A List of Baby Essentials and One Thing to Do Without

A family member, who has a 2-bedroom New York City apartment just asked me for a pared-down list of must-have baby items, since she’s tight on space.

Since Babies ‘R Us just released the Fall/Winter Baby Gear Book, I thought this might make an interesting column, for those looking to register for baby items, or if you’re buying baby gifts for others. I’m not going to address car seats or strollers, because it's like buying a car-every person goes in wanting a different look, with their own price point in mind.

I have two kids, a 10-month-old and a 3-year-old, a love for shopping and an interest in research, so here’s my advice:

Don’t buy a changing table. Sure, they’re cute, but you can just put a changing pad on top of a dresser-babies outgrow this item too quickly and furniture is (in my opinion) a longer-term purchase. You just need one of these and a few covers like this.

If you’re planning on having more than one child, buy gender-neutral colors and styles.

Now, onto my list of 18 necessities—I put in links to Babies ‘R Us with items the same as or similar to what I have:

1.  A Bouncy Seat. You need a place to put the baby down.
2.  Bumbo seat or Bebe Pod, I have the latter—from around 6 weeks up you use them. Perfect for feeding, sitting up and taking to grandma’s house.
3.  A high chair—one that isn’t big and clunky is best, with a plastic cover, not a fabric cover, so you can wipe it clean and don’t have to take it apart to wash it. My baby plays it in while I cook, eats in it, etc. Up until I had the baby, my 2 ½ year-old toddler was still sitting in it. Buy one with legs, that is self-standing not one that sits on chairs, since the ones that sit on chairs only fit on certain size seats (difficult to fit on breakfast bar stools).
4.  A Boppy Pillow with an extra fabric cover. Great for nursing, or later for propping the baby up.
5.  Fisher Price Rock & Play Bassinet—Tiny bassinet that kids love. The reviews are amazing on this. It is inclined, so kids with digestion issues are happier. It rocks. It folds up into a tiny space and you can travel with it easily. My youngest had fits when I put this away, and finally got her into the crib.
6.  Homedica Spa Sound Lullaby Machine. People don’t call them "Baby Crack Machines" for nothing. Highly addictive. Great for blocking out household noise. We have one in both kids’ rooms.
7.  A crib toy like this. Babies and toddlers love them. They will play with that for a while sometimes before waking you up.
8.  California Baby Wash. It smells good and it’s all natural.
9.  Some kind of a sling. I prefer the cloth ones, since I find too many straps and buckles so confusing as to make it not worth the effort.
10.   A shopping cart cover that also covers high chairs in restaurants.
11.   Plastic bibs that wipe clean, with a wide pocket that traps liquids. These can be used for toddlers as they eat messier things like spaghetti and it catches everything before it hits the floor.
12.   A swing. I’ve tried different ones and the motors on them went (Fisher Price papasan was the first one to go-pretty, but not well made). This brand was best.
13.   Diapers. Pampers are best, Luvs are a close second. Join Amazon Mom and buy online. They’re cheaper and free delivery. You’ll most likely need newborn for at least a month and a half, so you can buy one big pack of newborn, then move to size one after that. You can buy wipes there, too. Wipes last forever, in their original packaging, so buy a great big box and always keep some on hand, so you never run out.
14. Buy the Summer Infant Video Monitor. If you have a second baby, you can use the same system and add an extra camera in the other child's room. Ours works great and it’s been over 3 years of daily use (and, I hate to jinx it, but the same rechargeable battery, too).
15. Buy at least three of these swaddle wraps. I used them every night for the first 2-3 months.
16.   You’ll need a small space heater for your bathroom, most likely. Babies like to be very warm. I also used it in the kitchen when I put the tub in the sink.
17.   This is a great bathtub. The sling comes out when the baby gets bigger, so it lasts for a long time.
18.   You’ll quickly need an umbrella stroller. I love the Combi—it weighs just 15 lbs and folds up super tiny. We always take it when we travel.

There are some Babies ‘R Us coupons available.
20 percent off a regular priced baby purchase
$8 off Huggies diapers and wipes

If you have recommendations or comments, please post them!