When I got my pregnant with my first baby I had no idea how to prepare. I didn’t know anything about babies. My husband knew more simply because he had been around babies his whole life. The only thing I knew was the little I saw from my sister and her baby who lived hundreds of miles away. Now that my son is 15 months old, and I have evolved and improved as a mother, I wish my younger self had some guidance on what to actually put on a baby registry. Here are some of my favorites and can’t live without as a “crunchy” mom.
First is cloth diapers. I thought I would be the person to never use cloth diapers. It sounded gross to me. And it just seemed like a lot of work. Plus why do all this unecessary work when disposables are easy to use. Now, I realize how many chemicals the biggest diaper companies use in their diapers. I chose to cloth diaper because it is healthier for babies and it helps them learn their body’s functions when potty training. But of course not all cloth diapers are the same. Esembly’s diapers are 100% organic cotton and they have a simple to use system so cloth diapering doesn’t have to be so daunting.
But of course sometimes you need disposables. Especially in the early postpartum days when you don’t have the energy to be doing so much laundry. My favorite nontoxic diapers are coterie. They are super soft and absorbant.
Esembly has a diaper cream as part of their system but I started with primally pure and loved it so much, I was not willing to switch over. Primally pure’s baby balm is perfect for diaper rashes but also works great as a nipple cream if breastfeeding. Or for dry skin anywhere on the body.
Burp cloths are a must. You can never have enough of these. I love these burts bees burp cloths because they are 100% organic cotton so you ensure no harmful chemicals are touching your baby’s skin. They are also super soft and absorbant.
As a first time mom, I had a really hard time swaddling my baby. I just couldn’t get the hang of it and my baby would break free every time. I tried many different kinds of swaddles and these are the only ones that was easy enough to use and my baby wouldn’t break free immediately. It also made the transition to a sleep sack super easy. These are also 100% organic cotton which I love.
Wearable blamkets are great for keeping baby warm once they are out of swaddles. These are 100% organic cotton. They come in lots of cute colors and different weights to choose from depending on the time of year.
Choosing a good sunscreen is essential to staying healthy. This sunscreen is gentle and effective on baby without all the harmful chemicals.
If you haven’t heard of homeopathy yet, I urge you to go learn about it. I’ve been using homeopathy for two years now and I haven’t had to go to the doctor for invasive treatments anymore. One of my favorites is using chamomilla 30c for when my baby is teething.
Goat milk stuff unscented soap
I started looking for a gentler alternative to traditional baby wash because my baby was having a lot of dry skin. I read that goat milk soap has helped a lot of people with issues such as eczema so I decided to give it a shot. I used this in conjunction with their stick lotions and that made his dry skin go away completely. I’ll never go back. Now my whole family uses this soap.
I absolutely loved this mat. It is one of the few things we splurged on for our baby. It truly grows with your baby. He used it for tummy time at first, then learn to swat at the toys, play with the different stations, and even the sheet for making a fort. It is made of high quality materials and I know its going to last through multiple babies.
This is the other thing we splurged on. We use this as a high chair since our apartment is too small for a traditional high chair. It really saves us space. What really sets this chair apart from others though, is that it helps and not hinders their hip development.
Elk and Friends Porcelain Plates
There are so many options for baby plates but most of them are either silicone or plastic, neither of which are ideal. The silicone absorbs the smells of foods and plastic you can’t put in a microwave. These porcelain plates are microwave and dishwasher safe. They also have suction that actually works to keep them in place, which is super important for me because my baby likes to constantly lift up his plate.
These cups are great because it brings a lid with a straw and a normal lid. This makes it easy to use for drinks or snacks. I absolutely love these!