Thank you to buybuy BABY and ShopStyle for partnering on this post.
As a first-time mama with Nori, the world of baby gear was daunting to say the least. I did a ton of research and also tested out / borrowed pieces from helpful friends before eventually finding some of our must-have items. Every baby and parent will have different preferences, but I wanted to share a couple things we relied on for both babies, plus a few that I wish we had earlier!
All of these items can be found at buybuy BABY, which carries a huge selection of baby and kids’ items from gear to clothes to nursery decor. Their Big Deal Baby Sale just kicked off, and they also offer price matching and same day order online, pick up in store. They have a popular registry service too with features like an extensive interactive checklist and registry analyzer, plus a 15% off completion discount!
A few items we got & love the second time around
- Bassinet: HALO Bassinest Glide Bedside Sleeper – purchased it for Rio after trying out our friends’ Halo. Now that we’re in a slightly bigger condo with two levels, we’ve been using this daily on one floor and love the breathability through the mesh sides and visibility of baby from across the room. The bassinet height is adjustable, and one side bends down (see my photo below), a feature that I know a lot of mamas like for easy access to baby by their bedside. We’ve tried both the swivel and glide models thanks to friends, and prefer this simpler Glide model since the bassinet is more level.
- Newborn Tub: The First Years Convertible Tub (also comes in white) – We never got a proper newborn tub with Nori and I dreaded bath time with a tiny, squirmy infant those first few months. I knew I needed a better option with Rio and finally got this with a removable newborn sling – gosh, WHAT a difference. I’m surprised to see pretty mixed reviews on this tub, since we had no issues with the sling being secure and supportive (used with close supervision, of course), and Rio is very comfortable in it!
- Compact Rocking Chair with Ottoman: Davinci Olive glider – A rocker was out of the question in our previous tiny home. I thought we could continue getting by without one, but day 1 after bringing Rio home, remembered just how much time I’d be spending nursing, burping, and soothing and needed somewhere more comfy! Thankfully you guys did the research for me as this model was a resoundingly strong reader recommendation. You guys were right in that it’s compact, petite-friendly and budget-friendly compared to other ones and has gotten so much use already by all of us in the household. It comes with an ottoman which I moved to Nori’s room to sit and read on. I also like how it swivels so I can easily pivot to keep an eye on my active toddler.
Picks from the Big Deal Baby Sale
- $20 gift card with BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Mini. I’ve written a lot about this petite-friendly carrier before! Tip: From months 1 – 2, both our babies much preferred having their arms tucked inside the carrier (instead of in the designated arm holes) and napped with their heads resting on their folded arms. Also, I usually flip the top portion down a bit so I can see their head and face better. Once they got a little bigger in size, we then transitioned them to having arms through the carrier holes.
- HALO Bassinest Glide Bedside Sleeper (mentioned above) – this is usually excluded from their coupons!
- The First Years Convertible Tub (mentioned above)
- HALO Adjustable Sleep Sacks – I like these for months when your baby is transitioning from swaddle to sleep sack. I used ours for both babies and love that you can choose whether to swaddle both arms in, 1 arm in, or both arms out!
- Boon “Lawn” Drying Rack. Bought the white one and have been using it for 2 years strong!
- Carters 2-way zip cotton sleep and play onesies. After receiving one as a gift, I hunted down a couple more of these. I love how soft and comfortable the medium-weight cotton is for Rio, plus the convenient 2-way zipper for easy diaper changes.
- $50 off Diono Radian Convertible Car Seats. While we don’t own this, the Diono Radian was the top reader recommendation for a more compact / narrow convertible car seat that can fit 3 across a back row.
- $60 for select colors Graco Pack N’ Play. We keep one of these at both grandparents’ houses!
- 20% off the UPPAbaby Cruz V2 in Dune or Olive colors.
Also wanted to share a little more about the adjustable Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair – after reading a lot of your input on the longevity of this chair (used well into the teen years!) and how well it keeps toddlers at the dining table, I ended up getting a second one for Rio! We initially bought this since feeding specialists recommend it for proper posture and feet positioning at mealtime. At age ~2.5, we just transitioned Nori out of the baby set attachment and tray, so Rio will be using that baby set in a few months! While it’s currently out of stock, you can add it to your registry and grab it once it’s back in stock!
