With all of the things you need for a new baby, and the endless choices, it’s hard to narrow down the list and find just the good stuff that you actually need and you’ll actually use. I’m by no means an expert, but after having two babies, I’ve compiled a list of my top favorite items that we’ve used the most. This isn’t a full list of everything you might need, but just my top recommendations for certain items.

Nursery:
Little Giraffe blanket– Both of my kids have these and we absolutely love how soft and warm they are. We use them for stroller blankets, in the car, and Jaden sleeps with his every night. So many pretty colors here.
Waterproof pads– These are probably one of our most used items, and I absolutely could not go without them! I use them on the changing pad especially in the newborn stage for easy clean up (just switch them out and throw in the wash), throw them in my diaper bag for on the go changes, and I’ll put one under baby if I’m afraid of spit up or a diaper mess getting on a surface they’re on. The double sided fleece I think are best because they don’t slip around like the plastic type backing ones do.
Hatch rest: With Jaden, I didn’t think a white noise machine was necessary, but when Jasmine came, I decided to get one because I knew Jaden would be loud and wake her during her naps. Jasmine also sleeps in our bedroom so I thought it would also be helpful to drown out any noise from us being in the room. I love the Hatch rest so much and wish I would have had one sooner! Not only is it a white noise machine, but it’s also a nightlight, which was useful during the late night feedings. I ended up buying one for Jaden too and I think it’s been helpful during his nap and I have timers set on it so he knows that when it goes on it’s time for sleep! You can change the color of the light, set timers, and control it all from your phone!

Clothing:
Swaddleme swaddles– For us, these were the easiest swaddles to use. The velcro made it super easy, and I just couldn’t bother wrapping traditional swaddle blankets after using these.
Zip up pajamas– Not really a specific one, but zip up pajamas are a must. Especially in the newborn stage, you don’t want to be messing with a bunch of buttons in the middle of the night when you’re half asleep. I tend to like Carters and Burt’s Bees the best.

Feeding:
Boppy pillow– Probably my number one of the entire list! I absolutely have to have a boppy pillow. I even keep one in my car. It just makes feeding so much easier, and especially when you’re doing it every day, multiple times a day, you want it to be as easy as possible.

Health:
Nail clippers– I find these Fridababy clippers work really well. It’s easy to see exactly where I’m cutting, and they give a nice, clean cut. Tip: cutting baby’s nails when they’re asleep makes it so much easier!
Cradle cap comb– If your baby ends up with cradle cap, a comb like this is essential for getting rid of it. I tried so many things, but nothing worked well enough until I found this comb.

Play:
Gym– This gym has been so great and both of my kids loved it! It’s something we use just about every day and it’s great how it works for so many different stages. I think the ball pit is such a great feature, and once baby can sit up, they’ll love it!
DockATot/boppy lounger– With Jaden, I wanted to get the DockATot, but I wasn’t sure if it was worth the price, so I opted for the Boppy lounger which is a fraction of the price. We were really happy with it and Jaden loved it. He was always so happy when we put him on it. With Jasmine, I decided to go for the DockATot and we absolutely loved it. We used it every single day for the first 8 months or so. She took all of her naps in it and it was a great place to put her down where she would be comfy and safe anywhere in the house. They also have a toy arch you can attach and Jasmine loved that too. I didn’t like the DockATot brand hanging toys, so I bought these to attach because I thought they were a lot cuter!

On the Go:
Nuna/Uppababy Stroller/Nuna infant car seat- For Jaden we used the Nuna Mixx stroller and we loved it. It was easy to use and fold up, and it had a big basket and our car seat clipped right into it. We had no complaints about it, but when we had Jasmine, we needed a stroller for two so we got the Uppababy Vista. I couldn’t be happier with the Uppababy and if I would’ve known we would need a double stroller, I would have purchased it in the first place. I love how customizable it is and how easy it is to switch everything around. We used the Nuna Pipa infant car seat with both the kids and we loved it. We felt it was very safe and comfortable, easy to use, and it was compatible with the Uppababy stroller when we used the adapter clips. Since we like to travel, we also liked the Nuna Pipa because you can use it without the base, unlike the Nuna Pipa Lite (lighter-weight version).
MilkSnob nursing cover– I really like using a nursing cover that completely covers, rather than using a blanket or something else, and I really like the ones from MilkSnob. They come in tons of cute colors and prints and I love how soft they are. They roll up nicely to fit in my diaper bag and they’re great to use as a blanket if you need to as well.
Fawn Design diaper bag– This diaper bag has been great. I love that I can use it as a backpack or a shoulder bag and it fits so much stuff! It has a good amount of pockets inside and outside and I’m able to keep everything organized. I have the blush and gray and love them both. (All blush products are 20% off for the month of October!)
Carrier– I used the carrier sometimes for Jaden, but with Jasmine I’ve used it so much more because it’s so much easier to carry her on me when I have a toddler to chase around too.

Other:
Amazon prime– Maybe not something you would think of as a baby must have, but it really is! It’s so convenient to be able to order baby products and get them delivered to your door super fast without having to get baby and go out. Having diapers and wipes show up at my door is a life saver!
Baby Bling bows– Again, maybe not a must, but I love these bows for Jasmine. They’re so cute and they have every color you could ever possibly want. I also love how stretchy they are because they seem comfortable on her little head.