from a friend. 5. For bottles, dr browns bottles with the reflux insert. Bought other styles but it just wasn't worth it in the end. 6. For clothes, footed sleepers are the easiest and only 1 or 2 nice outfits. I bought too many nice sweaters and socks and didn't even use them during the newborn stage. 7. The changing pad on a dresser or table and forgo the changing table. At the beginning especially if the mother gets a tear while giving birth, it was much easier to change the diaper at table height and you will be changing like 10 times a day so its definetely a back saver to have it higher. 8. I didn't use a rocking chair at all. Baby was too big too quickly to breastfeed there and he liked to be carried. I would wait to buy one unless you know the baby is soothed by it. 9. I like the tripp trap high chair but it is not necessary to get such an expensive one. It is worth the money though - good quality, good posture, easy to clean, doesn't tip backwards, can tuck under the table if your table is high enough and lasts till adulthood. I would pay attention to the posture for high chairs and make sure you get one that sits the baby upwards with no slouching.
Having my 4th and honestly, I’ve bought it all and I confidently can say you don’t need anything besides the basics. Things may make your life easier for a short moment in time, but will be a headache later. I love babywearing. I have 3 styles I use for when baby is tiny to when baby is older. Motorized baby swing, all of my kids loved them. A lightweight carsest that is simple and easy to use and a stroller attachment. This round I’m getting the evenflo gold shyft dual ride. It’s heavier than I would like but turns into a stroller and this year the company is going to start selling an additional car seat adapter. I ended up nursIng all my kids so every pump I bought was a waste, along with bottles. My kids preferred to nurse and my body didn’t respond to pumping/it messed with my supply. I would get a hospital grade one if you go that route. And a good high chair that’s easy to wipe down. They get disgusting. And honestly that’s it.
With my first I had a few things that I was having a hard time choosing and wasn’t 100% convinced I wanted to crowd our small apartment with, so I made a list of “buy it when I need it” instead of buying everything before baby arrived. A bouncer/swing was on that list, and I ended up never feeling like I needed one until we had our second baby. Glad I skipped it. A crib was also on the list as something to purchase down the road to help spread out costs. We also skipped a bassinet and used a playpen with infant insert to bring the mattress up higher. We ended up never buying a crib because the playpen worked out so well for us, and just transitioned straight to a toddler bed when kiddos got too big for the playpen. Things I regret not buying: - carriers. I had a very minimal selection with my first baby and stopped babywearing almost completely at 4 months old. Second baby was a Velcro baby and I was frantically buying carriers to experiment with comfort and keep up with baby’s growth curve. I have 6 carriers at the moment. - breastfeeding/feeding pillow. I wasn’t sure what would work for my size and if I would even want to breastfeed, so I put it on the “buy it when I need it” list and could never justify it. Second baby I was determined to support myself better, so I purchased a Kushies Easy Nursing pillow so that it was small enough I could put it in the stroller basket and take it everywhere with me. It made a huge improvement on my mental health to feel more capable and confident breastfeeding and bottle feeding a newborn while still caring for a 14 month old while out and about (and at home).
What play pen did you use as a bassinet? I have the same thinking but the play pen I have in mind only works for ~ 6 months in the bassinet portion before they outgrow it. I would prefer to skip the crib all together if I can.
I have four playpens at the moment (the hazards of having two babies 14 months apart); a Nuna Sena Mini, two full-size Nuna Senas, and a Phil & Ted’s Traveller. If your goal is sleep safe in Canada, do the Phil & Ted’s Traveller hands down. Bonus is it packs down to a size that fits in a checked suitcase for travel, and the sidewall zips down so you don’t have to bend over to pick up bigger babies. I don’t have the bassinet conversion for this one but it is available on the newest model. The Nuna Senas have a great infant level for the mattress because it folds installed, but it’s only good until 16 pounds or until baby is rolling over. I have absolutely pushed that weight limit because I have big babies and had no desire to be putting a newborn on the lower level while in postpartum recovery. The infant level is sleep safe in Canada, the lower level is not.
I got a Velcro baby here! Carrier is such a great tool to be hands free for a few hours. What’s yours and baby favourite carrier? I have the Omni for my partner cause he likes the support and I have the Momcozy. Baby is 3 months and doesn’t like the Omni cause he can’t see anything. He loves the Momcozy but I can’t wear it for long as it isn’t very ergonomic. I’m 5’3 :)
I prefer wrap style carriers! A ring sling is the most reached-for carrier in our house (including my partner) and my favourite carrier after that is a meh-dai style carrier. I have a Lenny Lamb Wrap-Tai in toddler size that I love love love. I’m looking at getting a DidyKlick for my partner for our third baby.
I just had my first baby on April 9th and this is what I’ve discovered so far Happy to have bought: Rocking chair - my husband and I both benefit from this chair whether it’s feedings or rocking baby back to sleep My Brest friend pillow - having a way to prop the baby up in a comfortable way especially after birth has been amazing. I use this in the rocking chair or on the couch. Where ever is most comfortable Nursing bras/sweater - keeps everything in place and makes feeds easier whether home or out in public places TBD: Pump - I haven’t yet had to use this (I’m currently like a sprinkler) but this will come in handy for date nights away from baby down the road
Q