Author: Kathleen

When I was pregnant and working on my baby registry I did so much research my head started to spin. But the best resources I found were recommendations of other moms. I thought I’d return the favor and pass along some of the products we used and loved these first few months, and mention some things that didn’t work out for us as well.

Stuff we used all the time:

>Burp cloths. You just have to have them, and you go through a ton. I like to stash one in every area of the house and in every bag because you never know when you’ll need one. Turns out I like the terry-cloth ones the best because they seem more absorbant.

>Fuzzibunz perfect size cloth diapers and hanging diaper pail. Fuzzibunz were recommended to me by a friend who had tried a lot of different brands. I went with perfect size instead of one-size to get a trimmer fit, and since I was able to get most of my stash as gifts and borrow the rest, I didn’t end up spending anything extra. I’ve been extremely pleased with my decision, and they’re even great for overnight. I just put in an extra hemp insert and we’re good to go.

>Bodysuits (onesies). For awhile Meredith just lived in these, until she got bigger and I felt more comfortable dressing her up. She went through several a day and still sleeps in them at night. (We have yet to use any “pajamas” because it’s too hot.) I didn’t register for any clothes because I knew people would buy it anyway, and they did. But I also borrowed a bunch of extra onesies from a friend.

>Bumbleride Flite stroller. We wanted something in between a bulky travel system and an umbrella stroller. I’ve been really happy with this choice. It’s very smooth, light, easy to fold up, has a cupholder, and is safe for a newborn.

>Britax Boulevard convertible car seat. We got a convertible seat right away so we wouldn’t have to switch later on.

>Rock & Play Sleeper. This thing is awesome. You can use it as a bassinet and have your baby sleep in it at night, or do what I do and use it as the perfect place to plop her. Currently it resides in our bathroom, but it’s so easy to move around. I like that it’s taller than a bouncy seat and rockable.

>Skip Hop Duo diaper bag. I’ve written about my diaper bag in more detail, and since then it’s still suited us just fine, although now I sometimes just throw a few things in my purse instead. It was really good to have an actual diaper bag for maternity leave in the newborn stage, though.

>Tommee Tippee bottles. Meredith had trouble learning to bottle feed at first, and I had no idea what would end up working for her, but these are the ones that she did best with and uses all the time now.

>Phillips Avent Twin Duo Electric Breast Pump. I decided to buy a pump because I work full time and I want to breastfeed as long as possible. This pump was recommended to me by a friend who had tried several. I haven’t tried another kind, but I’ve had great success with this one so far. Also, I bought their manual pump to keep at home and it works awesome.

>Other boring stuff: Babyganics baby wash, hooded towels (we have 4), Lansinoh disposable breast pads and breastmilk storage bags.

Stuff we used sometimes but that I still recommend:

>Moby wrap. I tried a ring sling several times but I didn’t like how it only used one shoulder, and I never truly felt hands-free. The Moby wrap (and actually I made my own, you just cut a 5-yard piece of jersey fabric to size, no sewing required) was a lot more comfortable and Meredith seemed to like it more. But although she loves being held, so far she hasn’t REALLY taken to being worn so I don’t use this all the time. She’s just now big enough for the Ergo, so I’m excited to see if we do better with that.

>Boppy. Yes, you could do without it and just use pillows, but the Boppy is much nicer. I still use it for breastfeeding on the couch and rocker to be hands-free, plus she sleeps on it in my lap and it’s also good for propping up and tummy time.

>Bumbo. I know it’s only good for a relatively small period of time (after they can hold their head up and before they can sit up on their own) but it has been awesome for us because Meredith loves to sit up and look around. She’ll be happy in a Bumbo now when she won’t be in a bouncy seat.

>Nosefrida snotsucker. Disgusting but effective (and completely sanitary).

>Wipes warmer. This is controversial and usually ends up on the list of things not to bother with, but while we used disposable wipes I loved it. Mostly I used it as a dispenser because it was sturdier and easier than what the wipes came in, and it was a bonus that they were warmed. We still have some wipes in it now, but I mostly use them for her face now.

Stuff I thought we’d love but haven’t used:

>Swaddling blankets. I tried the Miracle Blanket and the SwaddleMe, and I didn’t notice a difference in her sleeping with either one. However, she’s just an amazing sleeper so I’m not saying these aren’t good. We just didn’t really use them.

>Pacifiers. She refused them until she was sick last weekend when I finally got her to take one. Now that she’s better she doesn’t use them anymore.

>Monitor. We have a really nice video monitor but we haven’t installed it yet. Meredith sleeps in our bed and she goes down at the same time I do and otherwise she’s with us. I’m still glad we have it though, because as she gets older she might get an earlier bedtime and might use her crib for naps.

For anyone out there who is expecting their first baby, I hope this helps! For you moms, what do you think? Did you use any of these things? What were your must-have products for a newborn?