I struggled with a lot of fear when I was pregnant, and one part of that was having no clue what Charlie would need or want. How was I supposed to create a registry when I didn’t even know what some of these baby things WERE, let alone if we would benefit from them? I’ve learned a lot over the last eight months, but one of the most valuable lessons has been that babies don’t really need all that much. That said, some products can go a long way in making a new parent’s life a little easier, and that’s a good thing!
Something I highly recommend to pregnant mamas is to seek recommendations from someone who has a similar parenting style as you. Whether you’re hoping to get by on the bare minimum or you’ve been itching to fill a nursery to the brim for ages, chances are, someone in your circle may feel the same way and can steer you toward things that will best fit your preferences. I get lots of questions about the things we use and love for Charlie, so I wanted to round up all of our baby gear MVPs in one spot today! I would describe our “style” as erring toward simple and minimal, with a preference for natural/low-chemical products. We also try to save on some things (like diapers) so we can splurge on things that matter more to us (our amazing stroller).
Eating
Nursing pillow: Boppy
Burp cloths: Aden & Anais burpy bibs or Burt’s Bees burp cloths
Bottles: the Kiinde system
Pump: Medela Pump in Style
Vitamin D supplement: UpSpring WellBaby
Bibs: Aden & Anais
High chair: Ikea Antilop
Freezer food storage tray: Tinukim
Sleeping
Crib mattress: Safety 1st Heavenly Dreams
Sheets: Burt’s Bees, Serena and Lily, Pottery Barn (I’m also super tempted by Little Unicorn’s!)
Sleep sack: Halo
Pajamas: Right now, he’s wearing these lightweight footie pjs by Cat & Jack
Humidifier: Pure Enrichment Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
Swaddles (before he was rolling): Little Unicorn
Pacifiers: Wubbanubs until he started teething, now Philips Avent
Diapering
Diapers: Up & Up (Target brand)
Wipes: Water Wipes
Diaper rash cream: Burt’s Bees
Diaper trash can: Dekor Classic
Changing pad: Summer Infant
Changing pad covers: Burt’s Bees
Portable changing pad: Baby Steps
Bathing
Sink tub (used from birth-about five months): Puj Baby
Bathtub tub: Summer Infant 1-2-3
Soap and shampoo: Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash
Wash cloths: Burt’s Bees
Towels: aden by Aden and Anais hooded towels
Nighttime lotion: Aveeno Baby Ezcema Therapy Night Time Balm
Adventuring
Stroller: UppaBaby Vista
Car seat: UppaBaby Mesa
Wrap: Solly Baby
Portable crib: Guava Lotus Travel Crib
Sunscreen: Babyganics
If you have any questions about any of these products, leave me a comment below and I’ll answer as best I can! :)
Photos by Callie Davis from Charlie’s newborn session
Lisa! Thank you so much for putting this together! I’ve been working on our registry and I’ve been having the hardest time finding minimal/cute items. These are right in line with our style!
I’m so happy to hear that, Anna! (Side note: still kind of freaking out with excitement that you’re having a baby :))
I love the aveeno eczema night time lotion too, it has really seemed to help with Merrill’s (mild) eczema!
I’m impressed that you were able to swaddle with a swaddle blanket, we tried sooo many things and I ended up using a trick called the “secret swaddle” online and then we switched to the love to swaddle up after that. I’m so glad to finally be using just a regular sleep sack!
That lotion has been so effective for us too! Charlie’s eczema is mild as well, but we definitely notice a difference if we skip the lotion for a few days. And don’t be too impressed, haha–the only reason we stuck to a regular swaddle is because Charlie REFUSED to have his arms swaddled, so the snazzy Swaddle Mes and stuff never worked for him! Agreed–the sleep sack is way easier :)
Since you mentioned the Solly….I know you love to wear Charlie like I’ve always loved to wear my little girl (9 months), and I have to recommend a ringsling (we love our wildbird) to you! My daughter looooves looking around and I’m worried with the solly that she’ll fling herself backward, but the ringsling allows for a hip carry, which is the best!! it’s linen, too, which is great for summer heat! :)
I’m so glad you mentioned this! Charlie is nearing the weight limit for the Solly and I am going to cry when he grows out of it, haha! I’ve definitely noticed him fidgeting in it more lately, and have had my eye on the Wildbird. That’s great to hear that you love it, and that it’s lightweight for summer–we’ll definitely need that in the coming weeks! :)
Thank you so much for sharing this. We will be expecting our first Christmas Day, and I have been so overwhelmed with all of the choices/things babies “need”. I don’t want our little apartment to be overcome by baby things, so this definitely helps.
Were you between any strollers? If so, what made you go with the Vista? That’s the one I’ve had my eye on because it seems to have the most versatility.
Congratulations, Darby!! A Christmas baby sounds like the sweetest thing! Even if you don’t go with the products we personally use, it may be helpful to limit your registry to things your baby will use to eat, sleep, bathe, be diapered, and get around, and make decisions based on those categories (that’s what we did). That’s all they actually need, especially at first, and you can always buy more things as you get to know your baby and what would be helpful for you.
As for the Vista! Honestly, we have been thrilled with it and have literally no complaints. We opted for it because it was the lightest and easiest to use that we tried, but most importantly, we love that it can ultimately “expand” to hold three kids. A bunch of our friends had their second babies last year and were having to buy double strollers, so we liked the idea of paying more upfront for the Vista than having to deal with buying multiple strollers over the next few years, since we hope to have more kids. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions about it :)
I love the lotus travel crib and babyganics line. The travel crib was worth the extra money! :)
Agreed! My in-laws gifted it to us at our baby shower and commented that it was the smallest travel crib they’d ever seen. Charlie was grandchild #6 for them, so I take their word for it! :)
i’m feeling super cool right now, cus me and charlie use the same humidifier ????
Humidifier twinning with Aunt Aelish! <3
Not a mom yet, but I always like reviewing these lists for future knowledge :) Any registry gifts you really loved? I’m buying lots of baby shower gifts these days and I always feel lost!
Hi Annie! Honestly, I was always most grateful for gifts right off of my registry, since we spent so much time researching and putting it together! That said, if you’re looking for something sweet and extra to give a mama-to-be, I love Mama and Little teething necklaces. I posted about them (with a discount code) here! https://somethingprettyblog.com/2017/01/31/the-cutest-teething-jewelry/