After having a baby in early 2023, I made a list of learnings and recommendations for friends/acquaintances who'd asked for baby advice. Definitely non-exhaustive and all my personal opinion (I don't get any commissions or anything), but I wish I found something like this list when I was preparing for baby. Sorry for it being super long--I wasn't comfortable sharing a google doc.
Would love to know others' thoughts on this list and/or update recommendations.
(FYI, ***‘***OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100’ is a good keyword to look for when looking for non-toxic options for clothes, etc.--sadly there are a lot of weird things in baby stuff that’s not well-regulated in the US)
Would love to know others' thoughts on this list and/or update recommendations.
Go-Bag for Hospital
- A couple of extra baby blankets for your pet(s)
- Use with baby/parents for a couple of hours, then have someone bring them home to your pets before baby arrives for them to sniff/sleep next to and get used to the smell in advance.
- Toiletries
- Toothbrush items
- Shower items (likely not provided)
- Shower flip flops
- Chapstick
- Comfort items for post-delivery (Frida brand stuff is your friend!)
- Comfy
- Pillows & Towels (likely hospital’s aren’t not very comfy)
- Nursing pillow (leave in car until after delivery…beats using eight pillows simultaneously)
- Clothes
- Slippers (yes!) -- [EDIT: slip-ons are best; avoid slippers than require bending over to put on.]
- A few days of clothing changes just in case; at least a couple that are robe- or dress-like. I was really happy with this delivery/nursing dress.
- Tech
- Chargers (and portable battery charger if desired)
- Headphones
- Something to watch downloaded movies/shows on
Online Resources (that we found helpful)
- PEANUT (This app has two sides: forum and sorta-dating app. Yep. It’s a great source of support since groups are organized by due dates so you can ask/see questions with folks who are on your pregnancy/baby age timeline. There are also profiles with whom you can “swipe on” and message for support and organizing playdates. Some downsides are definitely the awkwardness of the Tindr-like matching and the one-off unhinged post or not-so-great advice from non-experts.)
- FAMILY ALBUM (This is essentially a “private Instagram” where access is via unique invite-only links. Their privacy policy is pretty impressive for anyone hesitant to post photos of their baby anywhere else on the internet. We’ve used the free version without issue, and their photo-printing service is inexpensive and high quality.)
- REDDIT (Especially the /sleeptrain sub! Baby blogs are usually very vague to cover a lot of situations and because “every baby is different,” but Reddit covers many various / specific situations that help your in-the-moment sanity. Two posts on Reddit solved our baby’s sleep issues faster and better than weeks of reading blogs and books. As anything internet, use your best judgement when taking advice.)
- “WAKE WINDOWS” (Do yourself a favor and understand this subject before baby is born! The term refers to month-/age-appropriate awake and sleep schedules that help baby eventually nap well and sleep longer through the night. We had a terrible time managing a schedule and maximizing sleep times until we understood this.)
Things to Buy (just the highlights)
(FYI, ***‘***OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100’ is a good keyword to look for when looking for non-toxic options for clothes, etc.--sadly there are a lot of weird things in baby stuff that’s not well-regulated in the US)
- Pre-Baby
- CRIB (if getting one vs bassinet, etc, IKEA has good non-toxic ones)
- MATTRESS (Naturepedic has non-toxic and water-proof ones that have been very easy to clean)
- MOBILE (This one is good because it adjusts to a baby’s developing sight abilities.)
- TRACKING APP (Starting in the hospital, you need to track feedings [and later, sleep], which is difficult when you are sleep-deprived! There are many apps for this; you’ll want one that will sync with other devices, especially when you’re taking shifts with others. We opted for Baby Feed Timer because it had the best privacy policy we could find.)
- SOUND MACHINE (We like our Guva app for its soundboard of customizable sounds as well as its the ability to record yourself singing or shushing as you start to lose your voice after a while--use with an item you don’t usually need like an old phone or iPad)
- BOUNCY CHAIR (This is a lifesaver. We liked this practical option but other pricier ones may have more comfortable straps.)
- BABY MONITOR (we like our Eufy, but any that’s not internet-connected and has good night vision is good)
- NIGHT LIGHT
- COMFY CHAIR (you’ll be living in it for a while
) - 2-CUP PYREX MEASURING CUP (Microwave full of water before putting bottle to heat, in lieu of bottle warmer)
- BLACKOUT CURTAINS (You can wait until 3M but you’ll be too sleepy to install. Fun fact: when travelling, the best thing is to painter’s tape some heavy-duty black trashbags over the windows instead of $$ travel curtains)
- CLOTHES
- Don’t buy a bunch of outfits in advance based on just the ultrasound prediction, which is often incorrect. Just get a couple of Newborn and 0-3M outfits (weather appropriate, although you can just cover them with blankets) and buy the rest of the clothes once baby is born.
- We really liked these sleep sacks (our kid was NOT big on swaddling, so grain of salt) but these were great for middle-of-the-night, post-feeding diaper changes where baby fell asleep and we didn’t want to wake him up
- Kimono-style outfits (like these ones) are easier than trying to coordinate a floppy baby through a head hole, but have a few more snaps
- Long-sleeved outfits like these ones have cuffed mittens which stay on better than standalone mittens; helps keep hands warm and prevent baby scratching themselves
- BABY CLAWS
- Definitely recommend the electric nail trimmer--it’s cheap but so good at quickly filing nails while being safe to the touch in case of slips
- If analog, we appreciate these rounded manicure scissors vs traditional pointy baby scissors or nail clippers when you have a squirmy baby in low light
- BURP CLOTHS (we like these and completely ignore the ‘handwash’ recommendation, but any soft muslin is great; definitely recommend at least 10-20)
- NURSING PILLOW (IF nursing is part of your plan, definitely recommend My Brest Friend instead of the Boppy because it fits way better and baby doesn’t fall in/forward when they get heavier. Also, get the waterproof cover--cut the buckles off--and put underneath a regular cover.)
- DIAPER PAIL (controversial, but we still find our Diaper Genie really useful for poopy diapers)
- NOSE SUCTION (Frida’s Snot Sucker seems gross but is great and way better than a bulb syringe at helping a stuffy-nosed baby breathe when needed)
- HALF-LENGTH ROBE (This was the best and most comfortable thing, especially for ease of feeding.)
- DISHWASHING SOAP (Dapple brand is great since you don’t want any scents going into the silicone/etc.)
- WATERPROOF MATS (These are generally useful, either for impromptu diaper changes on the couch or for Mom healing.)
- WD-40 (Seriously, figure out which doors squeak and fix it now.)
- CAR SEAT (You’ll need one to bring your baby home from a hospital; the nurses will check you out on its safety before you leave. An infant carseat that snaps in and out of a base has been very convenient. If you are looking for untreated fabrics, the Chicco KeyFit 30 was the only brand we found that had a safer “ClearTex” model.)
- STROLLER or TRAVEL SYSTEM (We got the Chicco Bravo travel system, to go with the KeyFit. Recommend a travel system, but the Bravo already has a visible cosmetic crack on the hinges.)
- CRIB (if getting one vs bassinet, etc, IKEA has good non-toxic ones)
- 0-3M
- DIAPERS (Costco’s Kirkland diapers and baby wipes worked well for us, although don’t overbuy in case baby has sensitivities to a specific brand.)
- CLOTHES (Don’t get too many**! They grow fast, even when they’re tiny jelly beans. **Get more if you don’t plan on doing laundry every 1-2 days, though)
- FEEDING
- FORMULA (IF this is part of your plan, Kirkland brand at Costco is well-reputed and half the price of other brands)
- BOTTLES (We liked the Philips Avent glass bottles set. Occasionally, some caps leak a little if you don’t seal them well. Also, buy extra nips in the smaller size that doesn’t come in the set if you find baby doesn’t get milk fast enough.
- PUMP (PSA IF this is part of your plan, know that the flanges that come standard with pumps are likely not your size--get measured!)
- STERILIZER (Microwave steam)
- BATH TUB (This one is great!)
- GAS DROPS (Mylicon is over-the-counter and good at preventing baby gas regardless of colic; definitely check with your pediatrican first)
- BABY CARRIER, SOFT (Until they can hold their head up around 4+M, a soft carrier like this one is very helpful)
- TRAVEL CRIB/PACK AND PLAY (This Guava one is pricey but one of the only non-toxic options. Haven’t needed to use as a crib yet. We used it after baby got too big for the bouncy chair when we we needed to put him down and do things. We got these sheets too.)
- TUMMY TIME TOYS (Anything to make daily tummy time more fun, such as this one.)
- 4M+
- NIGHT DIAPERS (As baby starts sleeping longer stretches (hopefully!), these help prevent leaks and blowouts. Pampers works great aside from the strong powder smell--sadly, not too many other good options. Do NOT do Target or Huggies brand for night diapers.)
- BABY CARRIER, STRUCTURED (Once baby’s head is up, this Gemini structured carrier is a great option.)
- 6M+
- BULLET BLENDER HACK (Can attach a standard mason jar to blades in lieu of a bullet blender; read more here and make sure you exercise safety like not blending anything hot due to expansion. When in doubt, immersion blender works great too.)
- HIGH CHAIR (We like our Abiie for its footrest and as a less expensive Stokke Trip Trap)
- BABY ENCLOSURE (We have this one…yes, it quacks. Generally, the plastic ones made out of HDPE are non-toxic and can collapse/change shape as needed vs the fabric ones that are less non-toxic and slightly more permanent even if they say ‘portable’)
- Soften flooring within:
- SLEEP SACKS (The same brand makes these larger ones.)
- INDESTRUCTIBLE BOOKS (This is a brand of short books that uses a chewing-/tearing-resistant material for its pages, and is easier for a baby to handle and play with than a board book.)
- TOY STRAPS (Great for attaching toys to stroller/high chair/etc so that you don't need to wash them every time they fall. We really like this option. Don't leave baby unattended with these.)
- 9M+
- BIGGER TUB (This IKEA option is low price and really great.)
