The Stuff I Actually Reach For
The baby gear that's earned it's place (four months in)
The baby industry has a chokehold on new parents. Anxious, vulnerable, willing to spend whatever it takes on the safest, least-toxic, best-looking products for their kids. The amount of stuff that gets suggested, encouraged, and filed under "must buy" has gotten out of control — so I thought I'd reflect on what I actually use almost every single day, or what's genuinely worth it, and why.
The “I have my hands back now” things
The Mabē carrier. I wear her constantly. Whether it’s through the late-afternoon fussiness, through the naps that only happen on a body, through every time I needed to do literally anything that required both hands. I’ll admit the reason I reach for this one instead of the others we have because it just really looks good. It’s basically the Artipoppe (which I’ve heard is still incredible) at a third of the price.
Babybjörn bouncer. The thing I was most skeptical of and now use the most. You set the baby down, she’s content, and suddenly you have two arms and a stretch of counter and the ability to make a sandwich while standing up. And when they get to around three months, adding the toy bar is incredible.
The getting-out-of-the-house stuff
I’ll be upfront that this is the splurge category, and yes, I have two strollers. I know how that sounds. But they do genuinely different jobs and I reach for both every week, so I’ve made my peace with it!
UppaBaby Cruz V3. Our neighborhood-walk stroller. Full-size, smooth ride, the kind you can push one-handed with a coffee in the other. We keep it in the garage and use it for every neighborhood or trail walk. This one doesn't convert into a double, and I went that route on purpose — I figured if we got to two kids I'd want a side-by-side double instead.
UppaBaby Minu V2. This one lives in the car. It's the lightweight version that folds down small, and it's what I grab for in-and-out errands and actual trips. When the priority is get it open and folded in ten seconds in a parking lot, this is the one. It's also come on every trip we've taken — very easy to gate-check.
The UppaBaby Aria V2 car seat. Lightweight to the point that carrying it doesn’t wreck your back, which is the entire selling point and it delivers. It’s also the thing that makes the two-stroller situation make sense — it clicks right onto the Cruz and snaps onto the Minu with an adapter, so the same sleeping baby goes from car to either stroller without waking up.
Do you need two strollers? Almost certainly not. But if you’re going the UppaBaby route anyway, the Cruz-for-walks, Minu-for-everything-else split is the one I’d recommend.
Note: People also LOVE the Doona. Both a car seat + a stroller, which makes things very easy. We decided not to go that route because there’s no storage in it and wanted our second stroller to be a true travel stroller.
All the feeding things
Dr. Brown’s bottles. Yes, there are more parts to wash than I would like. Every single one of them. But the anti-colic vent situation is real, and after trying a couple of others these are the ones we stuck with. This is the rare case where I’ll take the extra dishes.
The Momcozy washer and sterilizer. This is the unsung hero, and the thing I’d repurchase first if it broke tomorrow. It eats some counter space, which I resented for about a week but have not thought about since. Given how many parts the Dr. Brown’s bottles have (see above), this one basically paid for itself in saved sink time.
Philips Avent pacifiers. The caveat with any pacifier is that it’s entirely up to the baby — some take one shape and reject every other one on earth. Mine took this one. If yours does too, buy several, because they vanish into couch cushions at an alarming rate.
Copper Pearl burp cloths. The least interesting item on this list and one of the most used. They’re bigger than a normal burp cloth, actually absorbent, and the prints are cute enough that I don’t mind one being draped over my shoulder in every photo from this era. I have an absurd number of them! I’d get more.
SLEEP!!!!!
The Taking Cara Babies swaddle. I remember seeing fifteen different swaddles and having no idea what to get or why. My friend Claire swore by this one. I've since tried several others, and she was right..
The Hatch Rest. Sound machine and night light in one, and somewhere along the way it became a sleep cue! When it goes on, she knows what’s coming. I’m not sure if it’s the product or the routine doing the work, but I’m not going to mess with it to find out : )
The Hatch Rest Go. It’s small, it’s portable, and it has rescued more than one afternoon in a hotel room or a relative’s spare bedroom. If you already have the regular Rest and you travel at all, this is the one I’d add.
The one and only toy you need
The Lovevery Newborn Gift Set. I went in mildly cynical about the whole developmental-toy industrial complex, and then the tent happened.
The set comes with the Play Gym, and the gym comes with a cover that snaps over the top and turns it into a little high-contrast tent — black-and-white cards hanging down for a newborn to lie under and stare at. And she stares. You can also swap the cards out as her vision develops, so it keeps working long past the newborn stage.
Honestly, it’s worth it for the tent alone. The rest of the set is a generous bonus!
I know I said I was going to keep it tight, but here are the honorable mentions:
Gathre Padded Play Mat — a splurge, but is amazing for placing around the house and playing
My Brest Friend — best nursing pillow if that’s your thing
Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets — somehow you just always need blankets for something, and these are my favorite
JUJUBE Diaper Bag — I love this one for traveling
SlumberPod — I was skeptical of legitimately buying a tent, but this thing is incredible for traveling and keeping the blackout routine intact
OXO Bath Tub Toy Bin — I love it because you can air the toys out easily
Magnetic Me Onesies — best in the biz
So: a list of things to buy, in a post that opened by complaining about being handed lists of things to buy. I’m aware of the irony!!!
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