Baby Gear Buying Guide

Buying Guide for New Mothers

Nurseries and Beyond for New Moms

Preparing your home for a new baby is always a special time. For both new and experienced parents, this nesting phase is a chance to reflect on the coming changes and the exciting challenges ahead. Parents go through this process in different ways at different times. Still, for nursery preparation and sourcing baby gear, there a few general constants worth looking over.

Baby Furniture and Nursery Décor

Many parents choose to create a theme in the décor of baby’s nursery. This can be done by selecting colors, characters, or imagery to focus on when purchasing and arranging furniture and wall art. To find inspiration for choosing your theme, we recommend browsing extensively in baby crib bedding, wall art, and other furnishings like rugs or lamps.

Must-have décor items:

• crib and mattress
• dresser
• change table
• crib bedding
• sound machine

Many nursery décor manufacturers produce collections that help you easily coordinate linen, pillows, rugs, lamps, and wall art. From there, choosing baby furniture styles and colors can be accomplished more easily as your selection will have been narrowed by your initial choices. For example, if you’ve selected baby crib bedding with bright primary colors, you may want a white or black crib. Or if you’ve chosen vintage-inspired soft pink blossoms with brown and green accents, a darker natural wood like mahogany or espresso may be the best fit, enhanced by an embellished Victorian-style crib design.

Even your wall paint choice(s) can be guided by the crib bedding you started with. Simply bring a color printout of your bedding to your local paint store to review their swatches and receive recommendations.

Feeding and Bathing for Newborns

Making decisions (and consequently purchases) regarding feeding, bathing and grooming are just as, if not more important than putting your nursery together. Granted, it’s certainly not as much fun as decorating. But having the items you need gathered and within easy reach can make those first few weeks a bit more manageable.

Must-have care items:

• bath tub and hooded towels
• bottle set and liners
• breast pump or formula mixer
• burp cloths and pacifiers
• grooming and first aid kits

Strollers, Carriers & Car Seats

There’s no way around it; getting from point A to B becomes more complicated once you have a baby. Fortunately, we’ve got a lot of choices these days when it comes to safe, comfortable, and easy-to-use products. Get slings and baby carriers for babywearing, an increasingly popular practice. Find strollers and stroller accessories for moms who jog, hike, mall-walk, or navigate urban streets. Don’t forget the car seat and baby bouncer too. Mix and match products that best fit your lifestyle to bring your baby everywhere you want to.

Must-have gear items:

• stroller
• stroller liner and blanket
• car seat
• baby carrier or sling
• bouncer or swing

Diapers and Diaper Bags

Another big decision for new parents is between cloth and plastic. Diapers, that is. And where there are diapers, there are diaper accessories including diaper bags, stackers, pails or wet bags, hampers and baskets, wipes, cream, changing pads, and much more. Many parents experiment with both disposable plastic and reusable cloth diapers to find a fit for both lifestyle and commitment to the environment.

Must-have items:

• cloth (12+) or disposable diapers (40+)
• diaper pail or laundry wet bag
• barrier cream
• baby wipes
• baby powder