Baby Checklist

Week 38 and we’re just finishing up nesting for Baby No. 2! I resisted the urge as long as possible. I kept everything from when Hanky Pank was a baby so all I really needed to do is get it out, get it washed, and get it organized.

And I’m so thankful. With Hanky Pank, I remember feeling overwhelmed trying to figure out what we needed. It didn’t help that when I created a registry, the checklist was 3 pages and included over 250 items!

Needless to say, we did not buy 250 items. I’m certainly not a minimalist (as you’ll see below), but I think we struck a good balance of what we needed with a few things that were nice to have. So if you’re interested, here is what we actually used for Hanky Pank and plan on using for Baby No. 2.

Nursery

• Crib – We choose to get a convertible crib for Hanky Pank. Although convertible cribs can be more expensive, I liked the idea that it could grow from a crib to a full-size bed. And because it is bigger, we still use it as a crib even though he’s almost 2 1/2. At this point, our plan is to get him a toddler bed once Baby No. 2 is ready for a crib. But someday I do plan to actually convert it!
  • Crib Mattress
  • Mattress Protector (2)
  • Sheets (2)
  • Tip: When making up the crib, layer the bedding (protector, sheet, protector, sheet). Then if there is an accident in the middle of the night, you can just strip off the first protector and sheet instead of having to remake the bed.
• Playards – In addition to our crib, we have a Graco Pack n’ Play. We travel quite a bit to see family and friends, as well as just take little trips, and the Pack n Play is perfect. For Baby No. 2, I’m planning to use the Pack n Play with the bassinet attachment for the first few months in our room. 
• Bassinet – We skipped the bassinet as we have a crib and Pack n Play with Bassinet Attachment. If we didn’t have the Pack n Play, I’d definitely get a bassinet to have the baby in our room the first few months. I still kind of want the Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper but I seriously don’t think we can fit any more sleepers in this house!
• Changing Table – We skipped buying a changing table. Instead my husband made a changing pad tray to sit on top of our existing dresser with a spot for the changing pad and another for diapers, wipes and such. 
  • Changing Pad
  • Changing Pad Covers (2)
  • Changing Pad Liners (6)
  • Tip: Layer chanding pad covers and liners. Similar to the crib, then if there is an accident, you can just pull off the first changing pad cover and liner.
• Rocker or Glider – I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t going to get a rocker or glider and it would have been a huge mistake. I happened to get our glider from a family member (it’s hideous but so comfy). I just didn’t realize how much time I’d spend breastfeeding so it’s important to have a comfy place to sit. In addition, when trying to get a newborn to sleep, it was nice to be able to rock instead of having to walk around.
• Monitor – We have both a video and audio monitor. We’ve rarely used the audio monitor. The best thing about having a video monitor is if Hanky Pank is stirring in his sleep, we could watch on the monitor for a minute or two to see if he’d fall back asleep instead of going in and potentially waking him up. 
• White Noise Machine – This is a must have for us. So much so that we take it with us when we travel. Even by plane. Initially it was just to help sooth Hanky Pank to sleep but an added benefit is it also helps block out any household noise once he is asleep.
• Nightlight

On the Go

• Car Seat – We have both an infant car seat with a detachable base and convertible car seat. If I had to choose one to start, I’d choose the infant car seat with a detachable base. Oftentimes Hanky Pank would fall asleep in the car. Instead of having to wake him up when we got to wherever we were going, we could just take the car seat out, snap it into our stroller, and be on our way without waking a sleeping baby. 
• Stroller – We have a Bob stroller that we use most of the time. It was a bit of a hard sell for my husband but he uses it more than I do. In order to use our infant seat with our stroller, we purchased an adapter. If we hadn’t went with the Bob stroller, I would have gotten the stroller that goes with the car seat. We also gave a cheap umbrella stroller for quick trips. 
• Tip: Definitely consider a travel system, which is a stroller with a car seat that come as a set, or a stroller with an adaptor for the car seat. It’s so helpful to just be able move the baby from the car to the stroller without having to unbuckle. 
• Backseat Mirror

Lounging at Home

• Loungers – We have a Swing that was really helpful in soothing Hanky Pank. We also had Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat, Bouncer, and Bumbo, all of which were given to us. I found the Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat and Bouncer useful but we ended up giving away the Bumbo.
• Jumperoo – We had a Jumperoo that Hanky Pank LOVED. It was a great place to put Hanky Pank once he was a little older that would actually keep him occupied for a solid chuck of time. Again, a downside is that it took up quite a bit of space, but at this point we were done using the swing.
• Play Mat 

Feeding

• Bottles – We used Dr. Browns bottles. In retrospect, I would have skipped getting 4 ounce bottles and only gotten 8 ounce bottles. Thes bottles have a lot of pieces so it’s helpful to have a dishwasher basket.
• Burp Clothes (10) – We got both burp clothes and receiving blankets. For Baby No. 2, I’m planning on just using receiving blankets. Burp clothes really aren’t big enough and receiving blankets can be used for all sorts of things.
• Pacifiers – We used the Smoothies Pacifiers as they were recommended by my lactation consultant.
• Pacifier Clip (2)
• Wubbanub – This one of our must haves. As a newborn, Hanky Pank would drop the pacifier then get upset until someone found the pacifier and popped it back in. What’s great about the Wubbanub is the little stuffed animal would sit on his chest and keep the pacifier near his mouth. Even if he dropped it he could usually get it back in on his own. Plus, it uses a Smoothies Pacifier. Hanky Pank stopped using the pacifier fairly early on but his Wubbanub quickly became his lovey. 
• Tip: Once Hanky Pank found a lovey, we ordered a few and started rotating them so they would become worn evenly. This way if one should get lost there are replacements.

Breastfeeding

• Nursing Pillow – I have both the My Brest Friend and Boppy nursing pillows. I really only used the My Brest Friend for nursing. Because it’s strapped on and has a stiff surface, both the pillow and baby stay in place. With the Boopy, I always felt like I was trying to hold both the pillow and baby in place, which was uncomfortable. I do still used the Boopy for tummy time and sitting, but I wouldn’t miss it if I didn’t have it.
• Nursing Pads
• Nursing Cream
• Nursing Bras

Pumping

• Breast Pump – I have the Medela Pump in Style Advanced Starter Set. This was the pump available for free through insurance, but I had the option to upgrade to the Medela Pump in Style Advanced with On the Go Tote or Backpack. The starter set came with the breast pump (obviously), AC adaptor, battery pack, breast shields, breast shield connectors, valves, tubing, and milk bottles. I think the On the Go Tote and Backpack also came with a cooler bag, ice pack, and a few extra bottles. 
• Extra Milk Bottles – Before buying extra milk bottles, check and see if your bottles fit the connectors. For example, my Dr. Browns bottle fit the Medela Breast Shield Connectors so there was no need to buy Medela Milk Bottles.
• Pumping Bra – If you’re planning to pump quite a bit, it’s worth it to get a nice pumping bra. The Simple Wishes bra was a little more than I wanted to spend, but it ended up being so worth it. It’s comfortable and the overlapping layers make it easy to remove the shields. 
• Extra Pump Parts – Again, if you’re planning pump quite a bit, it’s worth getting an extra set of pump parts (just the breast shields, connectors, and values). This way you can throw one set in dishwasher but still have another available to use.
• Storage Bags

Diapering

• Diapers and Wipes – It feels like we’ve used a million diapers and wipes. For Hanky Pank, I had a whole diaper stockpile before he was even born. For Baby No. 2, I just picked up a box of newborn diapers and wipes.
• Diaper Cream
• BabyBum Brush – This is a must have for me. It’s a little spatula to apply diaper cream. Obviously I could use my hand or a wipe, but I HATE products in my hands, whether it’s hair product or diaper cream. 
• Diaper Pail – We skipped the fancy diaper pail. For wet diapers, we use a garage can with liners. For dirty diapers, we use disposable diaper bags and put them in a garbage can right outside the back door and empty into the trash bin at the end of the day. 

Bath Time

• Infant Tub
• Hooded Towels (3) – I went waayyy overboard on hooded towels. In retrospect, just a few would have been enough…
• Washcloths (5) – Same here.
• Baby Wash
• Baby Lotion

Clothes

• Onesies (6-8) – Onesies with shoulder flaps were a must for us. The shoulder flaps make it easy to get the onesies over the head, but also take it off by pulling it down in case of a blow out.
• Sleepers (6-8) – Sleepers with zippers were another must for us. It’s so much easier to just zip up a sleeper in the middle of night instead of trying to snap a million little buttons that always seem to get off by one.
• Pants (5-6)
• Tops (5-6)
• Hats (3)
• Socks (4-6)
• Swaddles – We bought both Halo SleepSack Swaddles and aden + anais swaddle blankets. We ended just using the SleepSacks. It was way easier to get the baby swaddled and the zipper at the bottom made it so we could change diapers without having undo the swaddle. I do still love the swaddle blankets and used them for other things, such as a play mat and nursing cover, but also wouldn’t miss them if we hadn’t gotten them. 
• Sleep Sack – Once we were done with swaddles, we used Baby in a Bag sleep sacks. They’re basically wearable blankets to keep Hanky Pank warm without using a loose blanket. They also have both summer and winter models.

Health

• Healthcare and Grooming Kit
• Thermometer
• Humidifier
• Infant Tylenol

Phew, this was a little longer than I expected! But it’s helped me figure out what I need to restock before Baby No. 2 arrives. And hopefully it can help you!