Feathering the Nest: Baby Essentials
I spent the past week cleaning out the boys’ closets. They wanted to try sharing a room again, so over winter break, their new bunk bed was delivered and the consolidation work began (more on that later). The baby days are far behind us, but I found so many beloved items in the back of the closet.
Will and I were the first of our friends to have babies. When friends have kids of their own, I’ve occasionally put together lists of our favorite items for those who have asked. As a first-time mom, I spent so much time researching every little thing. Despite all that, I was very unprepared when G arrived. I had cute pee-pee teepees but a distinct lack of changing pad covers. Who knew you’d go through 3–4 of those a day?!?! I had a beautiful crib and a child who refused to sleep in it. The Amazon delivery guy got to know our house well in those first few weeks. So while this post is not DIY related, it is about intentionally bringing things into your “nest” that are useful and high quality. I have researched these things, I have used these things, and I love these things!
Pregnancy
First things first - I had rough pregnancies with both boys. Nausea, exhaustion, and gestational diabetes plagued both pregnancies.
Snoogle Pillow
For me, the Snoogle pillow was a must. I don’t know who loved it more - the dog or me.
Backrest Pillow
Will got me a pillow for Christmas while I was pregnant for extra back support on the couch. The pillow was also great while recovering with a baby. Having side pockets also helps keep essentials nearby and within reach.
Baby Basics
Car Seats
They literally will not let you leave the hospital without your baby strapped into a car seat. Clek can take all my money. I’ve bought almost every kind of infant car seat, convertible car seat, and now booster seats, and I keep returning to Clek. Their seats are comfortable, easy to clean, and sturdy. Their infant seat is the liing, the convertible seat is the foonf, and the booster seat is the oobr. As a Prius driver, the three-across installation ability was much appreciated. I never needed three at a time, but the narrow seat width was helpful when strapping and buckling in kids. While pulling together the links, I saw that they now have an open box outlet section, which is amazing if you have no color preferences.
Wipes
I have used all the baby wipes from the expensive subscription brands to the Amazon house brand, and the Amazon Sensitive ones are the best. Plus, you can use Subscribe and Save and save yourself some money.
Changing Pad Covers
This one was a real surprise for me. When G was born, I had one changing pad cover. Singular. It was covered in pee within the first diaper change at home. After that, I had 5–6 and they went through a lot of washing. I preferred the muslin ones from aden + anais. They held up to two boys, and only a few had holes in them when we could finally retire them after potty training.
Diaper Bag
Get a good one. I cannot emphasize this enough. You will lug this bag around for three years, and have to stuff the entire house in it. Thinking it didn't matter was my critical mistake with G. With C, I splurged and bought a Lily Jade. It is a really nice bag I can use now as a beautiful tote. The ability to wear the Lily Jade as a backpack is vital once kids get a little bigger. Shoulder bags tend to fall off and hit the child in the head as you bend down to help them with something. No one likes that. The Lily Jade bags have a ton of space, and the organizer with pockets is magical.
In addition to the diaper bag, take Ziploc bags and put two diapers and a travel pack of wipes in each. Stash them everywhere – cars, strollers, purses, backpacks. Your child will always have a massive blowout when you make the rookie mistake of thinking, “We won’t be gone that long…”
Diaper Disposal
I would have preferred the Ubbi or Dekor, but I ended up with two Diaper Genies. While the refill bags are easy to find because they are so popular, these diaper pails do not contain the smell, nor do the Dekor. So you can either spring for the more expensive steel construction of the Ubbi or make multiple trips per day to the trash bin with a giant tube of diapers.
SwaddleMe
The Easy Change Swaddles went on my "Must Have" list, but then I had a kid that didn't like to be swaddled because he wanted to sleep with his arms up. I found the Swaddle UP which allows babies to sleep with their arms up but still keeps them from startling.
Pacifiers
Neither of my kids wanted pacifiers for long, but for the first 3 months they were willing to take the Soothie pacifiers. G just never used sucking to soothe, and C preferred his own thumb.
Boppy
No matter how you feed, the Boppy is helpful to have for support. This was one of the required items to have with me at the hospital. You will want to have 2-3 extra covers. There are always lots of spills and spit-ups.
Clothing
Outfits with side snaps (kimono) style. If there's poop, these are much easier to get off without creating a giant mess by trying to pull the onesie over the baby's head. I don't care what anyone says about the "envelope corners" of regular onesies stretching to fit over the baby's head if there's a mess...they don't. Or they do if you have six arms and can use two hands to hold open each shoulder corner, plus two hands to hold baby’s head still, and another two for holding their bottom off of any surface you actually like. No? Side-snap style it is! I adore Tea Collection, and their wrap rompers are fantastic.
Stroller
The excellent baby store rep recommended the BOB to us. We bought kits to use our infant seat with it, so while pricey, we easily used the same stroller for 3+ years. Our BOB made it through both kids and I recently gifted it to a friend.
The Nursery
DO NOT get nice furniture. With G, I wanted a Pinterest-worthy nursery that would be beautiful and soothing. We bought a furniture set including a bed that would grow with him from crib, to toddler bed, to a full big kid bed. I thought, “I’m being so responsible! It will be so amazing to watch this set grow with him!” It gets wrecked. Buttons from your pants scratch the front of the crib. If you miss some of the pee fountains on the dresser, you earned yourself an ugly spot on the finish. Just buy something safe but relatively inexpensive that you can throw out or post on Buy Nothing when the toddler days are over.
Mattress
In this area I am a little fanatical. Since mattresses are essentially the most toxic thing in most peoples' homes due to off-gassing, I wanted to make sure I bought a product that would be safe for someone who spent 95% of their time sleeping. Enter the Nook Sleep Systems Pure Crib Mattress. That thing lasted through two kids, many barf sessions, and a lot of jumping on the bed. When the boys outgrew it, I considered repurposing it as a dog bed, but it was a little too big in our space.
Nightlight/White Noise Machine
The Hatch Rest Baby Sound Machine has highly customizable sound and light options. There are also several accessories and covers to choose from if you want to match a particular decor style. I still use this in the boys’ room. C can’t tell time yet, and the Hatch Rest app can display schedules. I programmed a daily “OK to Wake” and have the Hatch Rest color change to green when it’s time to get up and go downstairs.
Baby Monitor
I personally wouldn't get anything that connects to your phone or WiFi because I've heard too many horror stories of people hacking into them. Still again, that's where I'm overly cautious. This wireless Motorola MBP36S monitor had excellent battery life and picture quality. We could even pass it down to family once we didn’t need it anymore.
Nice to Have
Baby Carrier
I purchased the Ergo carrier for myself and was gifted a hand-me-down BABYBJÖRN. If I had to pick one, I would go with the Ergo. With the infant insert, we could start using it immediately. Both boys loved sleeping in it while Will and I did things around the house. The higher weight limit of the Ergo also meant we could use it longer. We took the boys to NYC three years ago and it was a lifesaver to be able to move through the crowds with C strapped in place. As it also offers back carry, we have run through many an airport with a boy on our back to make it to a gate on time. Both are well made, and I passed them on when weight limits were reached.
Playard/Travel Crib
4moms is another company that can take all my money. The Breeze was just that - for newborn use, a detachable bassinet and changing station are really helpful, especially if your home is spread across multiple floors. We had the main crib and changing table upstairs in the nursery but kept the Breeze in the corner of the family room for quick changes or to lay down a sleeping baby. As your child grows, the top portion can be removed and the bottom becomes a playard or travel crib. The one-handed setup claim is no joke. There’s a reason this product has almost perfect reviews.
Baby Swing
If they made the 4moms MamaRoo in an adult size, I would 100% buy myself one. I wish 4moms would make a cheaper version without the sounds and the mobile because honestly those are worthless, but the swing itself is pure magic. An infant insert can be purchased separately so that a newborn can fit without slouching down. I liked to put the boys in the MamaRoo so they could nap while I made something to eat.
Bassinets and Baby Loungers
There are a lot of opinions on rooming in, and I’m not here to debate them. Having a baby is hard enough. I had to have c-sections with both boys, so getting in and out of bed was tough for the first few weeks while I recovered. Remember that beautiful Pinterest-worthy nursery? When G was born, he wanted nothing to do with it. He screamed and would not settle until we put him right next to us in a baby lounger. Luckily C was more into personal space. My in-laws gifted us the HALO BassiNest Swivel Sleeper. It gets its name by being able to turn/swivel 360º, which is extremely helpful when getting in and out of bed. The front wall can be pushed down for quick and easy access to the baby.
Feeding
Formula
With the ongoing formula shortage, many brands from Europe and Canada have been imported. I need to familiarize myself with their ingredients specifically, though Canada and the E.U. are generally more stringent about what their products can include. Of the U.S. brands, I'd recommend Similac over the others. It doesn't contain Palm Olein Oil, which blocks calcium absorption and can lead to brittle bones. This comparative study in PubMed explains the results if you want to learn more.
Bottles
I feel like I’ve done my own market research on all the bottles out there. With G, we settled on Dr. Brown's Natural Flow, but used Comotomo with C. I liked the Comotomo much better as they had waaaaaay fewer parts to wash and keep track of. I do not think the anti-colic venting system in Dr. Brown’s was effective enough to warrant the insane number of parts that needed to be washed.
Breast Pumps
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, breast pumps are 100%covered by insurance plans. Check with your insurance on how to get one. You must go through a medical equipment supplier vs. buying one at your store of choice. Medela is the Toyota of pumps. It does a decent job, keeps going forever, and all the parts fit it. There are so many new options out there now that are wearable and hands-free. I love how this field is getting attention and innovating! A pump is good to have, even if you are exclusively breastfeeding, if you are away from the baby or want to keep your supply up with an extra pumping session.
I loved the Kiinde Feeding System for the collection and storage of breastmilk. It is compatible with all major pump brands, and the pouches work much better than other breastmilk freezer bags. Since I didn’t have to move milk from pump bottles to freezer bags to baby bottles, a lot less milk was wasted in the transfer.
Bath Time
Bath Support
Early on, we found it easiest to bathe our babies in a shallow sink where we could support their head and neck. Once we moved them to the regular bathtub, the Angelcare Bath Support came in handy. While the product description claims it is for babies less than 6 months old, G refused to get out of his and sat in it until he was 4 years old, and the mesh finally broke under his weight. So if that isn’t a winning endorsement, I don’t know what is!
Hooded Towels & Washcloths
Our family really likes bamboo towels, even for those of us who aren't babies. It's super soft and absorbent. These washcloths and these towels were our favorites for the kids.
Lotion
If you get any Johnson and Johnson lotion, just toss it. People love to give it because there are massive shelves dedicated to it right on eye level in the baby section. Still, it’s terrible for your baby's skin. It's too fragranced, and many babies - including mine - break out in hives as a reaction. Aveeno Baby is much gentler and very effective.
Nail Clippers
I just threw these out as part of the closet purge. The larger grip area of the Steady Grip Clipper was very appreciated for a better ergonomic experience. Because newborn nails are long and sharp, you may want to put this in your hospital bag. The medical staff at the hospital is not allowed to cut your baby's nails and generally only have some really terrible files on hand. I didn't know this, and G scratched up his face before we left the hospital, even with the little hand covers on. Pro tip: get two clippers and throw one in the diaper bag.
Health & Wellness
Fever Indicators
There is nothing more stressful than a baby with a fever. These Fever-Bugz stick-on indicators were helpful for monitoring fevers easily without having to wake the baby to check their temperature with a thermometer.
Humidifier
Overall, I am practical, but I also appreciate beautiful and well-designed products. The Oskar is beautiful but also really functional. It’s easy to refill and clean and has an essential oil diffuser for clearing or calming oils. You'll need a humidifier as soon as your child gets sick, so you might as well have one on hand. Whatever you do, don't get a Crane. They are beyond annoying to keep clean.
Nasal Aspirator
Parents used to have to provide the suction power for the NoseFrida, but now FridaBaby has come out with an electric version. Hallelujah!
It Takes a Village
Early parenthood is both enchanting and isolating. The suspension of time while you sit on the couch and binge mindless shows while you feed, sleep, change, and repeat is magical - but only in hindsight. There is so much about recovery and caregiving that our society just glosses over. New parents are told “enjoy every minute” while they are in the unique hell of no sleep. In 2020, this Frida Mom ad was rejected for being too graphic, despite the depiction of post-partum care and recovery being precisely what every birthing person experiences.
I found the following sites to help transition to parenthood. It was a relief to find real content infused with humor. If you have other favorites to add here, let me know!
Jamie Grayson (aka The Baby Guy)
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