In the blink of an eye, Nori just turned 6 months old (insert crying emoji) and I’m looking back and sharing some newborn products that we use the most often. We live in a small space so got very few baby things before she arrived, but ended up trying and buying more while in survival mode. Newborns certainly don’t NEED much, but these products made our early months as new parents easier. Whenever possible, I recommend borrowing or trying out baby gear from friends first, since every baby and mama’s preferences are different. Similarly, when your family outgrows a product you can always pass it along!
Related posts:
- Pregnancy Q&A: Prenatals, Skin Care, Marriage Talk & Lessons Learned
- Breastfeeding & Pumping: Tips that Made a Difference
- My Favorite Places to Buy Practical Baby Clothes
- Feeding Baby: Starting Solids & Useful Tools
1. Structured Baby Carrier
Our favorite: Baby Bjorn Carrier Mini (at Nordstrom, Amazon, Target)
Poor Nori had bad reflux as a newborn and cried around the clock, which left us feeling helpless. We had the most success soothing her while babywearing throughout the day, and tried over half a dozen carrier styles. Carriers in general are awesome since they 1) keep baby close to you but your hands free to do things, 2) help reflux-prone babies stay upright after feeding, and 3) soothe fussy babies into staying asleep for longer naps while you’re on the move.
For a structured baby carrier option that both Nick and I used (since he didn’t want to use the soft wraps), we loved the Baby Bjorn Carrier Mini starting at around 3 weeks old through almost one year. Note, since this is a mini carrier, bigger babies will outgrow this sooner. It’s very petite-friendly, doesn’t “swallow up” smaller babies like full size carriers do (even with the infant inserts), and comes in soft jersey or breathable mesh. I wear the straps on the shortest setting and tuck the long tails underneath around my back.
Wearing Everlane jeans 25 ankle, Mgemi loafers 5.5, BP sweater // Nori is in H&M bear suit, CP cookies bib
2. Soft Baby Wrap
Our favorite: Solly Baby Wrap (at Nordstrom, Solly Baby)
As an alternative to the above structured baby carrier, I found soft wraps to be amazing for the newborn stage when they’re tiny and squishy, and I hear they’re great for preemies too! Soft wraps keep baby cuddled close against your body, with the option to tuck in their floppy heads. For the earlier months, I personally much preferred these to a structured carrier.
Note, these are basically just long strips of stretchy fabric that you have to wrap and tie yourself. The how-to videos from the brand may look daunting, but you’ll get the hang of it after a little practice, and soon you can go off of just muscle memory. If we were traveling or going out, I’d pre-tie the wrap and layer a jacket over it if needed – see my Traveling with a Newborn blog post for more info!
Other brands: Compared to similar wraps by Ergobaby (viscose), Moby (medium weight cotton / viscose), and Boba (much thicker cotton), the main difference I found with Solly (modal) is that the thinner material on Solly feels more breathable and lightweight and it has a pouch at the end which I used for pacifiers or nursing pads. I heard modal may stretch out or lose elasticity over time if you use this very regularly, but I haven’t had any issues yet.
Also, don’t give up on a product if your baby doesn’t like it the first few times – we had to be persistent trying a few things, such as both our baby carrier and wrap. Nori loved being in a soft wrap from newborn up to 2 months, refused to be in them for a period after that, then enjoyed them again around 4-5 months!
3. Easy to Clean Changing pad
What we use:
With Scale: Hatch Baby Grow pad (at Target, Amazon)
Without Scale: Munchkin Waterproof pad (at Target, Amazon) + Cloud Island wipeable cover
You don’t really need a changing pad, but I’d at least recommend something water resistant that wipes clean easily. I lost count of the rogue pees and poops that have happened! We also use our changing pads every day as a “station” for bedtime routine, to put on lotion and PJs.
The Hatch pad is very easy to wipe clean with no covers needed, has a built-in scale, is comfortable for our baby (surface doesn’t get too cold), plus the base actually does not slide around. We love using the scale casually to see her grow between doctors visits, not for the purpose of measuring breastmilk intake each feeding since that requires exact precision (true lactation scales are much pricier). My one complaint is that you have to use their app on your mobile phone for the scale feature.
UPDATE: After over 2 years of daily use, our Hatch pad still looks like new, so it’s truly easy to clean and maintain and we’ll surely keep using it for baby #2! The scale feature has also been nice since many of our pediatrician appointments are now virtual due to Covid.
Now that Nori is a toddler, though, the Hatch pad is getting to be a little short (ours is also an older version, so it’s even shorter than their current model). As a second pad for our upstairs, I went with this generously sized Munchkin waterproof pad (also at Amazon) + Cloud Island wipeable cover. If you don’t care for the scale feature and are on a budget, I’ve been loving these as well! I will say that all the “wipeable” foam pads including this one don’t seem like they will be quite as water resistant as materials like on the Hatch pad, also the Munchkin pad still slides around a bit despite the nonslip grips (unlike the Hatch pad which stays put).
4. Car Seat + Stroller System
Our favorites: Nuna Pipa car seat with UPPAbaby or Babyzen YoYo strollers
I try to get Nori out of the house once a day and have been SO happy with our car seat and stroller systems. They serve different purposes for us, but if I had to choose just one for life in Boston, it’d be the UPPAbaby (YoYo wheels don’t handle snow or slush well, plus the undercarriage basket is too small for carrying our groceries). That being said, the YoYo is awesome and much easier for me as a petite mom to fold up, transport up and down the stairs (or in and out of a car trunk), and maneuver around tight spaces. Although we have the UPPAbaby bassinet attachment, we actually almost always used our Nuna car seat on top of the strollers instead from 0-5 months, because Nori seemed more comfortable sitting at an angle than lying flat inside a bassinet.
See my stroller review & Nuna carseat guide (on differences between the Pipa, Pipa RX, Lite, and Lite LX)
5. Bassinet
Most of our friends did not have a crib at first, and room-shared used either the Halo Swivel Sleeper (with mesh sides) or UPPAbaby bassinet as their newborn’s primary sleeping vessel to keep besides their bed. The Halo was also mentioned often by C-Section mamas who found the swivel feature to be especially helpful. The UPPAbaby bassinet is included with the VISTA stroller or sold separately if you get the smaller CRUZ. For our second baby, we borrowed a friend’s Halo and have been liking it!
Safety Notes: UPPAbaby sells this bassinet as “a perfect overnight sleep solution.” A reader commented that it may be less breathable due to padding along the inner sides if a baby’s face gets pressed against the edge. We were comfortable with using it for overnight sleeping, but wanted to pass this along as an FYI!
6. Baby bouncer or rocker
Our favorite: BabyBjorn mesh bouncer (at Target, Amazon)
There’s a lot of choices in this category including many more affordable options. We loved our Baby Bjorn bouncer (warning: price is not for the faint of heart), which is more of a reclined seat that you can manually bounce. We’ve been using this multiple times a day and still do. It has a lightweight, flat-folding design for small spaces and travel, 3 recline settings, easy to wash covers, plus looks nice and minimalist.
Sometimes using a bouncer was the only way I could have a few minutes to get dressed or cook. And I’ve totally put it in the bathroom doorway while I took a speed shower or used the bathroom (real talk lol). We also use this to read books to her, or clip some teething toys to it now while preparing her food. Lastly, we love bringing it to friends’ homes or on road trips so Nori has somewhere to sit securely after eating!
Safety Notes: AAP notes on bouncer safety and swing use.
7. Activity & Tummy Time Mat
Our favorite: Skiphop Farmstand mat
I’ll admit I chose this mat for the cute veggie theme, but all the Skiphop activity gyms have a lot of sensory features for babies to discover as they grow including textures, sounds, rattles, mirrors, a teether toy, and adorable coordinating tummy time support wedge pillows. We held off on getting one initially, but Nori loves this and has spent a good amount of time on it daily for the past few months!
8. Portable lounger
Our favorite: DockATot (at Nordstrom; Amazon)
The purpose of a lounger is pretty much the same as a bouncer (# 6) so parents can easily make do with just 1 option! Personally, if choosing one I would get a bouncer over a lounger since you can adjust the angle as baby grows.
The DockATot is a popular, pricey large pillow with a flat center, handle, and removable cover. But we admittedly used this every day for naps in the living room until around 4-5 months. (with baby #2, this has been replaced by the Halo bassinet borrowed from a friend). If you live in a larger house or one with multiple floors, I like that I could grab the DockATot and move it around the house with only one free hand – something I couldn’t do with a bassinet. Sometimes we would co-sleep between feedings, and used this on our bed to keep her close but separated. Some parents get more use out of the Dockatot as a changing station or tummy time prop as well.
We also received the similar Snuggle Me Organic dock which has rave reviews from fellow moms, but unfortunately Nori didn’t care for it. If you’re shopping for a dock to use during baby’s awake time only, several of my friends like the affordable Boppy lounger.
Safety Notes: Loungers and nests are not recommended for unsupervised sleeping. Here are the AAP’s guidelines for safe sleep, which recommend sharing a bedroom but not a bed. For another perspective, here is a post by Kelly Mom on bed sharing safety.
This post got long, but I have several more favorites to share including smaller gadgets, breastfeeding tools, and swaddles + sleepwear! In the meantime until my next post, I try to keep the “Baby” category under my Amazon favorites page updated often. You can click the little notes icon at the top right of each item for a quick review or sizing info.
Mamas ~ what baby product(s) did you get the most use out of in the first year?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on all things baby and with updates! My husband and I are having kids years after our friends and they’ve been reluctant to share their tips thinking that it may be outdated advice. I appreciate this post more than you know!
Hi Jean, love your blog and following your family’s journey. For the Hatch, did you have to secure it to the dresser? Did you use the safety belt during changes? Did the Hatch move around when Nori or Rio were fussy?
Thanks!
Fi
Hi Jean,
Is the Halo Bassinet leveled? I keep reading bad reviews about it not being leveled and people finding their baby on one side.
The one we have (the glide) is pretty level! We also tried our friends’ swivel model which was not level and often tilted to one side.
Hi Jean. Love your blog and as a FTM I feel like I can just read your blog and go with your recommendations as the options are way too overwhelming. Quick question on all the different baby gear. It looks like there’s a lot – different carriages, loungers, rockers, etc. how do you manage to keep all this stuff in a city environment? If I have all these gadgets, my entire apartment would be filled with baby gear and only baby gear.
Hi Jeanne, I was wondering what stroller you currently have now to accommodate a baby and a toddler? It seems like the Cruz is great for one child but 2 children wouldn’t be a good fit unless it was a Vista. Just curious what you currently have and use. Thanks!
Kim
Hi Jean – do you know if you can carry your baby forward facing in the solly/boba wraps? Thanks!
Hi there – to my knowledge the soft fabric wraps are for inward facing only. They’re for newborns and younger babies and usually outer facing carries are for babies a little older.
Hi Jean,
I’m expecting my little one early September and I know you said the Baby Bjorn Mini carrier has been good for up to the first year. I’m just wondering what you used when Nori grew out of it. Thank you!
Congratulations!! When she outgrew the mini my husband used the BabyBjorn Carrier One. However, by that point she was too heavy for me to baby wear so I didn’t personally use another carrier. Wishing you all the best in your final trimester!
Hi Jean,
Could you share with us what nursery chair you used? As a petite first time mom, I’m worried about finding one that’s comfortable and practical. Thank you!!
Hi Kristin, we don’t have a nursery so I actually didn’t have a specific chair. Sorry that I can’t help with that! x
I wanted to share an update that I bought the DaVinci Olive glider from Target and like it! It was the top recommended chair by readers so I ended up buying it for baby #2.
Hi Jean,
Can you tell me where you got the thing with the handles in your picture of the snuggle me organic? I don’t see it on the website! Thanks!
Hi Ashley! That’s a baby docking pillow nestled into a Design Dua Moses Basket. x Jean
Hi Jean. Do you feel the hatch is comfortable as a changing pad for your baby? Still debating on purchasing it.
Sorry I missed your message somehow! My baby was very comfortable in it and still is, but it’s getting short for her now at the age of 2. I added a more affordable option to the post that I got for our upstairs!
Do you have a monitor you recommend? I’m torn between a few. Thanks!
Hi Emily – we use a basic Infant Optics monitor from amazon. Our wifi is very spotty at home so we couldn’t get a wifi-based one.
I just stumbled across your blog via The Bump and am loving this post. I was wondering how easy using the carseat in an Uber actually is? I also live in a major city and know there will be times I’ll need to travel with a carseat in an Uber or taxi and it’s making me so nervous. Just wondering how your experience has been so far. Thanks!
Hi Rachel, the nuna pipa in my experience (note, NOT the pipa lite) has been very easy to use in Ubers! There are two ways you could strap it in and it’s been pretty easy for me to do on my own (and I’m not the most handy).
Hello Jean! Great post. I was looking around for a baby carrier and i absolutely fell in one from Amazon that you recommended. Buying it now! Keep up the good work!
Love this post, so insightful for a new mum to be!
Alisha x |
Hi Jean! Great post so helpful. Do you have any breast pump and prenatal vitamin recommendations? Any brand that have worked well for you.
Hi Tara, none of the doctors I asked about prenatal brands had any preference from one brand to another so I just take ones from CVS… As for pumps, I love the Spectra as a first time pumper. I have the S2 but if your insurance will cover the S1 that’s basically the same but with a portable battery! Now that I’m more familiar with pumping I’m actually testing out a hands-free/cord-free wearable pump (the Elvie) which is awesome in concept but has more of a learning curve – for me at least! I’ll share thoughts on that later after using it more often to really compare, but I think the Spectra is a solid starter pump. You can also add the Freemie cups (found at Target or amazon) to your Spectra for a more hands-free experience.
Big fan of your blog, Jean and thank you for writing this post! I’m 40 + 4 today and making some final impulse baby purchases to distract myself, haha!
Have you started researching/considering convertible car seat options for Nori as she outgrows her Nuna Pipa in a few months? We got the Nuna Pipa Lite and are considering getting the Nuna Rava convertible seat now for our second vehicle but are torn bc there are so many similar options out there. I just can’t seem to pull the trigger yet, and was curious to know if you (as a Nuna Pipa owner) are thinking of sticking with the Nuna line.
Thanks!!
Hi Marina ~ Haha hang in there, mama…your little one must be so cozy and loving it inside! So so excited for you and what’s to come very soon.
We honestly haven’t thought about it yet, but several of our friends went that route from Pipa to Rava and have been very happy with it. Our other friends who love their car seats use Clek, so we’ll be looking into those as well!
For anyone reading through comments just wanted to update that we did end up buying the Nuna Rava around age 1 and have been liking it!
Why is your daughter’s nickname Nori when her real name is Nora? It’s literally the exact same amount of letters and syllables. It makes no sense.
It’s much easier for our Chinese side of the family to pronounce, and we like it. Makes no sense to me why it bothers you.
I literally laughed out loud at this response. People need to find better things to do with their time than to hate on other people’s name choices. Nori is an adorable name, esp for an infant!
Hi Jean,
Congratulations!
How did you lose weight so fast?
How did you flatten your tummy?
Thanks!
Nori is so sweet! Love seeing her smiles. Thank you for the new mom tips; they’re an invaluable part of my research as a mom-to-be.
Congratulations, Vida. Such an exciting time in your lives!! Wishing you all the best on this next chapter : )
Hi Jean! Thanks so much for all the info! I’m wondering if you ever tried the Tula free to grow carriers? I really like the look of the baby bjron mini for petite moms but worry that it won’t last long enough
Hi Heather – I haven’t tried it myself but it came highly recommended from a lot of other mamas! If you do get it, let me know what you think!
This baby carrier is really helpful at the time when you are working in the kitchen. Thanks for sharing this valuable blog post.
These are all good products to have handy. I really loved the baby carrier because it was a life saver. Even though my son didn’t like it too much, I was still able to use it and get him distracted so we can go outside or have me do something else inside the home. Your baby girl is so adorable. Definitely enjoy these baby stages, they fly by.
Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com
Hi!! I have been following your blog for years and also had my son around the same time you had Nori! She is so cute!! I am wondering, if you and your husband wanted to continue babywearing, have you checked out Sakura Bloom carriers yet? I have the ring sling (super quick for short ups) and the Scout baby carrier, and highly recommend them! They make them out of California, and they are beautiful, and adjustable to suit a petite body!! Sometimes they even have custom length ring slings as well (: their address is: @lovesakurabloom on Instagram, or sakurabloom . com (btw, not affiliated with them but I love their carriers so much!)
Hi Benita! Isn’t this stage so fun? I wish they would stay this small for longer : ( We have the Sakura Bloom ring sling in a petite friendly length, but sadly for some reason (and we tried oh so many times!) neither my husband and I could use or adjust it with ease. I was excited to try their items since my husband is from San Diego where they’re based. Great to hear they work well for you – maybe next time we’re in that area we can check out their shop and try on the Scout!
I second the Scout carrier by Sakura Bloom. My baby is 13 months old and 22 pounds, I still use it daily.
I also had a problem finding a carrier for my petite size (I’m 5’1 and size 0 in jcrew tops). I was gifted a Ergobaby Original carrier, but couldn’t tighten the straps to fit my body snuggly so it ended up hurting my back.
The Infantino Sash Mei Tai carrier worked great, but it’s harder to get on and off. The straps dangle into puddles in the parking lot. (I use the carrier to be hands-free with baby while picking up my older child from school.)
I’d like to hear more about baby carriers that are comfortable for petite moms.
Ah, that’s too bad! There are lots of helpful tutorial videos on the Sakura Bloom site, under the “learn” section. It does take a few times to get used to slinging, the first few times I had some issues too, but after a while it gets easier and so much faster!!
Thanks for the helpful post! Since Nori slept in the uppababy bassinet did you just get extra covers for that mattress?
Hi Kendall, you might find it helpful to have a backup, but we didn’t need it. Whenever our bassinet cover was in the wash, we actually just wrapped a swaddle very snugly around the mattress as a sheet and never had an issue with it coming loose.
So cute is Nori! Such a great list of items too for newborns.
May || http://themoderness.com
Aww she’s adorable <3 🙂 I have a nephew who was born at around the same time, and I'm definitely going to be getting him some of these hehehe!
XO, Elizabeth T.
http://clothestoyouuu.com
Omg Nori is absolutely adorable! Wishing you and your family all the best!
I can only imagine how challenging live with a newborn must be, but I bet you are doing amazing!
Xx Janine
https://walkinmysneaks.blogspot.com/
Nori is adoraaaable! ❤️ That first picture of you two in matching headbands… awww! 🙂
Charmaine Ng
Shame on you for manipulating new moms into spending so much on baby items that are only used for a year at most. Every single one of these items can be purchased at a lower price without your trashy Kardashian aesthetic. Quite greedy aren’t you?
Aren’t you just a ray of sunshine! You must’ve missed in the first paragraph where I recommended borrowing or trying out friends’ baby items when possible. These are the things that we actually use and no one’s manipulating anyone else.
You are classy, your response was perfection! Beautiful post on parenting. Love your attitude!
Thank you for the great fashion advice and ideas, I’m a Harvard grad student and I want to dress just like a 5’8” version of you!
How great you used even the baby wrap!
Hi Jean! Thanks for the detailed review of all these items!! I’m expecting as well and have been studying your posts 🙂 Quick question: you mentioned that you have to go up four flights of stairs…do you still recommend the Uppababy Cruz? I have to go up three flights and I’m nervous about trying to carry it up everyday… Thank you!
Hi Jane, congrats!! I keep our Cruz in a communal space on the first floor. It would be hard for me to bring up and down every day. The yoyo is a lot easier to do so on the stairs because it folds up small and has a strap that I carry like a tote bag. I’ll make one trip and bring the stroller down first, then carry the baby down on the second trip and vice versa when going back up.
Thank you so much for your help!!
Hey Jean, thanks for the details on these items – so helpful! I’m wondering , when you use the Yoyo, is there a particular bag you use? Any suggestions on how to fit the necessities in the undercarriage basket? Have you tried stroller organizers on it? Thanks so much!
Sorry I missed your comment, Tasha! I get stroller hooks for the side of the handle (it doesn’t seem strong enough to support heavy hooks on the middle of the handle) and just hook my shopping bags or purse onto that. You could easily also add an organizer like you mentioned, such as the popular Skiphop one.
Thank you so much for sharing! This is so helpful. I’m 30 weeks pregnant with my first. Are you breastfeeding? Do you use a pump? Can you share your experience? Any tips or advice would be appreciated!
Congrats, Lillian! I’m working on a blog post about breastfeeding but in the meantime, I do use a pump on occasion (I mainly breastfeed directly) and recommend that you look into what your insurance will cover. Some early breastfeeding must-haves for me included:
– my brest friend nursing pillow
– silicone milk catcher like the Haaka
– nipple cream for the first 2 weeks or so
– a warm compress and sunflower lecithin to prevent clogged ducts
– giant water bottle because you need to stay super hydrated to keep production up
Pump-wise, I think the Spectra S1 is a great first pump – I’m testing out some really cool “wearable” pumps right now that are cordless, but I think starting with a more traditional pump is key for figuring things out and learning what works best for you. I also recommend seeing if your insurance will cover any lactation consultant visits because that was super helpful for me for both breastfeeding and pumping! And if you don’t already, follow @legendairymilk on Instagram because I learned SO much from that account.
Jean, do you have any recommendations for nursing bras that work well for you?
Hi Mally, I use Hofish brand (sold on Amazon) and Kindred Bravely! H&M also makes some affordable nursing bras with light padding, and Nordstrom can help convert your favorite regular into a nursing bra by adding clips.
Thanks, Jean! Your blog is so helpful. I saw that crude comment from that anonymous person. You don’t even need to reply to haters like that. Honestly, as a follower of your blog, that comment was more offensive to me by assuming that I mindlessly buy everything I see on your blogs. I actually love using your blog as a reference along with other factors to make informed decisions on what to buy when I need it . I appreciate what you do to help me save time finding things that I need. I just stubbled upon your blog a few months ago and wished I had known about it sooner. So thank you for doing what you do.