Hi friends, Emma here! As I’ve been easing back into work after my maternity leave, this is one post I’ve been really looking forward to sharing! You might remember I shared my baby registry with Buy Buy Baby back in April as we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of our son, Oscar. I found the process of creating a baby registry really intimidating as a first-time parent, as I felt at a loss on what we would actually need and use. I relied on the advice of friends as well as the registry tool on the BBB website that gives suggestions for different sections (so helpful!). And although I am no parenting expert (being only three months in now, ha), I would love to share with you what items we have found most useful and have loved the most. Maybe this will be helpful to other expecting parents, or if you are shopping for an expecting friend.
I am happy to be working with Buy Buy Baby again, as I’d say about 90% or more of the baby/kiddo stuff we own now is from there. They have a huge selection, great prices, and I love many of the features their website has for registering. In addition to the helpful registry tool I already mentioned, I also really like their group gifting option so multiple parties can contribute toward one larger ticket gift. Things like quality strollers and car seats are expensive and can feel really intimating to ask for as a gift, so the group gifting option makes this much more accessible. I also love how BBB offers you a great discount to buy things from your registry that are leftover. So, anything friends and family didn’t get but that you still need you can use this discount toward—nice! I certainly bought a few more things after Oscar was born, so I’ll share that as well.
I’m going to group things, so hopefully this is more helpful. But first I have to mention what I consider the MVP of my baby gear: my UPPAbaby stroller. I love it! I use it almost every day! I mostly take my son on walks around our neighborhood, which has sidewalks and a coffee shop nearby (it’s a dream!). But we have also folded it up and taken it to a park before that was super easy as well. So far, my son prefers the MESA infant car seat that will fit onto my stroller. He likes to look around and this is a better position for him than the bassinet. But, every baby is different and I know other parents who loved the bassinet much more.
We also love our car seat for its main use (car rides) as well. Trey and I both have the base of the car seat in each of our cars, and just one top (that also goes on the stroller sometimes). This way, no matter if one of us is gone with one of the cars, the other could use the car seat if we needed to for any reason.
Collage Items: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11
Feeding/Nursing
I use the My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow every day, and I also love this pillow for nursing or bottle feeding. I have and use the Medela Breast Pump when I need to pump—usually while he’s at daycare. I love that I can do simple tasks while pumping at the same time (I can move around the house or my office some). We’ve been lucky and our son seems to not be too picky about bottles, but our favorites are Tommee Tippee as they seem to help with air flow while eating (so less gas/burping afterward).
Hopefully, you’ve heard this, but just to put it out there—FED IS BEST. I have loved nursing, and also it’s been a challenge in many ways. We supplement our son’s feedings with formula as needed. That is what works for us for now, but no matter if you nurse, pump, buy breast milk, or feed your baby formula (and all the combos in between), the most important thing is they are healthy and well fed. Of course, always talk to your doctor. But I did want to say something on this subject just in case anyone out there reads this and feels any guilt because their journey is different from mine. I am doing my best, and I am sure you are too. Our best is all we can do, it will often look different from others. That’s fine!
Clothes
For these first three months, our son mostly wears what we call “daytime pajamas” and then a sleep sack at night with socks (because our little guy gets cold). Ha. I love the Carter’s two-way zipper footie outfits, we have a bunch. You can zip them from top to bottom or bottom to top which is great for changing diapers. And we love Sleep Sack Swaddles for nighttime. I swaddle him during the day for naps, but he is a real trickster and wiggles out most of the time. During the day, this isn’t a big deal as we are around (or he’s at daycare), but at night we love the sleep sacks.
Sleeping and Naps
Currently, our son sleeps in a bassinet in our room, but we plan to move him to his nursery and his crib at night when it’s time (sometime after he can roll over on his own). We all love and appreciate this sound machine. It’s a great background noise, but not so loud we can’t hear him at night when it’s time to for him to feed. During the day, he mostly sleeps in his DockATot, which we move around the house so he’s never far and we can fold laundry or do other small tasks while he naps.
Pacifiers
We considered being those parents who didn’t offer a pacifier, and that lasted about two hours. Ha! If you don’t like or offer pacifiers to your kiddo, that’s great. But we do, and Oscar has some favorites. His tops are the Dr. Brown’s Pacifiers. Pro tip: We put our finger into the back of the pacifier when we first offer it—this makes it easier for him to latch on. He will also take the WubbaNub Pacifiers, which I like for car rides or stroller walks as the little stuffed animal helps the pacifier to stay in place a little more while Oscar is still figuring out the use of his hands. 🙂
Bath & Play Time
Other than my stroller, the other MVP of our baby gear would have to be this bath support. We call it “his throne.” Ha! Oscar loves bath time, which at the moment is more like sponge baths in the kitchen sink (this caddy fits our sink, as we have a pretty large sink—just FYI). But we have also used this caddy for our backyard inflatable pool, and he also just likes sitting in it with a towel while I make dinner or do things in the kitchen. He likes watching what’s going on around him and this helps him safely sit up while he’s still working on those neck muscles.
He also loves his baby gym, and this hanging toy which you can add to the gym or to your car seat handle (in the car or while on the stroller).
We also love his BABYBJORN bouncer. We can gently rock him in that with our foot while we eat dinner or watch a movie together in our living room (after a whole day of mostly holding him, this is a back saver!). He is starting to reach for and play with the bouncer toy now too and that’s really cute and keeps him occupied for a while as well.
Thanks for letting me share what’s been the most helpful to me so far with my newborn son. And thank you x100 for all your love and support during this season of my life. I feel grateful every single day. xo. Emma
Emma, I’m here for your sandals! I have googled but cannot find (they look like Tevas but they don’t have that awesome pink color?). Congrats on your new baby!
I 100% agree about Fed is Best. My eldest son was 100% formula fed. My youngest was 100% breastfed for over 2 years. There has been no discernible difference between them in immunity, intelligence, attachment, etc.
In terms of difficulty, breastfeeding was extremely difficult for the first four months for me. There is no way I personally would have stuck to it if I had to work or if I didn’t have the support I had. After four months, I felt like it got drastically easier all of a sudden. So it ended up being easier than formula for me, but it was definitely still work.
Sleep was way better with formula. My formula fed baby slept in 4 hour stretches from the beginning and through the night starting at 6 months. My breastfed baby slept about 15 minutes at a time. I finally night weaned him at 1 year bc I just really needed more than 2 hours of sleep at a time. I was warned that this would tank my supply, but it was fine.
In terms of judgment from strangers and friends, I got way more side eye and unsolicited lectures for mixing up bottles of formula in public than I did for nursing. And I breastfed everywhere and never used a cover. This probably depends a lot on where you live.
There was a LOT of pressure in the hospital to nurse. I asked for formula and the nurse said in a horrified tone, “well, if it comes to that, we have a breastmilk bank!”
One thing I wish I had known was how difficult it would be to wean. Everyone told me that their babies weaned on their own when they started walking. That was not my experience. Weaning took a long time.
I’m glad that I breastfed, I think it was actually great for me health wise. But I definitely think babies are fine with either, or any combination of both.
Welcome back Emma! Thank you for your positive comment about breastfeeding / bottle feeding. My son is now almost 12, but years ago breastfeeding was an extreme challenge for me, I remember feeling a lot of guilt about it. We did end up supplementing with formula and he is happy and healthy. But I felt a lot of pressure from the hospital to only breastfeed, even though there were times it was putting so much stress on me it definitely wasn’t the best thing for me. Luckily I found an amazing lactation consultant that took the pressure off and helped me supplement. I love that you are putting out that positive message that every situation is different and we are all doing our best, isn’t that the truth! Kuddos to you and happy motherhood, it is amazing and only gets better!
Thanks for sharing Colleen! I think we should all keep encouraging each other, because we are all doing our best. I love you had a helpful lactation consultant. That’s great!
Emma, motherhood is your beauty mojo – you look AMAZING!
I’m literally using that exact feeding pillow as I read this! It’s been so helpful, my most used item on my regustry. I would highly recommend it as well. The 2 way zipper pajamas are so great and they are so much easier than a zillion buttons!
Haha I second what Elsie said…. I love baby gear too, but you look so happy and sweet:)
I am SO happy. Best summer of my life!
You look so cute in that jumpsuit. Augh!