Updated July 26, 2017

When I found out I was pregnant with Maisy I poured over resources. I blame college. Before college I went with my gut. Before college I didn’t have to scour reviews and professional resources just to buy something like a bib. I laugh at myself. I tell myself to stop. But I don’t. I keep on researching and what could have taken 10 minutes to purchase eats up 2 hours of my time. The products of my research are some great buys. For all the green and/or natural mommies out there I now divulge the products of that research. My hope is that maybe this can be your one stop shop! Yes, every baby is different, but not this kind of different. If your heart aligns with mine, even most of the way, then you should feel super duper great about purchasing ALL the items below and/or putting them on your registry – I wholeheartedly believe that each of these items will be a guaranteed favorite of yours. If you get all these items into your arsenal at the time specified you will progress through early parenthood without a hiccup. (Ok so you’ll feel some bumps but not because you were unprepared!)

Now to share my heart. I have a few #1 goals in life: one, to use my time wisely by choosing to love those I’ve been given to love to the very best of my ability and to work hard along the way; two, to live simply; three, to be a good steward of the things God has given me. I seek honor all of these goals in my walk through motherhood as well as in general life.

Be a good steward of the things God has given you. What global issue concerns you the most? For me, it’s our environment. This major conviction to serve God by serving the environment causes me to pursue things like cloth diapering, hanging my clothes out to dry, growing my own food as much as possible, buying local food when I can’t grow it, supporting only the businesses that do their best to serve the bettering of the environment (see Better World Shopping Guide, it changed my life), composting, recycling, sourcing my goods from sustainable vendors, to not live in excess and only obtain only the things I really need, and not eating animal byproducts that cruelly treat the animals or harm the environment.

Live simply. I spent 5 months living with a host family while studying in Africa. For me, that opened my eyes to the excess that litters the homes of Americans. Because of this, I strive to have less. To have only what I need. And when it comes to a baby you’ll find the faze is so short that it is a massive waste of time and space to buy more than you really need because they only use it for a short while!

And now, for the list! All of these items deserve some words of explanation as to why they are so awesome but in the interest of keeping the list as simple as possible I’ve only made simple notes where needed and will write separate blog posts for items like cloth diapers. It is also possible I forgot something here so if that is the case you can expect an update when I realized the forgotten item.

Some of the items listed below are pictured in these pictures above!

Special items for the Birth

These are the most useful for a home birth but are also great to have for a hospital birth while you’re laboring at home.

aroma therapy diffuser and essential oils
birth ball
birth tub (there are professional resources that run you about $200 but I just bought THIS ONE)

For You

three nursing bras (don’t buy these until you last month of pregnancy or they will be too small for nursing!)
dozens of Bamboobies nursing day pads
a dozen of Bamboobies nursing night pads

For your Newborn

car seat with stroller
dozens of flannel cloth wipes (easy to make too, an awesome friend made all of mine)
9 Best Bottoms diaper covers
21 Best Bottoms small microfiber inserts
4-5 Best Bottoms small hemp inserts (for doubling)
several prefolds old style (use for burp cloths now and potty training accidents later)
2-3 bottles
electric breast pump (for the working moms especially, check to see if your insurance covers this, mine covered 80% of the cost)
Dr Bronners unscented soap (for bathing and homemade wipes)
olive oil (for mild diaper rashes)
coconut oil (for lotion)
Boudreaux’s Butt Paste or other natural zinc oxide ointment (for bad diaper rash)
1 hooded towel
1 pack of Norwex Bamboo Baby Washcloth Wipes
baby brush and comb
baby nail clippers or scissors
waterproof/wipeable changing pad
ring sling (easy to make or find at a natural baby store)
moby wrap (easy to make or find at a natural baby store)
diaper pail
reusable diaper pail liner
mild laundry soap (Seventh Generation is the best all around brand for baby needs!)
rectal thermometer
infant acetaminophen
crib (we got a mini crib for naps, she slept with us at night in our bed, and Maisy transitioned to a twin mattress on the floor at 11-months-old)
rocking chair (as cozy as possible, we used a hand-me-down lazy boy rocker)
diaper bag (though you could just just a backpack or larger purse you already have)
two waterproof crib mattress covers
two fitted crib sheets
hearing protection (espeically if daddy is in a band but their also useful for church, fireworks, or any number of loud outings you might find yourself at)
pack n play (travel crib)
back seat mirror
baby monitor (although if you’re in an apartment or only have one floor you may not need one)

For your Baby 3 – 6 months old

amber bead necklace
3 Miracle Swaddle blankets (the only way Maisy would go down for a nap with out a fight, she’s just so squirmy!)
1 pacifier (we had one like THIS, it was awesome because we never lost it and it would stay in her mouth while she was in her carseat)
walker or bouncer (something like THIS gave Maisy mobility so she could follow me from room to room as she pleased but Penny preferred a bouncer)
buckle carrier (the Lilliebaby is my favorite because it does everything and is affordable)

For your Baby 6 – 12 months old

21 Best Bottoms large microfiber inserts
4-5 Best Bottoms large hemp inserts (for doubling)
cloth bibs
spoons and forks (3-4 each)
3-4 cups
Bumbo + tray (loved mine for eating beginners)
high chair
sippy cup (a straw cup tends to be the easiest transition for the breastfed baby)

For your Baby 12 – 24 months old

2 wipeable/washable bibs
booster seat
underwear (Maisy was completely potty trained by 19 months and could have gone for sooner)
potty chair
potty books

Seasonal needs

snow suit
fleece body suit
sun hat
winter (ear covering) hat
warm blanket
swim suit
reusable swim diapers

*My next post will be specifically on cloth diapering. It’s seriously amazing but it did take a bit to narrow in on the best choices for fit, function, cleaning, and otherwise caring for them! For now, I will say that my recommended options was a good enough supply to last me 3-4 days between needing to launder them. You actually don’t want much more than that because you need to wash the diapers that often anyways to keep them in the best shape. As for the specific recommendation of the Bumgenius diaper covers and Softbums super pods inserts… I agonized over a nighttime diaper solution that didn’t leak and could (at least most often) last all night. I’ve come to find a lot of cloth diaperers actually use disposables overnight because of this, but I was stubborn and determined! Every other cover I tried leaked because the trim along the edges sopped up pee eventually and every other insert simply didn’t hold enough pee. For day time diapers my recommendation for parents that will need care for their baby or simply want the easiest option out there, I recommend Best Bottoms. For the full time or most-of-the-time stay at home mom or dad you can go for a cheaper option and choose a diaper cover you like, though I recommend Thirsties dua wrap covers, and just buy prefolds to fill your arsenal. They are dual purpose too, diapering and spit up rags.

Each of these items I listed I had many reasons why they were amazing. I’m not a mom that wants any more than I need, especially because of clutter and cost. With this list you’ll have it all! I promise, you’ll have no shortage of clothing or toys, friends and family love buying these!