Baby Essentials The Second Time Around

Helloo! I know a ton of you have been waiting for this post – so I will dive right in! This is our second baby and I have learned a thing or two from Liyana’s time about what to spend money on and what to skip spending money on. I will organize the info into sections because I think it may be the easiest way to digest it. Let’s start, shall we?!

Clothing

This is the part where I made the MOST mistakes last time. Newborns and infants need very specific clothes and nothing else.. Here is what I highly recommend buying or adding onto your registry:

• 5-10 body suits (long sleeved or short sleeved depending on the season your baby is born in)
• 5-10 pants (to go with the body suits)
• 5-10 footed rompers/pajamas WITH zippers (avoid the button ones – you’ll thank me during the middle of the night
• extra large muslin blanket swaddles – these are multi purpose and can function as a nursing cover, stroller cover, swaddle for baby, burp cloth. I recommend starting with a pack of 4 and then adding more as you need them.
• Velcro or zip up swaddles if you plan to swaddle them
• 2-3 hats

and that is all. maybe you need some socks if its cold, but if you are planning to swaddle babies (which really helps with sleep and their startle response, socks will over heat them.. so I am planning to skip them this time). But honestly that is all! You may need to simply add more of these staples as the baby grows in size, but for the first 3-6 months I recommend these.

Feeding

The recommendations in this section totally depend on the mode of feeding you take.

Breast Feeding

If you are breast feeding, which I have done before I would recommend the following:

• nipple cream
• breast pads
• 2-3 comfortable nursing bras or athletic bras
• comfortable nursing friendly outfits for you
• nursing pillow

Please note – I have no experience pumping or around things you may need for pumping so I am not including those here.

Formula Feeding

If you are formula feeding, which I have done with Liyana and plan on doing with this new babe, I would recommend the following:

• formula dispenser.- this is like the formula nespresso and SO handy!
• formula of choice
• bottles
• bottler sterilizer + warmer

Soothing

I learned this with Liyana, that soothing a baby is an art! There are apparently the 5 S’s of soothing.

1. Swaddling – Liyana napped like a champ thanks to swaddling which made the first 4-5 months easier on me and helped with recovery. We used a combination of muslin swaddles as well as the velcro swaddles
2. Shushing – I highly recommend using a white noise machine separately or an app on your phone or ipad that you can download. This helps babies fall asleep and establishes good sleep routines and hygeine for them
3. Sucking – yes this is for the pacifier. If you choose to give one here are some that I recommend!

The other two S’s are side/stomach position and swinging – I did not do those so can’t speak to them! To help with naps, our routine was feed/change/swaddle/shush and give a pacifier. It worked like a charm and I plan on doing the same thing again!

Sleeping + Travel

Sleeping for a baby, following from soothing, is a big thing. I am one of those moms, who likes routine and structure and really dislike the baby clutter of things. This makes me a minimalist in terms of what I purchase. Here is what I had last time and what I will be reusing this time!

• Bassinet: I have borrowed the halo bassinet from a friend and the baby will sleep here until they are ready for a crib
• Baby monitoring: At Liyana’s time we went through THREE baby monitors because they were all terrible! This time around I am choosing to go with the Owlet Cam Smart HD Video Baby Monitor and Smart Sock Plus. I will give a full review once we have used it with the baby!
• Bouncer: we were gifted the Baby Bjorn bouncer at Liyana’s time and we will be reusing it again
• Baby carrier: I have a Baby Bjorn carrier as well from Liyana’s time and purchased a Hope and Plum ring sling this time around
• Stroller: I was generously gifted the Uppababy Vista Stroller + Bassinet in Gregory by the brand this time, and will be using that for all things stroller related. I have also purchased a bassinet stand to use the bassinet attachment at home on the main floor should I need to.
• Car seat: I purchased a used Uppa Baby Mesa Car Seat which is compatible with the stroller
• Car seat cover: you can use one of the muslin swaddles for this to be honest for the summer months. However, for the winter months, we have used a sherpa car seat liner which we will re use again this winter!

Changing

Diapers, diapers, diapers… there are literally hundreds of diapers in the newborn stage and months to come after. Here is what I recommend for ensuring a smooth changing experience

• Diaper of choice (cloth, disposable, whatever you like)
• Wipes of choice
• Dipaer rash cream – I have always used Sudo Crem because it prevents rashes.
• Diaper disposal pail – now, I have used a diaper genie and it was terrible! It stank no matter what bags/liners I used or how often I changed the bags. That is because the plastic absorbs the odors of the baby poop. This time around, I am going with a slightly more expensive pail, the Ubbi Stainless Steel Diaper Pail which has reviews that it does not stink due to the stainless steel interior. I have purchased scented bags from Dollarama to line the pail with and I will come back with a full review in a few months!
• Changing pad – this can be as basic as one purchased from Ikea or you can go fancy with a wicker basket one for aesthetic purposes. It is really up to you and there is no right answer! I will say that whatever you do, please put this on top of a dresser which requires minimal bending. I don’t recommend using a changing table because I find they are lower in height than a dresser and cause stress on the lower back and plus they are a waste of money if you already have a dresser on hand! I also recommend a portable changing pad for your diaper bag!
• Portable Changing Station for your diaper bag – this time around, I added the Skip Hop one to my registry and will be using that!
• Diaper Caddy to stay organized! I purchased one from HomeSense but I have linked a similar one below for you!

Bathing

Baby bathing is again one of those areas where I found myself going super overboard last time with all sorts of things. The must haves include

• a baby bath tub with a mesh/net of some kind.
• a towel (any towel will do!)
• all in one baby wash – I am using this one by Tubby Todd this time
• lotion or oil for massaging the baby after the bath – I use coconut oil for this exclusively, but will also be using the Tubby Todd lotion this time.

Since I have very dry skin and eczema and so did Liyana when she was born, this time around I am trying out the Derma Frida Skinsoother which helps massage the lotion into the baby’s body, scalp, and all over to keep flaky skin at bay!

Grooming

Again, this is where I went overboard last time and bought a hair brush and all sorts of things for the baby. This time around, all I purchased or am reusing are:

• a baby nail clipper
• Nosa Frida 3-in-1 nail, nose, and ear picker… because little humans are gross too haha!

Sickness

With the cold and flu season upon us, as well as the pandemic.. I am including this because I want to be prepared. Here are my two absolute must have recommendations to help with congestion that alot of babies are born with.

• Nosa Frida Snot Sucker + filters
• A good quality humidifier

And there you have it.. all the baby essentials that I have for baby this time around! Before you ask, I do not have a diaper bag yet.. Once I have that, I will let you know <3

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