Babies require a lot of gear! I can’t even guess how many of these checklists I’ve read over the last five years\u2014probably an embarrassing amount. For first-time parents, dipping your toes into the overwhelming amount of gear is tricky. I had no idea where to begin and what we’d really need. There are so many things to choose from and they come in so many varieties. And then it’s fairly inconvenient that newborns and babes are a very particular bunch (as are the parents that come with them!). Some babies take a bottle or pacifier, some don’t. Some love the swing, others scream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The products you try to guess will be the favorites might end up in the giveaway pile, so there can be some guesswork. But I thought I’d take time to get down the items that have been so helpful to us. This is our comprehensive must have checklist \ud83d\ude42 And\u00a0I’ve created a\u00a0printable registry checklist that’s at the bottom.\u00a0Happy preparing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A note on registering: Amazon and Target registries offer 15% off for anything that isn’t purchased, so if you’re figuring out which registry is best for you, keep the completion discounts in mind!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Must haves:<\/em> Great to have:<\/strong><\/em> Must haves:<\/strong><\/em> Great to have:<\/strong><\/em> Must haves:<\/strong><\/em> Must haves:<\/strong><\/em> Great to have:<\/strong><\/em> Check out my more thorough nursing essentials here!<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Must haves:<\/strong><\/em> Must haves:<\/strong><\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Must haves:<\/strong><\/em> Great to have:<\/em><\/strong> Great to have:<\/strong><\/em> – – – –<\/p>\n\n\n\n More links<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Click here for my newborn sleep survival tips!<\/a> Babies require a lot of gear! I can’t even guess how many of these checklists I’ve read over the last five years\u2014probably an embarrassing amount. For first-time parents, dipping your toes into the overwhelming amount of gear is tricky. I had no idea where to begin and what we’d really need. There are so many things […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,10,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-maternity","category-motherhood","category-organize"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2024-08-14-at-1.41.26-PM.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6269"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6269"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7706,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6269\/revisions\/7706"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mrscaseyann.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong>Crib or co-sleeper<\/strong>\u2014love natural tones (like the Gelato by Babyletto<\/a>) or this IKEA crib<\/a>
\nCrib Mattress<\/strong>
\nBaby monitor<\/strong>\u2014we’ve used multiple Motorola video baby monitors<\/a> and this super basic VTech<\/a>, the video was so nice to have for our first, but these days we are totally happy with a ‘just noise’ one \ud83d\ude42
\nWhite noise machine<\/strong>\u2014this one (by Dohm)<\/a> has been great for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nGlider<\/strong>
\nBassinet or Moses basket<\/strong>\u2014we have a Restoration Hardware basket for the early days
\nChanging table<\/strong>
\nDresser<\/strong>
\nMobile<\/strong>\u2014Etsy has many beautiful ones (like this Natural and Neutral by TikTak Design<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\nTRAVEL\/LEAVING THE HOUSE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nCar Seat<\/strong>\u2014we started out with the Britax B-Safe infant seat<\/a>, which lasted us through our first two, and was simple and totally functional for us (and looks even cozier now). Then we went with the Uppababy Mesa<\/a> for our third and absolutely love it. It feels so cushy, supportive and comes with an infant insert already.
\nStroller<\/strong> (with car seat attachment if possible)\u2014we have the Uppababy Vista<\/a>, which conveniently clicks into our carseat without any attachments. It also is incredibly versatile.. you can add a seat, a ‘piggyback’ board<\/a> for older kids to stand on. It was an investment piece for us, but we’ve gotten incredible use out of it! I write more about it on this post \ud83d\ude42<\/a>
\nBaby Carrier or Sling\u2014<\/strong>we have a WildBird sling<\/a> (Sparrow) which is nice for quickly getting baby on. We also have a multi-positional Ergo baby carrier<\/a>, especially for back carrying.
\nDiaper Bag or Backpack\u2014<\/strong>I’ve been all over the map with backpacks, diaper bags, downgrading to simply a purse, etc. In the newborn stage, it is seriously helpful to have everything on hand. I’ve been eyeing something new this go-around and love this Petunia Pickle Bottom backpack<\/a> which has functionality for the big kids too (cold packs in the bottom!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nPack-n-play\u2014<\/strong>we love our Nuna Sena<\/a>, which has lasted through three kids but is a little tired right now (we’ve used it nearly daily for five years!). It has a newborn insert so you don’t have to crouch down to put babe in. I’ve got the Nuna Cove Aire<\/a> in my cart since we’ve loved it so much. The only difference is this one has a newborn insert that hugs baby, which my newborns have loved<\/em> over lying flat.
\nJogging stroller<\/strong> (or double if need be)\u2014this item we didn’t get right away, but when Kate was born, we were given the Thule Urban Glide 2 (the double stroller)<\/a>. We love<\/em> this thing, and have used it daily for almost three years, and it is still in great condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAT HOME<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nActivity center\u2014<\/strong>there are so many different versions of ways to keep your infant entertained! We’ve had a few, some are way more aesthetically pleasing (depending on your preference) however the Bright Stars’ 2-in-1 Activity Center and Saucer that I’m linking here<\/a>, I found to be a smart buy because it starts with the lay-down activity center and graduates to the saucer version, which is so helpful later.
\nInfant seat or newborn lounger\u2014<\/strong>there are so many styles to choose from! We’ve used a couple different seats from Fisher Price this bouncer seat<\/a> and this infant-to-toddler seat<\/a>, the Bumbo<\/a> seat, the similar Ingenuity seat<\/a> and
\nBlanket\/mat for playing or laying on floor\u2014<\/strong>thick and cushioned activity mat, especially if you have hardwood or tile, are so helpful. This sweet HugeHug Playmat<\/a> one has raised edges to keep them from rolling off, which happens faster than you think!
\n<\/strong>Baby-proofing essentials<\/a><\/strong> (here is a good list<\/a> for that)
\n
\nGreat to have:<\/em>
\nSwing<\/strong>\u2014we borrowed this Graco Glider swing<\/a> with our first but never actually purchased one. And while we don’t have the space for one at the moment, it was so nice to have, especially when your arms are tired from holding\/rocking. The 4Moms mamaRoo<\/a> is also extremely well-reviewed!<\/p>\n\n\n\nDIAPERING<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nDiapers and wipes<\/strong>\u2014we’ve liked so many, we’re using the Cloud Island brand for both diapers<\/a> and wipes<\/a> from Target right now.
\nDiaper rash ointment<\/strong>
\nDiaper changing pad<\/strong> with a couple covers\u2014I always liked the velvety style like this one from Target<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nBottom spray\u2014<\/strong>most of this section is fairly preferential however this bottom spray isn’t something I’ve seen everywhere! Honest Company has a great bottom spray<\/a> that you use when you come across a super messy change sesh that pretty much replaces using soap and water.
\nPeepee teepee<\/a><\/strong> (for the boys!)\u2014it’s some splashy business changing a newborn baby boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNURSING\/EATING<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nNursing pillow, nursing accessories\u2014<\/strong>I’ve loved my Boppy pillows<\/a>. Above I lay out all the different accessories I’ve found super helpful throughout.
\nMuslin blankets\u2014<\/strong>for burp cloths and general constant clean up \ud83d\ude09 I’ve used Milkbarn, Aden & Anais and I’ve got these by Oliver & Rain<\/a> on my list for baby brother.
\nBottles and accessories<\/strong>, breast milk storage bags, etc. (here is a good list<\/a> for that!)
\nHigh chair<\/strong> (for solid food)\u2014we also use our Ingenuity seat for this.
\nInfant spoon<\/strong> (for solid food)<\/p>\n\n\n\nLINEN\/CLOTHING<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nCrib bedding and blankets\u2014<\/strong>We have some great crib sheet sets from Babyletto and I love this set from Cloud Island<\/a>. We also have some beautiful blankets have been made for us (nothing replaces homemade gifts) and Etsy is another great spot to find something hand-crafted. We’ve also had great luck with our quilts and baby blankets from Anthropologie (love this one<\/a>) and Crate and Kids, formerly Land of Nod (love this one too<\/a>).
\nWaterproof mattress protector<\/strong>
\nOnesies\u2014<\/strong>This is the main piece of clothing we dress our newborns in, along with a cozy blanket. I love our Pact organic onesies<\/a>,
\nFooted pajamas<\/strong>, sleep sacks!\u2014Halo Sleepsacks are amazing. These organic footed pajamas by L’ovedbaby<\/a> are so soft. And we also have many Gap and Petit Lem jammies that have stood the test of time.
\nSwaddles\u2014<\/strong>SwaddleMe (if you’re swaddling) are fantastic.
\nMittens\/socks<\/strong>
\nBibs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nBATHING\/MEDS<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nBaby tub or seat\u2014<\/strong>we have this one from Angelcare<\/a> so we can put baby in the bath with the big siblings.
\nShampoo\/soap<\/strong>
\nHooded towel(s)<\/a><\/strong>
\nThermometer<\/a><\/strong>
\nInfant Motrin <\/strong>(we use dye-free)
\nNosa Frida<\/a><\/strong> (personal fave, Frida baby)
\nWindi<\/a><\/strong> (trying this for the first time, also by Frida baby)
\nGrooming set<\/a><\/strong> (again, personal fave, Frida baby)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSaline drops<\/strong>
\nVapor rub<\/a><\/strong>
\nTeething gel<\/strong>
\nGas drops<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nTOYS<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nPlay mat<\/strong>
\nClip-on toys for stroller or car seat
\nCrinkly toys\u2014<\/strong>I love the Lamaze crinkly, clip-on toys<\/a> for times in the car seat. We have a handful that I rotate through (I do a delicate wash and hang dry).
\nTeething toys<\/a>\u2014<\/strong>love the wooden options<\/p>\n\n\n\n<< Get this list in PDF printable version HERE!<\/a> >><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\nTips and gear for life with 3 children<\/a>
\nAnd here for my nursing adventure with my first babe<\/a> \ud83d\ude42
\nSome of my pregnancy favorites<\/a>
\nFavorites for the new mama<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"