YAY! One of my favorite topics: BABY SWAG!
We have personal experience with all of these products. It's our hope that you will love them as much as we do. We have found over the years from raising our own children and helping others raise theirs that the things on the following list are greatly loved and actually useful.
You may have already made a baby registry but if you haven't already this might be a good place to start: BabyList Registry. It's super easy to keep all things in one place and the features for thank you notes, adding and organizing, and importing other lists, and asking for money/favors is rad.
:: Diapering ::
Changing Pad Liners are CRUCIAL! For pretty much anywhere a baby will be laying down for long periods of time, for diaper changes (to cut down on serious laundry of bed sheets/changing pad covers/couches/etc), and great for on the go diapering needs.
Where you are planning on birthing at home or in the hospital investing in a set of 4 of these pads is good idea. At a home birth they can go underneath you during labor. If you will be heading to the hospital they are great for putting on car seats to protect them from any leakage. As baby grows and you need to do diaper free time or want extra protection under a high chair or as you see fit.
If you ever plan on being out and about with baby having some kind of wet/dry bag is important so if you have wardrobe issue or diaper explosion you can contain it without it getting everywhere. Having a specific baby one isn’t important and a gallon zip lock bag works just awesome too!
:: Dressing ::
You likely will have more clothes than you could ever possibly use. But if you find yourself having to change lots of diapers in the late night and the snapping and unsnapping of onesies is more hassle than it's worth I would love to direct you to Hanna Andersson. These little sleep gowns can make late night diaper changes super easy. And if you pair the gowns with baby leggings (since it will be a cooler part of the year) baby will stay warm but you'll keep diaper access. If you want to save 20% you can easily with this link.
Tea Collection is another brand that we adore. Because their clothes hold up through many washings and multiple children via hand me downs. We don't usually buy from here because the clothes are pretty pricey. Buuuut they are offering 15% off of your entire 1st purchase for signing up for their newsletter and every penny counts!
The rain gear (rainsuits, jackets, and pants) we think are top notch come from Polarn O Pyret.
We are not affiliates of this company. We just love them so much! We always recommend families put their babies to bed in organic all natural fibers if and when possible. If you feel similarly consider these Merino Wool onesies.
:: Soothing ::
If you are going to use pacifiers, then these are the only ones (Soothies) that are recommended by speech therapists and ENT doctors. They also come attached to little animals that help to keep them in mouths (Wubbanub) without you constantly having to replace them in the babe’s mouth.
:: Grooming and Sickness ::
Kind of important during the sick seasons. Keep baby’s nasal passage free and clear with softening up the mucus that can build up with a saline spray.
While some ENTs don't recommend the Nose Frida some parents swear by it. In our family we have decided that it gives use peace of mind knowing that baby's nasal passage is clearing with help from us. -- The thinking behind not using one is that the body wants to clear it on its own and we need to let it do it's thing so that we are increasing the production of mucus. But if you are planning on investing in FridaBaby products get the biggest kit you can.
Baby grooming is fun and also annoying. You will thank yourself for having a pair of baby nail clippers. There will be a pair in the big kit from FridaBaby but the way they are angled is hard to do both sides. Tweezerman has never let me down and they have a free sharpening program and an amazing guarantee.
When washing baby you can truly use anything. We would just get into the bathtub with our babies and it was great. If you are shower people you might want to get a chair like this. But a nicer version of this chair that dries out well is this one (I have also found it to be more stable).
I love to recommend soft washcloths to moms in labor to use as cold compresses so their faces don't get rubbed raw. But they also double as soft enough for bathing your tiny love.
:: Sleeping/Setting Baby Down ::
Post-baby life means tons of bodily fluids… keep your mattress clean during this juicy life transition by having a mattress cover that is waterproof. In fact, investing in two is ideal so you can always have a back up ready to go.
This is a pricey Woolino sleep sack but grows with baby, is good for all the seasons, and keeps baby safe (and you not paranoid about strangulation/suffocation) from covers. A coupon code that saves you some money is: FULLCIRCLESLEEP10. The one I recommend is the 4 Seasons Ultimate Sleeping Bags. They have the hole in the middle that makes it possible to use a harness to clip the baby into a car seat or rocker or swing.
One of other our favorite companies is the Natural Baby Company because they offer fantastic products at a lower cost. They have so many sweet toys, gear, and brands that it's kind of a one stop shop. Little Unicorn has these adorable quilted sleepers. Kyte baby has super soft sleep sacks and precious pjs that are perfect for middle of the night diaper changes.
Black out curtains make it easy to keep baby sleeping late into the bright summer mornings and during daytime naps. We have tried so many different types from the expensive custom made shades to suction cup travel shades. And we’ve found for our homes that the vinyl window coverings from Black Out EZ make for the best way to achieve complete darkness on a budget.
For swaddles we love: Aden+Anais's muslin flat swaddles and Snuggle Me's organic jersey swaddles. They come in beautiful colors and are organic!
Babies tend to really enjoy these non-habit forming noise machines to help to drown out busy life outside of your apartment.
Baby Bjorn Bouncers are CRUCIAL! I don’t know where I would be without ours. They are a safe good place to set baby. The littles can sleep in them and also be close to you during alert times while leaving you hands free. You can find these used and very cheap. DO NOT buy a new one! They are everywhere if you care to look.
The Tiny Love is a great place to put baby’s down to sleep and a good place to place them when they are awake and chilling. This is the safer version of the Rock n Play that was recalled.
The Moses Baskets we chatted about are made by Plum + Sparrow. They restock every Friday morning. So if there is a color preference that you really like but it's sold out every Friday you have a new chance to get the one you desire. You have to buy the pad and sheet separately. But they are add-ons and the site reminds you. As sleep consultants we have to encourage you to not buy the "nested" pad but just to stick to the flat pad.
Another great alternative is the Charlie Crane lounger/bouncer. It's a mix between the Baby Bjorn Bouncer and the Tiny Love.
Yes, this is pricey as heck and I might try this out at the store with baby before buying the Nuna Leaf Grow. Some babies like the motion of a swing back and forth. Some like swinging side to side. Some like to rock. Some like to bounce. This is great because it grows with your baby. And it locks into place. Maverick hated going side to side and still prefers bouncing and swinging (back and forth). His cousin hates bouncing and only likes swinging side to side.
:: Feeding ::
Dr Brown Bottles are the only ones I ever recommend. They are made for babies that have colic, gas issues, or GI problems. And because of that they help all babies even if they don’t have the feeding issues. The glass bottles are better to have since you don’t have to worry about what’s in the plastic but they are cost prohibitive and limited. And you will thank yourself if you get these travel lids for the wide mouth bottles if you go with the Dr Browns bottling system.
For upset tummies or gassy babies a little gripe water can make a HUGE difference.
Burp cloths that double as super absorbent helps when in need! Another brand we love is Aden+Anais. Having at least four on hand per day.
The OXO bottle brush is the best one out there for cleaning. The soft brush head is gentle enough for fancy wine glasses and strong enough to get the oily breast milk residue clean too. And this set is great for all the tiny crevices and things.
:: Awesome to Have ::
Babies are obsessed with this paper.
Baby k’tan is good for babies 8-20 lbs. This is the easy version of the Boba Wrap/Moby Wrap. The Boba and the Moby are very similar. Some people prefer one over the other. We like the Moby, but read about each and maybe a color or organic option will be the deciding factor.
If you are going to be asking for things you might as well as for this Love Every Baby play gym and subscription. It's a super nice give that keeps on giving and parent's friends love to give these types of useful gives that make for good pictures and constant reminders of how much you and this baby are loved. These are also fun for parents to have because it follows baby's natural development and gives you a new idea and activity to practice with baby and helps to give you as new parents a frame of reference for helping baby make milestones.
These booties are the best booties on the market and NEVER fall off! And they make sweet little mittens that match.
Need to drive to get places? Having a mirror can keep you and the baby sane during the long and short trips.
If you plan on bringing baby out to a place with lots of people ever these are nice to have to protect baby’s ears.
Thinking ahead to baby being mobile you might want to get these too. They are socket protectors that are intuitive and not aggravating for parents to use. And unlike those little plastic caps they had when we were little these aren't choking hazards.
Hope this helps you curate a super great list!