ESSENTIAL BABY PRODUCTS We Used + Loved (0-4 months)
After the excitement sets in of welcoming a new life into your world, next comes the anxiety of all the things that you need. I had no idea where to start. I don’t like a lot of “things” and try to focus on quality over quantity, but that didn’t seem all that realistic with a baby. My mindset was, and still is, that I would be educated on what is out there, and if we think we need it through different phases we would purchase it at the time. Thankfully you can get almost anything in a day or two shipping time. I found it overwhelming doing research on different brands, watching HOURS of youtube videos, but what I found most helpful was relying on my other mom friends. So here to help other mommas i’ve put together the items I thought were essential for us during the 0-4 months. Keep in mind that all babies are different. A number of items that I bought that had raving reviews ended up not working for us, and thats okay - it’s just a huge trial and error game until you figure out something that works. And then they outgrow that stage and you have to figure it out again, lol! I hope this helps some new mommas out there. Here are all of the products that we absolutely needed, used and loved from birth and then a few things that were just nice to have. Buckle up because this is a hefty one!
The Essentials
The Nursery…
Crib: A very obvious one! We chose the Nestig crib, we liked how it could transition to 3 different phases. The mini crib version came in so handy for the first few months until he outgrew it. Not many cribs have this option, and that is how he slept beside us for the first 3 months. Read full Nestig Crib review here.
Rocking Chair: From the very beginning I knew the two places I wanted to invest in for quality was the rocking chair and the stroller, since they are so frequently used. And lets be honest, the thought of long nights in an uncomfortable chair just wasn’t an option. But being me, I struggled to find something that also had a stylish side to it. We ended up getting the very popular Babyletto Kiwi Power Recliner in a Boucle fabric. It is very comfortable, but not cloud comfy that sucks you in. It has a power recline, that is nice but not necessary, and a charger port on the side as well. Personally I never use the charger port, because when you charge your phone it lets off more EMF’s which are not good to be around babies (or anyone for that matter), so I avoided that all together. Surprisingly the boucle material wasn’t too hard to clean either.
Changing Table: A changing table of some kind. We have the Ikea Malm dresser; and it works great for what we need. We didn’t want to invest in a large dresser piece since we are just in a rental for now and didn’t know how much space we would have in his nursery.
Changing Pad: For the newborn stage we had moses basket changing pad that was good for his size, but we always put down a Gather Changing Pad so that I wasn’t always getting the pad dirty (and having to wash). Once he outgrew that one we moved to this Vinyl Changing Table Pad paired with these Mushie Chaning Pad Covers. This was a lot more practical. You’ll need a few covers for when one is in the wash.
Side Table: This is something I actually didn’t have but desperately needed. In the very beginning you have everything imaginable with you, food, baby things, chargers, books, water bottle - who knows how long you will be in once place so you really have to stock up your station, ya know? I just had a window sill because I couldn’t fit a little table beside the chair, but if you have the space, definitely something you need - the bigger the better!
Bassinet & Co-Sleeper: I found having multiple places to lay your baby was super helpful, since they always have to be with you. Also something that is somewhat moveable. We got this woven bassinet that we loved, and extra points for a natural aesthetic! You could take the bassinet off the stand and move to wherever which was very handy. If you have a dog in the room, this was better to have then having the baby on the couch or floor so that he was above eye level from our dog. The Bassinet, rocker and liner were all purchased separately. This one we used during the day and around the house, but at night I slept with him in the “mini-crib” version of the Nestig, because I wanted to be able to see his face directly when I was laying down in bed. The only thing that was a bit difficult with either of these crib options was that in the very beginning, at the same time as recovering from a C-Section getting up out of bed and bending over to pick him up was difficult. A side sleeper bassinet would have been much easier; and will probably invest in one next time around.
Monitor: We started started with the Hello Baby Monitor that I ended up loving. I liked how you had a separate screen to watch on instead of using your phone. If you use your phone a lot during the day moving back and forth can be annoying. I also wanted to do a bit more research on monitors before we made the choice, since they are pricier items. We ended up choosing the Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor with the floor stand. We chose the floor stand since we are renting, also because I change my mind like the wind, so in the chance that we wanted to move the nursery configuration it made sense. The wall mount was too much commitment, lol! The app on the phone is great, and has a background sound option so if you are doing other things on your phone you instantly hear when there is a sound on the monitor. I also like the sleep tracking features. There is an annual subscription that you do have to pay with this. One down feature that I don’t like, but there really isn’t a way around it is having your phone on all night beside you. Pre-baby I always slept with my phone on airplane mode, EMF’s when you sleep are no bueno. Now that he is sleeping through the night I’ll start using airplane mode again, since his bedroom is right next to us and he is loud enough to hear in real life. It does come with a Travel Stand but honestly I prefer to take the Hello Baby monitor when we travel. I would hate to misplace the Nanit or have it wrecked when traveling, and the Hello Baby monitor I just leave in his travel bag so it’s always ready to go, which is nice.
Bouncer: Like I said, you need multiple places to put babe, and this one was a life saver. The very popular BabyBjorn Bouncer, and for good reason! It’s super comfy for them, and has a soft bounce to it. There are other similar brands out there that i’ve seen that i’m sure do the same thing. For us this one worked. We also used the Levo Baby Rocker. This one is a bit more structured, and lays back a bit further. I used this one more in the early stages, and the born more as he got a bit older and could move (bounce) a bit more. This one is great paired with a mobile overtop for them to play with.
Diapers & Wipes & Cream: At our baby shower we had a diaper raffle which was great to try different brands of diapers out. We ended up liking the Millie Moon brand the best, for a few reasons. They are available at Target so we could pick them up in a pinch if needed, or you can have them delivered by Target too. They fit well, and they have a pee stripe in the front so you could tell if they are wet without changing the diaper. We also love the Millie Moon Wipes. Like I said, this part is a lot of trial and error to see what brands you like best. For daily diaper changes we use Up & Up Diaper Rash Ointment - It has the exact same ingredients as the popular A&D Ointment but half the price (you’re just paying extra for the brand name!). We found the Honest Company Diaper Rash Cream to work great.
Wipes Dispenser: If you don’t want to fight with the wipe package every time, your going to need one of these wipe dispensers. I like this Ubbi Wipe Dispenser because it had a nice clean aesthetic, and a weighted top (very important).
Diaper Caddy: You’ll want a few of these for different places in the house. We love the Natemia Rope Diaper Caddy. In here we keep diapers, wipes, cream, hand sanatizer, and a Gather changing pad, Honest alcohol wipes.
Diaper Pail: We got the Munchin Step Diaper Pail. I liked the sleek style of this one over other options, it turns out to work very well. It used these refill bags which I prefer over the other version where it is a long bag and you have to cut and tie them. The more convenient option always wins over here! These fresheners go to the top of the pail - definitely a must!
Sound Machine: The Hatch Mini Sound Machine works great for us, and has fits with our clean lines & white aesthetic.
Receiving Blankets & Burp Rags: We received a bunch of different styles of burb clothes, but I found these were these Burts Bees Burb Clothes ones I always grabbed. They weren’t too large, easy to throw over the shoulder and the fabric was a good thickness for throw ups. These Muslin ones were our next best faves. Receiving blankets, we had maybe 10-13 pairs. You’ll need a good amount I find that you go through them quick (1-2 per day) and they are in the wash lots. I liked to keep these in multiple places around the house so you weren’t always running to grab one. I would also suggest getting different brands (different thickness levels) I found different styles came in handy at different times. I loved these Natemia Muslin Swaddle Blankets, they are very lightweight and suuuuuper soft. These POMISO Muslin Swaddle Blankets were also great, not as soft but sometimes that bit more structure is nice to hold swaddles better.
Blankets: I may have a slight obsession with baby blankets. But also very much a necessity, any time of the year! This is another thing that I like to have multiples of in different places (nursery, living room, car, etc), you never know when you’ll need one. These Lulu moon Muslin Quilt Blanket were smaller, a bit lighter weight quilt. This Cotton Muslin Quilt is our favorite baby quilt. It has the perfect weight to it, soft material and a great overall size.
Lounger: There are different versions of these, either the popular Doc-a-Tots or the Snuggle Me Lounger which worked great for us. The Snuggle Me Lounger also has a bunch of different cover options, that are handy because there is a lot of spit up happening at this prime age!
Air Purifier: We have the LEVOIT Air Purifier for the nursery. It is a great size for his room and we have the larger version for the living room. This gives us a piece of mind, expecially when you have pets.
Humidifier: The Canopy Humidifier is a great option for the nursery. It has helped us in the winter with dry skin.
Clothes…
Hamper: Separate from your own laundry basket, you’ll need one for the nursery. We love this triple storer hamper to separate whites, colors and towels/blankets. To move clothes back and forth this flexible laundry basket is the perfect size and lightweight.
Hanging Rack: Most baby clothes are 100% organic cotton, hang drying is recommended so that they don’t shrink. A pain in the butt I tell ya, but you get used to it. I love this foldable drying rack one that we have because it is easy to store.
Washing: You’ll need a fragrance free Baby detergent. We have used a few and like the The Honest Company Baby Laundry & Dreft Pure Gentleness Fragrance Free Liquid Baby Laundry Detergent. Both of these are sold at Target that or can be shipped which is a must (to have the option to pick up quickly or have shipped). You’ll also need A LOT of Spray and Wash, we just get the no name brand. I always have at least 3 bottles on hand.
Sleeping Attire: Oh boy, here we had a lot of trial and error - it has a lot to do with the baby here too. It also depends on the season to navigate what level of warmth you need. In the very beginning I didn’t buy any swaddles, I was planning on just swaddling with a receiving blanket, but it ended up that I didn’t feel comfortable him sleeping in the swaddle incase he broke out of it and pulled the blankets over his face. Then we moved to the HALO Cotton Sleepsack Swaddle, I love this one because it was an easy velcro closure and you could adjust the tightness and kept them secure. Then I found the ErgoPouch sleeping sac that was MUCH better because you just had to zip it up and keeps them so tight and cozy. There are different levels of thicknesses, rated by TOG’s. There are buttons on the arm holes so it can transition from a sleep sac to have their arms out, or one arm out if needed when transitioning. Around the 3 month mark we transitioned him to the very popular Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit. It did work okay, he didn’t sleep as good as when he was swaddled - but I have friends that it worked wonders for them. Maximus didn’t sleep well overall until he hit 6 month mark and we were able to do sleep training. We also tried the Dreamland Baby Weighted Swaddle that again was another raved about product but for us it didn’t work - but it’s good to know of the options out there! These baby knotted sleeping hats came in so handy to keep him warm at nights, this is something I found so helpful that I didn’t really think was a necessity before having a baby.
Clothes: Here are a few brands that we have loved and still use at the 6 month mark. We like these brands because of their quality, because they are higher quality and have stretch to them they do last a bit longer than Old Navy or H&M. There are still some great options at lower $ point but i’ll only buy in person so I can feel the quality of the material first. If the material doesn’t have stretch to it, I found it doesn’t last last as long. So it made sense to pay a bit more for longer lasting pieces. Bamboo jumpers are your best friend! And zipper closures.
A few of our favorite brands:
Feeding…
Milk Storage Bags: If you decide to breastfeed you will need a way to store milk in the freezer. I started off with these Zip Top Reusable bags that I loved. They were easy to use, they came with a tray that they sit up right in the freezer nicely and had a nice close to them. However! If you want to create a stash you’ll need more and the Zip Top ones get a bit pricey and take up more room in the freezer. I use these Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags, they freeze thin and you can create a good stash with them. This plastic storage container stores them nicely int he freezer, after they freeze laying flat.
Breast Pump: On the topic of milk! Because I am primarily breastfeeding I have a few different pumps I use, mostly to keep up my freezer stash. I loved taking this Medela Manual Breast Pump for on the go. It is a bit of manual work but sometimes it’s easier than hooking the other pumps up that require a bit more work. I also got the extra bottles so you have a few extra if some are dirty, they also handy to store in the fridge in these. My main pump I got the Medula Pump In Style pump that I love, and found worked really well for me. For traveling I also got the Willow Go pump, that works fine - but honestly I prefer the hand pump. The Haaka Manual Pump is very handy to have to catch the overflow when feeding.
Bottles: The Nuk Glass Bottles worked great for us. I did buy a few different bottle styles to have on hand incase he didn’t like this version, but he ended up being a great eater so I don''‘t think how we gave it to him, as long as he got his milk, lol!
Paci: Some babies wont take a soother but he has and still does take the soother only at bed time. We used the same Nuk brand as the bottles and he seemed to like them best. Once he got a bit older I tried to give him 2 other brands, but he still prefers the Nuk ones, I think because they have a bit of a smaller head to them. But all babies are different in this department.
Nursing Bras: This might be an unpopular opinion, but I honestly could have done without nursing bras, maybe 1 or 2 pair but I feel like I went overboard here. I regularily wear bralettes and just pull them down, clipping and unclipping was honestly too much work, for me anyways. The notable brands I did love was the Negative Nursing Bra that i’ll continue to use even after nursing because they are so silky and comfy. These Auden Nursing Bras, they are super comfy and easy to adjust for feeding. For pumping I found this strapless one to work be the best. It is the most secure while pumping and easy to put on and adjusted.
Feeding Support Pillow: The Snuggle Me Support Pillow was fantastic and so comfortable. It also has a bunch of great cover options. We still use this pillow at 6 months to help him practice sitting.
High Chair: We have the Lalo High Chair for a baby shower gift and absolutely love it. It is reccomended for 4+ months, once they are holding their head up on their own. The base is smaller and more secure (padded & I feel like it holds them well. The quality is supurb. It holds up to 3 years or 30 lbs.
Bottle Warmer: We use the Philips AVENT Fast Baby Bottle Warmer. If you plan on pumping you’ll need a quick and easy way to warm up bottles. This did what it was supposed to and easy to use!
Traveling…
Stroller & Carseat: Another investment piece here. Being our first kid, and hoping to have more, I wanted to invest in these pieces now so that they would get their worth out of them. The Nuna Demi Grow stroller in the color Caviar (black). so that it would transition well when the next one comes along. The entire Nuna brand is fantastic quality, and visually pleasing. They really do think of everything on these things! The only thing I will say that was annoying is that the color schemes were often not available or they discontinue them often so our system was different colors. But in the grand scheme of things its fine, i’d rather the quality be 100% than the right color. When you start to look at strollers it is very overwhelming between the different brands and then the different styles they offer and then the different parts that are compatible with each stroller. I will say the Nuna website does break it down very nicely, I’ve only had to refer to it about 100 times before our purchase, ha! We got the stroller with the Nuna Pipa Lite RX Infant carset, bassinet and the sibling seat.
Stroller Accessories: If you are going to get one accessory for your stroller it has to be this Stroller Cup Holder. It is SO handy to have your water bottle and phone easily accessible when walking. We did have a stroller caddy but honestly we never use it, it’s too much when you are taking stroller in and out of the car. I never found enough use for it, I threw most other things in the bottom base of the stroller and that did the trick. If you have a summer baby this portable fan to the stroller was an absolute must. We have this one too that clips on that is sometimes easier to secure to things, depending where you want to use it.
Diaper Bag: We got the Presidio Convertible Diaper Bag from Pottery Barn, and we love it SO much, sadly it’s sold out. This was the closest style I could find. I love the top zip compartment, it makes it easy to see and find everything. Also the fact that it is convertible from a shoulder strap or a backpack, and the side pockets are super helpful. I like the leather material too, so that it is washable. I often wipe down the bag with Honest Alcohol Wipes after being in public. It was big enough to fit all the essentials and then some.
Changing Pad: I found the Mushie Chaning pad cover to be the most convenient. The ones that are cushioned much, this was easy to fold and didn’t take up much space in the diaper bag, and easy to wipe dow with alcohol wipes. They also have a great range of colors and designs to pick from. This Ava + Oliver brand is very similar too.
Carriers: You’ll want a few of these on hand. I had four different styles that we all used and loved - I completely understand that sounds excessive, but I liked to keep one on hand int he car, one in diaper bag, etc. If you’re running around you’ll want these easily accessible. For the very early newborn stages I loved the Solly wrap. It was lightweight and easy enough to put on with a newborn/younger months. Next we had the more utilitarian option, I bought for Daddy BabyBJorn Carrier. This was super easy to clip on (vs strapping and tying). It feels super secure and versatile between mom and dad. Another fav was the Lalabu Kerier Wrap Carrier. It is lightweight and easy enough to put on once you get the hang of it, and very comfortable. Last but not least! Is the Artipope carrier. This is a bit heavier weight, I found I reached for this one more once he was a few months old. This is the one that was the most comfortable when we travel or walking longer distances. It is the largest investment piece, but we found that it paid itself off. Especially if your babe doesn’t like to be set down and you need to carry him around all day, having these options on hand is truly priceless! Any of the wraps I would highly suggest using a few times to get the hang of putting them on before baby so that you aren’t trying to figure it out with a fussy baby. It can be quite overwhelming in the moment.
Travel Light: This Mini Silicone Nightlight is perfect on the go. If you are laying down for a nap but need a soft light this one was great. It is also super easy to use and has different dim levels. To turn if off you just turn it upside down. It was a random purchase but it has been such a handy little gadget.
Room Temperature Monitor: When we transitioned Maximus into his room I was always paranoid that the temperature was too color (AC in the summer months) and I didn’t fully trust the camera temperature readings so I got this Room Temperature Thermometer that was SO handy. It connects to an app on your phone so you can always check in. It was also super handy to have when traveling if you put them for a nap in another room and you aren’t sure how the temperature varies, this gave me some piece of mind.
Noice Devises: This portable white noise machine & baby shusher are absolute musts when on the go.
Carseat Mirror: This is a safety must! We use this mirror.
Diaper Trash Bags: This is another thing that no one tells you about! To go garbage bags for diapers. These Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Bags are great, they hide odor very well and are very large. But honestly just regular doggie poo bags do the trick too and much cheaper.
Sanitizing Wipes: Who knows where your travels take you. I always have these Honest Alcohol wipes packed, to wipe down changing stations before use, or they are handy to wipe down the changing matt after use or the outside of the diaper bag too.
Toy Bag: I wouldn’t say this is an essential item exactly, but it was nice to have to carry his toys together instead loose in differeent bags. This drawstring bag bag worked great, you could open and close the top so you could just set it on the ground and open the top and all their toys would be ready to play with.
Milk Cooler: Something small to keep you milk cool on the go, this milk cooler bag came with an icepack that moulds to bottles that kept them nice and cool. It’s also a good size after i’ll probably use it to pack snacks.
Bath Time…
Bath Tub or Support: At first we had purchased the BEABA x Shnuggle Baby Bath that I had seen everywhere but it ended up not being practical for a newborn at all. The first few baths we did in the kitchen sink, then we found the Angelcare Baby Bath Support that was so perfect for the early month baths. We were sad when he grow out of it. You can put a swaddle down over it or a cloth so they don’t slide. This one you do have to sit in a bathtub, so it wont work if you don'‘t have a tub.
Baby Towels: You will get cutesy towels i’m sure as gifts, but these Mushie Organic Cotton ones I liked the most. Simple and good quality.
Shampoo/Body wash: We love using EllaOla Shampoo & Body Wash because of the clean ingredient list.
Lotion: From the same brand we love the EllaOla Hydrating Lotion
Washing Tools: The Baby Muslin Washcloths are so soft and great for washing the body. We use the silicone scrubber, this is such a handy tool that no one told me about before! His grandma happened to get it for us randomly one day and i’m so glad she did because it scrubs his hair so much better.
Hair Brush: We love and still use the Natemia brush is so soft and smooths the hair perfectly.
Bath Soak Packs: This one is not an essential, but something else that came in useful. We got these organic soak packs as a baby shower gift, my first thought - boogie baby! They actually were great to throw in the bath when he had skin irritation to soak his bum. A great gift for a new mom or to put on a shower registry.
Bath Ball Filter: This Bathtub Water Purifier hangs on the spout of the bath tub faucet to purify water as it flows through to the bath. Since we rent this was the quickest fix for a filtered bath water option.
Toys & Activities …
Play Matts: Having a soft spot to lay babe to play is important! We got ours from HomeGoods (always keep your eyes open there!) or throwing down a quilt or blanket does the trick too, as long as you are always watching them to make sure you are always watching them.
Activity Gyms: There isn’t much a newborn can do, so these activity centers are a great way for them to start exploring the world and different objects around them. It keeps them occupied and helps them learn. We love the Ingenuity Cozy Spot Activity Gym. The Lovevery Play Gym was a great activity set too, the only thing that I didn’t like about it was that it didn’t fold up and was akward to move around and store when you aren’t using it. For this reason, I loved the fold up Wooden Play Gym because it folds up nicely and you could put it overtop of the bouncer or Levo Baby Rocker.
Toys: At this age they don’t exactly “play” that much, but they start to explore the world around them. We loved mirror objects, high contrast flip cards or toys and crunchy books. There are lots of sensory toy ideas out there. Towards the 4 month mark more teething toys are needed, because everything goes in the mouth!
