Well, we’ve survived over a year with no major issues… and I’ve been asked about some of my favorite baby products & items I would recommend, so I decided to compile a list. This is not an all-inclusive baby registry list, you still need items such as crib sheets, changing pads, bath tub, baby soap, car seats, strollers, etc. but hopefully this will give you ideas for shower gifts or ideas to add to your registry!

These are my top 13 favorites for surviving the first year! Please comment below and tell me what you would add to this list!

1. Diapers. Our friends threw us a Diaper Shower, which was one of the best things ever! We didn’t have to buy diapers (except preemie sizes) for the first 4 months almost. If your friends are throwing you a shower, especially a couples joint shower, consider asking them to do this theme!

2. Cloth Diapers. I joined the cloth diapering party late in the game, but I wish I had started sooner. I went with the least expensive ones with the best reviews, with the fastest shipping. When I have my mind on something, I can’t wait 4 weeks to get it delivered. The two brands that we use are LBB & Adovely, which are both “pocket-style” of cloth diapers. I have some Alva inserts that I use and Bumpkins liners.

I thought they were going to be gross, smelly and a hassle, but they really aren’t! When you use the liners, you are basically catching the poop and then you flush it down the toilet. Then you put the shell (the cute outside part) and the liner (basically a super absorbant pad), in a special trash pail or bag, and wash them! I don’t use any special detergent, simply a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic detergent I use normally.

If you are going to start using Cloth from the beginning, then you may need to order separate diapers that for newborn (smaller) sizes.

Our starter kit included the following:

• Bumpkins Liners
• Adovely Pocket Diaper 7 Piece Set
• LBB Pocket Diaper Set
• Extra Inserts, Super absorbent 

3. Medela Electric Breast Pump. Call it brand loyalty, but during my training as a Lactation Consultant, Medela had the best educational resources, training and people working for them, so I wanted to support their company which fully supports breastfeeding moms.

My goal was to nurse a majority of the time, and pump only on rare occasions when baby & I were separate, travel, etc. So for me, a single electric pump worked perfectly and you can keep it plugged into the wall or use batteries if you’re traveling. If you will be returning to work and will be short on time, you may want a double electric pump (will pump both boobs at the same time). I have a handheld pump too that I used occasionally, but I preferred to use my electric. When pumping you need the whole kit too, milk storage bags, extra bottles, etc.

Talk to your healthcare & insurance provider, some insurances will cover the cost of your breastpump!

4. Mesh Feeders. Bella was big on feeding herself as early as possible, we started solids around 6 months. These feeders saved us and served so many purposes! I could freeze ice cube trays with breastmilk to soothe a teething baby (an idea I got from my sister in law), make homemade baby food and freeze it and serve it in the feeders, put any type of food in the feeders and she would suck it down. The Munchkin Mesh Feeders worked best for us.

5. Baby Swing. This was so magical when we first got it and was completely worth the money for about 7 months. It is just a nice, simple baby swing to rock the baby during nap time or just to relax before they get too mobile. I have heard some babies grow out of them too soon, but you can usually sell them and get your money back. We got ours on sale from Babies R Us and used some generous gift cards also. You can order one from amazon also. 

6. Exercaucer. We’ve tried multiple different bouncers and things like this, and I’m not sure why she loves this exactly one so much, it has just the right amount of entertainment, perfect size, adjustable height… we love it. We got ours as a hand-me-down, but the same one can be found on Amazon here. 

7. Muslin soft blankets. These were our favorites for swaddling for night time & naps. They are soft, light weight and best for swaddling.

8. Bigger, plastic bibs. At first when you are just playing around with food, the cute little bibs work fine. But when they start making more of a mess, it’s chaos all over and I’ve had many outfits ruined (maybe just have them eat with no clothes on haha). I finally got these larger bibs that I can easily wipe off that saved me time.

9. Good rocking chair. I have spent a LOT of time in this rocking chair with late night feedings, story time, etc. We were fortunate to have an old family rocking chair passed down to us, that used to be my great grandmas, and luckily it is super comfy!

10. Bumbo. Once your baby is starting to keep their head up on their own, a bumbo is a fun way for them to sit up, and play with toys. 

11. Tula. I tried a lot of different baby carriers before I got a Tula. Tulas start around $130 and go up to $1000 based on the “add-ons” people do. I didn’t do any add-ons to mine, and we love it. I like it because it is super simple, just click & click and the baby is in. I didn’t like fussing so tons of fabric, wraps, etc. I tried bobas, mai-thais, infanitino.. and Tula is our favorite.  I recommend finding a local babywearing meet-up in your area. There you can usually try on other types of carriers and find what is most comfortable for you and baby.

For my Tula review, read more here. 

12. Small Sophie the Giraffe. It is a teething toy that has different textures, is small enough for little baby hands! Bella loves her sophie. It is great for their gums and hand eye coordination. We preferred the smaller Sophie giraffe, and it even came with a little story book.

13. Gift Cards. Getting gift cards was also so nice from family & friends. We used gift cards to buy our swing and random last minute items, or things we needed as baby grew. Our favorite places: Target, Babies R Us, and Once Upon a Child.

Other Fun Things…

Baby Elephants is the theme of our nursery, so our family was super creative in the gifts they found for us! Like this cute elephant dirty laundry basket!

 A lot of the furniture we got was passed down from other military families leaving or who were done having babies. The dresser we found at a yard sale and painted to match the room!

Vitamix: There are a lot of devices you can get to make homemade baby food, basically mini blenders or bullets. You don’t need those fancy things, all you need is a regular blender or food processor in the beginning. I have a vitamix that works as both. We use it for juicing, smoothies, shakes, soups, baked goods and obviously, baby food!

 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and if you order any products with these links I will receive compensation. I recommend these products because I use them personally within my home. For my full disclosure policy, visit here.