I've been meaning to write this up for a while now. When I was creating my baby registry 6+ months ago I did a LOT of research, but I really had no idea what I truly needed and which items on the list I wouldn't be able to live without.
After bringing Beau home, there were nights I laid in bed exhausted and sleep deprived, blindly ordering every swaddle suit I could find, only to discover I had one in his drawer that worked far better than the ones that began arriving daily at our door.
So take it for what it's worth, as I am no expert, but here are my must-have items for babies newborn to 3 months. (in no particular order)
Travel System We went with the Nuna Tavo/Pipa Travel system. The car seat has an infant insert and adjusts as baby grows. It clips easily into the base unit and right into the stroller base. What really sold me is how easily the stroller collapses. I can do it quickly and with one hand- which is good because I rarely have 2. I had to add a small organizer for my coffee cup and as it didn't come with one and I seem to always have coffee in my hand these days. The Pipa car seat has a nice little visor that rolls down and extends with magnet clips that work surprisingly well. Those first few outings were very nerve-racking and having a travel system that I felt comfortable with really helped ease my anxiety. Baby Beau falls asleep in his car seat often and I can't imagine having to pull him out of the car seat to place him in the stroller. The ease of transferring from car to stroller is absolutely necessary. And although it matters little, we get compliments on the look of the stroller ALL the time.
Jersey Swaddles You really cannot have enough swaddles when you bring home a new baby. After our shower we ended up with all types; different brands and materials. As your baby burrito wrapping skills improve, you become a bit pickier about your swaddle selection. I realized that after doing laundry I always used the jersey swaddles first. And over time, even though we haven't swaddled the baby in months, I still use the jersey swaddles all the time; for tummy time, covering the car seat, as a blanket, and more!
Swaddle Up Speaking of swaddles, THIS PRODUCT SAVED US! Beau learned how to Houdini himself out of a tight swaddle very early on. He loved to have his arms up, but inevitably he would wake himself up with one of those cute infant startles. The swaddle up suit allowed him to keep his arms up and remain cozy and swaddles. They also unzip from the bottom for easy diaper changes and oddly enough Beau loves to kick his legs up and out of the bottom of the swaddle. This is a MUST HAVE for sure.
Honest Company Diaper Subscription I wish I had known about this before my baby shower! We love the Honest Diapers! They work great and when you buy them directly from Honest Co. there are SO many cute styles. The subscription is amazing because I don't have to constantly run out to buy diapers- or even get online to order them. We have adjusted our subscription a couple times and now it's absolutely perfect. You can choose how many packages come, what size (you can pick 2 sizes if you're in between), how frequent your box comes and you can add wipes, lotion, and more.
Dock a Tot I really don't know what we would have done without this handy little guy. The Dock a Tot let us bring baby everywhere. He could take naps in the living room, sleep with us in bed, come camping, to hotel rooms and more without needing a bulky portable crib. They are so handy. The covers come off and are washable, and they just came out with a new line of GORGEOUS replacement covers. This is definitely a MUST have.
Sleep Sheep We love the sleep sheep because it's a white noise machine that doubles as a cute plush sheep. There are multiple sound settings and a velcro strap to attach it to the crib.
Audible I am a reader. I love books and it took me a long time to even consider using a kindle. After having Beau, I haven't had time to even pick up a book. Audible has been a life saver. I get to feel like I'm making progress on my reading list while I'm doing dishes, feeding the baby, going on our long morning walks, or driving around town.
Monitor We were so prepared for baby with an expensive fancy baby monitor. Once we began using it however we realized that we may have been out of our league. The monitor had every feature you can imagine but being that it ran on wifi, it was only as good as the wifi connection it was connected to. I remember one day I was putting the baby down for a nap and when I walked out to the kitchen I looked at the monitor app on my phone. To my surprise I saw myself on the screen getting up and leaving the room. The delay was laughable. So the next time I was at Target, I picked up a simple video monitor and it has been perfect! Sometimes simple is just better.
Wubbanub I just love these little guys! Beau loves his wubbanub. While other pacifiers will fall out of baby's mouth and hit the ground (constantly), the wubbanub stays put. It also has helped him learn how to grab and put the pacifier into his mouth himself. Not to mention that they are just beyond cute.
Solly Baby Wrap Baby wearing is such a special experience. The Solly Baby Wrap saved me in those early weeks when baby sleeps all day but needs to be close. It essentially swaddles baby TO you. The material is stretchy and stylish. I was able to wear Beau and do some light workouts, housecleaning, cooking, and the never-ending joy that is laundry.
Starry Night Projector I love this simple little thing for a few reasons. It acts as a mellow night light for those late night diaper changes. It is soothing for both baby and parent(s), and as Beau's vision improved, it actually helped him self-sooth for nap-time and bedtime. Lastly this starry night projector small and inexpensive and I can see it being useful for years to come!
Thanks for taking the time to check out my recommendations. I'd love to hear what you think! Is there anything you'd add? Stay tuned for my 4-6 month recommendations coming soon!