"Cynthya was our doula for the birth of our third child in April 2016. As this was my third birth, and I had been attended to by a doula at the first two, I knew that finding the right doula was crucial to a successful and satisfying birth." - Winter Wheeler-Young
Essential Items for Baby and Which to Ditch
Check out our list of must-have essential items to get your nursery stocked and ready for your little bundle(s) of joy!
Having a baby is such an exciting time but we know it can also be overwhelming with so many choices to make during pregnancy. When considering which items to add to your gift registry, the baby aisles may seem enormous and have you wondering which items are really necessary to get. Check out our list of must-have essential items to get your nursery stocked and ready for your little bundle(s) of joy! For a more detailed list of "less major" items, check out our BabyList Registry.
4 Things You Can Do Without
Wipes warmer. Having your baby get used to warm wipes at home won’t do much good when you're out and about and all you have are cold wipes.
Bottle sterilizer. Hot soap and water or running the bottles through the dishwasher kills the germs just as well.
Portable swing. Unless you travel a lot and want an easy swing to take along, this really isn’t necessary.
Stuffed animal with womb sounds. These are much too quiet for baby.
12 Must-Have Baby Items
Pack n Play / Crib / Bassinet or rent or buy a SNOO (they have cribs too)
Swaddle blankets or Swaddle Me wraps; Halo and Sleepea are good choices too. Get a variety of brands/kinds to try out.
Conair white noise sound machine; read why here
Tommee Tippee bottles or try biomimetic bottles (and pump adapters) from Emulait
MAM pacifiers or ones from Emulait
We recommend creating only ONE online gift registry to include all the items you wish to receive. Add our Gift Card link to be gifted any dollar amount toward the purchase of doula services and childbirth classes. How cool is that?!
You can review our listing of suggested items that may aid your postpartum recovery.
7 Tips to Better Organize the Nursery Now!
Simplify now to reduce clutter (and frustration) later. Colleen Downey, co-owner of Indianapolis Doulas, a full service doula agency serving families in Central Indiana, provides her tips for nursery organization.
by Colleen Downey, Birth and Postpartum Doula
If any of my friends from high school are reading this, I’m sure you’re shocked that I’m the person writing about organization. Because, like, whoa. But alas, my life has led me to this crazy place of being somewhat of an expert in birth, breastfeeding, AND organizing nurseries. So hang on, because here we go.
7 Tips to Keep Your Baby's Nursery Organized and Clean
1. Only keep items you’ll use. In my experience, you’ll need 10‐15 sleepers (maybe a few extra fleece ones for cold nights), 10 onesies, 10 pants, infinite socks (seriously, those little stinkers are always coming up missing), 5‐10 t‐shirts MAXIMUM! Donate or sell anything above and beyond.
2. Use Oxiclean. Seriously, this stuff is amazing at getting all kinds of stains out. For the really bad ones like breastmilk, formula, and blowouts be sure to soak them in the wash with oxiclean overnight and they’ll look like new!
3. Roll everything! You know how you roll your clothes when you pack a suitcase? Same thing with baby clothes. You can see all your options and you don’t have to dig to find them. Anything that is just too bulky to roll hang up in the closet.
4. Plan ahead. Use the dresser for the size your child is currently wearing and the next size up (For example, newborn and 0‐3 months). Keep them separate but easily accessible. Save yourself a headache and use the closet for clothing two sizes up from their current size (in this case, 3‐6 months and 6‐9 months).
5. Have two small laundry baskets in the closet. One for clothes that are too small and one for the clothes that are too big. No matter how carefully you organize, there are always a few stragglers. Having a place to put them helps you keep out the clutter.
6. Have a laundry basket just for your kid’s stuff and wash it separately. Not because you need special soap or anything, just so folding and putting away goes quicker. You’re a parent—you want to save time wherever you can and this is it. Ain’t nobody got time for more laundry.
7. Get a shoe box or a small basket. Use it to contain my arch nemesis—baby socks, hats, bibs, and underwear when they get older.
Simplify Now to Reduce Clutter Later
These tips totally apply to toys and whatever else you got at your baby shower, too. Trust me, your baby doesn’t need much. The sooner you simplify and get rid of unnecessary things the easier your life will be.
