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The Baby Gear Post

This is my comprehensive, all-encompassing, slightly intimidating list of all the baby gear I’ve recommended to some 100+ mamas-to-be. I figured I could make a post and link it out to people rather than the copy-paste-email routine I’ve been doing. All of these recommendations are from my personal experience, and since every family is different, I think this list works best as a jumping off point to think about what YOU need. Feel free to always ping me with questions, I love to be a resource!

A couple of things:

  1. I’m a maximizer in the arena of gear. I love to deep dive into product research, delighting in understanding variations and reviews.

  2. Before becoming a mom my rubric for choosing gear was aesthetic and also a bit minimalist. After becoming a mom, my rubric is more about maximizing for comfort and ease (for mom, for baby). This list is a bit of both!

  3. This list is meant for pregnancy/hospital stay and 0-12 months.

HOSPITAL STAY

A few caveats—I delivered at Columbia Presbyterian in NYC, which is a renowned hospital in terms of care (and has the top level NICU in the state, which was important to me as our first came 5 weeks early), however, it’s not renowned for its amenities, like say Greenwich Hospital in CT, which I hear has a delicious surf and turf after-birth menu option. Hence my recommendations for things like pillows and towels as they were ahem, BARE BONES at Columbia, but I bet not so bad at other hospitals.

1. Hair ties

2. Chapstick

3. Snacks for partner—you won't be able to eat anything, boo.

4. Sweatpants + yoga pants (I wanted something tighter fit to hold everything in, but you don't know so bring both), tank top, zip up hoodie or cardigan (make sure it's open in the front for nursing).

5. Pillow and towel—what they give you is BULLSHIT and I wished I had a decent pillow and a non scratchy towel the whole time.

6. Deodorant and toiletries for you and your partner.

7. Partner change of clothes (I mean we didn't pack a bag at all, but I would have forgotten this).

8. Nursing bra + nipple cream (get a nursing bra close to the end, them boobs keep growing). Recommendations down below.

9. The MOM WASHER (if you have a vaginal birth). It is a miracle worker, and so much better than what they give you.

10. Couple of long sleeve onesies/pants for baby. Get a newborn size, and a 0-3 months size, one of those should be fine. They will give baby a hat! See clothing brand recommendations for below.

11. Pen + big envelope for paperwork—they give you a lot of it.

12. Phone + charger (preferably with a long cord, the outlets aren't always convenient).

13. A hip belt or a belly belt—I had both and wore both and man it was great. My back was wrecked and my hips were loose, these were game changers.

14. A robe. Nice to have over the hospital gown.

15. Slippers/flip flops/socks. Those hospital floors aren't meant for bare feet.

16. Baby carseat—although your partner can go home and get it later, you will have to stay for at least two nights (three for a c-section)— and they won't let you leave without one!

Notes:

Make sure your partner is ready to take your first photo—my husband was shell-shocked and the doc had to be like, get your phone out! HA. I love that photo of baby and me, that first moment.

TAKE FROM HOSPITAL

1. Mesh underwear that they give you (take all the extras)

2. Pads—line these with witch hazel or tucks pads (they will make you ones filled with ice if you ask —OMG YES GREAT).

3. Whatever the lactation people will hand over to you—bottles, pump parts, that pink bucket to wash things, the soap to wash things.

4. The witch hazel pads.

5. The numbing spray they give you. TAKE IT ALL.

Notes:

Remember to ask all your questions and write everything down! They will also want you to have a pediatrician (and an appointment for the baby with that pediatrician before you leave the hospital), so be prepared for that! This is also when you will file the paperwork for baby’s social security information.

HAVE AT HOME FOR YOUR RETURN

*Spoiler, if you have a vaginal birth, it will stop hurting pretty quick, a couple of days, but you will bleed/have discharge for at least six weeks (mine went closer to twelve).

1. Bigger pads (I hate the winged kind, but do you)—you can't wear tampons for a long while (and I didn't want to for a long time—but I didn't get my period for at least six months).

2. Smaller pads (again, no wings for me)

3. Panty liners

4. Tucks medicated pads

5. Witch hazel spray

6. ibuprofen (I was also prescribed iron, which I picked up at CVS)

Notes:

I felt physically much better (like wanting to take long walks etc) after about six weeks. And then every month after that I felt even better. Six months was when I felt a lot better, and baby was also sleeping more, so that was helpful too. Remember, once the placenta detaches and delivers, it leaves a dinner-plate size wound on the inside of your uterus, so give yourself some grace and rest here. Also, how metal is it that the female human body creates not only a whole person, but a whole organ and then just discards it!

BREASTFEEDING

1. A pump

Definitely have your doctor "prescribe" a pump. For my first, I got the pump in style from Medela, with the bag. It was fine. Pumps aren't super fun, but necessary if you ever want to go anywhere away from your baby for more than 2-3 hours. Order this soonish. I also got the Spectra, which I liked better, and for my second I got the Elvie, which I LOVED SO MUCH, especially if you're going to be pumping at work.

2. Nursing bra for pump - if you don't get the Elvie, get a nursing bra that fits the pump shields. Trust me on this one. I left mine at home for a trip out of town and regretted it the whole time!

3. Nursing bras: I love the Bravado Nursing bra. I have two of those, plus some cheap ones from Amazon.

4. That Boon Grass thing. For real. Need it to dry out all the pump parts and bottles. We still use this for their sippy cups!

5. Burp clothes. Our first was a freakishly strong stomached baby. He literally never spit up. He's thrown up maybe three times in his whole life. This is not normal, as I found out with my second, who still has a more hair trigger gag reflex, so I suggest you have a few burp clothes around!

6. Nipple cream. My nipples were never sore or cracked or anything, but I don't think that is normal either, so have some on hand. Also the lactation nurses will give you some samples.

7. Freezer bags for extra milk. Again, pumping is a must if you want to leave the baby. So pump and freeze. I wrote the date and the ounces on the top and stored in the back of the freezer. Good for 3-6 months that way. There's also these Milkies ice cube trays, which I got for baby #2, for ease to put in the bottles! They were awesome!

8. Haakka. Got this for baby #2, and it was amazing. Collected milk from the non-nursing boob, and was able to get so many ounces without pumping (poured them right into the Milkies tray (above) and it was great!.

Skip:

Nursing pillow—I thought this was wack AF. I hated it and didn't use one at all!

Nursing pads—I never ever used these, my boobs didn't leak. Maybe get them later if you need them? I've heard that wool is the way to go here though.

Notes: With my first It took us a solid nine weeks to nurse without nursing shields. It can take a while—i.e. a couple of months to feel solid with this, so don't give up easily on it (unless it's super hard, then QUIT!), and don't hesitate to reach to a lactation consultant! For contrast, with my second, she had a perfect latch from minute one, so YMMV!

Also. I only purchased a few things that were "nursing" clothes. For the most part I just wore tanks (no bra) or button up tops and pants/shorts. You will not be able to wear dresses! Unless you buy nursing dresses—which I did not do. I purchased this tank, and this hoodie - which is what I would wear on the plane to nurse them.

BABY GEAR

1. Pacis: Neither of my babies took to one, but some babies love them. Try the WubbaNubs ones with the animals, and the Natursutten ones. Also, I learned way after it was too late that you have to teach babies to like pacifiers—who knew?

2. Teether: Comotomo Baby Teether We would freeze this guy and they both loved it for a while. They start teething as soon as four months, so don't wait too long on these.

3. Mesh Teether: They honestly STILL LOVE these, we fill them with frozen fruit and they still squeals with glee every time.

4. Travel Crib. We have the Guava Family one, and LOVE it. It has been to CA, FL, Chicago, Maine, upstate, etc. We also have the sunshade, and the mosquito net. Not worth getting the rocking infant upgrade (we have it, only good for like four months, don't do it).

5. DockATot - It is great for a couple of months, and some babies LOVE it, but honestly we didn't use ours very much. Not a must for us, but maybe you want it. It’s best for being able to put a baby down next to you wherever you are.

6. A swing or the mamaRoo. Do not fight this one, like we did. Get something that moves the baby on its own. We broke down and got a swing and our first LOVED it. For our second we got the MamaRoo, because it's smaller than the swing which we gave away last time when we moved.

7. Carseat. We love the Nuna Rava, and the Uppa Baby one, and so do the other people that I know that have one. You can get a base for it, but it goes in a car without a base as well. You have to have one of these to leave the hospital!

8. Stroller. Note: they can't sit up in one of these until 6 months, so either they need to be in their car seat (get one that your car seat fits into), or the stroller needs to have the option to lay flat. Note, you can really dive down into a stroller rabbit hole here, there are so many options—we’ve gone through about six ourselves, and here’s my favorites:

Cybex Priam which JUST came out with a double option called the Gazelle. We sold our Priam when we needed to upgrade to a double and got the Uppa Baby —if I was having my first now I’d get the Gazelle from the jump if I was planning on more than one.

We also have the Yoyo - which is amazing for flying or any kind of travel as it it folds up and you can carry it with a strap.

Something to note—measure any exterior or interior doors this stroller needs to fit through—we opted for an inline stroller vs a side-by-side when we needed a double because our stroller stays parked in the building’s bike room which has a narrow door and wouldn’t accommodate any side-by-side strollers.

9. Ergobaby. GET ONE. GET TWO! My husband and I each have one. Seriously, so great. You'll need to get the infant insert until baby weighs 12lbs—don't put them in there without it! Seriously this is the best, especially for NYC. My three-year old still requests to ride in it :)

10. Changing pad. We have two. Option one is nice and cheap and great, but if anything gets on it, you have to wash the cover. Option two is more expensive, but easily wipeable.

11. Playmat. Both our babies were on this thing for an hour+ a day until they were about 8-9 months. Good for tummy time and for looking around at things. It was an MVP for a good while.

12. Monitor. This one allows for multiple cameras (needed when we had another baby), and is a closed system, which I wanted.

13. Diaper bag. I like the backpack a lot, but also like a shoulder bag.

14. Crib. We inherited a crib,, but IKEA has nice ones, and the Babyletto one is nice too. The second time around we bought the famed SNOO, on sale. It was the MVP for sleep (7+ hours a night by three weeks) but also for peace of mind. The Snoo has had zero SIDS incidents, which is statistically significant. Seriously super highly recommend.

Notes:

I'd get pacis and teethers new, and carseat new, but check out anything else used, should be fine!

BABY CLOTHES

Spoiler, babies hate things going over their heads. So, try to get things that snap or zip up the front, rather than putting their heads through things. Also, until they can sit up, best to have things snap at the crotch as well, as shirts without snaps will ride way up. And my husband is a big fan of the sleepers that zip up down from the top—easier for diaper changes in the middle of the night—you only have to zip up halfway to change the diaper.

1. Snap onesies, long sleeve + short sleeve

2. Footed pajamas

3. Zutano booties—the only ones that have stayed on our babies’ feet.

4. A snowsuit sack

5. Sweatpants

6. Jackets/Sweatshirts

7. Get some socks to go under the booties, only for warmth

8. Swimsuit—make sure it's long sleeve—babies can't wear sunscreen until 6 months old.

9. Hats - warm for winter, sun shade for sun.

Brands I like:

For cheap/cute clothes (they are always having sales) - Carter's, Old Navy, Gap.

For super cute and not that expensive clothes - Zara Baby

For cute and expensive clothes (on sale, not so bad), where we got his wedding suit - Janie + Jack

For pajamas on the cheaper side - Target, especially their Cat + Jack in house brand. Also Old Navy!

Nicer pajamas: Hanna Anderson

Swimsuits: Hanna Anderson

Snowsuit/Bunting: Hanna Anderson this one is cute too.

Jackets: Patagonia

Cute style: Bash + Sass

Notes:

People love to give clothes! If you register for any, pick 6+ months because they do grow out of things super quick And be mindful of what season that will be. That being said, don't be left without any clothes for baby when they first come home!

FEEDING

1. Get a few bottles. our baby was not picky, but some babies are, so get a couple of a couple brands to see. Get low-flow nipples for newborns, you'll upgrade to fast flow in six months or so. We like Comotomo and the plain Medela ones. Again, even if you are breastfeeding, pump once a day and let your partner feed the baby. Do not stop doing this. If you don't feel like pumping once a day, give baby a bottle of formula once a day (we like Happy Baby Organics), because otherwise you will never be able to leave for more than a few hours at a time. Be mindful of your supply, obviously, but let baby drink out of a bottle!

2. High chair—you can wait on this, but we have the Stokke one, with the infant insert. I like that it sits right up to the table and eventually converts to a regular chair. We also have a Bumbo that our first loved and we used more than the high chair at first.

3. Bottle warmer—definitely not needed (you can warm up water and warm up the bottles) but we love ours, and use it every day. Also, if you're not breastfeeding, I've heard great things about this.

4. Baby spoons. Solid food sneaks up on you. We started early because our pediatrician recommended we do so—around 4.5 months.

5. Baby cups. Doctor recommends you stop bottles at one, so we have always given him a cup for water (only after 6 months, they don't drink water before then!). He loves this one, and it doesn't spill, you can turn it upside down and shake it.

Notes:

I felt SUPER responsible for both my babies food intake (because I was), it was a lot on me at times. Just something to think about if you are feeling anxious about how many ounces they are eating!

BATHTIME

1. Baby bath. We like this option, and this option. I bought seriously like seven tubs—sent one to each family house (CA, IL, FL), and tried a few out at home. So yeah. Consider this one researched. They need something smaller until they can sit unassisted, 6-7 months ish.

2. Baby washcloths. To wash, but also to keep baby warm in the very beginning—lay baby down and then wet the cloth in the bath and drape over baby. Don't be idiots like me and my husband and make the water "lukewarm" like the internet says. The water should be WARM. Otherwise baby will cry and be cold (like our first baby was for like a week).

3. Baby shampoo. Tear free and good for body and hair.

4. Scrubby - good for hair and body and it's antimicrobial. Mine both had cradle cap, so we scrubbed their little heads for several months. If your baby has it, Mustela has a great cradle cap shampoo.

5. Baby lotion. Babies lose a ton of moisture in the bath, so replenish after every bath. It's still his favorite time after bath.

Notes:

Bath was our babies’ FAVORITE, and their cue that it's about to be bedtime. It was also one of my favorite times of day!

DIAPERS +

1. Wipes. We like the scent free ones from Amazon

2. Diapers. Get a small pack in size N and size 1, see what size they are when they arrives! They will go through 10-12 a day in the beginning, just FYI!

3. Diaper rash cream - Aquaphor is a good one, and so is Destin.

4. Diaper pail. Self explanatory. Otherwise, yes, it is not a good scene.

5. Nail clippers. They arrive with long nails. And scratch themselves in the face. So. Yeah. These are great.

6. Baby Tylenol. This is awesome for when they have a fever and/or teething. They can't have Motrin until 6 months.

7. Nosefrida + baby saline drops. For colds and the like. Must.

8. Thermometer. We have this one and a more manual one. We use both.

9. Hand sanitizer. Have it on hand for visitors.

Notes:
Baby Detergent: we used some for six months, but I recently found out that the NICU uses TIDE, so now I'm not recommending special stuff! As long as it’s free and clear, it’s fine.

BEDTIME

1. Sound machine. This is a game changer. They still have this going every night. When they were little little and sleeping in the bassinet (or Snoo) next to the bed we had it going in our room, and it was nice.

2. Swaddles. Do not forget these. They are THE BIZ for sleeping babies under four months. We have A MILLION and they were all worth it.

3. Sleep sack. Once they get out of swaddles, you'll want a sleep sack to keep them warm, they both LOVE theirs, and still sleep in one at 18 months and 3 years, respectively. Bonus, this stops them from even thinking about climbing out of the crib.

4. Lovey—around 5/6 months we introduced our first to his bunny, and our second to her fox to sleep and now they both look for their loveys and grab them for sleep and it is the cutest thing. Helpful for sleep. Choose a stuffed animal or little blanket. We like the Jellycat brand for variety and availability—we have at least one backup at all times.

5. Crib sheets. We have about 6, and rotate them on both their beds.

Notes:

Make a routine ASAP. We do bottle, bath, lotion, pajamas, book, song, bed. We started this super early on and they go to bed like a dream every night. We read books from the jump!

BOOKS

1. The Happy Sleeper. Great great one. Super helpful. Also watch the YouTube video on the 5 S's by Harvey Karp. Excellent ones.

2. Baby Cookbook. Love this one, he's loved almost everything I've made him from here. Again, this comes quicker than you'd think!

Notes:

I read a bunch of books on sleep, and have tried a lot of things—our first was a 30-minute napper for SO LONG (after the four-month sleep regression), and it got way way way better, but it was tough for a long time. My friend Kara had a great daytime sleeper though, so it can totally vary. Just highlighting this because sleep can be a real bear.

Other things to think about:

If you're going to do any kind of daycare, they have wait lists and you need to tour and register etc. Just think about what you want to do here!

Bryce Longton