Baby Registry Essentials - The First 3 Months

The following is a list of my favorite mama and baby essentials that I personally used or would recommend for the first three months of baby's life. This does not include what I would get once they start sleeping on their own in a sleep sac or teething or starting to eat solids, crawling, etc. All of that will be in an upcoming blog, so stay tuned.

This is not an exhaustive list, and know that my recommendations lean more toward organic, non-toxic, and what I loved. Not every single product is free of all toxins, but the majority are much safer than other options out there. Hopefully you find it helpful! 

MOM CARE

After birth, you are going to want to support yourself with recovery. Postpartum pads and underwear are essential, unless you prefer to lay on a chuck pad and bleed that way. I recommend the Frida Baby kit and their underwear, which is included in the postpartum kit, or you can just get it alone by itself. 

DIAPERS

You want to choose diapers that work well but are low in toxins. For the cleanest option I recommend Kudos brand. 

If you need to have one that is on Amazon, I would recommend Andy Pandy, although they run big so keep that in mind when buying the right size.

BABY WIPES

Not all wipes are created equal and the most important thing is to avoid fragrance, however on the scale of healthy and non-toxic there are some that out-perform others. Pipette is currently my favorite brand, but others you could try include: Jackson Reece Kinder Nature, WotNot, and Jak Organics. 

DIAPER PAIL

Newborn baby diapers really don't smell that bad, but as they start to get older they can have a strong odor. I recommend the Ubbi Steel Odor Locking Pail, it requires no unique bags which saves you money and I like the way it seals. 

SLEEP

I had my baby sleep in a Snuggle Me Organic either while out in the living room or in the bed when she was little or the bassinet once we moved her out of our bed (at a few weeks old).

You will need a cover for it. 

You can choose to co-sleep, which requires no swaddle or bassinet, but if you choose to room-share for the early weeks, as I did, you will need a bassinet, I like the Halo Bassinest, and a swaddle, I like the Ollie. I could never get the non-velcro swaddles to work which is why I loved the Ollie so much. 

If you choose to have a sound machine to help with sleep, I recommend the YogaSleep Rohm and just keep it at least 12 inches away from baby to avoid EMF exposure (I have tested this with an EMF meter).

CLOTHES

I like the knotted gowns, in particular from LouLou and Co as a quick and easy option when there were so many diaper changes. I also like essentials, like onsies and pants from Burt's Bees, Finn & Emma, and Monica & Andy or many other brands, you can learn about at this blog post.

The Angel Dear brand isn't necessarily non-toxic, but I absolutely loved their PJ's because they are so stretchy. My baby was a big girl and we needed the stretch and these lasted the longest because they seemed to grow with her, so if you want to check them out I recommend them from a functional perspective. 

BLANKETS & BURP CLOTHS

Burp Cloths

You will want to have 8-10 burp cloths at least because you go through them quickly and if you don't do laundry every day, you will need a few. I recommend either Monica & Andy, Burt's Bees, Finn & Emma, or Mushie brand. 

Muslin Blankets 

Light muslin blankets are wonderful for laying on the floor for tummy time, covering them if they sleep on you in a carrier, in the stroller, or to use for basically anything. I would recommend getting 8-10 as well, although often you will get these as a gift so maybe just buy 3 and wait until after your baby shower to buy more.

I never used them for swaddling because I couldn't swaddle without velcro, but you can do that with them too. Some muslin blankets are scratchy, I prefer the really soft ones. Check out Mushie and for a personalized touch, consider Stina and Mae. Although the Little Unicorn and Life Tree blankets aren't certified non-toxic, they are made from rayon from bamboo and/or cotton, I do love them because of how soft they are. Burt's Bees are ok, but I find them to be rougher so I prefer other options for these.

Warmer Blankets

You want to have a few soft, warm blankets to cover them in in the stroller or when out and about. I would aim for at least 5. If you like knit blankets, I recommend Burt's Bees. For a good basic blanket, consider Finn & Emma or for a quilt-like option, consider LouLouLollipop or Nov & Mai. 

BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT

The most important thing would be to invest in support from a lactation consultant. Breastfeeding is natural and can be intuitive, but most of the time it isn't and it takes support to get it right. Check out this resource and look for lactation consultants in your area.

If your baby is exceptional fussy, losing weight or not gaining their birth weight back, or your nipples are exceptionally bloody or painful, it's possible your baby has a lip or tongue tie and someone who is well-trained in identifying them needs to evaluate your baby. 

Outside of those first two steps, your nipples will hurt at the beginning but it gets better, I promise. The most important thing is to feed often, avoid clogged ducts, and support your nipples. 

Nipple Support 

I recommend Silverettes and using your own breast milk as the moisture and the silver as the anti-bacterial agent to help them heal and protect from infection if they are cracked or bleeding. You can also turn them into a necklace after you are done with kids as a keepsake. 

If you also want a nipple cream as well, consider Lanolin nipple cream.

To avoid clogged ducts, take sunflower lecithin, my favorite brand right now is LegenDairy Sunflower Lecithin. 

Bras

You will probably want a nursing bra, there are many brands and options, but one option to consider is Bravado or Kindred Bravely or Majamas for a really simple t-shirt like bra (usually your nipples will show through this one since the material is thin but it's comfortable in the early days. 

If you start to leak, you may want to get bra pads, for sustainability I would recommend the reusable ones from Kindred Bravely. 

Nursing 

When you first start, I recommend getting a Haakaa, you can attach this to the opposite breast so it can collect extra milk. You can also use it to pump extra milk without needing an electric pump. If you pump extra and need to store it, consider Haakaa Silicone Bags for a non-toxic option, of if you can't do that and must use plastic (it's ok if you have to, I did with my first because the Haaka pouches didn't exist then), then these are an option.

BABY WEARING

There are a lot of different schools of thought on baby wearing, some follow Attachment Parenting where they often co-sleep and baby wear most of the day. I take principles from different parenting techniques but made a hybrid for myself and my family. I did not co-sleep but I did baby-wear. However, I did not do it all day, I did it for a few hours a day at the beginning and sometimes for one of the naps if she wouldn't sleep well on her own in the first few months.

My favorite wrap for the first 3 months is the Solly Baby Wrap. 

PACIFIER 

This is another topic that is hotly debated in the parenting world. You can do your own research on if you want to do a pacifier or not. If you choose to, know that every baby prefers different types, so it's nice to get a few and see which ones they like. The Natursutten is a good Orthodontic-friendly option and the EvenFlo is the only one my daughter took, she wouldn't take any other option. She weaned herself off of it around 4/5 months and switched to sucking on her fingers, so like I said, every baby is different. 

BOTTLES

It's nice to start introducing a bottle early so they get used to it, whether you choose to exclusively breastfeed or not. The recommendation is between 2-4 after breastfeeding is fully established. 

My personal favorite is the Dr. Brown's Anti-Colic glass bottle. I would get the set of three and that's all you need. I would use one to store the milk I collected in the Haaka in the morning and would have my husband feed her that for one feeding a day to get her used to the bottle. 

DIAPER BAG

There are so many things to consider when choosing a diaper bag, and there are so many options and you only need one. I personally have three, due to gifts I received and ones I had before pregnancy. The Hahasole is a more fashionable / leather looking option I have and really like, I also have an Ergo Baby backpack diaper bag but they don't make it anymore, so the closest thing in comparison is this one by Ruvalino. I also have a Freshly Picked in the smaller option, but I don't love this one as much because the straps are narrow so they hurt my arms when I wear it. I use it more to throw in the stroller since it's small but I wouldn't wear it out. 

STROLLER + CARSEAT

My favorite stroller is the UPPA Baby Vista, you can either get just it, or it with a bassinet (nice but not necessary) or with a carseat combo.

The carseat I used was the NUNA PIPA Lite and really liked it, and you can get adapters to attach it to the UPPA Baby Vista.

I was gifted both the stroller and car seat from my sister in law who used it for her two kids first, so that is why I had the two brands, but I honestly loved them both. 

BABY RECLINERS / SEATS

There are many baby recliners, bouncers, and apparatuses to place babies in. I prefer to be more of a minimalist and let baby do things on their own as much as possible, but sometimes a place to lay them or sit them in can be lovely for you and for them. I personally didn't have this one since I was gifted three different options, but now that I have used so many, I would choose this one by Aden & Anais. 

I personally don't recommend using Bumbo seats often because they can be hard on their hips and it becomes a crutch as they are learning to develop their own core muscles. Learn more from this chiropractor's blog here. However, if you do want a floor seat and you use it minimally, I would recommend the Upseat brand as it is better for their hips. 

THE REST

There are obviously so many more things you can get when you have a new baby, such as a changing table, changing pad, changing pad cover, nursing pillow, and so much more, but it can start to get overwhelming, so start with the essentials. Check out my full Amazon store for other baby or postpartum support items I recommend, I am always updating so be sure and check back throughout your pregnancy and motherhood journey.