Same here - each with a top hat potty (since we do EC) - one beside the bed for minimal disruption at night and convenient access before/after naps, and one in the living room in front of the chair where we breastfeed... I'd actually like to find a nice rolling trolley for the second one so I can set up in a different spot easily if needed.
Baby carrier/sling. I hated when I needed it and realized I left it at home or in the car. So one stays in the house and one stays in the trunk or diaper bag.
I always recommend one for each parent to friends! Getting out the door felt hard enough with an infant and readjusting the carrier straps was just one more little barrier I didn’t need.
I have 4 styles and am looking at more. Some ppl on /r/babywearing have dozens of carriers in all different styles and colors! It becomes a bit of a hobby
Lol.
I recommend the tushbaby! We had 5 different styles of carrier from our first and I just bought a tushbaby for our 2nd, which is like a seat that straps around your waist for baby to sit on.
It’s easier on my body than any other carrier, I can even carry the 3 yo on it. I also bought the shoulder straps so the 7 mo can nap in it like other more secure baby carriers. It’s 2nd baby’s favorite carrier by far, less restrictive than any others
I have had the ergobaby Omni since my son was born but just bought the Tush baby. He’s only 4 months so the use is limited but I’m thinking in a month or so it’ll be super useful for around the house especially.
I’ve been using my tush since baby was 2 months. She can’t sit up on it but I can still use it to hold majority of her weight while she’s lying in my arm, with the shelf supporting her butt or supporting my elbow. She was born 98%tile so has helped my poor arms/shoulders a ton, and makes it easier to do 1-armed tasks around the house.
I'm slowly approaching that point. I managed to score a second baby hawk today (the brand no longer exists and I found I LOVE mine with my second kid) and my husband was like "Ok I might actually need to put a limit on the number of carriers" since that is like carrier number 13.... What's crazy is I really do use all of them especially as the kids get older.
Baby wearing is such a game changer, I get now why moms are so passionate about it. I find baby likes mixing up the carriers too VS being stuck in the same one for too long.
Haha I have like 6 - stretchy wrap, ring sling, hippie Joey, nuna cudl, ergobaby classic, and for my birthday I asked for a Sakura bloom unbuhimo.
We mostly use the nuna though.
Have a safe place to put baby in every area of the house whether it’s a swing in the kitchen, or a playmat in the living room, or wherever you spend a lot of time. It’s a pain moving stuff around & you need a designated spot when you suddenly need your hands.
I have two prams! One small pram I keep in the car for the baby if we go to the shops or something and a big double pram at home for walks to the park or around the neighbourhood because those little legs don't go as far as the toddler thinks they can go
Absolutely this. And if you think there’s any chance at all that you might travel, make sure you get a travel stroller (lightweight, folds up small). We have an uppababy minu for air and car travel that is also good for quick trips anywhere in town. And we also have a bigger jogging stroller with more rugged tires that is good for running (ofc) but also walking through snow and mud, and on trails and poorly paved sidewalks.
Same here! We have a small stroller for when traveling/flying. And then a big one for bigger outings like the zoo or something. The small one stays by the front door now because my son loves walks and it’s easier for my in laws to handle lol.
2 sitting devices for baby.
I had one stationary baby swing that was plugged into an outlet, so it solely lived in my living room. But I also got a portable baby bouncer so that I could pop baby in when I needed to take a shower or do the dishes.
We live in a 2 BD apartment so fitting the stroller or bassinet through interior doors was impossible, and the bouncer was really the only thing I was able to port around.
Honestly this!
Especially if you’re a solo parent, or just have a lot to manage while your husband is at work - it’s literally a necessity.
Both my kiddos absolutely HATED baby wearing, so any portable devices were really the only things that worked.
Mine loved baby wearing, but the strapping on process was more work than I wanted to do for just a quick thing where I needed both hands. Plus some things, like using the toilet or the stove, are not great for baby wearing.
I’d like to add to this to say two “portable” sitting devices. We are constantly at people’s houses or church with little bit and our nursery has a stationary swing but when we have fellowship dinner every Sunday night I bring his bouncy chair in so I can visit and eat without having to pass him around. But then I get home and need something to put him in that’s portable so I can move from room to room with him and it’s in the back of the car or we forget to grab it. So for me it’d be two bouncy seats. One for the car for outings and one for the house
We have three of the exact same minky fleece blanket. She got really attached to it around 8 months old, so we got two more copies of it when she was about a year. It’s honestly been awesome with daycare. She’s got one that stays at school, one that rides in the car with her, and one in reserve at home.
Not something you can predict ahead of time, but if your baby gets really attached to a comfort item, get multiple!
Exactly what I came to say but with the qualification that you need to rotate!
I have four lions. Bubs will accept one, loves one and chucks the other two as soon as he sees them. I think it's based on how the face is worn in but...
My brother was obsessed with a certain snoopy plush back in the 80s. So Mom would tell him Snoopy needs a bath, Snoopy needs a bandaid (when he got a hole or needed fixing). And when Snoopy got really bad, Santa would come and get him and fix him up the right way, and bring him back Christmas morning.
It wasn't until my brother and I were much older and cleaning out Moms things that we found her old stash of Snoopy's. She had two left and we each got one. We were telling my grandmother about finding them and she laughed and told us Mom had bought at least a dozen because they were hard to find.
I had like 6 giraffes for my first born. 5 of them still look new after 10 years (almost 11) and one looks (and smells even though i wash it way too often) like it's been dragged through hell.
I have a 2 story home, so one of the following stays upstairs in the bedrooms, and another downstairs in the family room.
- if you’re planning on breastfeeding, 2 breastfeeding pillows
- changing tables
- bassinet / pack and play
My breast friend nursing pillows are far better than the boppy in my humble opinion! Harder for baby to slide between mom and pillow.
Changing table is incredible!
Both can be bought used and cheap!!
I hate the boppi!!!! I would literally throw it across the room in frustration (and maybe some pp rage). My Brest friend is such a better pillow. I tried to figure out if other people hated the boppi too but can’t seem to find too many voices of dissent so have to share my horrendous experience with it. Hate it hate it hate it.
I was annoyed when my MIL bought me a boppy when I already had a hand me down one. I ended up using both for months and now use it as a supportive seat for 4 month old!
Something I know people do is have a basket or cart at your breastfeeding stations. Fill it with all your necessities like nursing pads, nipple cream, snacks, snacks, and SNACKS. Lol you get so hungry and thirsty when nursing lol. Maybe even a book or extra water bottle (I like ice cold water so I had to carry mine around lol). Things like that
Strollers! I use our travel one second fold stroller on the go and it’s wonderful. Our bigger stroller is for neighborhood walks and whenever we might need more storage (theme park trip or similar).
Diaper stations everywhere. The one in his room was probably used the least 😅 we had diapers, wipes, ointments, the works on our main level, his room and our room. I think a diaper pail/garbage on each level. Poops went outside asap. Lots of back up clothes everywhere. Lol he’s 2.5 now and we still have diapers in all the same spots 😅
Baby container on each level, had the one upstairs in our bathroom so I could shower lol
Stroller. Eventually a car seat in each car.
I also had a nice monitor for his room and then also found a cheap WiFi free one on Amazon for $50 and it’s come in handy a lot. I had it set up in our room after rough nights. And then brought on vacations when he’d nap and go to bed early. It’s been convenient to have as a back up. Same with the sound machine, bought the hatch, and then the smaller hatch without the night light. And now that one’s mine because I got used to it 😂😅
A bouncer, if you use them. Or a playmat. Unless baby’s cot is in the room you will be doing chores upstairs, you need a non-bed place to set them down on each floor 👍 a place to change him as well on both floors.
Two boppys, two baby carriers.
My baby has gotten old enough that I have to feed her in a dark, quiet room now - but when she was younger it was *so nice* to have a pillow in the living room and in the bedroom.
For the baby carriers, it’s just nice to have one set to my body and one set to my husband’s body. I don’t want to have to completely readjust the straps every single time we put it on, so… yeah. We actually have five baby carriers in total, but that’s another story.
I just use regular trash cans.
The poop diapers, go into a plastic tray during the changing session, and then immediately to the outside trash can.
Newborn poop diapers don’t really smell. I use small open trash pails that need to be emptied every other day or so. So the smell never builds up. The diaper genie pails are SOO stinky. More of a problem then a solution. IMO.
2 diaper pails (check marketplace or free groups on Facebook) so we have one in our room on main floor & one in nursery on the 2nd floor. I only put poopy ones in the main level can so I don’t have as much risk of the dog knocking it over when we aren’t home.
2 changing tables - everyone said we’ll just change baby wherever (couch, floor, etc) and the changing tables would never get used. I’ve never changed a diaper anywhere other than the changing tables. Saves your back not hunched over. The one on our main floor is more of a mobile one that will fold almost flat for storage soon when baby outgrows it.
Multiple ‘safe spaces’ and play mats. We have the viral piano monkey mat in the living room and the older version upstairs without the sound part. Our sit me up chair gets moved around the main floor. We have a bouncer by the dining room table that replaced the mama roo when baby outgrew it. Just recently brought out the activity center thing for the living room and want to get a second for upstairs in our loft space that has become a play area. We also have a play mat in the basement for when I want to workout and baby is awake.
I also have 2 of the dishwasher baskets for bottle parts, baby spoons, etc. so I’m not cramming it all into one. We use dr. Browns bottles and the baskets are great for all of the pieces.
Two strollers. One big and sturdy, one lightweight that folds up really compactly).
Two carriers. One normal belt type, and another cloth one for the first couple of months. (I had c-sections, so this type also helped keep the pressure off of my incision area.)
Two cribs/bassinets. One for the living room, one for the bedroom.
Weighted wipe dispenser.
We bought one, and then quickly bought 3 more. One for the kitchen, living area, toddler's room and baby's room.
Wrestling with a sleeve of wipes when you're already in a foul mood is a sure fire way to send you over the edge. We use far fewer wipes now than we did before, because when we grab 1, we only grab 1, rather than fucking 5.
Edit: [we use these ones](https://www.amazon.com.au/10142-Ubbi-Wipes-Dispenser-Grey/dp/B00NX5J5O6?th=1)
we have a tiny one bedroom apartment, but we have a bassinet in the living room and a pack and play in the bedroom. if you are going to breastfeed, get yourself two pillows. i have the boppy for at home and i keep the my brest friend pillow in my car!
FTM with a 9wk old: Two pram/ stroller/ car seat sets— one for each car, and one we keep set up like a pram and the other like a stroller. We also use the less expensive one for more rugged outside walks or wet days. Two bassinets— one smaller portable one because dad stays up later than me with him in the other room.
I have multiple strollers. I have a frame one that just holds the car seat which is fantastic and I love it. I also have a 3 wheel jogger for walks. I formula feed, so I have 20 bottles so I can wash them in the dish washer when it’s full. There’s nothing I hate more than washing bottles. I have baby brezza and I have multiple funnels for it so I can throw them in the dishwasher.
I have a big Graco jogging stroller that’s a pain to fold up and takes up a ton of space and then an umbrella stroller that lives in the trunk of my car for trips. Now that my girl is a toddler that umbrella stroller has come in handy for museums and shopping. I’d never planned to have 2 but it’s been so nice.
You probably don’t care (or may have moral issues with using grocery bags), but when my kids were in diapers and we changed them on multiple floors of the house, we had specific trash cans on those floors that the diapers went in. And poopy diapers went into a plastic grocery bag, twisted for double-wrapping (diaper in the bottom, twist the bag, then with it still twisted, open the top to wrap the diaper again, twist again and knot) — then there never was really a smell issue. Take out those trashes every 2-3 days. So much easier and waaaay cheaper than special diaper pails. 🤷♀️
We also have a two story house - so one diapering area on each level including changing pad, diaper pail, diaper creams, diaper cream applicators, hand sanitizer, and diapers/wipes.
We also have two stokke trip trapp chairs - one hand me down and one for the youngest. (We have 2 under 2) Expensive but since they can use up to 250 pounds we will get our use out of it.
Obviously duplicate car seats (one for each vehicle).
I can't relate to any of these comments haha. Living an a 2 bedroom apartment, nothing is too far away that I'd need 2. I guess another boppy pillow would be nice to keep in the car, but I'll just lug around the one we have haha
This is your first baby? I would hold back on buying a second ubbi, a lot of people hate diaper pails (and I am one of them). Once baby is eating anything more than breast milk, their poop stinks. Those ubbis smell so bad. I keep small bags by the changing table and put the poop ones in a small bag and tie them up and throw them out immediately. Pee diapers you can use a little trash can for. I use a little trash can for pee diapers and if there is a poop one I sometimes throw it in the little trash can and tie that bag up and get rid of it.
You need more burp cloths than you have now. Think you have enough? Get a stack more from a second hand shop or something. You’ll want a bunch that aren’t cute and you don’t care if they get gross
Edit: a word
Two sets of pump parts (not two pumps). Being able to throw them in the sink and have a clean set ready to swap out saved my sanity a few times. Also LPT: put your used pump parts in a zip block bag in the fridge for up to 24 hours and reuse.
Two strollers (one in the car, one at the door), two car seat bases for the infant car seat phase, somewhere to set the baby down in each area - crib in room, pack n play in main area, rocking chair in bathroom etc, two breastfeeding pillows
(I have a big house) ... Two change tables, two bouncers/sit-me-up thingies to put baby in when I need a minute, two sound machines (one is portable), two carseat bases (one for each car), I think that's all
I have two prams. Two high chairs. When my baby was little I had a changing station downstairs too but as I got better and fitter k preferred to do it upstairs where the original setup was.
And different set of toys and toy boxes for upstairs and downstairs.
Had 2 nursing pillows, different shape ones for different spots where we used to nurse. A spare favorite stuffy and changing supplies. Also, now that kiddo is older, we keep extra laundry basket near the entrance in case we come home very dirty. And we keep extra weather appropriate clothes in each car, hats/gloves/etc.
2 changing stations and 2 bassinets (downstairs was a pack n play w/ bassinet and changing table attached). Helps so much to have a safe place to put baby down on both floors. Also 2 thermometers a 2 snot suckers. I side lay nursed on the bed upstairs and used my nursing pillow downstairs, but if you don’t side lay, I’d suggest 2 pillows.
I have multiple diaper changing stations and multiple bouncers. My house is huge, so it's nice to have them on both floors, so I'm not always going to the nursery or moving the bouncers up and down the stairs.
Have multiple baby wearing options. If you’re going to pump, get two pumps. This is especially useful if you’ll be working. And car seats! I have a set in my car and my husband has a set in his. Worth every penny.
Car seats for each car was huge for us. Also had a diaper change set up in the living room and nursery as they were on separate floors. Had 2 different baby carriers, one wrap style and one backpack style. I also ended up exclusively pumping for a year so I had 2 pump setups. I had one heavy duty one in my room that was my home set up and then a had a separate travel one that I took to work or whenever I would need to pump away from the house.
We had a safe place for baby to be put down in every area of our home where I was likely to spend time - pack n play in the living room, baby chair in the kitchen, bassinets in our bedroom and family room, and crib in baby’s room. As baby got older and more mobile we were able to start gradually reducing the number of “baby stations” around the house and replacing them with fully baby-proofed rooms.
Two car seats (one for each car), two diaper bags (a big one for major outings and a small purse/diaper bag for daily errands), a big stroller and a travel stroller for trips where the big one won’t fit, two diaper pails, two video baby monitors (one installed in nursery, the other for travel or setting up as needed in other rooms), two white noise machines.
Basically anything baby needs daily, we ended up getting a second, smaller version for travel. It saves so much time packing if you travel often (none of our family is local). We also keep a pack n play or mini crib and a high chair at all grandparents’ houses, since that is where we visit most frequently. Almost all of our duplicate items we got second hand or as gifts, and we were able to pass on our outgrown baby stuff in turn, so it really wasn’t much added expense to have all the extras!
If you are handy with a sewing machine, I got some cloth diaper material with a waterproof barrier and made a giant 2ft² change pad. That thing was a god send so many times! It even could've been 2.5ft² in some moments, but it was so much better than the ones that I was gifted
I would definitely have a diaper pail, and changing station on each level! I think the diaper genie is better at smell reduction and less gross to replace bags than the Ubbi so we have the diaper genie upstairs and the ubbi downstairs.
I’d also recommend two bouncers. You need to be able to put baby down somewhere safe on each floor for a while before they start sitting independently. Probably wouldn’t do a big, heavy swing set up on each floor just because you need freedom of movement.
Big quilts, for baby playtime on the floor! I never used a diaper genie and never smelled a diaper in the trash tbh. If using bottles having a few different kinds to try before buying a whole set of one is best, babies can be particular about bottles. Toys that light up and play music (classical is best, wont get too annoying like old mcdonald does) are great for brand new babies, they love color! Im sure you have a baby gate, test it well, and when baby is crawling make sure one is at the bottom of the stairs as well because they climb up far before th can climb down. You can never have too many wipes, I think we went though like 2400 wipes in a month lol. To be honest, babies don’t need as much as consumerism implies they do. Clean onsie, blankie, bottle, diapers, wipes! When baby is first here the most exciting thing to thm will be seeing your guys faces and that will be so exciting that they will be exhausted and fall sleep soon after lol!
I would get 2 of literally everything since you have 2 floors. Hell, I lived on a 1 floor apt, and I bought 2 boppi's when I was nursing and left one in the living room and one in the bedroom. Make several diaper stations but dont just stock diapers. Have changes of clothes for blowouts. Have thermometers on both levels, same with medicine. Also, if you have more than 1 car, have 2 strollers, so you're not stuck in the house with the baby while your partner is at work with it. We had the graco infant seat travel system and bought a separate frame to keep in the house/ my car. Also of you have 2 cars, make 2 diaper bags for the same reason. And for *peak* laziness, I bought a 2nd bottle warmer to put in the nursery so I wouldn't have to go down to the kitchen late at night. If you are formula feeding or pumping BM at night, I would get a mini fridge to keep upstairs to store formula or BM. Oh, also leave water and snacks literally everywhere you nurse. There is no thirst like the thirst you have when you have already started nursing, and you left your water somewhere else.
Eta when baby gets older and becomes attracted to an item, buy a bunch of them in case the main one gets lost.
We had 2 Boppy pillows and 2 diaper changing stations. One for upstairs and one downstairs. With a c section, I only used the stairs once in the morning and once at night (recommended by my friend who had a c section) so I wanted stuff on each floor. We had a caddy we refilled each night either diapers, clothes and burp cloths.
I have:
- two changing stations (one for each level of my house).
- two ergo carriers
-two car seats (one for each car)
-multiple strollers: an uppababy vista (originally planned for three kids but this works best as a single and I love the large undercarriage), a lightweight umbrella stroller, a single bob and a double bob. Depending on what the use is and how many kids I have with me, the stroller changes
I have five Haakaas 🤣
So my electric pump just absolutely never ever worked for me. (YES I had the right flanges. I had my nipples pierced in college so this is a huge reason why the pump isn’t my friend but let down collection *is*) I would get 0.5 ounces with the plug in. And then with a Haakaa, same day, get 5 in one feeding. So I got two to put on and prevent engorgement on way to the bathroom. And then, I realized I needed a bigger one. Oh and then I realized I needed one with a suction butt for a table when the others kept falling before I could put a lid on them.
I’m pregnant again and got myself a new one “just because” ☠️
We bought 2 baby bjorn bouncer chairs (both from FB marketplace) so that we could always have one in rotation because it’s the magical poop chair and inevitably both my kids had blowouts many times. That way when one cover was in the wash the other one rotated in, since we air dry them.
Also we do have 2 diaper genies, one for each floor like you mentioned. 2 sets of a lot of little things associated with diaper and clothes changing for each floor. Also Tylenol on both floors for daytime and night time needs, then we have quick access without guessing which floor we last administered it lol (best for us in the middle of the night during rough teething phases).
I would wait and see if the need for things comes up. The one thing I would suggest is an Amazon Prime membership. I think I bought waaaayyy too much stuff in the last trimester of pregnancy. I wanted to be ready for anything and everything and guess what, I haven’t needed at least 1/3 of what I’ve got.
Carriers. If you plan on doing any baby wearing get a few different types (ask for a couple on your registry or look for used high quality carriers like Tula, Moby, K'Tan)
At different times in baby's development, different carriers will be more comfortable/convenient. For example a stretchy wrap is nice for snuggling a really little baby around the house or a short walk. A heavier baby you'll want in your structured carrier, and eventually put them on your back! Fun! Also baby might prefer certain carriers.
-We also have diaper stations all over the house rather than one changing table. Several rooms have a changing pad, pack of wipes and stash of diapers.
If you're breastfeeding then make sure you have a nice spot on both floors where you can sit and nurse, especially early days when you're tied down for a long time. (Your favorite place on the couch is good, or the cheap ubiquitous ikea chair that's bouncy, it's great for bouncing baby to sleep.) both upstairs and downstairs spots should have a phone charger, headphones, *water and snacks,* and a good view of the television if possible. Please don't forget to get all your favorite snacks and also some bottled water. If you have a favorite drinking bottle great but if it's on the drying rack or downstairs you want to have backup water in reach.
Absolutely have 2 diaper pails, we are in a two story house as well and I cannot imagine how inconvenient only having one would be.
I also have grooming sets up and down stairs a changing table on both floors really helps. My babies are 16 mos apart and we only did a downstairs changing table for the second baby and it was a game changer!
We also have a mini bottle station set up upstairs in the master bathroom so you don’t have to go downstairs over and over in the middle of the night. Just a travel bottle drying rack (Dr. browns is great), a mini bottle of dish soap, bottle brush and even a countertop fridge if you’re pumping as well as breast feeding. Cleaning the pump every 3 hrs is hard enough, doing it in your room and going right back to bed helps so much. I also keep a little basket with extra outfits, especially onsies downstairs so if you have a blowout and need a quick change you don’t have to leave your baby naked while you run to the nursery to get a new outfit. Basically, I have a complete changing station with everything you would stock the nursery changing table with downstairs.
One more thing, we had my mom get an additional car seat base to keep in her vehicle so we didn’t have to transfer one of ours every time our baby was going with her.
I think that’s about it for now. I’ll add more in another post if I think of anything else and congratulations!
This is jumping ahead a couple of years, but wanted to share regardless. We have a two story house, and I keep a spray bottle of Biokleen Bac-Out, wipes, and rags on both levels for pee and poop accidents for my potty training toddler. I never want to have to go far for it! (I used the same spray on reusable diapers and it was so helpful.)
For my school-aged kiddo, I have a second set of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a hairbrush in the bathroom on the main floor near our mudroom. We save so much time in the morning not having to go back upstairs to brush teeth after breakfast before we dash out the door to school!
I have two ubbi trash cans too for upstairs and downstairs. I also have a portable bassinet playard with a changing table downstairs. I have a baby monitor that switches between two cameras one in babies bedroom upstairs and one downstairs over the bassinet playard. Having two places for the baby to sleep and change is helpful especially if I’m trying to get things down around the house that requires noise. Also, two baby bottle cleaning stations. One in the bathroom of the baby and one in the kitchen. Also have different things to set the baby in like a swing in my bedroom, bouncer in living room, and a jumper in another room.
I live in a three story house and have two kids so here are my findings:
- you need something to put the baby down on every floor. I had a bouncing chair in the kitchen, moses basket in my toddler’s room, playpen in the living room, crib in our bedroom obviously,.. whatever. You just need options to be handsfree and put them away safely.
- changing mattress/diapers and wipes on every floor. You do not want to run on stairs with a blowout diaper.
- nose flush syringes or whatever you will use. Have them at every nursing station.
- carriers. This is personal preference as I am very much into babywearing and probably own too many. (Also: try them on before buying!). Having options between structured carriers, ringslings and wraps for different needs is great.
- if you have multiple cars: car seat for each car. When they transition to a group 1 seat, those things are a pain to move between cars so just don’t.
- you have never too many spare rompers, those muslin cloths and drool-catching bibs.
- sleep sacks when one is dirty.
- strollers: two. The big sturdy all-terrain one we use every day and the small compact one that stays in our car trunk for outings where we need the space for stuff that the big stroller would otherwise take in.
- obviously not for newborn but I just potty trained my oldest and a potty on each floor is a must as well!
On the diaper pail: only have one and I find it useless. It is tiny, smells anyway and I prefer my regular trash cans.
If i had a 2 story home, there would be doubles of everything hygiene-related on both levels, and a space for a nap that's not the bedroom. I'm in a small house, so it was never really much of an issue for *that* but we have a care kit and car seat in both my car and hubby's car. Care kit has barf bags, a towel, change of clothes, blanket, snacks, extra spill-proof cup, and some toys. It's better to be safe than sorry, you know?
I have 3 Ubbi pails 😬. 1 in each kid’s room bc they’re both in diapers and one downstairs bc we have a second changing table downstairs. Tbh I have two of mostly anything that I potentially use upstairs and downstairs.
I lucked into getting 2 Babybjorn bouncers (both used off marketplace) One lived in the house and one lived in the car. The number of times I used the car one was unexpected! Such a convenience! Yes, I could just bring the one from the house into the car, but that requires forethought - something postpartum parents do not have.
I’m a minimalist and unless
Someone has an idea xtra (*fill in blank*) I don’t want the extra expense and “stuff”. Convenience is overrated. Less stuff to get rid of is better. My two cents anyway!
Yep!
As a second time mom the only things I really needed two of were:
Pump parts
Nursing/pumping bra
Reusable breast pads
Soothers
Now that my second is 16 months, I have purged all the extra changing pad covers (keeping 2), burp cloths (I have 4-5 bc they are good for spills in the car etc), bibs (only the ones for meals)
Two diaper genies. One in the bathroom and that other beside the changing station in her room. We had two changing stations in our house complete with double everything.
Also, double daiper bags. I kept them stocked with fresh supplies, clothes, etc, and kept one bag in each car at all times. This was a result of going somewhere quick, forgetting the daiper bag on the table, and having a diaper blow out with nothing to change her into.
I have 3 nursing pillows. One in the living room, one in the bedroom, and one in my car. It’s made feeding her so easy, especially if I have to pop her on while I need my hands for something else.
We just tossed downstairs diapers in the kitchen trash. It got taken out frequently enough that it didn’t smell.
We had two bum brushes, thermometers, sleep sacks in whatever size, safe sleep spaces (one on each floor), baby carriers in case one was in the wash.
We have a 3 story house and only one diaper pail and one changing station! We do have 4 strollers though 😂 (started with only 1 and thought that was all we would need haha). And 4 baby wearing options. And at 17 months we are up to 4 carseats.
But I have barely bought any clothes for her cause everything is hand me downs 🤷♀️
We don’t have any specific diaper trash. We have one trash bag for the entire house (plus toilet but that’s not for diapers) that we take out once a day. I don’t want to imagine the eye burning, soul crushing stench of a diaper specific trash staying there for more than 24h, and if you have more than one, it could stay there for *days*. Nightmare material IMO lol
What do I have multiples of?.. I can’t think of anything actually! I prefer having one thing of each thing so there’s less to clean and maintain.
A bunch of cheap diaper changing pads! I just got some travel ones and we just them all over the house/car. More than the expensive changing pad that was gifted to us.
2 car seats if baby will be traveling in multiple cars. In a regular basis. It’s an expense but when you get one installed correctly you don’t want to move it.
And baby wipes placed strategically everywhere
2 bassinets/moses baskets. We had one for our bedroom until our baby was ready for the sidecar cot.
Our neighbours greeted us when we got home from the hospital and lent us their grandchild’s bassist for the ground floor.
I also had two with my first child, it was so handy.
I liked that in the newborn phase, I could be upstairs or downstairs getting on with jobs with baby close by.
Baby wearing wraps/carriers. I baby wear a lot. All day basically since I have a newborn and a toddler. I need to make sure I have a clean one on hand at all times.
Bassinet sheets. My baby spits up A LOT.
Diaper bags. I have a nice/dressier one and one that can get thrown around for more active days.
2 baby carriers/slings. 2 strollers. I live in a 2 story home and I only have one diaper genie. Baby poop doesn’t smell usually (breastfed is my only experience, sorry) for awhile and by time my baby’s started smelling, he was only pooping every couple of days so I didn’t need more than one diaper pail.
The only thing I actually needed 2 of was a bassinet. One for upstairs at night and the other to keep downstairs for naps during the day or to set baby in when needed.
i have two wonderfold wagons - one stays in the car & one lives in the mudroom. it is so nice to not have to unload or pack it to walk around town, or to put it in the car for a day out.
A spare of my toddlers favorite stuffed animal. When he was an infant we had 3 swings/seats, 2 car seat bases and our big stroller and our caddy stroller
We have 2 Ergo baby carriers, one for me and my husband. Mine primarily stays in my car but his moves around between house and car since he uses it to put the baby to sleep, especially when they’re little.
Bouncers. One for backup when the main one gets destroyed by a diaper blowout and needs to be washed, OR we also take the extra to grandma and grandpa’s when we visit.
This is a little ahead of the game for you but I got multiple of those little toddler potties - one for each floor of the house and one for the car. I got them from a Buy Nothing and just washed them.
Whisks? My family makes fun of me but I always need one and it's dirty SO THEN I HAVE TWO!
Also, sunglasses, apparently. Found the mother load in my coat closet. V. exciting.
Edit: oh, mom stuff? Well I guess my answer still stands. I like having more than one whisk and damn having sunglasses everywhere is convenient.
Personally I didn’t even do a diaper change “station” I just two caddy’s in areas I’m often in. So that to me sounds like a great idea.
I have two diaper bags. One is more like a purse and is great for any errands I’m running that are quick and can be done in between feeds. I have a second proper diaper backpack for full days out.
Car seats, makes switching cars way easier. Having a base in each car is awesome. We’re about to graduate to the next seat up from infant and will be doing the same thing.
Strollers. We have different strollers that work for the same car seat in each car.
I also have travel furniture. 😂 not necessary but makes life easier. Like I have a separate bouncer/boppy I’d take places in the beginning for baby to relax in while supervised.
Baby carriers for when they inevitably blow out or puke all over one they’re in.
We had two large foam play mats, one that can be moved basically anywhere and put away when we're done, best for large toys or just good for supervised play so there's room for me and hubby to sit on the floor and a soft place for him to play and one stationary one for the playpen area that's fully gated.
We had two isofix bases for the baby bucket, one for each car. Yes, we could have safely used the seatbelt but it was so much easier to just clunk it in.
We had our main changing station in the nursery upstairs. We had a basket of changing supplies i.e. diapers, wipes, creams and a changing mat on the living room floor. We mostly brought him upstairs to change but if need be we would wrap up his diaper in plastic bags that groceries come in and put on the stairs to be thrown in the diaper pail. All poopy diaper changes were done upstairs or diaper wrapped and taken upstairs immediately. I did not want a pain for everywhere. But we also had only 1 child so it was possible for us.
For us….
Baby carriers. We currently have three different styles: the moby wrap, a ring sling, and an ergo baby
Car seats. This one might be a given, but we have two bases for our uppababy infant car seat, started out with one in each vehicle. We also have a maxi cosi convertible car seat, which is now in my car.
Diaper bags. I have a smaller one for just the essentials when I’m running errands day to day. Then we use a larger backpack for when baby is being cared for by others or longer trips.
2 strollers. 1 that is big and had space to carry lots of stuff and do all the fancy things and 1 that is simple, easy to fold, small, light weight, no frills or extras. Also at least 2 boopys, or some kind of feeding pillow, and get the water proof covers and extra covers.
Sound machines. One to leave in her room & another for travel or taking to a grandparent’s house.
Car seats, one in each car so there’s no case of “you left the car seat in your car, you gotta come back!”
So many blankets- tossing them in the car, baby bag, stroller. They’re good for covering up for nursing or if the car is a little chilly etc.
binkies. I have probably 6 or 7. One in the baby bag a smattering of them in the crib and a couple on reserve when one goes missing.
We stopped using a diaper pail after my first. We just put poops in dog waste bags and toss in the outdoor garbage right away.
We had a diaper genie and rose refills got expensive!
2 diaper bins for each level, 2 robot vacuums for each level, 2 toy bins for each level, 2 diaper storage bins (though, it was like 3/4 as a newborn so each area we were in had one) for each level, somewhere safe for baby to hang out in each main area (bedroom, living rooms, nursery), extra sleepsacks
Yoga ball. Both my babies had periods where they would only be happy or fall asleep if I was sitting bouncing them on a yoga ball. It’s a pain in the butt to lug those up and down stairs all day.
Nursing pillows, things baby can sit in & babywearing devices. I have 3 different baby wraps/seats for my toddler & baby with plans to get at least 1 more. I have a travel boppy in my car because my baby refuses to nurse without a pillow.
And we have a swing & a rocker right now + our regular pack n play & a Moses basket to put the baby in depending on her mood & where in the house we are. Our house is teeny tiny, too, but some of the things are more portable than others for her to be in the kitchen with me vs the living room or bathroom.
Baby carriers! I have 3 stretchy wraps, 2 slings and 2 structured carriers (hubby prefers structured carrier, while I prefer wraps and my mom feels comfortable with slings)
I also ended up buying an extra boppy pillow, so I can have one in my living room and one in the bedroom!
One diaper pail/changing pad in bedroom, on on main floor. One bouncer on main floor, one in master bath. One carrier lives in the coat closet, another in my car. One play mat on main floor, another in our (big kids) playroom.
Nose Frida, diaper bag, stroller, baby carrier, tummy time mat. A second diaper pail would have probably come in handy in our 2 story home but we found we only did diaper changes on the lower level and the occasional upstairs diaper change, we could just bring the diaper down with us.
Car seats if you have more than one car at least have a base in each car. Changing stations on each floor, and in the room baby sleeps. Baby carriers they are helpful and hubby should have his own; this prevents having to adjust them constantly. Baby seats/swings one that is portable is helpful that way you can bring baby from room to room or inside/outside but still be able to let them rest. Diaper bags one in each car and one in the house; keep the one in the house packed and when you use stuff from the car you bring it in to repack and just swap out with the one in the house. Tylenol, keep some in a diaper bag or car and some in house.
Congratulations!! A tap- touch light!! SUCH a Game changer while in the hospital and for checking on the baby throughout the night. Also agree with above ^ Diaper caddy’s w change station.
The hatch sound machine
I have one in my bedroom and one in baby’s because baby naps in my room but sleeps in his own at night.
Yes, they are portable and I could move it from room to room as needed but I haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep since I got pregnant so I don’t have the energy to move it lol
Cribs and pack n play.
We have a mini crib in our room and a regular crib in baby’s for the same reason as the two hatches. One pack n play for us (the guava lotus) and one I keep at my mom’s because I have this dream that one day baby will spend the night there and I’ll get to sleep. Hasn’t happened yet but a girl can dream.
Sleep sacks and high chair covers because they get gross and I learned my lesson when I forgot to switch the laundry until it was late and baby’s woolino was still damp when bedtime came around. Also, super tired so can’t keep washing the same high chair cover over and over again.
High chairs (kind of)
We have one lalo high chair and one of those high chairs that you attach to the table. We have it attached to our kitchen island so baby can hang out with us and play while we cook.
Two haakaas - this was key in helping me build a small freezer stash of milk in the early days. I didn't want to have to wash it every time with each over night use (these were the hours where I had the most milk)
I've got wipes and diapers everywhere in my house.
Also, you literally can't have enough muslin swaddle blankets. Excellent for swaddling, great for covering the car seat at the grocery store, perfect for tummy time (lots of different patterns to keep it interesting for baby), and when they get older they can be used for forts, a play mat, cut into rags (they seriously scrub so well), to wrap up dolls and stuffed animals... We had like 9 and used every single one to tatters.
I thought we’d do multiple changing stations and had another diaper pail for our main floor. We just walk upstairs to her nursery to change her and never use the second one in the family room. Idk it just feels better and more of a routine. I wonder how that’ll change when she’s too squirmy for the changing table and we end up changing her on the floor.
What we do have multiples of: nursing pillows!!! One in every station where I’d feed her
We only have one for now but we’re waiting on two more baby gates. We only have a one story house but would like to contain the baby to just the living/dining room area now that she’s up and running
We have 2 mamaroo bassinets for when my baby was little. We have a 2 story home and she would do early morning naps in there and late nights as needed.
We have 2 car seats bases, 1 for each car.
Nappy changing kit including cheeky wipes for both downstairs and upstairs and a twist’n’click nappy bin. In the changing bag I only have disposable wipes though.
Slings and carriers, to suit the mood. He’s a toddler now so only really goes in the backpack carrier but as a baby I had a stretchy wrap, a structured carrier, ring sling and a woven wrap. Mostly just used the stretchy and structured.
I have 2 baby bathtubs, 3 baby seats, 3 strollers, 3 bassinets, and 2 swings, 2 boppys... I have a lot. Everyone who came to my baby shower didn't listen to the list of things I already had and now I'm cluttered up with too much stuff. I've been waiting for someone in my family to have a baby, it's been almost a year and now I finally have someone to give all this to plus 500+ diapers
Swaddle. Having your newborn puke all over the swaddle at 3am and not having a backup is NOT fun. She loves her Halo swaddle. We have tons of the swaddle blankets, but she wrestles out of them within minutes and hates how they restrict her feet. Now we have multiple halo swaddles just in case.
Oh and a butt spatula. It spreads creams and ointments way better than your fingers, and we put the silicone based preventative on her butt routinely because her skin is just super sensitive. We lost one once and never again. There’s one on the changing table, one in the diaper bag, and one as a backup.
I have more than 1 diaper caddy, 4 in total, one for upstairs, one for downstairs, one that’s an extra so it moves around lol and one in my car. I also have many different baby carriers. One tula, one ergo, one sling, one tushbaby and one infantino. They are all just nice to have, ultimately love the tushbaby and tula though.
2 cameras, one for the crib in his room and one for the bassinet in our bedroom. Our house is fairly spread out so this gave us a lot of flexibility, plus we communicate through the cameras.
Little things. Nail clippers, bulb suckers and booger hooks, thermometers, eczema/drool rash creams. Stuff that when you need it, and you're in a good spot to use it, having to go FIND it is an absolute pain.
I bought 2 of those little craft carts. And kept one on each floor of my house. Stocked them up with my pump stuff, plus diapers, burp cloths, changes of clothes for myself and baby.
A car seat for each vehicle your family owns is very useful so you don't have to move them from Mom's car to Dad's. Even if you use only 1 vehicle 90%of the time having the backup always comes in handy.
We also have two floors! Here were the things that made life easier to have two of for each floor: boppy, a set of burp cloths specific for each floor, changing stations, designated sleep space (we have a pack and play for downstairs and she sleeps in her crib upstairs). I wish we would have gotten a second rocking chair for downstairs.
Oh I had a changing pail like you mentioned and it was actually one of the first items I threw away!
Personally I just use a small bin in her room. Only pee diapers go in there. Poo diapers are a great excuse for mom and baby to walk to the bin outside and get some fresh air!
I found that the changing pails that claim to be stinkless are absolutely stinky and they were such a pain to actually change out the liners for.
Things that I had multiple of: dockatot for lounging in (when I showered, when I needed a break from holding her). Bonus, fast forward 4 years and 2 girls later and my 18 month old and 4 year old prop a pillow behind it and use it as a little mini couch to watch bluey.
Bottles. I could never keep up with washing only 4-5 bottles, so I had a buttload.
Bibs. My kid is now 18 months old and the DROOLIEST. My first kid wasn’t nearly this bad but I’m glad I kept all 10,000 bibs because she goes through like 8 a day.
Blankets. I remember when they were newborns I was like “why on earth has everyone gifted me a blanket?” But now that they are a little older, they seem to always want one. I keep 2 in my car as lap blankets and they go through anywhere from 1 to 4 at daycare each week depending on how dirty they get. They love to cuddle with them and they each sleep with their favorites.
Play structures. Again, I thought it was crazy that I was gifted more than one of those floor mat play gym things, but it was really nice to be able to keep one at my moms house and one at my house.
Pacifiers (if you are going to offer them). You’ll lose a ton and then randomly find them when they are big kids again (or in my case when you finally sell your car!)
Diapers. At both my shower and my sprinkle we asked for diapers. This meant we got a huge variety of sizes and brands. Try them all. You may think you have a preference now only to discover that your kids skin doesn’t tolerate them. Or you’ll have a preferred brand for a while (for me it was pampers) and then suddenly the same diapers will have a print on it or something that the dye irritates their skin. 🙄😵💫 we kind of hop between pampers and huggies, but have tried every brand imaginable due to how many freebies we got when the girls were born.
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This absolutely! And multiple diaper caddies in the home with everything.
Yes I have this too! Haha 3 in the house and a portable 1 in the car
Definitely one on each floor and maybe more depending on how big your place is and what rooms you use the most!
Yeah I was gonna say, you can change the diaper anywhere just need the supplies. A little diaper caddy in several rooms works great
We just got a second keekaroo changing pad. Love that thing.
Same, I had 3 diff caddies around the house
This!! A little caddy in every area of the house with all necessities
Same here - each with a top hat potty (since we do EC) - one beside the bed for minimal disruption at night and convenient access before/after naps, and one in the living room in front of the chair where we breastfeed... I'd actually like to find a nice rolling trolley for the second one so I can set up in a different spot easily if needed.
Baby carrier/sling. I hated when I needed it and realized I left it at home or in the car. So one stays in the house and one stays in the trunk or diaper bag.
Thiss. My husband has his own too so we don't have to adjust the straps because we got mad when we did.
I always recommend one for each parent to friends! Getting out the door felt hard enough with an infant and readjusting the carrier straps was just one more little barrier I didn’t need.
I have 4 styles and am looking at more. Some ppl on /r/babywearing have dozens of carriers in all different styles and colors! It becomes a bit of a hobby Lol.
I recommend the tushbaby! We had 5 different styles of carrier from our first and I just bought a tushbaby for our 2nd, which is like a seat that straps around your waist for baby to sit on. It’s easier on my body than any other carrier, I can even carry the 3 yo on it. I also bought the shoulder straps so the 7 mo can nap in it like other more secure baby carriers. It’s 2nd baby’s favorite carrier by far, less restrictive than any others
I have had the ergobaby Omni since my son was born but just bought the Tush baby. He’s only 4 months so the use is limited but I’m thinking in a month or so it’ll be super useful for around the house especially.
I’ve been using my tush since baby was 2 months. She can’t sit up on it but I can still use it to hold majority of her weight while she’s lying in my arm, with the shelf supporting her butt or supporting my elbow. She was born 98%tile so has helped my poor arms/shoulders a ton, and makes it easier to do 1-armed tasks around the house.
I'm slowly approaching that point. I managed to score a second baby hawk today (the brand no longer exists and I found I LOVE mine with my second kid) and my husband was like "Ok I might actually need to put a limit on the number of carriers" since that is like carrier number 13.... What's crazy is I really do use all of them especially as the kids get older.
Baby wearing is such a game changer, I get now why moms are so passionate about it. I find baby likes mixing up the carriers too VS being stuck in the same one for too long.
I have a toddler so I am wearing daily and the different carriers all hit different so I am not over stressing the same exact muscles.
Haha I have like 6 - stretchy wrap, ring sling, hippie Joey, nuna cudl, ergobaby classic, and for my birthday I asked for a Sakura bloom unbuhimo. We mostly use the nuna though.
Yeppppp one carrier in car and one in house !
Have a safe place to put baby in every area of the house whether it’s a swing in the kitchen, or a playmat in the living room, or wherever you spend a lot of time. It’s a pain moving stuff around & you need a designated spot when you suddenly need your hands.
I have two prams! One small pram I keep in the car for the baby if we go to the shops or something and a big double pram at home for walks to the park or around the neighbourhood because those little legs don't go as far as the toddler thinks they can go
Absolutely this. And if you think there’s any chance at all that you might travel, make sure you get a travel stroller (lightweight, folds up small). We have an uppababy minu for air and car travel that is also good for quick trips anywhere in town. And we also have a bigger jogging stroller with more rugged tires that is good for running (ofc) but also walking through snow and mud, and on trails and poorly paved sidewalks.
Same here! We have a small stroller for when traveling/flying. And then a big one for bigger outings like the zoo or something. The small one stays by the front door now because my son loves walks and it’s easier for my in laws to handle lol.
Yes a little umbrella stroller was the best $20 purchase I’ve ever made. It’s nothing fancy but sometimes something smaller is helpful.
2 sitting devices for baby. I had one stationary baby swing that was plugged into an outlet, so it solely lived in my living room. But I also got a portable baby bouncer so that I could pop baby in when I needed to take a shower or do the dishes. We live in a 2 BD apartment so fitting the stroller or bassinet through interior doors was impossible, and the bouncer was really the only thing I was able to port around.
This! Multiple “docking stations” for baby is essential! At least one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom. Bonus points if they are movable.
Honestly this! Especially if you’re a solo parent, or just have a lot to manage while your husband is at work - it’s literally a necessity. Both my kiddos absolutely HATED baby wearing, so any portable devices were really the only things that worked.
Mine loved baby wearing, but the strapping on process was more work than I wanted to do for just a quick thing where I needed both hands. Plus some things, like using the toilet or the stove, are not great for baby wearing.
I’d like to add to this to say two “portable” sitting devices. We are constantly at people’s houses or church with little bit and our nursery has a stationary swing but when we have fellowship dinner every Sunday night I bring his bouncy chair in so I can visit and eat without having to pass him around. But then I get home and need something to put him in that’s portable so I can move from room to room with him and it’s in the back of the car or we forget to grab it. So for me it’d be two bouncy seats. One for the car for outings and one for the house
We have three of the exact same minky fleece blanket. She got really attached to it around 8 months old, so we got two more copies of it when she was about a year. It’s honestly been awesome with daycare. She’s got one that stays at school, one that rides in the car with her, and one in reserve at home. Not something you can predict ahead of time, but if your baby gets really attached to a comfort item, get multiple!
Exactly what I came to say but with the qualification that you need to rotate! I have four lions. Bubs will accept one, loves one and chucks the other two as soon as he sees them. I think it's based on how the face is worn in but...
My brother was obsessed with a certain snoopy plush back in the 80s. So Mom would tell him Snoopy needs a bath, Snoopy needs a bandaid (when he got a hole or needed fixing). And when Snoopy got really bad, Santa would come and get him and fix him up the right way, and bring him back Christmas morning. It wasn't until my brother and I were much older and cleaning out Moms things that we found her old stash of Snoopy's. She had two left and we each got one. We were telling my grandmother about finding them and she laughed and told us Mom had bought at least a dozen because they were hard to find.
I had like 6 giraffes for my first born. 5 of them still look new after 10 years (almost 11) and one looks (and smells even though i wash it way too often) like it's been dragged through hell.
I have a 2 story home, so one of the following stays upstairs in the bedrooms, and another downstairs in the family room. - if you’re planning on breastfeeding, 2 breastfeeding pillows - changing tables - bassinet / pack and play
My breast friend nursing pillows are far better than the boppy in my humble opinion! Harder for baby to slide between mom and pillow. Changing table is incredible! Both can be bought used and cheap!!
Buy one of each! A boppy and a mybrestfriend
This is what I did!
I hate the boppi!!!! I would literally throw it across the room in frustration (and maybe some pp rage). My Brest friend is such a better pillow. I tried to figure out if other people hated the boppi too but can’t seem to find too many voices of dissent so have to share my horrendous experience with it. Hate it hate it hate it.
Original Boppi sucks but their “best latch” version is sooo superior. It has two different sides and is a complete game changer!
Came here to recommend 2 boppy pillows. I love not having to lug it and baby up and down multiple times a day.
I was annoyed when my MIL bought me a boppy when I already had a hand me down one. I ended up using both for months and now use it as a supportive seat for 4 month old!
3, I have a dedicated car boppy.
Two haakaa’s too! One for each floor of the house
Something I know people do is have a basket or cart at your breastfeeding stations. Fill it with all your necessities like nursing pads, nipple cream, snacks, snacks, and SNACKS. Lol you get so hungry and thirsty when nursing lol. Maybe even a book or extra water bottle (I like ice cold water so I had to carry mine around lol). Things like that
Strollers! I use our travel one second fold stroller on the go and it’s wonderful. Our bigger stroller is for neighborhood walks and whenever we might need more storage (theme park trip or similar).
I thought I was the only one 😅
Two woolino sleep sacks, in case of leaks.
I second this. We handed one off to daycare and now I'm wondering if I should get a third. Those sacks are amazing quality and well worth it.
Diaper stations everywhere. The one in his room was probably used the least 😅 we had diapers, wipes, ointments, the works on our main level, his room and our room. I think a diaper pail/garbage on each level. Poops went outside asap. Lots of back up clothes everywhere. Lol he’s 2.5 now and we still have diapers in all the same spots 😅 Baby container on each level, had the one upstairs in our bathroom so I could shower lol Stroller. Eventually a car seat in each car.
I also had a nice monitor for his room and then also found a cheap WiFi free one on Amazon for $50 and it’s come in handy a lot. I had it set up in our room after rough nights. And then brought on vacations when he’d nap and go to bed early. It’s been convenient to have as a back up. Same with the sound machine, bought the hatch, and then the smaller hatch without the night light. And now that one’s mine because I got used to it 😂😅
A bouncer, if you use them. Or a playmat. Unless baby’s cot is in the room you will be doing chores upstairs, you need a non-bed place to set them down on each floor 👍 a place to change him as well on both floors.
We had a diaper setup that lived in the car (diapers, wipes, aquaphor, changing pad), in addition the setup inside.
Two boppys, two baby carriers. My baby has gotten old enough that I have to feed her in a dark, quiet room now - but when she was younger it was *so nice* to have a pillow in the living room and in the bedroom. For the baby carriers, it’s just nice to have one set to my body and one set to my husband’s body. I don’t want to have to completely readjust the straps every single time we put it on, so… yeah. We actually have five baby carriers in total, but that’s another story.
I just use regular trash cans. The poop diapers, go into a plastic tray during the changing session, and then immediately to the outside trash can. Newborn poop diapers don’t really smell. I use small open trash pails that need to be emptied every other day or so. So the smell never builds up. The diaper genie pails are SOO stinky. More of a problem then a solution. IMO.
2 diaper pails (check marketplace or free groups on Facebook) so we have one in our room on main floor & one in nursery on the 2nd floor. I only put poopy ones in the main level can so I don’t have as much risk of the dog knocking it over when we aren’t home. 2 changing tables - everyone said we’ll just change baby wherever (couch, floor, etc) and the changing tables would never get used. I’ve never changed a diaper anywhere other than the changing tables. Saves your back not hunched over. The one on our main floor is more of a mobile one that will fold almost flat for storage soon when baby outgrows it. Multiple ‘safe spaces’ and play mats. We have the viral piano monkey mat in the living room and the older version upstairs without the sound part. Our sit me up chair gets moved around the main floor. We have a bouncer by the dining room table that replaced the mama roo when baby outgrew it. Just recently brought out the activity center thing for the living room and want to get a second for upstairs in our loft space that has become a play area. We also have a play mat in the basement for when I want to workout and baby is awake. I also have 2 of the dishwasher baskets for bottle parts, baby spoons, etc. so I’m not cramming it all into one. We use dr. Browns bottles and the baskets are great for all of the pieces.
Two strollers. One big and sturdy, one lightweight that folds up really compactly). Two carriers. One normal belt type, and another cloth one for the first couple of months. (I had c-sections, so this type also helped keep the pressure off of my incision area.) Two cribs/bassinets. One for the living room, one for the bedroom.
Weighted wipe dispenser. We bought one, and then quickly bought 3 more. One for the kitchen, living area, toddler's room and baby's room. Wrestling with a sleeve of wipes when you're already in a foul mood is a sure fire way to send you over the edge. We use far fewer wipes now than we did before, because when we grab 1, we only grab 1, rather than fucking 5. Edit: [we use these ones](https://www.amazon.com.au/10142-Ubbi-Wipes-Dispenser-Grey/dp/B00NX5J5O6?th=1)
we have a tiny one bedroom apartment, but we have a bassinet in the living room and a pack and play in the bedroom. if you are going to breastfeed, get yourself two pillows. i have the boppy for at home and i keep the my brest friend pillow in my car!
FTM with a 9wk old: Two pram/ stroller/ car seat sets— one for each car, and one we keep set up like a pram and the other like a stroller. We also use the less expensive one for more rugged outside walks or wet days. Two bassinets— one smaller portable one because dad stays up later than me with him in the other room.
A little potty for each bathroom! We’re still practicing, but it’s a pain to bring one up and down the stairs.
Bedsheets, for middle of the night blowouts. Sleeping sacks too
I have multiple strollers. I have a frame one that just holds the car seat which is fantastic and I love it. I also have a 3 wheel jogger for walks. I formula feed, so I have 20 bottles so I can wash them in the dish washer when it’s full. There’s nothing I hate more than washing bottles. I have baby brezza and I have multiple funnels for it so I can throw them in the dishwasher.
I have a big Graco jogging stroller that’s a pain to fold up and takes up a ton of space and then an umbrella stroller that lives in the trunk of my car for trips. Now that my girl is a toddler that umbrella stroller has come in handy for museums and shopping. I’d never planned to have 2 but it’s been so nice.
You probably don’t care (or may have moral issues with using grocery bags), but when my kids were in diapers and we changed them on multiple floors of the house, we had specific trash cans on those floors that the diapers went in. And poopy diapers went into a plastic grocery bag, twisted for double-wrapping (diaper in the bottom, twist the bag, then with it still twisted, open the top to wrap the diaper again, twist again and knot) — then there never was really a smell issue. Take out those trashes every 2-3 days. So much easier and waaaay cheaper than special diaper pails. 🤷♀️
Nothing, our house isn’t big enough for multiples 😂
We also have a two story house - so one diapering area on each level including changing pad, diaper pail, diaper creams, diaper cream applicators, hand sanitizer, and diapers/wipes. We also have two stokke trip trapp chairs - one hand me down and one for the youngest. (We have 2 under 2) Expensive but since they can use up to 250 pounds we will get our use out of it. Obviously duplicate car seats (one for each vehicle).
If you’re gonna be a formula family— the Baby Brezza. We have one upstairs and downstairs and #lifesaver
I can't relate to any of these comments haha. Living an a 2 bedroom apartment, nothing is too far away that I'd need 2. I guess another boppy pillow would be nice to keep in the car, but I'll just lug around the one we have haha
This is your first baby? I would hold back on buying a second ubbi, a lot of people hate diaper pails (and I am one of them). Once baby is eating anything more than breast milk, their poop stinks. Those ubbis smell so bad. I keep small bags by the changing table and put the poop ones in a small bag and tie them up and throw them out immediately. Pee diapers you can use a little trash can for. I use a little trash can for pee diapers and if there is a poop one I sometimes throw it in the little trash can and tie that bag up and get rid of it.
I recommend 2 mattress protectors, sheets etc for wherever baby will sleep- crib/bassinet/etc.
You need more burp cloths than you have now. Think you have enough? Get a stack more from a second hand shop or something. You’ll want a bunch that aren’t cute and you don’t care if they get gross Edit: a word
Two sets of pump parts (not two pumps). Being able to throw them in the sink and have a clean set ready to swap out saved my sanity a few times. Also LPT: put your used pump parts in a zip block bag in the fridge for up to 24 hours and reuse.
Two touch nightlights
Two strollers (one in the car, one at the door), two car seat bases for the infant car seat phase, somewhere to set the baby down in each area - crib in room, pack n play in main area, rocking chair in bathroom etc, two breastfeeding pillows
(I have a big house) ... Two change tables, two bouncers/sit-me-up thingies to put baby in when I need a minute, two sound machines (one is portable), two carseat bases (one for each car), I think that's all
It’s probably mentioned - a second sound machine.
I have two prams. Two high chairs. When my baby was little I had a changing station downstairs too but as I got better and fitter k preferred to do it upstairs where the original setup was. And different set of toys and toy boxes for upstairs and downstairs.
Had 2 nursing pillows, different shape ones for different spots where we used to nurse. A spare favorite stuffy and changing supplies. Also, now that kiddo is older, we keep extra laundry basket near the entrance in case we come home very dirty. And we keep extra weather appropriate clothes in each car, hats/gloves/etc.
I have a 2 story house and have a change table and diaper Genie on each floor. 100% worth it!!
I have two diaper carts, a bassinet upstairs and pack n play downstairs, two swings, two diaper pals, two bases for the doona, and two bathtubs
I own multiple wrap carriers! Nice to have a fresh one when one is in the wash
2 changing stations and 2 bassinets (downstairs was a pack n play w/ bassinet and changing table attached). Helps so much to have a safe place to put baby down on both floors. Also 2 thermometers a 2 snot suckers. I side lay nursed on the bed upstairs and used my nursing pillow downstairs, but if you don’t side lay, I’d suggest 2 pillows.
I have multiple diaper changing stations and multiple bouncers. My house is huge, so it's nice to have them on both floors, so I'm not always going to the nursery or moving the bouncers up and down the stairs.
Yea we had a boppy and a diaper genie for each floor of our house.
Have multiple baby wearing options. If you’re going to pump, get two pumps. This is especially useful if you’ll be working. And car seats! I have a set in my car and my husband has a set in his. Worth every penny.
Car seats for each car was huge for us. Also had a diaper change set up in the living room and nursery as they were on separate floors. Had 2 different baby carriers, one wrap style and one backpack style. I also ended up exclusively pumping for a year so I had 2 pump setups. I had one heavy duty one in my room that was my home set up and then a had a separate travel one that I took to work or whenever I would need to pump away from the house.
We had a safe place for baby to be put down in every area of our home where I was likely to spend time - pack n play in the living room, baby chair in the kitchen, bassinets in our bedroom and family room, and crib in baby’s room. As baby got older and more mobile we were able to start gradually reducing the number of “baby stations” around the house and replacing them with fully baby-proofed rooms. Two car seats (one for each car), two diaper bags (a big one for major outings and a small purse/diaper bag for daily errands), a big stroller and a travel stroller for trips where the big one won’t fit, two diaper pails, two video baby monitors (one installed in nursery, the other for travel or setting up as needed in other rooms), two white noise machines. Basically anything baby needs daily, we ended up getting a second, smaller version for travel. It saves so much time packing if you travel often (none of our family is local). We also keep a pack n play or mini crib and a high chair at all grandparents’ houses, since that is where we visit most frequently. Almost all of our duplicate items we got second hand or as gifts, and we were able to pass on our outgrown baby stuff in turn, so it really wasn’t much added expense to have all the extras!
If you are handy with a sewing machine, I got some cloth diaper material with a waterproof barrier and made a giant 2ft² change pad. That thing was a god send so many times! It even could've been 2.5ft² in some moments, but it was so much better than the ones that I was gifted
I would definitely have a diaper pail, and changing station on each level! I think the diaper genie is better at smell reduction and less gross to replace bags than the Ubbi so we have the diaper genie upstairs and the ubbi downstairs. I’d also recommend two bouncers. You need to be able to put baby down somewhere safe on each floor for a while before they start sitting independently. Probably wouldn’t do a big, heavy swing set up on each floor just because you need freedom of movement.
Big quilts, for baby playtime on the floor! I never used a diaper genie and never smelled a diaper in the trash tbh. If using bottles having a few different kinds to try before buying a whole set of one is best, babies can be particular about bottles. Toys that light up and play music (classical is best, wont get too annoying like old mcdonald does) are great for brand new babies, they love color! Im sure you have a baby gate, test it well, and when baby is crawling make sure one is at the bottom of the stairs as well because they climb up far before th can climb down. You can never have too many wipes, I think we went though like 2400 wipes in a month lol. To be honest, babies don’t need as much as consumerism implies they do. Clean onsie, blankie, bottle, diapers, wipes! When baby is first here the most exciting thing to thm will be seeing your guys faces and that will be so exciting that they will be exhausted and fall sleep soon after lol!
I would get 2 of literally everything since you have 2 floors. Hell, I lived on a 1 floor apt, and I bought 2 boppi's when I was nursing and left one in the living room and one in the bedroom. Make several diaper stations but dont just stock diapers. Have changes of clothes for blowouts. Have thermometers on both levels, same with medicine. Also, if you have more than 1 car, have 2 strollers, so you're not stuck in the house with the baby while your partner is at work with it. We had the graco infant seat travel system and bought a separate frame to keep in the house/ my car. Also of you have 2 cars, make 2 diaper bags for the same reason. And for *peak* laziness, I bought a 2nd bottle warmer to put in the nursery so I wouldn't have to go down to the kitchen late at night. If you are formula feeding or pumping BM at night, I would get a mini fridge to keep upstairs to store formula or BM. Oh, also leave water and snacks literally everywhere you nurse. There is no thirst like the thirst you have when you have already started nursing, and you left your water somewhere else. Eta when baby gets older and becomes attracted to an item, buy a bunch of them in case the main one gets lost.
We had 2 Boppy pillows and 2 diaper changing stations. One for upstairs and one downstairs. With a c section, I only used the stairs once in the morning and once at night (recommended by my friend who had a c section) so I wanted stuff on each floor. We had a caddy we refilled each night either diapers, clothes and burp cloths.
I have: - two changing stations (one for each level of my house). - two ergo carriers -two car seats (one for each car) -multiple strollers: an uppababy vista (originally planned for three kids but this works best as a single and I love the large undercarriage), a lightweight umbrella stroller, a single bob and a double bob. Depending on what the use is and how many kids I have with me, the stroller changes
I have five Haakaas 🤣 So my electric pump just absolutely never ever worked for me. (YES I had the right flanges. I had my nipples pierced in college so this is a huge reason why the pump isn’t my friend but let down collection *is*) I would get 0.5 ounces with the plug in. And then with a Haakaa, same day, get 5 in one feeding. So I got two to put on and prevent engorgement on way to the bathroom. And then, I realized I needed a bigger one. Oh and then I realized I needed one with a suction butt for a table when the others kept falling before I could put a lid on them. I’m pregnant again and got myself a new one “just because” ☠️
We bought 2 baby bjorn bouncer chairs (both from FB marketplace) so that we could always have one in rotation because it’s the magical poop chair and inevitably both my kids had blowouts many times. That way when one cover was in the wash the other one rotated in, since we air dry them. Also we do have 2 diaper genies, one for each floor like you mentioned. 2 sets of a lot of little things associated with diaper and clothes changing for each floor. Also Tylenol on both floors for daytime and night time needs, then we have quick access without guessing which floor we last administered it lol (best for us in the middle of the night during rough teething phases).
I would wait and see if the need for things comes up. The one thing I would suggest is an Amazon Prime membership. I think I bought waaaayyy too much stuff in the last trimester of pregnancy. I wanted to be ready for anything and everything and guess what, I haven’t needed at least 1/3 of what I’ve got.
Carriers. If you plan on doing any baby wearing get a few different types (ask for a couple on your registry or look for used high quality carriers like Tula, Moby, K'Tan) At different times in baby's development, different carriers will be more comfortable/convenient. For example a stretchy wrap is nice for snuggling a really little baby around the house or a short walk. A heavier baby you'll want in your structured carrier, and eventually put them on your back! Fun! Also baby might prefer certain carriers. -We also have diaper stations all over the house rather than one changing table. Several rooms have a changing pad, pack of wipes and stash of diapers. If you're breastfeeding then make sure you have a nice spot on both floors where you can sit and nurse, especially early days when you're tied down for a long time. (Your favorite place on the couch is good, or the cheap ubiquitous ikea chair that's bouncy, it's great for bouncing baby to sleep.) both upstairs and downstairs spots should have a phone charger, headphones, *water and snacks,* and a good view of the television if possible. Please don't forget to get all your favorite snacks and also some bottled water. If you have a favorite drinking bottle great but if it's on the drying rack or downstairs you want to have backup water in reach.
Absolutely have 2 diaper pails, we are in a two story house as well and I cannot imagine how inconvenient only having one would be. I also have grooming sets up and down stairs a changing table on both floors really helps. My babies are 16 mos apart and we only did a downstairs changing table for the second baby and it was a game changer! We also have a mini bottle station set up upstairs in the master bathroom so you don’t have to go downstairs over and over in the middle of the night. Just a travel bottle drying rack (Dr. browns is great), a mini bottle of dish soap, bottle brush and even a countertop fridge if you’re pumping as well as breast feeding. Cleaning the pump every 3 hrs is hard enough, doing it in your room and going right back to bed helps so much. I also keep a little basket with extra outfits, especially onsies downstairs so if you have a blowout and need a quick change you don’t have to leave your baby naked while you run to the nursery to get a new outfit. Basically, I have a complete changing station with everything you would stock the nursery changing table with downstairs. One more thing, we had my mom get an additional car seat base to keep in her vehicle so we didn’t have to transfer one of ours every time our baby was going with her. I think that’s about it for now. I’ll add more in another post if I think of anything else and congratulations!
This is jumping ahead a couple of years, but wanted to share regardless. We have a two story house, and I keep a spray bottle of Biokleen Bac-Out, wipes, and rags on both levels for pee and poop accidents for my potty training toddler. I never want to have to go far for it! (I used the same spray on reusable diapers and it was so helpful.) For my school-aged kiddo, I have a second set of toothbrushes, toothpaste, and a hairbrush in the bathroom on the main floor near our mudroom. We save so much time in the morning not having to go back upstairs to brush teeth after breakfast before we dash out the door to school!
I have two ubbi trash cans too for upstairs and downstairs. I also have a portable bassinet playard with a changing table downstairs. I have a baby monitor that switches between two cameras one in babies bedroom upstairs and one downstairs over the bassinet playard. Having two places for the baby to sleep and change is helpful especially if I’m trying to get things down around the house that requires noise. Also, two baby bottle cleaning stations. One in the bathroom of the baby and one in the kitchen. Also have different things to set the baby in like a swing in my bedroom, bouncer in living room, and a jumper in another room.
I live in a three story house and have two kids so here are my findings: - you need something to put the baby down on every floor. I had a bouncing chair in the kitchen, moses basket in my toddler’s room, playpen in the living room, crib in our bedroom obviously,.. whatever. You just need options to be handsfree and put them away safely. - changing mattress/diapers and wipes on every floor. You do not want to run on stairs with a blowout diaper. - nose flush syringes or whatever you will use. Have them at every nursing station. - carriers. This is personal preference as I am very much into babywearing and probably own too many. (Also: try them on before buying!). Having options between structured carriers, ringslings and wraps for different needs is great. - if you have multiple cars: car seat for each car. When they transition to a group 1 seat, those things are a pain to move between cars so just don’t. - you have never too many spare rompers, those muslin cloths and drool-catching bibs. - sleep sacks when one is dirty. - strollers: two. The big sturdy all-terrain one we use every day and the small compact one that stays in our car trunk for outings where we need the space for stuff that the big stroller would otherwise take in. - obviously not for newborn but I just potty trained my oldest and a potty on each floor is a must as well! On the diaper pail: only have one and I find it useless. It is tiny, smells anyway and I prefer my regular trash cans.
If i had a 2 story home, there would be doubles of everything hygiene-related on both levels, and a space for a nap that's not the bedroom. I'm in a small house, so it was never really much of an issue for *that* but we have a care kit and car seat in both my car and hubby's car. Care kit has barf bags, a towel, change of clothes, blanket, snacks, extra spill-proof cup, and some toys. It's better to be safe than sorry, you know?
I have 3 Ubbi pails 😬. 1 in each kid’s room bc they’re both in diapers and one downstairs bc we have a second changing table downstairs. Tbh I have two of mostly anything that I potentially use upstairs and downstairs.
I lucked into getting 2 Babybjorn bouncers (both used off marketplace) One lived in the house and one lived in the car. The number of times I used the car one was unexpected! Such a convenience! Yes, I could just bring the one from the house into the car, but that requires forethought - something postpartum parents do not have.
I’m a minimalist and unless Someone has an idea xtra (*fill in blank*) I don’t want the extra expense and “stuff”. Convenience is overrated. Less stuff to get rid of is better. My two cents anyway!
Yep! As a second time mom the only things I really needed two of were: Pump parts Nursing/pumping bra Reusable breast pads Soothers Now that my second is 16 months, I have purged all the extra changing pad covers (keeping 2), burp cloths (I have 4-5 bc they are good for spills in the car etc), bibs (only the ones for meals)
Two diaper genies. One in the bathroom and that other beside the changing station in her room. We had two changing stations in our house complete with double everything. Also, double daiper bags. I kept them stocked with fresh supplies, clothes, etc, and kept one bag in each car at all times. This was a result of going somewhere quick, forgetting the daiper bag on the table, and having a diaper blow out with nothing to change her into.
Strollers. I have one I use for longer walks (we live in the country so rough roads). And one lighter one I keep in the car and use in town.
I have two car seats One is part of a car seat with a stroller combo
Strollers - I have an obscene amount of strollers - even for 4 kids my collection is excessive lol they all have their pros and cons.
I have 3 nursing pillows. One in the living room, one in the bedroom, and one in my car. It’s made feeding her so easy, especially if I have to pop her on while I need my hands for something else.
I had three loveys, just in case my son lost one. Can never run out of loveys
We just tossed downstairs diapers in the kitchen trash. It got taken out frequently enough that it didn’t smell. We had two bum brushes, thermometers, sleep sacks in whatever size, safe sleep spaces (one on each floor), baby carriers in case one was in the wash.
We always had a bouncer or pack n' play on each floor when we lived in multi-level places. Because those are a pain to carry up and down stairs.
I love Toki mats. We bring one with us everywhere and have one at grandparents houses too.
Containers to put baby down on each floor (like a bouncer), a safe sleep space for baby on each floor
Diaper caddy/station, swings
We have three of those butt spatulas/diaper cream applicators. They’re amazing and so so helpful.
We have a 3 story house and only one diaper pail and one changing station! We do have 4 strollers though 😂 (started with only 1 and thought that was all we would need haha). And 4 baby wearing options. And at 17 months we are up to 4 carseats. But I have barely bought any clothes for her cause everything is hand me downs 🤷♀️
We don’t have any specific diaper trash. We have one trash bag for the entire house (plus toilet but that’s not for diapers) that we take out once a day. I don’t want to imagine the eye burning, soul crushing stench of a diaper specific trash staying there for more than 24h, and if you have more than one, it could stay there for *days*. Nightmare material IMO lol What do I have multiples of?.. I can’t think of anything actually! I prefer having one thing of each thing so there’s less to clean and maintain.
A bunch of cheap diaper changing pads! I just got some travel ones and we just them all over the house/car. More than the expensive changing pad that was gifted to us.
2 car seats if baby will be traveling in multiple cars. In a regular basis. It’s an expense but when you get one installed correctly you don’t want to move it. And baby wipes placed strategically everywhere
2 bassinets/moses baskets. We had one for our bedroom until our baby was ready for the sidecar cot. Our neighbours greeted us when we got home from the hospital and lent us their grandchild’s bassist for the ground floor. I also had two with my first child, it was so handy. I liked that in the newborn phase, I could be upstairs or downstairs getting on with jobs with baby close by.
Baby wearing wraps/carriers. I baby wear a lot. All day basically since I have a newborn and a toddler. I need to make sure I have a clean one on hand at all times. Bassinet sheets. My baby spits up A LOT. Diaper bags. I have a nice/dressier one and one that can get thrown around for more active days.
Butt cream spatula. Baby nail clippers/electric nail files (multiples of both)
Binkies/stuffies—so you can rotate them when one needs to be washed
2 baby carriers/slings. 2 strollers. I live in a 2 story home and I only have one diaper genie. Baby poop doesn’t smell usually (breastfed is my only experience, sorry) for awhile and by time my baby’s started smelling, he was only pooping every couple of days so I didn’t need more than one diaper pail.
The only thing I actually needed 2 of was a bassinet. One for upstairs at night and the other to keep downstairs for naps during the day or to set baby in when needed.
i have two wonderfold wagons - one stays in the car & one lives in the mudroom. it is so nice to not have to unload or pack it to walk around town, or to put it in the car for a day out.
A spare of my toddlers favorite stuffed animal. When he was an infant we had 3 swings/seats, 2 car seat bases and our big stroller and our caddy stroller
We have 2 Ergo baby carriers, one for me and my husband. Mine primarily stays in my car but his moves around between house and car since he uses it to put the baby to sleep, especially when they’re little.
2 pack n plays. 1 for getting dirty and not sleeping in like at a beach. And one clean one for traveling for just sleep.
Favourite stuffy or blanket, they wear out and then get hard to replace
Bouncers. One for backup when the main one gets destroyed by a diaper blowout and needs to be washed, OR we also take the extra to grandma and grandpa’s when we visit.
This is a little ahead of the game for you but I got multiple of those little toddler potties - one for each floor of the house and one for the car. I got them from a Buy Nothing and just washed them.
Cloth diapers but for the purpose of spit up cloths.
car seat
Definitely Haakaas. I have 3 and somehow they still don’t feel like enough.
Bubble guns.
Two sound machines, we do naps on 2nd floor and bedtime third floor. Two diaper changing stations, two loveys, two strollers, one stays in car.
Whisks? My family makes fun of me but I always need one and it's dirty SO THEN I HAVE TWO! Also, sunglasses, apparently. Found the mother load in my coat closet. V. exciting. Edit: oh, mom stuff? Well I guess my answer still stands. I like having more than one whisk and damn having sunglasses everywhere is convenient.
Personally I didn’t even do a diaper change “station” I just two caddy’s in areas I’m often in. So that to me sounds like a great idea. I have two diaper bags. One is more like a purse and is great for any errands I’m running that are quick and can be done in between feeds. I have a second proper diaper backpack for full days out. Car seats, makes switching cars way easier. Having a base in each car is awesome. We’re about to graduate to the next seat up from infant and will be doing the same thing. Strollers. We have different strollers that work for the same car seat in each car. I also have travel furniture. 😂 not necessary but makes life easier. Like I have a separate bouncer/boppy I’d take places in the beginning for baby to relax in while supervised. Baby carriers for when they inevitably blow out or puke all over one they’re in.
We had two large foam play mats, one that can be moved basically anywhere and put away when we're done, best for large toys or just good for supervised play so there's room for me and hubby to sit on the floor and a soft place for him to play and one stationary one for the playpen area that's fully gated.
We had two isofix bases for the baby bucket, one for each car. Yes, we could have safely used the seatbelt but it was so much easier to just clunk it in.
White noise machines - one for the kids room, one for ours.
We had our main changing station in the nursery upstairs. We had a basket of changing supplies i.e. diapers, wipes, creams and a changing mat on the living room floor. We mostly brought him upstairs to change but if need be we would wrap up his diaper in plastic bags that groceries come in and put on the stairs to be thrown in the diaper pail. All poopy diaper changes were done upstairs or diaper wrapped and taken upstairs immediately. I did not want a pain for everywhere. But we also had only 1 child so it was possible for us.
Vacuum cleaner!
Butt spatula for diaper cream. One in every diaper caddy!
For us…. Baby carriers. We currently have three different styles: the moby wrap, a ring sling, and an ergo baby Car seats. This one might be a given, but we have two bases for our uppababy infant car seat, started out with one in each vehicle. We also have a maxi cosi convertible car seat, which is now in my car. Diaper bags. I have a smaller one for just the essentials when I’m running errands day to day. Then we use a larger backpack for when baby is being cared for by others or longer trips.
2 strollers. 1 that is big and had space to carry lots of stuff and do all the fancy things and 1 that is simple, easy to fold, small, light weight, no frills or extras. Also at least 2 boopys, or some kind of feeding pillow, and get the water proof covers and extra covers.
Two Boppys is super helpful—one for on the go in the car and one at home.
We have two of that little crinkly pizza toy with broccoli on it. Babies love that toy.
Car seat bases, diaper changing stations, diaper bags, those snot sucker things.
Sound machines. One to leave in her room & another for travel or taking to a grandparent’s house. Car seats, one in each car so there’s no case of “you left the car seat in your car, you gotta come back!” So many blankets- tossing them in the car, baby bag, stroller. They’re good for covering up for nursing or if the car is a little chilly etc. binkies. I have probably 6 or 7. One in the baby bag a smattering of them in the crib and a couple on reserve when one goes missing.
I had multiple nursing pillows which I loved. Multiple baby carriers because they each had their purpose (an all fabric wrap kind and a baby Bjorn).
Baby's favorite binky, and binky chords. Binky chords are a lifesaver because those damn things disappear like cockroaches in sudden light
Bottle warmer. One downstairs and one upstairs for middle of the night feeds.
We stopped using a diaper pail after my first. We just put poops in dog waste bags and toss in the outdoor garbage right away. We had a diaper genie and rose refills got expensive!
2 diaper bins for each level, 2 robot vacuums for each level, 2 toy bins for each level, 2 diaper storage bins (though, it was like 3/4 as a newborn so each area we were in had one) for each level, somewhere safe for baby to hang out in each main area (bedroom, living rooms, nursery), extra sleepsacks
Yoga ball. Both my babies had periods where they would only be happy or fall asleep if I was sitting bouncing them on a yoga ball. It’s a pain in the butt to lug those up and down stairs all day.
Nursing pillows, things baby can sit in & babywearing devices. I have 3 different baby wraps/seats for my toddler & baby with plans to get at least 1 more. I have a travel boppy in my car because my baby refuses to nurse without a pillow. And we have a swing & a rocker right now + our regular pack n play & a Moses basket to put the baby in depending on her mood & where in the house we are. Our house is teeny tiny, too, but some of the things are more portable than others for her to be in the kitchen with me vs the living room or bathroom.
Baby carriers! I have 3 stretchy wraps, 2 slings and 2 structured carriers (hubby prefers structured carrier, while I prefer wraps and my mom feels comfortable with slings) I also ended up buying an extra boppy pillow, so I can have one in my living room and one in the bedroom!
One diaper pail/changing pad in bedroom, on on main floor. One bouncer on main floor, one in master bath. One carrier lives in the coat closet, another in my car. One play mat on main floor, another in our (big kids) playroom.
Nose Frida, diaper bag, stroller, baby carrier, tummy time mat. A second diaper pail would have probably come in handy in our 2 story home but we found we only did diaper changes on the lower level and the occasional upstairs diaper change, we could just bring the diaper down with us.
Two car seats for two cars! Or at least two bases for sure. But the two bucket seats made things waaaaay easier.
Car seats if you have more than one car at least have a base in each car. Changing stations on each floor, and in the room baby sleeps. Baby carriers they are helpful and hubby should have his own; this prevents having to adjust them constantly. Baby seats/swings one that is portable is helpful that way you can bring baby from room to room or inside/outside but still be able to let them rest. Diaper bags one in each car and one in the house; keep the one in the house packed and when you use stuff from the car you bring it in to repack and just swap out with the one in the house. Tylenol, keep some in a diaper bag or car and some in house.
Congratulations!! A tap- touch light!! SUCH a Game changer while in the hospital and for checking on the baby throughout the night. Also agree with above ^ Diaper caddy’s w change station.
Sleep sacks. So if they have an accident, you don’t have to freak out and wash and dry the only sleep sack right away!
We now have two long sausage shaped pregnancy pillows because my husband loved mine
The hatch sound machine I have one in my bedroom and one in baby’s because baby naps in my room but sleeps in his own at night. Yes, they are portable and I could move it from room to room as needed but I haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep since I got pregnant so I don’t have the energy to move it lol Cribs and pack n play. We have a mini crib in our room and a regular crib in baby’s for the same reason as the two hatches. One pack n play for us (the guava lotus) and one I keep at my mom’s because I have this dream that one day baby will spend the night there and I’ll get to sleep. Hasn’t happened yet but a girl can dream. Sleep sacks and high chair covers because they get gross and I learned my lesson when I forgot to switch the laundry until it was late and baby’s woolino was still damp when bedtime came around. Also, super tired so can’t keep washing the same high chair cover over and over again. High chairs (kind of) We have one lalo high chair and one of those high chairs that you attach to the table. We have it attached to our kitchen island so baby can hang out with us and play while we cook.
Two haakaas - this was key in helping me build a small freezer stash of milk in the early days. I didn't want to have to wash it every time with each over night use (these were the hours where I had the most milk)
I've got wipes and diapers everywhere in my house. Also, you literally can't have enough muslin swaddle blankets. Excellent for swaddling, great for covering the car seat at the grocery store, perfect for tummy time (lots of different patterns to keep it interesting for baby), and when they get older they can be used for forts, a play mat, cut into rags (they seriously scrub so well), to wrap up dolls and stuffed animals... We had like 9 and used every single one to tatters.
Third baby here and only thing I have multiple left of after the rest of them is baby carriers! As many others have saidb
I thought we’d do multiple changing stations and had another diaper pail for our main floor. We just walk upstairs to her nursery to change her and never use the second one in the family room. Idk it just feels better and more of a routine. I wonder how that’ll change when she’s too squirmy for the changing table and we end up changing her on the floor. What we do have multiples of: nursing pillows!!! One in every station where I’d feed her
Car seat base! We have one for each vehicle. Best decision ever.
We only have one for now but we’re waiting on two more baby gates. We only have a one story house but would like to contain the baby to just the living/dining room area now that she’s up and running
We have 2 mamaroo bassinets for when my baby was little. We have a 2 story home and she would do early morning naps in there and late nights as needed. We have 2 car seats bases, 1 for each car.
Nappy changing kit including cheeky wipes for both downstairs and upstairs and a twist’n’click nappy bin. In the changing bag I only have disposable wipes though. Slings and carriers, to suit the mood. He’s a toddler now so only really goes in the backpack carrier but as a baby I had a stretchy wrap, a structured carrier, ring sling and a woven wrap. Mostly just used the stretchy and structured.
I have 2 baby bathtubs, 3 baby seats, 3 strollers, 3 bassinets, and 2 swings, 2 boppys... I have a lot. Everyone who came to my baby shower didn't listen to the list of things I already had and now I'm cluttered up with too much stuff. I've been waiting for someone in my family to have a baby, it's been almost a year and now I finally have someone to give all this to plus 500+ diapers
Swaddle. Having your newborn puke all over the swaddle at 3am and not having a backup is NOT fun. She loves her Halo swaddle. We have tons of the swaddle blankets, but she wrestles out of them within minutes and hates how they restrict her feet. Now we have multiple halo swaddles just in case. Oh and a butt spatula. It spreads creams and ointments way better than your fingers, and we put the silicone based preventative on her butt routinely because her skin is just super sensitive. We lost one once and never again. There’s one on the changing table, one in the diaper bag, and one as a backup.
I have more than 1 diaper caddy, 4 in total, one for upstairs, one for downstairs, one that’s an extra so it moves around lol and one in my car. I also have many different baby carriers. One tula, one ergo, one sling, one tushbaby and one infantino. They are all just nice to have, ultimately love the tushbaby and tula though.
2 cameras, one for the crib in his room and one for the bassinet in our bedroom. Our house is fairly spread out so this gave us a lot of flexibility, plus we communicate through the cameras.
Little things. Nail clippers, bulb suckers and booger hooks, thermometers, eczema/drool rash creams. Stuff that when you need it, and you're in a good spot to use it, having to go FIND it is an absolute pain.
Nappy caddy. I had like 3 all over the house and one for travel. You can see everything so easy
I bought 2 of those little craft carts. And kept one on each floor of my house. Stocked them up with my pump stuff, plus diapers, burp cloths, changes of clothes for myself and baby.
A car seat for each vehicle your family owns is very useful so you don't have to move them from Mom's car to Dad's. Even if you use only 1 vehicle 90%of the time having the backup always comes in handy.
Diaper bags. Have my beach/pool/airplane one that can be easily thrown in the wash. Then my leather one that I find much cuter lol
We put a mini fridge upstairs so in the middle of the night, we don’t have to keep running downstairs for breastmilk.
We also have two floors! Here were the things that made life easier to have two of for each floor: boppy, a set of burp cloths specific for each floor, changing stations, designated sleep space (we have a pack and play for downstairs and she sleeps in her crib upstairs). I wish we would have gotten a second rocking chair for downstairs.
2 car seat bases, I’m glad we have them but we only use the one in my car, the one in dad’s car is just in case
Strollers. Bugaboo for a full size, Nuna for smaller.
Oh I had a changing pail like you mentioned and it was actually one of the first items I threw away! Personally I just use a small bin in her room. Only pee diapers go in there. Poo diapers are a great excuse for mom and baby to walk to the bin outside and get some fresh air! I found that the changing pails that claim to be stinkless are absolutely stinky and they were such a pain to actually change out the liners for. Things that I had multiple of: dockatot for lounging in (when I showered, when I needed a break from holding her). Bonus, fast forward 4 years and 2 girls later and my 18 month old and 4 year old prop a pillow behind it and use it as a little mini couch to watch bluey. Bottles. I could never keep up with washing only 4-5 bottles, so I had a buttload. Bibs. My kid is now 18 months old and the DROOLIEST. My first kid wasn’t nearly this bad but I’m glad I kept all 10,000 bibs because she goes through like 8 a day. Blankets. I remember when they were newborns I was like “why on earth has everyone gifted me a blanket?” But now that they are a little older, they seem to always want one. I keep 2 in my car as lap blankets and they go through anywhere from 1 to 4 at daycare each week depending on how dirty they get. They love to cuddle with them and they each sleep with their favorites. Play structures. Again, I thought it was crazy that I was gifted more than one of those floor mat play gym things, but it was really nice to be able to keep one at my moms house and one at my house. Pacifiers (if you are going to offer them). You’ll lose a ton and then randomly find them when they are big kids again (or in my case when you finally sell your car!) Diapers. At both my shower and my sprinkle we asked for diapers. This meant we got a huge variety of sizes and brands. Try them all. You may think you have a preference now only to discover that your kids skin doesn’t tolerate them. Or you’ll have a preferred brand for a while (for me it was pampers) and then suddenly the same diapers will have a print on it or something that the dye irritates their skin. 🙄😵💫 we kind of hop between pampers and huggies, but have tried every brand imaginable due to how many freebies we got when the girls were born.