Sara’s Ultimate Baby Product List
Feeding your baby—whether through breastfeeding, pumped milk, or formula—is a big journey. Ignore the hot takes online; whatever works for you is what’s best for your baby. You got this.
I couldn’t breastfeed since my baby was born prematurely, so I pumped for two months, which lasted her first three months. My boobs simply gave up after two battles with Mastitis (BRUTAL!). We then switched to formula. If breastfeeding doesn’t work out in the hospital, don’t stress—hospitals usually have pumps you can rent, and a lactation specialist will walk you through everything.
A bottle sanitizer is a must. Microwaving or boiling bottles is a headache—just get a dedicated sanitizer. Use distilled water.
Seventh Generation fragrance-free dish soap is perfect for washing bottles. Use a bottle scrubber, gloves, and hot water for easy cleaning.
Dr. Brown’s glass bottles are great—glass prevents plastic from leaching into milk. Note: when your baby is no longer finishing their full bottles that’s usually when it’s time to upgrade the nipple size. We warmed bottles by placing them in a measuring cup of hot sink water. Baby got used to slightly warm milk :) It doesn’t have to be HOT hot.
No need for a fancy formula machine. Just prep a day’s worth in a milk pitcher: 1) Boil water in an electric kettle 2) Let it cool to 152°F 3) Mix in formula, shake, and let it cool on the counter for ~20 min 4) Store in the fridge.
👆🏻Swaddles are tough! We never found the perfect one because it really depends on the baby. Our little one had a strong startle reflex that stuck around forever, so traditional swaddles didn’t work for her. The only thing she tolerated was being wrapped in blankets like they did in the NICU. In the end, we just kept a close eye on her sleep in those early days. We rejoiced when we could finally ditch swaddling and move on to a sleep sack.
MEXXI Muslin Baby Blanket
Konssy Muslin Baby Burp Cloths
Medela Purelan Lanolin | Safe for Breastfeeding Baby | 100% Natural Nipple Cream (also great for baby’s red cheeks when dry)
Rechargeable Baby Nail Trimmer Electric Baby Nail File (MUST be a rechargeable one. These eat batteries like crazy)
Frida Baby The SnipperClipper (I clip nails first then quickly finish with nail trimmer to avoid sharp ends; faster to clip first, baby does NOT like the electric nail trimmer)