Guide to baby gear

When I was pregnant with my first, we were lucky to find a ‘bringing baby home’ course. It was an intense 2 day workshop that covered everything from learning how to diaper and bathe a baby to infant CPR and car seat installation inspection. We learned so much about postpartum recovery, feeding, sleeping and of course baby gear. When it came time to learn about baby gear I was pumped to learn about the best equipment, then the instructor (who was also a doula) put up the smallest list possible. In a recent deep clean I found my notebook from that weekend and here’s the list:

guide to baby gear

• Car seat

• Diapers (cloth or disposable)

• Wet bag (for cloth diapers or soiled undershirts)

• Baby wipes (or lots of clean washcloths)

• A safe place for baby to sleep

• A baby carrier

• A barrier cream for potential baby/diaper rashes

• A baby first aid kit

• Gentle laundry detergent

• Gentle baby soap

• A pack of undershirts

• 2-3 sleepers

• 2-3 outfits

• A shirt for easy nursing (think v-neck)

That list seemed pretty simple and minimalist, I embraced it and bought only the things on the list. However, over the years and 3 babies later, I noticed that I accumulated a few more things that I believe are equally essential. I combine the above list with these ‘new’ essentials for all my current clients:

• Receiving blankets (sure, you can use towels, but you may go through a lot more than you think)

• A nursing bra and a nursing tank

• Extra pillows ranging from soft to firm (to help maintain a comfortable position while the parent is nursing and/or bottle feeding)

• Milk catchers like this one

• A simple breast pump

• A pack of bottles (these ones are the favorite among my clients)

• Newborn pacifiers

• Nursing pads

• A baby bath (because let’s face it the kitchen sink will have dishes in it almost always)

• Enough sleepers to get you through a week

• Seasonally appropriate baby clothes (think car seat cover)

• Black and white toys

• A baby swing or bouncy chair

• A white noise machine (for both mom and baby)

• A baby monitor

• Milk storage freezer bags

• A stroller

Finally, I think there’s a few items that deserve an honorable mention and are likely ones to go unnoticed. These are things I always bring up with my parents - to - be in conversation while planning for postpartum recovery and newborn parenting:

Guide to baby gear

• Support system or your village

• Postpartum doula care

• Overnight support (if your postpartum doula doesn’t provide overnight service)

• Meal delivery service (either an informal food train from friends/family or a professional delivery service)

• Housekeeping services

• Cloth diaper laundry service

• Pet care or pet sitting

• Sibling care

• Postpartum massage

• Breastfeeding support such as le leche league or a community of breastfeeding moms

• Private time for mom/partner/both

Looking for postpartum support, check out my services page. Happy parenting!