Since I was mainly focused on things I loved / I'm glad I bought above, I wanted to chime in down here with more thoughts on things I would personally *skip* buying or registering for until you've met your specific baby and familiarized yourself with your parenting routine. These opinions are highly subjective of course, but I think still helpful to know in the interest of trying to err on the side of less vs. more "stuff" pre baby's arrival...
-Pacifiers and pacifier clips (some babies never take a pacifier--mine never did!)
-Teethers (again, my son never wanted to use teethers)
-Hooded baby towels (these are very cute but regular towels work just fine)
-Any swing/walker/exersaucer type things (bulky and you might never use--ideally borrow from a friend later if you want to try one out)
-Designated play mat (a blanket works just fine UNLESS your baby is super prone to spitting up, in which case you might want to invest in something easily wipeable/waterproof, but you won't know that until they're here!)
-Nursing pillow (okay I did get one of these and I liked using it when I was first learning how to breastfeed and the baby had zero neck control, but within a matter of like 2 weeks I was perfectly fine just using a regular pillow or doing side-lying nursing in bed, so in that sense I don't think it's a definitive must-have)
-An official "diaper" bag (I never got one and never needed one, any tote with lots of pockets works fine)
I told my friends that the only thing I would allow them to buy me for my baby shower was the giant (not the quite big, the absolutely giant) bunny by JellyCat. It was so entirely non-essential and totally took the pressure off everyone and my kids still sit in her massive arms every evening
My passionate recommendation is a rocking chair or glider with a gliding ottoman! An essential. With my first, I was so down in prenatal depression and exhaustion that I missed the boat pretty hard in terms of prep. But I completely agree- once it’s happening, you figure it out and catch up. That stroller bag is totally adorable.
YES a rocking chair is a great suggestion. i had a very specific vision in mind for mine that involved scrolling through way too much vintage furniture inventory lol so ended up buying it myself, but it's something i use every day multiple times a day, even now. i've never used an ottoman with it but maybe that's something I need to consider adding with baby #2...
Secondhand is a great way to go for rocker/gliders! I found a fantastic Restoration Hardware one on marketplace for 1/4 of retail that was in near perfect condition. As a supplement to that especially in the early days, I found my baby often preferred bouncing to rocking — in came your market standard exercise ball. It was one of my most essential items (and still is on my daughter’s fussier days like when she’s sick) and I’m so glad a friend of mine had called it out as a necessity while I was pregnant
First thank you SO MUCH for making this post, as a soon to be mom this is AMAZING! I actually came here to ask about gliders!! Are they really worth the real estate in a city apt and where can I find ones that aren't hideous!?!?
I'd say yes! You're going to want a comfortable spot to comfort/soothe, breastfeed if you are, and (eventually) read books. Also know that it'll definitely get spit-up and milk/formula on it, so pick your color and fabric accordingly.
I wish this had existed when I was pregnant! (My son is 15 months so I've been happily trailing behind you and picking up tips haha)
My biggest question is why no one resells their artipoppe carriers!! It's not even that people resell them at the OG price point...I never see them being resold on FB marketplace and they're all over SF so clearly people own them....anyway. My own personal mystery.
i have no idea it's fascinating!! i investigated thoroughly as part of writing and researching for this post, and was so surprised by how few there are for sale secondhand
Honestly, it’s the most sentimental thing for me throughout both of my pregnancies. I’m undecided about a third so that’s part of the reason I’ve kept it but I really can’t imagine giving it away! There’s something about the comfort + aesthetic + my girls loving it so much I really bonded with that thing lol
My youngest is almost three. I still regularly use it. - their lifespan is pretty unbelievable. If you ever see a mom holding a balance bike with a toddler on my back, 4 year old zooming on her bike and a very cute golden doodle somewhere in the mission, it’s me!
Very much worth the investment. This carrier has been my most used item in the last 4.5 years.
If you’re someone who’s considering baby wearing, I just want to let you know there’s a whole world around it! The carriers you see the most on socials are the artipoppe, wildbird and the cheaper ones like the ergo, but there are sooooo many others. The Happy Baby Carrier has a cult following, there are woven wraps, etc. it’s a fun thing to get into because baby wearing has been around since like the dawn of time! Makes you feel very connected to mothers of the past. But safe and proper babywearing is also super important so I highly suggest joining a fb group or following @letstalkbabywearing on ig.
I love my pink corduroy Tula Free to Grow carrier! It’s adjustable for different size stages, and it has an H strap back (as opposed to the X cross) which I find a lot easier to use.
Here to enthusiastically second the Tula carriers! I’ve converted most of my Artipoppe buying friends to Tula because they’re so much more comfortable/easy to use once babies get bigger.
couple other options for a little less $ (but also a lot more ugly lol... tradeoffs!):
-Ergobaby Omnibreeze carrier: cheaper than Artipoppe, very easy to find on FB marketplace etc (we got ours for a big discount on Black Friday), and I have zero complaints! We got an Embrace too for the newborn stage but if I were doing it again I'd just use the Omni from the jump.
-Random Fischer Price bouncer: if you don't care about aesthetics, I think basically any bouncer is just as good as the Baby Bjorn. If you do care about aesthetics, ours is hideous lol. But totally functional! And also had a nice vibration feature that baby seemed to like.
-Fischer Price Kick-n-Play Piano: again... if you don't care about aesthetics or plastic/light up toys... tbh even if you do, this is 100% worth it. Piano is still going strong at 8 mos over here.
-Babyletto Gelato Mini Crib: In retrospect I might've just gone with this from day one and skipped the bassinet entirely. Fit in our bedroom, then moved it to the nursery. Needed a minicrib because both rooms are small and baby doesn't seem to mind the size.
-Boppy: used this like 24/7 during mat leave for BFing, contact naps, propping baby up, etc etc. basically useless now though, but they are ABUNDANT on FB marketplace for pretty cheap.
wish I'd registered for the Guava Roam to use as an everything stroller! wish I hadn't bought a bunch of pumping stuff bc I ended up not pumping ever and just combo feeding instead! the hatch does kind of suck and also on ours the white noise glitches?? so annoying. we sterilized everything once in boiling water and then never again but perhaps that is ill advised... BIG +1 to the keekaroo changing pad and woolino.
Thank you for your emphasis on buying used and secondhand in this post! I bought a used uppababy Cruz stroller and nestig wave crib that I love, in addition to such cute vintage clothes on the Gumshoe baby clothing post that was, lucky for me, published during a particularly shoppy month of my pregnancy. I still frequent some of those Etsy stores to buy stuff for my son and love all the baby clothing recs in general. ❤️
I bought the Lalo play gym because it was a little smaller and can be turned into a little tent once the baby can sit up on their own 🥹 highly recommend it! It’s a slightly cheaper option than the lovevery.
If you are breastfeeding: Boon Trove. It’s a passive collector cup that fits in your bra and can be used with a little suction. It saved many nights because instead of leaking onto baby requiring a clothing change, that milk went into the fridge to stash for later.
Thank you so much for posting this, Harling! Currently 24 weeks and still trying to fine tune my registry. You should see the amount of tabs I have open right now lol. I really liked that bottle rec as well, I didn't know a bottle like that (glass inside/plastic outside) existed either. Thank you so much!
1.) Skip the intricate, aesthetic clothes. They’ll ruin them and outgrow them in five minutes. No buttons, no intricate details. Just zippers.
2.) The Baby Breeza is amazing for formula feeding but be very careful with the pre measured powder as the ratio varies from brand to brand. Our Pediatrician told us to skip it and just use the breeza to warm the water and dump the formula into the bottle directly.
-on this note, bottle warmers were a waste of time and money. I ended up filling a big plastic cup with super hot water from the tub and putting the bottle of cold milk inside it. It warmed up in two minutes as opposed to six which, at 3am with a screaming baby, is EVERYTHING.
-Buy an electric snot sucker. So worth it.
-skip the expensive Coterie wipes and buy water wipes. They work great and can be used to wipe snotty little noses and sticky hands.
The halo sleep sack is a game changer
Skip the wipe warmer. What a waste. It was so stupid.
Use your phone to download a decibel app and place it in your baby’s crib. Then turn on the white noise machine and make sure the decibels are an acceptable level (easy Google search). I won an “acceptable noise level for the baby” argument with my husband this way
I’m so happy you called out the book I Am A Bunny—the most beautiful illustrations, such a sweet, pure story, and it’s a board book which is key for stumbling baby hands. I read it to my daughter every day, multiple times a day
The most popular book with both my daughters has been "Knock, Knock, Knock!" by Anna-Clara Tidholm. It's classic baby/toddler literature here in Sweden where I live. Also the babyrocker by Sleepytroll was a lifesaver with my firstborn. Last: we did extensive research on strollers and ended up with Uppababy (Vista 2) and it has been great!
i love hearing about what children's books are popular in other countries. was just talking about this the other day with a mom from the UK and there were so many I'd never heard of!
Any recommendations for an Australian equivalent of the Woolino? I had some ‘merino kids’ wraps that I used for my twins when they were little, would be nice to get them wool sleep sacks.
My top three for twin mum life are
1) twin z pillow for tandem bottle feeding
2) baby brezza for quick bottle preps
3) uppababy ‘car pram’ that is light and small and bugaboo ‘home pram’ that is massive and comfortable for neighbourhood walks.
I bought all my sleep sacks on eBay used so you may have luck trying that! There are some woolinos and they seem to hold resale value. Quince also makes a knock off version.
I *almost* said no when my SIL offered to lend us her mamaroo swing for our second… 6mo later I’m quietly devastated that we need to give it back before her second is born next month!
Since I was mainly focused on things I loved / I'm glad I bought above, I wanted to chime in down here with more thoughts on things I would personally *skip* buying or registering for until you've met your specific baby and familiarized yourself with your parenting routine. These opinions are highly subjective of course, but I think still helpful to know in the interest of trying to err on the side of less vs. more "stuff" pre baby's arrival...
-Pacifiers and pacifier clips (some babies never take a pacifier--mine never did!)
-Teethers (again, my son never wanted to use teethers)
-Hooded baby towels (these are very cute but regular towels work just fine)
-Any swing/walker/exersaucer type things (bulky and you might never use--ideally borrow from a friend later if you want to try one out)
-Designated play mat (a blanket works just fine UNLESS your baby is super prone to spitting up, in which case you might want to invest in something easily wipeable/waterproof, but you won't know that until they're here!)
-Nursing pillow (okay I did get one of these and I liked using it when I was first learning how to breastfeed and the baby had zero neck control, but within a matter of like 2 weeks I was perfectly fine just using a regular pillow or doing side-lying nursing in bed, so in that sense I don't think it's a definitive must-have)
-An official "diaper" bag (I never got one and never needed one, any tote with lots of pockets works fine)
I told my friends that the only thing I would allow them to buy me for my baby shower was the giant (not the quite big, the absolutely giant) bunny by JellyCat. It was so entirely non-essential and totally took the pressure off everyone and my kids still sit in her massive arms every evening
obviously had to google image search this immediately
My passionate recommendation is a rocking chair or glider with a gliding ottoman! An essential. With my first, I was so down in prenatal depression and exhaustion that I missed the boat pretty hard in terms of prep. But I completely agree- once it’s happening, you figure it out and catch up. That stroller bag is totally adorable.
YES a rocking chair is a great suggestion. i had a very specific vision in mind for mine that involved scrolling through way too much vintage furniture inventory lol so ended up buying it myself, but it's something i use every day multiple times a day, even now. i've never used an ottoman with it but maybe that's something I need to consider adding with baby #2...
My glider does not have an ottoman and I’ve wished that it did SO many times! Definitely co-sign.
edit: if the glider/rocking chair reclines you can pass out in it more comfortably!
Secondhand is a great way to go for rocker/gliders! I found a fantastic Restoration Hardware one on marketplace for 1/4 of retail that was in near perfect condition. As a supplement to that especially in the early days, I found my baby often preferred bouncing to rocking — in came your market standard exercise ball. It was one of my most essential items (and still is on my daughter’s fussier days like when she’s sick) and I’m so glad a friend of mine had called it out as a necessity while I was pregnant
First thank you SO MUCH for making this post, as a soon to be mom this is AMAZING! I actually came here to ask about gliders!! Are they really worth the real estate in a city apt and where can I find ones that aren't hideous!?!?
I'd say yes! You're going to want a comfortable spot to comfort/soothe, breastfeed if you are, and (eventually) read books. Also know that it'll definitely get spit-up and milk/formula on it, so pick your color and fabric accordingly.
I wish this had existed when I was pregnant! (My son is 15 months so I've been happily trailing behind you and picking up tips haha)
My biggest question is why no one resells their artipoppe carriers!! It's not even that people resell them at the OG price point...I never see them being resold on FB marketplace and they're all over SF so clearly people own them....anyway. My own personal mystery.
i have no idea it's fascinating!! i investigated thoroughly as part of writing and researching for this post, and was so surprised by how few there are for sale secondhand
Honestly, it’s the most sentimental thing for me throughout both of my pregnancies. I’m undecided about a third so that’s part of the reason I’ve kept it but I really can’t imagine giving it away! There’s something about the comfort + aesthetic + my girls loving it so much I really bonded with that thing lol
My youngest is almost three. I still regularly use it. - their lifespan is pretty unbelievable. If you ever see a mom holding a balance bike with a toddler on my back, 4 year old zooming on her bike and a very cute golden doodle somewhere in the mission, it’s me!
Very much worth the investment. This carrier has been my most used item in the last 4.5 years.
If you’re someone who’s considering baby wearing, I just want to let you know there’s a whole world around it! The carriers you see the most on socials are the artipoppe, wildbird and the cheaper ones like the ergo, but there are sooooo many others. The Happy Baby Carrier has a cult following, there are woven wraps, etc. it’s a fun thing to get into because baby wearing has been around since like the dawn of time! Makes you feel very connected to mothers of the past. But safe and proper babywearing is also super important so I highly suggest joining a fb group or following @letstalkbabywearing on ig.
I love my pink corduroy Tula Free to Grow carrier! It’s adjustable for different size stages, and it has an H strap back (as opposed to the X cross) which I find a lot easier to use.
Here to enthusiastically second the Tula carriers! I’ve converted most of my Artipoppe buying friends to Tula because they’re so much more comfortable/easy to use once babies get bigger.
couple other options for a little less $ (but also a lot more ugly lol... tradeoffs!):
-Ergobaby Omnibreeze carrier: cheaper than Artipoppe, very easy to find on FB marketplace etc (we got ours for a big discount on Black Friday), and I have zero complaints! We got an Embrace too for the newborn stage but if I were doing it again I'd just use the Omni from the jump.
-Random Fischer Price bouncer: if you don't care about aesthetics, I think basically any bouncer is just as good as the Baby Bjorn. If you do care about aesthetics, ours is hideous lol. But totally functional! And also had a nice vibration feature that baby seemed to like.
-Fischer Price Kick-n-Play Piano: again... if you don't care about aesthetics or plastic/light up toys... tbh even if you do, this is 100% worth it. Piano is still going strong at 8 mos over here.
-Babyletto Gelato Mini Crib: In retrospect I might've just gone with this from day one and skipped the bassinet entirely. Fit in our bedroom, then moved it to the nursery. Needed a minicrib because both rooms are small and baby doesn't seem to mind the size.
-Boppy: used this like 24/7 during mat leave for BFing, contact naps, propping baby up, etc etc. basically useless now though, but they are ABUNDANT on FB marketplace for pretty cheap.
wish I'd registered for the Guava Roam to use as an everything stroller! wish I hadn't bought a bunch of pumping stuff bc I ended up not pumping ever and just combo feeding instead! the hatch does kind of suck and also on ours the white noise glitches?? so annoying. we sterilized everything once in boiling water and then never again but perhaps that is ill advised... BIG +1 to the keekaroo changing pad and woolino.
great recs!!!!!!!!
the Kick-n-Play! My 11mos old STILL loves to bounce along to the songs (which, they're kinda great...? maybe it's just Stockholm Syndrome..)
Boon also has a bouncer that is way less than the bjorn but aesthetically pleasing. I love their stuff
I’d add lovely nursing bras to the list. These were my fave: https://itsbodily.com/products/the-everything-bra-3-pack
Thank you for your emphasis on buying used and secondhand in this post! I bought a used uppababy Cruz stroller and nestig wave crib that I love, in addition to such cute vintage clothes on the Gumshoe baby clothing post that was, lucky for me, published during a particularly shoppy month of my pregnancy. I still frequent some of those Etsy stores to buy stuff for my son and love all the baby clothing recs in general. ❤️
I bought the Lalo play gym because it was a little smaller and can be turned into a little tent once the baby can sit up on their own 🥹 highly recommend it! It’s a slightly cheaper option than the lovevery.
so glad to hear that Etsy shopping post came at the right time :)
Great rec re: lalo play gym!!!
If you are breastfeeding: Boon Trove. It’s a passive collector cup that fits in your bra and can be used with a little suction. It saved many nights because instead of leaking onto baby requiring a clothing change, that milk went into the fridge to stash for later.
Thank you so much for posting this, Harling! Currently 24 weeks and still trying to fine tune my registry. You should see the amount of tabs I have open right now lol. I really liked that bottle rec as well, I didn't know a bottle like that (glass inside/plastic outside) existed either. Thank you so much!
SO MANY TABS
I have a 1.5 and 2.5 yr old
If I had to do it all over again:
1.) Skip the intricate, aesthetic clothes. They’ll ruin them and outgrow them in five minutes. No buttons, no intricate details. Just zippers.
2.) The Baby Breeza is amazing for formula feeding but be very careful with the pre measured powder as the ratio varies from brand to brand. Our Pediatrician told us to skip it and just use the breeza to warm the water and dump the formula into the bottle directly.
-on this note, bottle warmers were a waste of time and money. I ended up filling a big plastic cup with super hot water from the tub and putting the bottle of cold milk inside it. It warmed up in two minutes as opposed to six which, at 3am with a screaming baby, is EVERYTHING.
-Buy an electric snot sucker. So worth it.
-skip the expensive Coterie wipes and buy water wipes. They work great and can be used to wipe snotty little noses and sticky hands.
The halo sleep sack is a game changer
Skip the wipe warmer. What a waste. It was so stupid.
Use your phone to download a decibel app and place it in your baby’s crib. Then turn on the white noise machine and make sure the decibels are an acceptable level (easy Google search). I won an “acceptable noise level for the baby” argument with my husband this way
seconding the bottle warmer note!! a mug of hot water works just fine
I’m so happy you called out the book I Am A Bunny—the most beautiful illustrations, such a sweet, pure story, and it’s a board book which is key for stumbling baby hands. I read it to my daughter every day, multiple times a day
i love it sooooo much
also I am not British but I read the book in a British accent and it makes it 1000% better
The most popular book with both my daughters has been "Knock, Knock, Knock!" by Anna-Clara Tidholm. It's classic baby/toddler literature here in Sweden where I live. Also the babyrocker by Sleepytroll was a lifesaver with my firstborn. Last: we did extensive research on strollers and ended up with Uppababy (Vista 2) and it has been great!
i love hearing about what children's books are popular in other countries. was just talking about this the other day with a mom from the UK and there were so many I'd never heard of!
Any recommendations for an Australian equivalent of the Woolino? I had some ‘merino kids’ wraps that I used for my twins when they were little, would be nice to get them wool sleep sacks.
My top three for twin mum life are
1) twin z pillow for tandem bottle feeding
2) baby brezza for quick bottle preps
3) uppababy ‘car pram’ that is light and small and bugaboo ‘home pram’ that is massive and comfortable for neighbourhood walks.
I bought all my sleep sacks on eBay used so you may have luck trying that! There are some woolinos and they seem to hold resale value. Quince also makes a knock off version.
found this brand through Google (AUS-based merino wool sleep sacks) and not sure if it's any good but worth checking out!!
https://billieandbobbie.com/collections/toddler-1
I *almost* said no when my SIL offered to lend us her mamaroo swing for our second… 6mo later I’m quietly devastated that we need to give it back before her second is born next month!
What a great list. THANK YOU!! I'm an avid GoodBuy Gear shopper and love the new Babylist feature to ask for secondhand!