What We’re Buying for Baby

Sharing Our Must-Haves for Baby

My most requested post as of late…what are you buying for baby. So, here you go! There will be a lot on this list as A LOT has changed since I was pregnant with Elle four years ago. I will also share our tried and true products that we loved with Elle (and if we’re reusing or rebuying them).

I’ll break it up into categories, which I hope you find helpful. I’ll also do a master list that will update as I continue to shop (feeling a little behind this time, honestly). Also, feel free to shop the boutique, which is where I’m linking clothes (in addition to a highlight reel of the below)!

Baby Gear

• Strollers
  • Uppa Baby Vista
    • I had this stroller with Elle and accidentally backed over it (Elle was inside the house and the stroller was not in its normal position, alas). We bought the updated one with a leather handle and love it! I love all of the accessories it comes with too (the main difference between the Vista and the Cruz is that you can make the Vista work for more than one child…up to three, in fact). Bonus, it now comes in pink!
  • Baby Zen Umbrella Stroller
    • We have and love this umbrella stroller which is so easy to travel with (it fits in the overhead compartment on airplanes). There is also a shoulder strap, which came in handy when we were in Europe and had to walk flights of stairs in the absence of an elevator.
• Car Seat
  • Uppa Baby Mesa
    • For our infant carseat, we love the Mesa which clips in to the Vista stroller base! We are reusing Elle’s this time around.
  • Doona Carseat Stroller
    • If we didn’t already have a carseat I would likely go for this one as it has gotten great reviews! We may choose to get it for travel.

Playing

• Play Mat
  • Baby Play Mat Tiles
    • This one is amazing as not only is it foam, it allows you to build a little wall, so baby can’t roll off the mat.
• Loungers
  • Boppy Lounger
    • My doula said all the babies love this, so I was sold! I’ll buy a neutral cover for it.
  • DockATot
    • I bought this after I had Elle (it wasn’t around when she was an infant) in anticipation of a future baby…can’t wait to use!
  • DockATot Cover

Changing

• Changing Pad Liners
  • Quilted Pads
    • These are a bit chicer than these ones I had with Elle. They also come in blue!
• Diaper Pail
  • Ubbi Diaper Pail
    • I got this one as it’s the prettiest color (light blue)…but people either love it or hate it. Bonus, it uses regular trash bags (I think I’ll use scented bags).
  • Munchkin
    • I had an older version of this with Elle and it never smelled. It does use specific bags, which was annoying when we ran out (it only happened a couple of times). The bags are also good for travel (as they kept hotel rooms stink-free).

Feeding

• Brest Friend
  • Pillow
    • So much more comfortable than the Boppy (in my opinion!). We do have the Boppy, however, and use it for a tummy time aide. Just ordered this quilted cover.
  • Cover

Nursery

• Crib
  • Serena & Lily Harbour Cane Convertible Crib
    • We picked this one as it’s great looking, and also converts into a toddler bed (Elle’s crib didn’t have this option). Also got this mattress, which goes from baby to toddler as well.
•  Mirror
  • Octogonal Bamboo Mirror
    • This fits beautifully between these sconces, which are in our bathroom (and where this mirror hangs.
• Monitor
  • Nanit Plus with Floor Stand
    • This monitor didn’t exist when Elle was born and I’ve heard nothing but good things. Also love the floor stand so the walls don’t get damaged! We bought this for travel. We will set up and iPad to be our “monitor screen” as this is a smart monitor and connects seamlessly to your phone (or iPad) but doesn’t have a home base.
• Bathroom Sconces
  • Kate Spade Bow Sconces
    • Obsessed with these (and picked them before we knew it was a boy). Bows and blue 😉
• Hangers & Dividers
  • Blue and White Striped & Space Savers
    • Not much to say here beyond these are the cutest ones I’ve found!
  • Gingham Blue Size Dividers
    • I haven’t ordered these yet (not sold on the font), but they’re the cutest ones I’ve seen thus far. We didn’t use dividers with Elle, just organized everything by size/length (since brands can vary).
• Art
  • Kayce Hughes
    • Precious and pretty for adults, with just enough whimsy for baby.
  • Riley Sheehey
    • This whimsical gingham bunny alphabet will be the perfect addition to the nursery.

Nursing/Eating

• Pump
  • Spectra S1
    • This will be my at-home pump (I’ll also bring it to the hospital to encourage milk supply). I had the S2 with Elle (as I wanted the pink at the time), but have heard great reviews about the S1. The difference between the two is that with the S2, you’re tethered to the wall plug-in, but the S1 is chargeable.
  • Elvie
    • This will be on on-the-go pump! I’m going for this over the Willow since it’s apparently quieter, and the functionality of the two are otherwise equal (from what I’ve read).
• Bib
  • Kissy Kissy
    • This brand has to be the softest around…we loved these baby bibs for Elle, so stocked up on a few for baby brother.
  • Louelle 
    • These have to be the best-looking bibs I’ve seen, and love that the tie in back enables you to change the size as baby grows. There’s also this version for bigger kids, to protect their clothes as they learn to feed themselves!
• Burp Cloths
  • Gerber’s Cloth Diapers
    • Another recommendation from our doula. These are meant to get messy, so it’s no use spending too much money on the ones you’ll use daily and around the house.
  • Kissy Kissy
    • Love these sweet cloths when we’re out and about.
  • The Beaufort Bonnet Company
    • This also falls into the category of pretty! The shape of this one is good, and I’m excited to use it when baby and I are out of the house. The girl options are precious!

Sleeping

• Swaddle
  • Swaddle Me
    • These are the swaddles we will use at the beginning (because we know they worked for Elle). They’re quite easy to use and I’ll be bringing them to the hospital.
  • Ollie Swaddle
    • These weren’t around when Elle was born but I’ve heard great things, so we will also be trying these (at the hospital and when we get home!).
• Sleep Sack
  • Louelle
    • Baby brother won’t be sleeping in a sleep sack for a while, but had to scoop this one up as it’s the loveliest one I’ve seen!
  • Merlin
    • This didn’t exist when Elle was little if memory serves, but my doula assures me I’ll love it for baby boy as he transitions out of the swaddle.

Other

• Pacifier
  • Jolly Pop 
    • Our doula recommended these and suggested bringing a few to the hospital. Elle used Avent paci’s and her teeth were quite impacted (which may be a result of any paci, honestly). After dropping her paci at 2.5, her teeth totally shifted and are perfect now.
  • Bibs
    • I will admit that I bought these solely based on design…I love how they look (Danish design) and the colors they come in. A friend said her daughter loves this paci after seeing me post it, so I feel confident in trying it!

I’ll continue to update this post with more baby activity and gear as I buy things for each category! Please feel free to comment below if you are looking for something specific.