Thank you to buybuy BABY and ShopStyle for partnering on this post.
As a first-time mama with Nori, the world of baby gear was daunting to say the least. I did a ton of research and also tested out / borrowed pieces from helpful friends before eventually finding some of our must-have items. Every baby and parent will have different preferences, but I wanted to share a couple things we relied on for both babies, plus a few that I wish we had earlier!
All of these items can be found at buybuy BABY, which carries a huge selection of baby and kids’ items from gear to clothes to nursery decor. Their Big Deal Baby Sale just kicked off, and they also offer price matching and same day order online, pick up in store. They have a popular registry service too with features like an extensive interactive checklist and registry analyzer, plus a 15% off completion discount!
A few items we got & love the second time around
- Bassinet: HALO Bassinest Glide Bedside Sleeper – purchased it for Rio after trying out our friends’ Halo. Now that we’re in a slightly bigger condo with two levels, we’ve been using this daily on one floor and love the breathability through the mesh sides and visibility of baby from across the room. The bassinet height is adjustable, and one side bends down (see my photo below), a feature that I know a lot of mamas like for easy access to baby by their bedside. We’ve tried both the swivel and glide models thanks to friends, and prefer this simpler Glide model since the bassinet is more level.
- Newborn Tub: The First Years Convertible Tub (also comes in white) – We never got a proper newborn tub with Nori and I dreaded bath time with a tiny, squirmy infant those first few months. I knew I needed a better option with Rio and finally got this with a removable newborn sling – gosh, WHAT a difference. I’m surprised to see pretty mixed reviews on this tub, since we had no issues with the sling being secure and supportive (used with close supervision, of course), and Rio is very comfortable in it!
- Compact Rocking Chair with Ottoman: Davinci Olive glider – A rocker was out of the question in our previous tiny home. I thought we could continue getting by without one, but day 1 after bringing Rio home, remembered just how much time I’d be spending nursing, burping, and soothing and needed somewhere more comfy! Thankfully you guys did the research for me as this model was a resoundingly strong reader recommendation. You guys were right in that it’s compact, petite-friendly and budget-friendly compared to other ones and has gotten so much use already by all of us in the household. It comes with an ottoman which I moved to Nori’s room to sit and read on. I also like how it swivels so I can easily pivot to keep an eye on my active toddler.
Picks from the Big Deal Baby Sale
- $20 gift card with BABYBJ"ORN Baby Carrier Mini. I’ve written a lot about this petite-friendly carrier before! Tip: From months 1 – 2, both our babies much preferred having their arms tucked inside the carrier (instead of in the designated arm holes) and napped with their heads resting on their folded arms. Also, I usually flip the top portion down a bit so I can see their head and face better. Once they got a little bigger in size, we then transitioned them to having arms through the carrier holes.
- HALO Bassinest Glide Bedside Sleeper (mentioned above) – this is usually excluded from their coupons!
- The First Years Convertible Tub (mentioned above)
- HALO Adjustable Sleep Sacks – I like these for months when your baby is transitioning from swaddle to sleep sack. I used ours for both babies and love that you can choose whether to swaddle both arms in, 1 arm in, or both arms out!
- Boon “Lawn” Drying Rack. Bought the white one and have been using it for 2 years strong!
- Carters 2-way zip cotton sleep and play onesies. After receiving one as a gift, I hunted down a couple more of these. I love how soft and comfortable the medium-weight cotton is for Rio, plus the convenient 2-way zipper for easy diaper changes.
- $50 off Diono Radian Convertible Car Seats. While we don’t own this, the Diono Radian was the top reader recommendation for a more compact / narrow convertible car seat that can fit 3 across a back row.
- $60 for select colors Graco Pack N’ Play. We keep one of these at both grandparents’ houses!
- 20% off the UPPAbaby Cruz V2 in Dune or Olive colors.
Also wanted to share a little more about the adjustable Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair – after reading a lot of your input on the longevity of this chair (used well into the teen years!) and how well it keeps toddlers at the dining table, I ended up getting a second one for Rio! We initially bought this since feeding specialists recommend it for proper posture and feet positioning at mealtime. At age ~2.5, we just transitioned Nori out of the baby set attachment and tray, so Rio will be using that baby set in a few months! While it’s currently out of stock, you can add it to your registry and grab it once it’s back in stock!
Hi Jean! Can you tell me if your glider is cream or light gray? Also, were you able to comfortably fit a nursing pillow while sitting on it (such as the brest friend pillow)? Thank you so much
Hi Jean! Could you please tell me where your sheepskin rug is from? I am looking for a similar one for our nursery. Thank you!!
Hi Megan, it’s a washable faux sheepskin rug by Kroma!
Hi Jean!! Could you please tell me where your sheepskin rug is from? I’m looking for one for my nursery. Thanks in advance!
I wish you congratulations and the best if luck on being parent a second time I think you are a great mom that your son and daughter will adore and respect
Hi Jean,
HELP! Before these perfect petite boots sell out.I absolutely love your blog. I wear the same size Stuart Wietzman boots as you. Can you tell me what size you purchased the Livia boots? All the reviews online they say run a 1/2 size small. Did you purchase your usual size 5? Thank you for your help!
Jessica
Hi Jessica! I’m usually between a 5 and 5.5 for all brands including Stuart Weitzman. For the Livia style I did find it to be a bit tight so I went for a 5.5 whereas for some other SW styles I sometimes can do a 5.
Thank you Jean…but what about your beautiful outfit
Hi there! The sweater is from BP (got it last year’s nordstrom anniversary sale) and the nursing friendly pajamas are Kindred Bravely! THey’re my absolute favorite – reviewed them here: https://www.extrapetite.com/2018/12/holiday-maternity-nursing-friendly-pajamas.html
Thank you Jean! Soon-to-be FTM here and wondering is this is the best time to buy baby items? I’ve noticed a lot of sales going on right now and wondering if we should buy things now or wait (due in April). I assume now might be the best time but I really don’t know.. Do you have any recommendations on this?
Hi Stephanie – congrats! I’m not completely sure if there is a particularly good time for baby sales. Maybe someone else can help answer this one! We ended up just buying items as we needed them so weren’t able to take note of when the best deals were.
Hi! Love your posts. For the glider, is it extremely comfortable or just okay? Also I’m super petite but my husband is average, do you think it would be comfortable for him as well? (5″10)
I would not say it’s extremely comfortable. I think the comfort level met my expectations and it’s been a very useful chair that everyone in our family has spent a lot of time in already (reading or watching TV if not nursing). I think someone 5’10” would still find it comfy since my husband is closer to that height and uses it quite a bit. It’s a lot more budget friendly and takes up a smaller footprint compared to other gliders so keep that in mind too with expectations!
Thank you for your response! It sounds like it’ll be perfect for my little nursery so I will go ahead and buy that now!!
Hi Jean! I love your space so much. It inspires me to try to decorate this way (And declutter!)
Can I ask a question unrelated to baby stuff? I was going through an older post of your’s looking for living room furniture recommendations and noticed your ottoman is sold separately from your sofa and is actually from Ikea. Can you remind me why you chose that ottoman? Is it to sleep on? Thanks! And sorry to bother you.
Hi Katie, no bother at all! We wanted a compact sleeping solution for family or friends when they visit. I stumbled across the pull out “sleeper ottoman” and thought it was genius. We use it regularly as an ottoman and it converts to a small cot for a guest in a matter of seconds. It’s not a cushy padded guest bed or anything (though we have added a mattress topper for my dad before to make it comfier) but it works well for what it is!
Thank you so much!
Thank you for the recommendations! For the Halo bassinet, did you also get the newborn insert?
Hi Tee! I didn’t get the newborn insert as I only discovered it after my baby was already 2 months old. I’m not sure if I would though due to the mixed reviews and additional price point (would be nice if they included it with the bassinet!), but maybe someone who owns it can comment on how they like it! Seems like a good item to borrow from a friend if they happen to have one they no longer use.
Hi! For what it’s worth, I’m due in a month and my friend just gave her Halo and she did not have the newborn insert. I actually didn’t know it existed so am not bothering with it either.