10 newborn essential items for baby
I’ve been meaning to put this post together for quite some time, but hey, don’t they say better late than never!? I wanted to share my 10 favourite items that really made a difference since Eitan was born. Of course, this isn’t the only 10 items you’ll ever need with a baby, but it’s 10 items I’m telling all my new mama friends to not skip on.
Visiting baby stores can be so overwhelming, there are SO many things to chose from. Literally it feels like they have invented a product for everything these days. Do you really need a wipe warmer? Probably not. Will it make life easier? Well… that’s up to you!
Where possible, I always wait and see if we really NEED an item for Eitan. For example, I did a few car rides without a forward facing mirror so I couldn’t see Eitan. Obviously, you can survive a car ride without it - but it makes life a little easier when driving solo, so I went ahead and picked up one from West Coast Kids. I guess the point I’m trying to make is to be thoughtful when it comes to baby gear - do you really need it in your life? Or can you get by without it?
The below 10 items are things you can put straight on your baby shower registry list as I feel like even second-time around as a parent, they have been critical to making the first few months as breezy as possible.
A great stroller is critical for a newborn, especially if you know you’re going to be walking out and about often. In the first few weeks after Eitan was born, I really didn’t enjoy getting him in his carseat for short trips - so we would just walk everywhere with our Fox. I love that the Bugaboo Fox has a wheeled board extension so if baby has a big sis or bro, they can come for a ride too. We’ve been a Bugaboo family for almost 4 years now but I still get surprised by the amount of compliments this stroller receives when we’re walking around town.
We didn’t have a lounger when Lily was a baby, so this was such a great addition for Eitan! It was a pressie from my parents as they wanted to buy something new for Eitan after we had pretty much everything else covered. It was so great having this lounger on the couch and putting him down to sleep while we were all still going about our business as a family. Something about the structure of this lounger makes it super supported and comforting for babies and Eitan would fall asleep for hours at a time in it.
Av hates snaps… with a passion. He literally will only dress the kids in zipped rompers/onesies. He would be still dressing Lily that way if he could! These Bonds Wondersuits are the best. We brought both kids home from the hospital in the newborn version and the zipped style is our go-to for easy diaper/nappy changes. Eitan is still wearing his sister’s hand-me-down’s but I’ve also just placed another order to get some more.
Looking back, I can’t believe I didn’t have one of these when Lily was a baby, as Eitan was pretty much in his wrap carrier at least once a day, for the first 3 months of life.
Fussy baby? Wrap!
Need to be handsfree to cook dinner? Wrap!
Need to hit up the playground with your older kid aka give them some undivided attention? Wrap! I loved having him so close to me and the fact he would nap in it for hours was a WIN!“White Noise Deep Sleep Sounds” app
I know you can buy sound machines that do the same thing, but hello FREE! The “womb noise” is Eitan’s fav as it sounds like heartbeat and wooshy sounds, just like when he was in my tummy! :)
We love our bouncer from Babybjörn. We started putting Eitan in it when he was a couple of weeks old as you can have it super reclined (almost flat). As his neck has gotten stronger, we’ve sat him further and further upright. He loves bopping about in the rocker and watching me as I go about my tasks at home.
To be honest, we never really found an infant bath that we liked when Lily was a baby. We had a few different brands, but nothing was comfortable, or would last longer than a couple of months for Lily. Thank goodness they designed this 3-stage bath as you can use it from birth up until 1 year/or when they are ready to use the big bath. We set it up so Eitan’s bath fills up first, and then we fill up the big bathtub which Lily will sit in. That way they are still having a bath together, but Eitan has much more support & we’re not leaning over the tub too much.
We used the Mico Max infant car seat with Lily also, and I love how easy it is to transfer from car to stroller and then back again, with a simple click (and not having to get him in and out again and again). I’ve found the car seat super straight forward to install and it looks super secure and safe. It’s also great how it comes with all the padded sections so you can come right home from the hospital with a little one and use this carseat up until about 12 months.
Eitan would hang out on his change table all day if he could. He loves when I sing songs, give him raspberries and will usually take any and every opportunities to yank at my hair.
Our change pad is from Oyaco (by Bumbo) and is the best small space/changing table solution! It’s super comfy and padded for him and can be placed on any mid-sized/hip height dresser. The top drawer has all the things we need come change time, and then I simply close the drawer and it’s all tucked away! This is the second Bumbo product we’ve owned (after the toddler booster seat) and I’m such a fan of the quality of this brand.Last but not least, this was a present from my grandparents. When we had Lily we borrowed a baby activity gym from a friend, so we knew it was something we were going to need shortly after Eitan was born. I chose this activity mat because it was least obnoxious of all the play mats at Toys’R’Us. Literally, every single one except this one, had crazy bright primary colours and loud noises etc. I liked this one as it’s very minimal with it’s pastel palette and goes with our home, because let’s be real - this thing is going to be out on display for at least 8 months of Eitan’s first year, so we might as well enjoy looking at it! Lol. Aside from his fussy mamas opinion, Eitan also enjoys it lol.
Well that’s that. Hope this list helps in someway if you are expecting a baby and wondering which items to splurge on vs. which items to save on. Send me an email or DM if you have any further questions.
x Sharday
Disclaimer: I was sent some of these products for the purposes of review. The fact I got them for free has not influenced the review in anyway. All thoughts & opinions remain my own.
