If you are a new momma, or expecting a little one soon, it can be overwhelming deciding what you need to buy. My first tip is to create a registry. Its okay to have more than one, (such as one at Target and one with Amazon). Or you can do an all-in-one registry as well! And even if you aren’t planning on a baby shower, and registry will offer many perks and discounts. An Luxury Items to Consider for Baby. There are many on there that make mom life easier and that can be priceless!
*This post does contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may receive a small commission by clicking on the links. (At no additional cost to you).
This is part of my baby series! I made a list of 10 items I wish I would have purchased or purchased a different variation of. As a first-time mom I honestly had no idea where to start, what I needed, and what I would actually use.
I reached out on my social media on what were the top “must-haves” for your baby, and the funny thing is that many of the items on this list, were on this list as well. Others brought great conversations and advice from friends and fellow mommas helping me out!
I still don’t know it all. I don’t think I ever will. However, with my second baby almost here, these are the 10 items I know would have been gamechangers for me! Don’t worry, up next, I will share what I am soooo glad I had with my first baby! These are just a few items that have become part of my must-haves/really want when the time is right for me, and I’ve twisted my husband’s arm hard enough to get it!
If you’re planning on traveling with your little one, check out this blog post as I recommend items that will be game changers in helping you have a smoother trip. Looking back always helps us gain perspective, right?
Before I jump right into the baby gear, I want to briefly mention that as cute and adorable as the tiny newborn outfits are, you may or may not actually use them! I realized that after my first baby, that easy outfits are the way to go!
So for my second baby, I made sure to have several pajamas. The easy, zippered pajamas. My second baby lived in them almost everyday, expect for pictures and special days, really. And he slept so much better, all warm in his cute pjs. Little Sleepies is one of the cutest pajamas you will find. What’s better, is that they stretch to fit your baby longer! How amazing is that? From swaddles, to sleepies, their site is full of the cutest pajamas. How about pajamas for the other kiddos to match your sweet new babe?
- A bedside bassine
- I used an old-fashioned cradle. It was part of the antique look I was going for. It was sturdy, safe, etc, and it matched the antique furniture I had. I really didn’t know that bassinets were a thing. This was something I didn’t research. I simply looked for what would match my room! Total mom-fail!
- The cradle I used was so low, it was really hard for me to bend. It was about a foot below the side of my bed. It was incredibly difficult to put a binky in baby’s mouth (I had to crawl out of bed just to do that or put my hand on baby’s belly to try to go back to sleep). It was cute, and was what I thought was the best option for us, but I really was focusing on the looks and following a family tradition. I loved how it brought back memories as to when I was a kid. However, it was not the best thing for me.
- If I could go back, I would have invested in a high quality, bedside bassinet that adjusted to several different heights. This would allow for new styles of beds over the years, and work with different arrangements. If the baby was having a rough night, I could sleep on the couch, and move the bassinet out to the living room with me, and easily adjust the height of the bassinet as well.
- A few Car seat Covers (Think 2-3)
- I had two car seat covers with my first baby. And let me tell you, that wasn’t enough! I used one as a nursing cover, and with me being a clean freak, I kept it safe in my diaper bag. So I really only had one car seat cover!
- I quickly learned that a car seat cover wasn’t also going to be a nursing cover for me. The car seat covers needed washed! They were in shopping carts and out and about, and I didn’t want to nurse with that too. I wanted something clean and that smelled clean from safe inside my diaper bag to nurse in.
- If I would have had a few car seat covers, I would be able to rotate through them as I washed laundry!
- I also wish I had different styles. For instance, the snug ones were great for some occasions, and for others, I would have liked a heavier, warm one that opened in the middle!
- If you’re having your first, consider having a few carseat covers, and consider the season you’re expecting baby to arrive. Is your baby coming in the winter, or early fall (and you’ll want warmer covers in the winter) etc?
- Car seat covers were really important for me going to Dr. offices and stores to keep my baby away from germs. I wanted to be able to see my baby but didn’t want others trying to peek or touch him. I also used car seat covers when walking into to church meetings and uncovered as soon as I sat down in a pew. It was my way of saying “please don’t look at my baby”. I didn’t want my baby to be touched for many months! Car seat covers are very helpful in keeping baby warm walking in to a building from the car in the winter and the wind!
- A high-quality Nursing/pumping Cover (Make that two!)
- My nursing cover was originally for my carseat, but I saw many women using them as nursing covers. What works for one woman, might not work for you. In my case, it didn’t work, and I forced it to work. I just didn’t realize that some things that work for some moms won’t work for others, and I thought I was just “complaining”. The fact of the matter is that the car seat cover was too tight, and wasn’t a great fit for my body. It didn’t provide the necessary coverage, and my baby just didn’t like it!
- This time around, with baby #2, my Mom actually bought me a high-quality nursing cover. One that would cover me completely and also allow me to multitask or help a busy toddler without showing.
- I put the cover on to try it out, and instantly fell in love with it. And so I bought another! Nursing covers need to be washed, so you need more than one! Make sure to find the one that works for you! It may vary with the style of clothing you are wearing as well. Just don’t limit yourself or “settle”. For me, the knit ones were just too small for my body, and I just didn’t shop around for better options. This time around, I know this nursing cover will have ample room and work in different situations. Yay for figuring that one out!
- I might also add that if you are planning to pump, maybe keep in mind a nursing cover that would be roomy enough for pumping if needed. You just never know!
- Medicine Dosage Pacifier
- This is probably one of the greatest inventions of all time. I have used this more than most anything else! My babies do not like medicine (I mostly use gripe water or gas drops) and I have used the Paci for soo much!!
5. A High-quality HAND pump & the Haaka pump on hand
- Honestly, I underestimated how important a hand pump would help me. I learned towards the end how much more convenient it was for me vs. a full machine and all that I had to wash.
- Going back, I wish I had the Haaka pump with me everywhere. In my diaper bag. At all times. Sometimes I had excess milk, or baby wouldn’t feed well in a new environment. A little hand pump would have helped. I just needed something small and compact. I would keep a bottle with me too, and of course refrigerate or throw out if needed, but it would have helped me be a little more comfortable at times.
- I tried to solely use my large pump, and so often I was too tired to pump because I didn’t want to have to wash all the parts, and I felt like I didn’t get enough milk. Going back, I would have had a great hand pump, and the haaka in my diaper bag, or in the car when I was on the go.
- You may find that using a double electric breastpump is perfect for you. You may also feel like the amount of work to get set up and wash when done was too time consuming. Having a manual breastpump is great for emergencies (think no power, etc), and is great if you find it works better for your lifestyle! I found myself grabbing my manual pump more often than my electric pump after about six months. I just realized it was so much easier so I didn’t have as much to wash and clean and put away with a crawling baby.
- A manual breastpump is really efficient for on-the-go or just as a backup when traveling. In this blog post I talk more about this HERE.
- High Quality nursing bras
- I totally regret not doing more research and not investing in myself. (Have I said this before?!!) I spent a great deal of time (MONTHS to be exact) breastfeeding. I should have also made sure I had the correct sizing and fit for myself as my milk supply varied.
- I only had a couple decent nursing bras. You probably know how uncomfortable it is to be in a bra that doesn’t work with you! This time around, I have several good bras. I obviously couldn’t afford to buy the very best, but I have a couple very nice ones, and I made sure I have several that will fit me well and will work for my feeding and pumping needs!
- I also have left room in my budget to adjust when needed. I might need a different type or size in the future, and I am ready to do that this time around. Comfort is key!
- Also- A nursing + pumping bra would have been really useful when I was using my double electric breast pump! I didn’t even know they made bras like that until I started researching bras with my second baby on the way.
- A Baby carrier/wrap that worked for me
- I don’t know why, but the baby carrier wraps my mom used just a few years ago did not work for me! Even as my first was really young, it just didn’t fit right, and it pulled heavily on my shoulders. l used it a few times when I had to and always had a backache after.
- With my next baby, I will have a wrap I will try, and as he grows, I will try a different baby carrier until I find what works for me. Baby wearing would have been so useful for me to get things done with my first. I ended up carrying him a great deal, and I felt really restricted as to what I could do because my hands were full.
- This time around, I am determined to find the baby carrier that works for my baby and my body, so I can be able to be more mobile and active post-pregnancy.
- A Mess-friendly highchair!!
- (or just an affordable one you know will be ruined!!)
- If this was my first baby all over again, and I had the knowledge or intuition the first time around, I would have invested in a better high chair for my family. I paid a good amount for my high chair, and it is so hard to keep clean. I think if I would have bought a $40 high chair, it would have been the same! (washing covers isn’t feasible everyday).
- I would have bought a wipeable high chair. With good, high-quaility leather! Something I didn’t have to throw in the wash. Feeding a baby and having a toddler there are daily sticky messes. I am not joking! It is impossible to throw the high chair cover in the washer everyday, and a baby wipe or dishcloth doesn’t get it all. Not to mention, the covers and straps stain so easily! They need washed all the time!
- I also thought I needed a highchair with wheels. You actually don’t. Honestly it has scratched my floors and I never use the wheels, I still pick it up, and my toddler pushes it around and I have to stop him!
- A Baby Lounger
- I wish I had some type of baby lounger to place around the house as I watched baby. From folding clothes, to just watching a show, reading nearby etc. I didn’t want baby on the ground, but also wanted something comfy. I used a baby bouncer, and that worked great. However, having a baby lounger would have been nice for my baby to look around and hold a toy while I did laundry or something.
- This is where a newborn lounger would come in handy for baby! I am trying out a couple different ones with my second baby, and I will report back what works best for us in several months!
- Fingernail trimmer!
- I definitely regret not having this electric nail trimmer! Nail trimming was my least favorite thing in the whole world! I was so scared of trimming my baby’s fingers. With my first baby, his fingernails were so long in the hospital and I was so terrified to cut them that I didn’t trim his nails, and he wore mittens. Every time I used baby fingernail clippers I was so worried. Then a friend told me about these nail trimmers, and I decided to just go for it! Having peace of mind will help me out a lot, and that’s worth it to me.
- With Baby #2, I am excited to have this trimmer and feel more confident!
Do I need all of these items??
Are these all-absolute must-haves? No. What works for you and what works for me may be different. However, I do wish I would have found some mommy-blogs out there that were moms on similar budgets like me, that weren’t promoting super expensive products all the time. I just needed to find a “real” life mom on a budget that was new on her motherhood journey and that I could relate with. This is part of the reason I decided to start sharing my life as a mother. I realized that the world needs the real, raw, and beautiful accounts of motherhood. I wanted to be part of a community of women who are cheering on other fellow women and mothers, as imperfect as we are, just trying to figure out what we’re all doing.
As I have grown in the last two years of being a mom, I’ve learned that it’s okay. It’s not the end of the world that I didn’t have a bassinet with my first, or that I waited a week to trim my baby’s fingernails. I’ve learned that I don’t have to do everything the same with my first child as I do my second. And I’ve learned that I can adjust and pivot my plans as I become more experienced as a mother.
If you’re a first-time mom who’s spending plenty of time reading blogs and pinning Pinterest to find the best products for your first baby…. trying to build the best registry…. Please know that it’s okay if you don’t have everything. It’s okay if you buy the wrong items and invest in things that don’t work for you.
Please don’t beat yourself up. Be proud of your journey as a first-time mother, a second-time mother, on and on. Please don’t keep looking back. Just keep moving forward.
If you have more kids in the future, you can adjust where you need to. It has been a growing experience for me, but I appreciate the new perspective and sharing my knowledge and very limited experience with those I love so they won’t make my mistakes and possibly have a bit of a smoother transition.
If there’s anything I learned, some items just don’t work for you, and they do for your family, friends, or social media influencers. Take the recommendations you think would apply to you from people you trust. Try them out if you can afford to. But please don’t feel stuck.
I’ve learned that no amount of things or toys makes you a great mother.
The most important thing your baby needs is you.
You got this momma!
XOXO,
Kelsie Ann
