It’s funny how different I feel during this second pregnancy. All the irrational worries and crazy stuff I thought might be an issue or go wrong with the first haven’t even popped into my mind. And with having kids to chase around I sometimes forget that I’m pregnant...until I'm winded! I haven't forgotten there is a lot to plan for. I know this little one is going to need stuff, as will we! Two years ago seems like a world away. Products have improved and there are a few new things out there that we didn’t have the first time. Fortunately we thought ahead and brought most of the items we used with The Gents during the first year. We lived in 700 square feet in Virginia and consider ourselves semi-minimalists. We just don’t like having a lot of stuff. We got by with the necessities then and we’ll want to do the same this time around, especially since the first six weeks will be spent back in The States.
Between family, friends and a handful of pregnant women here I'm often asked about which items to buy and those that are the most important. Since I’m making a list for us I figured I’d think about it from the new mama perspective, too. And I’m adding some twin insight as well. Below I’ve got a pretty detailed, and not too crazy, list of what you’ll need and want to start out. I know, even being a self considered minimalist, it’s still a lot of stuff! The numbers next to items are just suggestions, and per baby. I know some people really like to stock up on clothing. It’s obviously your preference and based on how often you’re going to do laundry, which in the newborn stage is all the time. : )
Also, remember that breast milk and formula stains. Because of this, the Gents were exclusively in onesies for months. I pretty much wore t-shirts and tanks the first year because I always had spit-up on me. When I did get dressed up for something I purposely didn’t get dressed until minutes before walking out the door. Newborn clothes are adorable, but they outgrow them quickly and they will inevitably get stained. Even with twins we didn’t buy double items (except when it came to the important things like car seats, cribs, baby carriers, etc) . We purposely didn’t dress them alike because, well they’re individuals but, it’s more cost effective to buy a smaller amount and just wear those as much as possible until they outgrow that wardrobe. Also keep in mind that people will buy you a lot of newborn and 3-6 month clothing. And remember, even in summer with air conditioning a newborn will still need a hat and maybe even a light sweater. You don’t want a sick baby on your hands immediately.
So If I had to narrow down the the list to create a "Baby Starter Kit" I'd say - Crib, Mattress, Car Seat, Infant Carrier, Stroller, Swing/Rocker, Activity Mat, Bottles, Layette, and Baby Care Items (diapers, toiletries, misc.). And if you're nursing, a Breast Pump and Nursing Pillow.
Some additional items are really nice to have though, so here is what we used with The Gents and will be using with #3...
Gear – The BIG stuff
Crib & Mattress (as well as Mattress pad (2), Sheets (4)) – we’re going to get a new one because The Gents are still in theirs and I’m in no rush to transition them to toddler beds. A friend with twins recently said, “Keep them in their cribs as long as possible!” Sage advice. Brand and style is totally your preference, but I will say that you should definitely invest in a quality, breathable, lightweight mattress. You will be changing linens often and a lightweight mattress will make it much easier. And you’ll feel better knowing your babe isn’t sleeping on a bunch of chemicals. We got the Colgate Breathe Flex for The Gents and will be getting it again for baby girl.
Bassinet – we didn’t have these for The Gents. They went straight to their cribs when they came home and they never slept in our room or co-slept with us. Since we’re going to be in Ann Arbor for 6 weeks before coming back to Riyadh we figured a travel bassinet is necessary this time.
Travel crib/playard – Guava Family Lotus cribs are great. They’re super-lightweight and easy to pop-up. You can even add a bassinet feature. Considering how much we travel with the kids, we're so grateful to my Auntie and and cousins who gifted these to us!
Stroller – we’ll continue using our UppaBaby system. We love it! The bassinet is no nice for the newborn stage and the adapters for multiples are wonderful. Another plus about this stroller vs. a double wide is that it fits through any door and it’s easy to travel with. We traversed Georgetown most weekends with it and it has it's own stories to tell from various European and Middle East cites. I’m going to make some upgrades though to get the piggyback board and leather bar covers that are now available. I wonder if The Gents will fight over the seat or the piggyback board? Also, the customer service is top-notch. It comes with a two-year + three month warranty. We broke a couple things since being in Riyadh and they shipped these items to us without question, immediately.
Car Seat – We didn’t plan to buy infant carseats. We had to because The Gents were so small when we brought them home and Georgetown would not have allowed us to take them home in a convertible seat. We ended up getting the UppaBaby Mesa infant car seats. Even though I didn’t want two more pieces of gear they proved to be very convenient in the car, stroller, and for travel. We used them until The Gents outgrew them seated rear facing. Definitely reusing this time around. We currently have the Britax Advocate ClickTight Convertible Seats. They’re highly rated on the safety lists you’ll read, but they’re big and really heavy. Not ideal to travel with and you can’t fit three across in a car with them. We’ll be switching to Diono radian rXT. They now have a steel frame, are much more ideal for various growth stages and have lower profile to fit three across most vehicles.
Dresser/changing table – With the boys we bought a dresser in a style that we really like that they could use as they grow and we put a thick diaper changing pad on top. It made more cost effective sense to us rather than buying a changing table we’d only use for a short time. And as they got bigger, I felt safer changing them on the floor anyway. We’ll use one of the dressers we currently have in the villa for the new baby and reuse the diaper changing pad we have.
Rocker/glider – it’s nice for feedings, especially late night. I fell asleep in ours often! I wish we’d have brought it to Riyadh. I’m hoping I get one from the Embassy to use during the rest of our time here.
Baby Carrier – a must have. We really like the ErgoBaby 360 and you can get an infant insert to support a newborn. Often one of the boys would wake up early so I would just strap him in while I got some things done in the morning before our nanny arrived. It’s nice when you just want to go out and not mess with the stroller. It’s also great for travel, racing through airports and being hands-free. We used them until the boys we’re just too heavy to be carried in it.
Monitor – because our place in Virginia was so small we actually didn’t have one until we moved to Riyadh. We have the iBaby now and it’s great as it has a lot of helpful features.
Swing/Rocker – we have the 4Moms mamaRoo. It’s pricey, but it’s really nice to have. The boys loved it. C probably benefited from it more because it helped keep him asleep after nursing or kept him occupied so we could have dinner in peace. There are cheaper options though, that other moms love, like the Fisher Price Rock N Play.
Bouncy seat – we also went with the 4Mom bounceRoo. Rather than getting two swings we opted for a bouncy seat and rotated the boys between. Initially I kept the bouncy seat in their nursery overnight so that one could sit in it to digest while I was nursing the other. This was before we got tandem feeding down! If you only need one, go with a swing/rocker.
Feeding
Pump – if you’re nursing I recommend renting a hospital grade pump from the hospital for the first month. It really does help with your milk production. Then you can switch to something commercial grade. I have the Medela Pump In Style. Check your insurance because a lot will cover the cost of this!
Breast milk storage bags – You don’t need to buy a pricey brand, the Target ones work perfectly fine.
Nursing cushion – with The Gents I had the Twin Z which is a brilliant invention! They make a One Z as well now. What I love about this nursing pillow is not only does it have great support for baby, but has back support for mama.
Bottles – we used the Playtex Nurser and Drop Ins, which worked really well for the boys and eliminated the pain of us having to wash and sterilize double the bottles since you toss the liner. These are also great for travel because you can pack multiple nipples and a bunch of liners and bring one bottle. They’re also great space saving in the kitchen, for people with limited counter and cupboard space. I only had 4 bottles for the boys, since I nursed most of the time. Will be getting them again for the newbie.
Pacifiers and clips – Have around six-eight pacifiers on-hand. They fall behind the crib, dresser, under the sofa, and in the most obscure places. When you can clip them to their bib, clothes, car seat or stroller belts, do it, especially when you’re out and about to eliminate it falling somewhere gross.
Burp cloths (12) – aside for the obvious use during feedings, put one in the crib as a headrest. It will save you from washing sheets every time they spit up. A family friend and my mother made a bunch from flannel for us.
Booster Seat – around four-six months when they can sit-up up and start eating solids you’ll need a high chair or booster. We still use these Bumbo seats, without the insert. These are great to have on the floor even to help them sit upright. Stick a suction toy on the tray/table and baby will be entertained for a while! What is really convenient about the seat is that it fits on any chair and is a space saver compared to a high chair. And depending on the chair and table, you can keep it on the chair all the time. Plus, it cleans up really easy.
Bath & Diapering
Bath seat – we went with the Puj because it lays flat for easy storage and is mildew resistant. It was too big for our bathroom sink and too small for the kitchen though. I would put a plastic container in the kitchen sink to help prop it up and it worked fine. Was helpful to use until the boys were more stable enough to sit up. Will be using this again. NOTE: we didn’t bathe the boys together or in the tub until they had control to sit on their own. And we always put a small cloth on the bottom of the sink to prevent them from slipping.
Bath products – The Gents do well with Burts Bees, Honest Baby, California Baby, Babyganics, Eucerin Baby, and Aquaphor. Because they have sensitive skin we stay away from anything scented for the most part, with a few exceptions when it comes to natural lavender oil. I love the scent and I’m convinced it helps them sleep better.
Hooded Towels (3)
Diaper Changing Pad and Covers (3)
Diapers – Plan to go through 100/week in the beginning. Which brand will be based on your babe’s preference. With the boys sensitive skin we eventually used Pampers Sensitive until they transitioned to Pampers Cruisers.
Diaper Cream – again, babe’s preference. We went through a few different brands before we found that A&D ointment alone works perfect for them.
Diaper Disposal System – this is your preference, but we have the basic Playtex Diaper Genie and it’s perfectly fine. There are definitely prettier designed ones out there, but not necessary.
Travel changing pad – we have a SkipHop pad.
Diaper bag – use what you like. Some people love diaper bags, I preferred my usual shoulder bag for day-to-day use. It has always been more than enough room for what the boys need while we’re out. I also eventually got a backpack to be completely hands-free. It’s so much easier to manage while traveling and I use it quite a bit day-to-day.
Important Miscellaneous Items – hairbrush and comb, nail clippers, nail buffer (to round out the sharp nail edges after being cut), thermometer, Nose Frida and filters, saline nasal spray (helps loosen the gunk before using the Nose Frida), And acetaminophen. Zarbees and Little Remedies are my favorite lines of health care items.
Learning & Play
Activity Mat – We had the Genius Baby mat. There are so many out there, so it’s really just preference. I recently found this mat with a lot of different features for various growth stages. We didn’t get two though. We switched off The Gents for back and tummy time – one on the mat and the other on a blanket. Also the nursing pillow helps prop them up during tummy time because some really have a tough time to start.
Soft sensory toys – All activity mays come with some, but get some extra ones to change things up. I would put some of their favorite plush toys out as an incentive when they were starting scoot, showing early signs of wanting to crawl. Lamaze has some great toys.
Teethers/hard sensory toys –The boys didn’t need much and we didn’t want to be overrun with stuff either. Invest in a few quality toys. Manhattan Toys makes some of their favorites. And for when they cut they’re first tooth, this makes a great teether and first toothbrush.
Layette
2 Blankets – we all know that you’re not supposed to use them in the crib but you’ll use it at the hospital, coming home, while they’re in their swing/bouncy seat, doing tummy time, etc. There are plenty of uses.
4 (minimum) Swaddles – First, and before baby arrives, read Happiest Baby On the Block. It's a game changer. We have aden+anais muslin blankets and we tried the Swaddle Me velcro swaddles. Some people swear by sleep sacks. This is trial and error. Some kids are fine with a basic muslin swaddle, others need the velcro, and some escape the velcro. You’ll figure out. J was a champ at swaddling The Gents tight. I’m still impressed with his skills! Also, the muslin swaddles serve multiple purposes. You’ll use it to cover yourself when nursing, over the infant seat/stroller when baby is sleeping while you’re out. We still use them as light blankets on The Gents when it’s cool out or while sleeping when they need a light layer.
12 cotton onesies/snap undershirts in newborn and 0-3 months (short or long sleeve) – you will go through these quickly and often. Carters, Gymboree and Gap have the best quality I've found without being too pricey. And if baby has a blowout you won’t feel bad tossing it.
6 pull-on pants/leggings
6 one-piece, zip pajamas or nightgowns – Next has really great quality and soft pajamas. The Gents wore these and Burts Baby exclusively.
2 sweaters/sweatshirts
4 hats
6 pairs socks
6 bibs
