So I have been asked a few times to make this list. I am going to highlight them by “what they are” and then I’ll suggest one(or a few) of my favorite brands/models. Please realize every baby is different & every family is different so obviously what you need & want will be a bit different than what I want. As always, these are my favorite items that I have(or wish I had)
#1: Infant Car Seat: You can purchase these either as part of a travel system or on their own. Personally, I am a huge fan of the Graco Snugride 35, I used these for both my kids. They are sturdy infant seats, easy to carry & fairly easy to adjust. I also LOVE that they can snap into Graco strollers so easily.
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| PJ coming home from the hospital in a Graco Snugride 35 |
#2 Full size stroller: Many people prefer jogging strollers, if you like to run, that’s probably a very important thing for you! I however, despise running and am a member of the “I don’t run unless someone is chasing me” club. So I went with a cheaper model to save money. I’ve used a few different Graco strollers. None of which were over the moon amazing, but they worked & I don’t have any huge complaints about them. My “dream” stroller to be compatible with the Graco Snugride 35 would be the Graco FastAction Fold Sport. –
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| PJ enjoying Thomasland at Edaville USA his Graco LiteRider Stroller |
#3 Lightweight stroller: These are much smaller and perfect for traveling or when you need to just toss it into a friend’s car. I own the Summer Infant 3D Lite and it is a wonderful and affordable little stroller. After over a year, the wheels are starting to squeak a bit and the fold occasionally catches but it’s doing pretty great considering it’s been checked on quite a few flights and tossed around a bit! If I had all the money in the world, I would buy the GB Pockit, which folds up to fit into a 12 x 7 box and weighs less than 11lbs!
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| Summer Infant 3D Lite |
#4 Convertible Car Seat: Most babies switch to a convertible car seat between 6 months and 18 months old. Current safety reports suggest that children stay rear facing until they are AT LEAST 2 years old, however, the longer they remain rear facing, the safer they are. I suggest purchasing a convertible car seat that will rear face until 40-50lbs which will get most children until 3-6 years old. We own a Graco 4ever for PJ and I don’t think I’ve ever been in love with a piece of baby gear so much in my entire life. It is a super easy install, has a 10-year expiration and can fit a child from 4lbs to 120lbs. It works as a convertible seat, a high-back booster and a backless booster. There’s also this wonderful thing called a “no rethred harness” which means it is incredibly easy to change the strap height when the child grows!
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| Graco 4Ever |
#5 Feeding Equipment: I personally cannot speak to breastfeeding gear(I hope to bring in a guest blogger to talk about breastfeeding gear) However I can talk about bottles. We finally found the perfect bottle (for us) with the Phillips Avent Bottles. Beware of any bottles that have vents in the bottom. They have a tendency to leak if you wash in the dishwasher, and my laptop almost was victim to being filled by formula on various occasions.
#6 Baby Carrier: I am a huge believer in baby wearing. It is an amazing thing, baby stays close, mom gets to use her hands & everyone is very very happy! I am a tula-fanatic so I am obviously going to suggest a Tula. If you plan on wearing the baby before they are 3 months old, I suggest also getting an infant insert. PJ is currently 2 years old & we are still using our Tulas!
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| The first day we got our first Tula. The name of this print is Spotted Love |
#7 Co-sleeper: It is natural for a mother and baby to want to be near each other after birth. There are many options for cosleeping/bedsharing/roomsharing depending on your wants. We used an old fashion cradle for Dawn. She was completely in her own cradle next to me. When PJ was born, I wanted us to be closer to each other. We used an ArmsReach CoSleeper. I LOVED this. It was easy to soothe him at night & I felt very close to him, but he was safely on his own surface. There is now a wonderful third option if you want to go for safe bed-sharing, the Dock-a-tot. You need to have at least a queen sized bed for this one. Baby is in the bed with you but has a safe surrounding. I highly suggest researching safe-sleep, benefits of bed sharing and making the best decision for your family before making this decision!
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| About a month old in his ArmsReach CoSleeper |
#8 Swing/Vibrating Seat/etc: I typically went with a more inexpensive choice for these. PJ actually LOVED his Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker. This is one that I say, go with your gut! Choose what you like, what fits into your budget, etc.
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| All smiles in the Infant to Toddler Rocker |
#9 High Chair: We had a huge high chair with Dawn. It was always in the way & honestly, it was very annoying. When I was pregnant with PJ I researched everywhere & decided on the Fisher Price Space Saver seat. This seat attaches to your own chair & can work as a booster as the child gets old. PJ is 2 and still loves his seat.
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| Space Saver High Chair |
#10 Diaper Bag: Until recently, I didn’t understand why there was such a HUGE price difference with diaper bags. Then I purchased my first “Designer diaper bag” The Jujube Be Right Back. I don’t know how I survived without it. This style is a backpack, amazingly designed with mom pockets and insulated bottle pockets. It has lots of space and BEAUTIFUL designs!
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| Wearing my JuJuBe Be Right Back Diaper Bag on my back & PJ is napping in another one of our Tulas! |
Other necessary items that I don’t want you to forget but I don’t have specific recommendations on are:
Crib
Changing Table
Pack & Play
Baby Bath
Clothes
Diapers
Bibs
Pacifiers
Receiving Blankets
Also, Check Out My List of 10 Things To Have Ready When You Have a Baby!
5 Things I thought were a waste of money!
#1 Expensive baby baths
#2 Bottle Warmer
#3 Bottle Sanitizer
#4 Baby Timer
#5 Expensive Baby Bedding
#6 Extra Infant Car Seat Bases- Infant seats can be installed very easily with a seatbelt & it is EQUALLY as safe!
Just Mommin Around 
Love this list Stacey! Such a great place to start – thank you! As a soon to be new mom – I'm confused on the difference between #1 and #4… do you suggest two different car seats? One for infants and then a convertible one that will better grow with them later?
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Yes! The infant seat you can carry them in (very helpful when the fall asleep in the car) then you can switch to a convertible when they are too heavy to carry in the car seat.
However, some parents do skip the infant seat. This wasnt something I was comfortable with, I was too afraid of slipping on ice while carrying a tiny baby and I really liked the convenience of the infant seat.
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