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You’re a new mom or mommy to be and are overwhelmed with all the baby products on the market?  You just can’t decide what to get? 

I feel you mama. I have been there too. Well, I guess as every new mom I got way too many baby essentials.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the baby gear and nursery must-haves out there, which claim to make your life easier.

That’s why I came up with a list of products which I used and some of them I’m actually still using ( my son is two). Those products made my life as a first-time mom much easier and did even fit in my little studio.

For a better overview, I decided to do a six days series of my top baby products that make the first year easier. 

I only recommend products that I  use and trust.

Day 1: Baby Gear Plus Nursery

Day 2: On The Go With The Baby

Day 3: Feeding Essentials

Day 4: Diaper Essentials

Day 5: Bath Essentials

Day 6: Playtime

Today I would like to talk about baby gear and the nursery

Well before I get started I would like to let you know that my son Mika and I are sharing a studio,  which means space is limited. I needed to come up with a solution for the both of us.

This is also the reason why I have just a few things in Mika’s nursery.  But I believe it’s a good idea to focus on the most important and necessary things anyways.

Ok mommy, let’s get started with our first list.

Basically, all you really need in a nursey is a storage for all the baby clothes and stuff, a crib, a baby swing, and a place to change your baby. If you have enough space, which I didn’t,  I would also recommend a chair or an armchair to feed your baby. I did it on my couch as it was close to my son’s crib.

Crib: For Mika’s nursery, I got a convertible crib from IKEA. The base can be set at three highs and the good news is it grows with your child as you can remove the sides. I love this crib and am very satisfied with my choice.

For bedding, I got a mattress, a waterproof mattress pad, and three sets of sheets. I would also recommend a nightlight, I have three nightlights above the crib a star, a moon, and a cloud. I used it for the late night feeding and diaper changing and now before bedtime for reading. 

Drawer dresser: I use a 4 drawer dresser as a storage for all the baby clothes and for the diaper essentials. The first drawer I use for all diaper essentials and the other three for clothes.  

I would also recommend using either a box with compartments or small boxes for a better organization and an overview of baby clothes. On the top of the drawer dresser, I had a changing pad and I got two changing pad covers.

The majority from Mika’s nursery came from IKEA, I’m just in love with Ikea and their stuff and the prices are great as well.

Baby swing: Our baby swing from Fisher-Price was my life saver many many times 🙂 I have to admit Mika did not like it at first. But when he turned two weeks, something magical happens and he fell in love with the swing. I used it for naps and playtime. He enjoyed the music, the toys and the swing of course, 😀 Meanwhile I could get ready, cook, and much more. 

Swaddling: How to get your baby to sleep and awaken less. The answer is swaddling. I’m so grateful for the tip from my mom. Swaddling is the key. Thanks to swaddling my son slept really good and I could get some rest during the day and night.

Isn’t it awesome? As we all need some rest especially in the first few weeks with a newborn.  Am I right mommy?!  So give it a try. 

You either can swaddle your baby by yourself as I did, or you can get a swaddle wrap. I swaddled my son for the first three months and then I changed to a sleeping bag. 

According to Go Mama Go designs: „Swaddled babies sleep twice as long when swaddled. Are less prone to colic and fussiness. Are less startled and awaken less. Sleep through the night sooner. Recognize earlier efforts to soothe them“.

Humidifier: A humidifier is our lifesaver and the best investment ever. Unfortunately, my son has Pseudocroup (laryngitis subglottic). When he has a very bad cold he has pseudocroup attacks and the humidifier helps a lot and makes a huge difference.

It was a recommendation from my podiatrist and I am so grateful for this. In general is a big helper when it comes to colds so I can only recommend it. It’s also great during the winter time.

Baby playpen:  Even though I have only a small studio I still decided to go for a white wooden baby playpen and can only recommend it as it makes life so much easier. The playpen provides plenty of room for safe play for your baby. It’s also very practical and helps you to organize your daily routine with a baby.

My playpen base could be set at three highs. I used it from the beginning until my son started to crow. After starting crawling he didn’t like to stay in there anymore.  

There are three types of common baby playpens. The traditional wooden playpens, the colored plastic playpens, and the metal structured and fabric – sided playpens. Just choose which one you like more and what matches with the house decoration. 

Door jumper: That was another great investment. The good thing is you can move the jumper from room to room and it’s super easy to fix it on the door.

It’s really practical

• your baby is entertained
• you have an eye on your baby
• you can get things done as your hands are free

The door jumper is safe and there are several versions of a jumper. I went for a simple one and was quite happy. You can start using it from month 4.

Pacifier: Our pacifier was actually a gift of a friend of mine and I’m so grateful for this. Surely the Natursutton pacifier is not the prettiest one.  And believe me, I was asked so many times what kind of pacifier this is and why it’s so huge and ugly?!

Well if I would get a dollar every time I was asked this question I would be rich by now lol 😀

This pacifier is a 100% natural rubber and ist chemical free. It’s made from the Hevea brasiliensis tree. It is available in a variety of nipple designs. We got the rounded one and what can I say my son loved them from day one.

They’re not only good to calm down the baby but also a lifesaver during the teething period. As the whole pacifier is out of rubber the baby can use it as a teether as well. I would recommend to replace it every 8 to 10 weeks. 

Pacifier clip: Our wooden pacifier clip was also a gift and we even got a personalized one and I really love it. I can only recommend getting one. Thanks to the clip you have the pacifier always on your hands when needed. 

Grooming Kit: I would recommend getting all-in-one healthcare and grooming kit to have all necessary essentials in one case at home and on the go.

My last product for today’s list is a gymnastic ball.

Gymnastic Ball: I used the ball already during my pregnancy for pregnant workouts and stretch against back pain.

When my son was born I used it from day one to help him to fall asleep. Especially in the first three months, it was such a lifesaver it helped him to fall asleep faster. 

Now he’s two and he still loves to bounce on the ball either by himself or with me. I would recommend getting a small one as it’s much more comfortable than a big one. 

Here you go, mommy

This is my must-have baby gear and nursery essentials for the first year. I hope this list is helpful and give you a good overview. 

Let me know your opinion and your essentials and the comments. I would appreciate your help and hope you pin me 🙂