I remember taking my first few steps into Buy Buy Baby with my huge belly leading the way. I took one look around and a giant pit formed in my stomach. I was so incredibly intimidated by the huge selection of baby products, each claiming to be a necessity in my baby arsenal.  I immediately wanted to waddle right back out.

Two babies later, I have definitely done my fair share of extensive baby product trials. Boy …there is a lot of useless crap out there and it’s so easy to get sucked in. For all my preggo friends (and friends of preggo friends), I’ve created a list of some kickass items that made my life so much easier the first six months of post pregnancy life. I hope you find this Amazon list useful and it lowers your anxiety a bit 🙂

An important thing to remember is that outside of the core items (car seat, stroller, crib, and your own lactose cans), everything else is on the nice-to-have list.  This is my nice-to-have list (I’ll add my core items recommendations at the bottom of the post for those curious minds)

1. Although on the pricier side, Doc Brown bottles are pure awesome because they are space saving, they have nice nipple options, they connect to all Medela pumps (you can pump right into them) and most importantly they have the vent system which is great for babies with acid reflex and colic. If you’re going to pump into them, I recommend getting some 4oz bottles otherwise you’ll feel like a Fembot pumping into the 8oz bottles.

 

Special Note: Doc Brown recently changed the design of their bottles but I prefer the “old school” version for space saving reasons. The picture links will direct you to the old version which is currently still available.

2. Doc Brown dishwasher baskets are legit. I not only stuff all the bottle tidbits in there but also all the pacifiers/straps and other chewables. I have tetrised the Sh@# out of these. If you’re confused with how to use them, just message me

3. This is on my must-have list. I really hate using all the air dry grass and branch shenanigans that take up tons of counter space and take forever to dry. The Wabi is not only a sterilizer, it’s a bottle and tidbits dryer. It terms of storage capacity, you can throw in 8 bottles plus all your pacies and chewies.  Today, I just use it as a dryer after I throw things in the dishwasher. Most sterilizers do not have the dry function (and if they do, they aren’t nearly as spacious as this one).

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Need to warm your milk quickly without exposing it to microwaves or waiting for the water to boil? Grab a Doc Brown bottle warmer that also works with Nuk sippy cups which is great for the bottle transition later on.

5.  I tried quite a few different Medela and Spectra pumps but the Medela Pump In Style Advanced was my favorite for numerous reasons:

• Super easy to clean: You can throw all the components in the dishwasher and they don’t take up lots of space (like some of those other pumps out there).
• Powerful motor: Less time with more outcome
• Travel friendly: We traveled a lot with Maya and so I needed something I could use on the go. This one can plug in and also works on batteries so you can carry it all over the house or in your car etc.

Worth a Mention: There is some new technology out there (like the Willow which slips into your bra) that I find quite fascinating so if you’ve tried it and liked it, please comment below.

For now, the Willow looks like a neat concept however cleaning and storage seem like a nightmare to me compared to the simplicity of the Medela Pump In Style (which allows you to pump straight into a bottle and feed baby right away).

6. If you’re getting a Medela or Spectra pump, you’re going to want a hands-free pumping bra so you don’t have to physically hold those suckling trumpets (who’s got time for that?)

7. If you’re planning on stockpiling or making human ice cream (hey you never know), you’re going to want to pick up some Medela freezer storage bags. These ones are awesome because you can pump right into them and simply pop them in the freezer.

8. It’s inevitable. There will be days where you have missed a pumping session and you are hella engorged … Dolly Parton status.  Trust me, this breast therapy gel pack is a life saver.

9. Avoid the burn with Organic Motherlove nipple cream It is great because you don’t need to wipe the residue off before breastfeeding.

10. You will have sore chapped nipples the first month or so and sometimes it feels like you’re on fire. Eventually your body figures it out with the help of some nice creams but sometimes you do not want anything at all touching them (not even a bra, tshirt or your husband). Slip these nipple shields into your bra and OMG your nipples will thank you.

11. For me, nursing bras and tanks were incredibly uncomfortable (especially the ones that clipped at the shoulder). I found them itchy and constricting around the bust line and could def not nap in them. For nursing bras I went completely unconventional. I used Bali Comfort Revolution (gramma) bras . This bra is so stretchy you can pop your boob right out  You can nap in them and there is no wiring… just pure comfort. It holds nipple shields in really well and doesn’t require any clip mechanisms to pull out the goods. This is one of the best products I ever discovered for pre and post pregnancy

12. Cheese-neck smells really gross … unless you’re one of those weirdos that likes the scent of eau de vomit. Tommy Tippee Bibs are the most superior bibs out there for babies 0-6m. They are not the most fashionable but your baby will stay squeaky clean during feedings because of the catch all absorption ring. Highly highly recommend these up until you start solids (which I have other suggestion for).

13. I really really like Philips Avent Pacis. These come with a cap, so if you’re a sanitary phobiac like me, rest assured they stay clean even at the bottom of your purse. The night time version also glows in the dark which is awesome. I have like 20 of these and I throw them into the dishwasher, then into my Wabi after daily use. If they ever get water in them, you just squeeze the nipple and shake it right out.

14. This is my capped Avent pacifier with a MAM strap.  What’s nice is you can just use the velcro to secure the paci.  Expect everything near the vicinity of your child’s mouth to go inside their mouth.  I throw these right into the dishwasher, not having to worry about any rusting metal pieces which are present in other clip brands.

15. I am kind of an organic product junkie. With that said, I have tried every single organic diaper brand out there (including the European ones) and they all pale in comparison to Pampers Swaddlers (for day time) and Baby Dry (for night time). We had the least amount of blow outs and pee throughs with Pampers which is why I’m assuming almost all of the hospitals use them. The pee indicator strip in Pampers day time is far more effective than all other brands that have tried to incorporate it into their diapers. This strip allows you to take a quick peak at the diaper and know for certain that if the strip is blue, you need to change the diaper. It’s pretty awesome for new moms and dads.

Side Note: I don’t really recommend buying any newborn diapers because the hospital will give you a @#$% ton of diapers to take home with you (usually Pampers swaddlers). I’ll be writing up a separate post on what to request from the hospital on your way home as well as what to bring with you in your hospital bag.

16. I loooove this Skip Hop Grand Central Diaper Bag.  I am probably one of the most pickiest people when it comes to diaper bags (because most of them are quite terrible and bulky and unwashable). I need them to be able to zip, hold a lot of baby items, be light, be washable (a must), be comfortable, carried like a handbag, attachable to strollers, extremely accessible and compact.

17.  This is a must-have in the diaper bag. Dr. Brown Pacifier Wipes enable you to immediately stick the dropped paci or spoon or whatever you just cleaned back into crying baby’s mouth without having to rinse off residue.

18.  Your baby will eventually get a cold no matter how hard you try and shelter them from germs. These Boogie Wipes are another must-have in your diaper bag. They are made with a saline solution that allows you to wipe those cute little noses, keeping their skin moisturized without the irritation you usually get from tissues. Perfect for adults too! The reason I don’t use regular diaper wipes on baby noses is because they actually end up drying out the skin and removing the moisture.

19. Love these Rubis Elephant Baby Scissors. Although expensive, I can cut my daughter’s nails with my eyes closed because it’s pretty much impossible to clip the finger. 

20. Haven’t met a baby that didn’t like chewing off Sophie‘s head or legs. The body makes it very easy for your baby to grip and shove in their mouth. However, Zen Zebra is now my new favorite teething toy because the silicone material is much more pleasant, it cleans easier, and the squeak isn’t as annoying as Sophie.

21. If you’re a new parent, you’re probably too paranoid to leave baby in a room alone somewhere while you’re working on house chores. The BundleBee is basically a thick swaddle with a sturdy backbone that makes it easy to move your baby around the house without waking him/her up. I plopped my little lady on the sofa next to me while I was folding laundry. 

22. Yes. Muslin swaddle blankets have endless applications. They are not only used as swaddles but as burp cloths, light blankets, a breathable cover for your car seat (do not cover your child in non-breathable material and please be extra cautious during summer) as a back-up cover-up when breast feeding, and so much more.  You’ll hear people talking about Aden & Anais but Margaux & May are way cuter and larger in size. Yes. bigger is better: 47 x 47.

23. Your newborn is used to being in the womb which is warm and constricted. This is why we swaddle them when they’re sleeping. If you’re having a hard time swaddling your child and/or they keep breaking out of your swaddles because their arms are out of control, it’s time to try the Stage 1 Love To Dream Swaddle Up which is very helpful for night time sleeping the first few months. 

24. If you’re swaddling your child with that bat outfit above, you’ll notice after a while that they no longer want to pretend they are bats.  They may now want a bit more arm freedom but may also still want to be restricted at times. I really like the versatile Halo swaddle where arms can be in or out. 

25. When you’re out in public and you need to breastfeed, this multi-purpose nursing cover gives you some nice hands-free privacy. It also has a built-in burp cloth and a U-wire on top so you can peep at baby (not to mention extra ventilation – it gets hot in there). 

Hope you enjoyed my list!

If you’re a man who stumbled upon this page and read through the whole flipping post, you’re a freaking rockstar! Wish there were more of you!

For those wondering about my core item recommendations:

Car Seat: UPPABaby Mesa 

Stroller:  UPPAbaby Vista

Crib: Babyletto Rolling Mini Crib (It can be rolled from room to room people!!)