Katie Clay Photography

Hiya!

So, the following post really has nothing to do with photography and everything to do with…babies!  You see, I created the following ‘gear’ list last year for a friend and it has been making the rounds to newly expecting friends ever since.  I thought it would be easier to have it here on the blog so that others can see and also so that it’s easier for me to send and update!  Most of the gear on this list is for infants and the first year (i.e. for the registry), which is the reason that most of it is written in the past tense.  I added in a few things that we use now that we have a walkin’ talkin’ little girl.  And, let me also add, this is just the stuff I liked and used.  There are SO many amazing products out there and there is never just one right product or piece of gear.

I also want to mention another excellent list over on StyleberryBLOG. You should definitely check it out – it’s an excellent blog for new mamas!

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SLEEP:

Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe: You are going to hear a lot about swaddling…and for good reason. P couldn’t fall asleep without being swaddled for the first 4 months of her life.  The nurses taught Jordan this really fancy way of swaddling her in the hospital…but at 3am, we were too exhausted to do it.  This thing was a lifesaver.

Sleep Sheep to Go: This is a great noise machine that you can velcro to the crib and it’s also small enough to go on trips.  (Now we use a cool mist humidifier, which acts as white noise too.)

Lamb Swing: When P wasn’t napping in her crib, she napped in her lamb swing.  She grew out of it by 6 months.

Halo Sack: There comes a point when the baby doesn’t want to be swaddled anymore, but you still can’t put a blanket in the crib.  The Halo Sack is a handy dandy way to keep the baby warm without the risk of anything going over their head.  We bought a fleece one and it was perfect for the winter.  They have ones that come with a swaddle, but P always wiggled out of it.

Crib Mirror: P loved this mirror.

Baby Einstein (Lullaby Classics Version 2): We have played this CD every day for P’s entire life. We love it and it helps put her right to sleep.

Graco Baby Monitor: This monitor gets the job done.  If I had to do it all over again, I might have gotten a video monitor.

Aden + Anais Blankets: I LOVE these blankets.  These were great for warm weather and I also used them as nursing covers — P got too hot under anything else. They get softer as you wash them.

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FEEDING:

I’ll break this category up because there is a lot of gear that goes with feeding the baby.

Breastfeeding:

Medela Pump in Style: Mine wasn’t the ‘advanced’, but it doesn’t look like they sell mine anymore.  I bought mine from my neighbor for a steal (I bought all new parts, of course!).

Lansinoh Milk Storage Bags: I liked these and I hear that they are better than the Medela ones (although I never tried those).

Lansinoh Lanolin: Have this on hand when you get home from the hospital.  (trust me)

Lansinoh Gel Pads: They gave me a pair of these at the hospital and they were amazing.  Put them in the freezer and apply when needed.  I doubt all hospitals give them out, so I’d buy a pair.

Medela Quick Clean Steam Bags: These bags are awesome.  Put bottles, pacifiers, pump parts, etc. in the bag, add water, and microwave for 2 minutes.  Everything is sterilized.  It will save you loads of time.

Extra Pump Parts: If you plan to do a lot of pumping, I’d buy another set of parts to have on hand — you’ll spend your life washing parts if you don’t have more than one set.

Boppy: People either love the Boppy or hate it.  I loved mine and used it for the entire year I nursed.  Register for 2 or more covers — you’ll need them.

Bottle Feeding:

Tommee Tippee Bottles: I did tons of research on bottles when I was registering and I wish someone had told me this: your baby will decide which bottle they like. I registered for the Born Free and Playtex VentAire and Peyton wouldn’t take either.  Tommee Tippee bottles are great — it’s a huge brand in the UK and only sold at Babies R’Us and Target.  They are very easy to wash, which is a huge plus.  My advice, register for one bottle of maybe 2 or 3 different kinds.  Don’t go for the ’starter package’ of 10 bottles.  You might end up with a cabinet of unused bottles…just like me!!

Tommee Tippee Explora Truly Spill Proof Water Bottle: We tried a lot of sippee cups (Nalgene, Camelback, Advent, Nuk, etc) and we finally settled on these. They don’t leak and are easy to wash. It says that they are for 18+, but P started using them at 15 months and probably could have used them earlier.

Solid Feeding:

Take and Toss Bowls: I like these — nothing special about them, but they are useful!

Take and Toss Spoons: Again, nothing too special, but I like them.

Gerber Graduates Forks: We use these now that P eats with a fork.  I like these better than the plastic kind.

Tovolo Ice Cube Trays: If you plan to make your own baby food, these are awesome.  Puree the food, put them in the trays, and freeze.  The food easily pops out into perfect 1oz cubes.

ZoLi On-the-Go Snack Container: Great and simple. They make a bigger size that we use now that P is eating more.

Carters Highchair: I have no complaints about this highchair and I like that it’s simple wood.  Our pattern is cuter than the one in this pic.

Inglesina 2010 Fast Table Chair: When we moved, we lost a lot of our kitchen space, so I wanted a chair that didn’t take up a lot of room.  I love this clip-on chair.  It’s completely sturdy and safe.

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GEAR:

BOB Stroller: Love the BOB!  It has been our only stroller from the very beginning.  We bought the infant seat adapter for it, so your carrier fits right in.  You really get used to the weight and it’s super easy to open and close.  We also got this and never used it once although I hear great things.

Graco Snugride Infant Seat: This got the job done, but I might go for the Chicco next time.  It’s the same seat, but a little better quality.  (register for an extra base if you have 2 cars)

Graco Pack-n-Play: We’ve only used this for travel, but it’s sort of one of those things that you just have to have.  Some moms swear by them, but we never set ours up for daily use.

Fisher Price Infant/Toddler Seat: We bought this when P was 4 months and, if I had to do it all over, I would have gotten something like this earlier (maybe instead of the Lamb Swing).

BabyBjorn: I used this a lot — I can’t say I was ever completely in love with it, but P liked it and would stay in it long enough for me to grocery shop!  There are other brands that I’ve heard good things about too.

Boppy Infant Lounger: We didn’t have this, but it looks awesome.  I think this would come in handy during the first few months.

Safety First Diaper Pail: I couldn’t find any diaper pails that received rave reviews, so I went with this one because it looked simple.  I like it and have no complaints.

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TOYS (first year):

Sassy Rings: I list this toy first because it’s the only toy that P would look at for the first 4 months of her life.  Don’t go crazy on early toys — they really just latch onto one or two things and won’t look at anything else.

Baby Einstein Take Along Toys: This toy looks ridiculously simple, but it’s awesome.

Bright Starts Around We Go: Loved this and P was in it all the time.

Taggies Grabby Elephant: I think this toy is adorable and P loved it (and basically anything with a tag)

Lamaze – Freddie the Firefly: Great toy and it clips onto anything (was great to clip to highchairs in restaurants)

Graco Jump N Jive: P loved this!

LeapFrog My First Book: Great toy for 5+ months

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MISCELLANEOUS:

Bath Tub: Gets the job done!

Lap pads: Put these on your changing table — they’ll catch accidents so that you aren’t washing the changing table cover every day.

Teether: P loves this one.

Gerber Burp cloths: These are the best.

Boogie Wipes: You won’t need these right away, but I love them.  They have saline in them, so they actually break up and wipe away snot.

Baby Wise: I liked this book and I think it helped us.  I didn’t follow it strictly (and you’ll find people who are against it), but I liked the message.

Happiest Baby on the Block DVD: You’ll probably hear about this DVD at some point — my girlfriend overnighted it to me when I told her about the all-nighter we pulled with P our first night.  His techniques are interesting, but I think they helped Jordan more than they helped me.  Let’s be honest, when the baby sees YOU, all they want to do is eat.  So the techniques helped Jordan soothe P when I needed a break.

InchBug Orbit Bottle Labels: Great for daycare and last forever.

Built Cooler: This was a great bag for bringing bottles to daycare — I used it every day for the first year.

That’s all I can think of at the moment (and that’s a lot, I know!).  I’ll add to this list as I think of things.

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Oh, and here’s Miss P at 18 months…just because.