My nursery checklist
As a new mom, searching through the millions of baby products available is VERY time consuming, and I found that having registry checklists made my job easier. But even then, the checklists I utilized were a bit too extensive and I ended up buying stuff I didn’t need (I guess that’s bound to happen).
So I put together a shorter list of the things I found to be necessary, all non-toxic and primarily organic for moms like me who value that. I focused on high-quality, safe, useful (and pretty) yet affordable options (within the organic/nontoxic which tends to have expensive items) and mostly available on Amazon, which makes it easier for people like me living abroad.
I’ve included the “necessities” in each of these categories:
On-the-go /to transport baby
Nursery furniture:
Smaller items for Nursery
Newborn baby care including diapers + bottles + soap + towels + swaddles
For postpartum mom
A quick piece of advice before you start: go slow when shopping. 9.5 months is a long time and there is no need to rush and buy everything in your first and second trimesters. Buy the most important items - nursery basics, car seat, and just a few of you baby’s needed self care products – ex buy one diaper cream and one baby oil to start, don’t go crazy, and of course, your post-partum necessities are KEY. AND remember, people will want to gift you things, so create your registry, share it with your friends and family, and allow others to help you out! It’s a lot, so you’ll need it!
After tons of research, here were my top choices for newborn and postpartum basics, focusing on nontoxic, “clean” options that (for the most part) affordable yet good quality and beautiful.
On-the-go /to transport baby
Safest Car seats:
Ideally look for a car seat that is highly rated in terms of safety and without flame retardants. I decided I wanted a convertible car seat so I wouldn’t have to invest in another car seat in a few months, and was in between these 3 car seats.
-Britax Advocate Clicktight convertible car seat (in Otto safe wash, free of flame retardants)
-Clek convertible car seat (in Mammoth)
I ended up going with the Britax Advocate as it appeared to be safest overall. The Britax Boulevard was my 2nd best option.
*If you opt for a newborn car seat, my top choices were Uppababy Mesa (in henry or jordan) or the Nuna Pipa.
Strollers:
There are tons of great nontoxic options, choose the type that works best for you. Look for ones that have NO flame retardants. NOTE: I hardly used a stroller my first 2 months, so I find there is not much rush in buying one before baby is born.
Some good options include:
-Britax B-Free and Britax B-lively
-UppaBaby Cruz and UppaBaby Vista (slightly more expensive options)
-For joggers: baby jogger city mini
-For travel, Babyzen YOYO2 stroller
* I was gifted a beautiful Bugaboo stroller which I love for using in/around my house, but as I had to travel over the holidays, I got the YOYO2 and it’s amazing -it’s extremely lightweight, easy to fold/unfold, and fits in the airplane’s overhead bin.
Newborn wrap carrier:
Nalakai ring sling baby carrier (got for xmas and love)
Solly baby wrap (this is the first one I got and love - once I got hang of putting it on correctly/snugly)
*the Nalakai is said to be refreshing/cooling, so got it after becasue while I LOVE my Solly, I get very hot wearing it as I live in a hot climate, and was told the Nalakai doesn’t get you hot
Front backpack type baby carrier:
Babybjorn mini carrier (top choice)
Travel portable changing pad: MakeMake Organics Portable changing pad
Diaper bag: There are tons of amazing options, I was gifted 2 beautiful ones from my family which I love but here are 2 options that I had scoped out (vegan leather):
Freshly Picked - Convertible Classic Diaper Bag Backpack
Nursery furniture
Crib: There are TONS of great options so this can be overwhelming. The first thing you need to decide is whether you will use a crib from day 1, or a Montessori floor bed, or a mini crib / bassinet /co-sleeper, or if you will just bed share and skip cribs all together. just make sure to look for Greenguard certified.
Personally, I opted for a co-sleeper bassinet to start, and for baby’s room (for her day naps and eventually for when I transition my baby to her room to sleep at night) I ended up choosing a convertible crib - babyletto 3-in-1 crib and highly recommend it (and when my baby is 6+months, I plan to remove the legs and convert it to a floor bed).
Another option is using a bassinet /co-sleeper for the first few months, and having a Montessori-style flat bed in the nursery from the beginning (and skipping the crib all together).
For Travel crib I love the BABYBJORN Travel Crib Light
*Mini crib/bassinet: I was gifted a co-sleeper bassinet from Arms Reach as I wanted one that I could place next to my bed, but here are some I researched as great options if you want to have your baby co-sleep in your room but not in your bed:
Babybjorn Cradle - buy this preferably with the Naturopedic organic bassinet mattress
Snoo (very expensive option but the reviews are amazing. if you have the budget, I would check it out)
Infant lounger (and works as co-sleeper for the bed):
Glider: Like cribs, there are many good options just again look for greenguard certified.
Nursery Works Compass Rocker - I chose this Nursery Works Compass Rocker in pink because I fell in love!
Babyletto also has some great options, such as their Kai Rocker in eco-twill
Organic mini-crib and crib mattress: Look for GREENGUARD Gold Certified, GOTS Certified, MADE SAFE certified.
Naturopedic - After tons of research, I felt Naturopedic was the best option (they have for both bassinet/mini crib and crib) and good price point compared to other organic options. All their mattresses are great and safe, but I went for the classic spring mattress because it was recommended as the safest. (It’s worth going to their website, reading and deciding whether you want coil / lightweight etc).
Other good options include:
Avocado Green and Newton
Bouncer:
Babybjorn bouncer bliss - (my top choice; my baby LOVES her babybjorn and I highly recommend it)
Nuna leaf (runner up)
Bathtub: I wasn’t too picky here, most bathtubs have plastic unfortunately so aren’t fully nontoxic in my book, but I decided it’s no big deal. I ended up going with a bathtub that fits on my counter next to the sink, but if you don’t have countertop space next to your sink, you might opt for one of the flowers that you place directly in the sink (depends on your sink if it’ll be a good option) as it can be uncomfortable to place the baby too low on your shower/bath.
Skip Hop Moby Recline & Rinse bathtub
Changing tray:
Million Dollar Baby Classic Universal Changing Tray (i bought this one in white)
Changing tray pad:
Naturopedic organic contoured changing pad
Moonlight slumber little dreamer contour changing pad
*Note - i dont include a changing table as I found it easiest (and less expensive) to just use the changing tray on top of a dresser I already had. If you need a changing table, look for the same brands as the changing tray.
Additional items (these are items I determined I needed but may not by 100% necessary in your case):
Sterilizer Dryer: If you’re going to pump /bottle feed at some point, I personally think a sterilizer is important; I personally use it a lot now that I’m back to work and have to pump and bottle feed at times.
Wabi touch control UV sterilizer & dryer (my top choice and the one I bought. I LOVE it and feel its 100% worth it.)
Baby Brezza One-Step (runner up, but I didn’t love that the model is plastic)
Diaper pail: Ubbi Steel Odor Locking Diaper Pail
Other items for nursery / play area (start with just these basics; there is time for toys and teethers later!)
Play mat: There are many great options, make sure to look for ones labeled FREE of PVC, phthalates, foam, flame retardants, lead and other VOCs. Some I loved are:
aden + anais baby bonding playmat
makemake organics organic nontoxic activity mat
Others include: happy days, pillobebe, finch & folk
Play gym + play mat + first developmental toys: Lovevery
Plant toys (I got one from my local Montessori store in Managua from Plant Toys and love it. For anyone in Nicaragua, that store is my go to for most Nursery items!)
Smaller items for Nursery
Organic crib sheets:
Organic bassinet sheets (if you opt for starting out with a bassinet/mini crib):
Burts Bees (best value)
Poppi & Max organic bassinet sheet
Organic changing pad covers:
Burts bees organic cotton jersey changing pad cover
Organic liners for changing tray:
Boppy organic cotton top changing pad liners
(I have and like both. The boppy are smaller but I think I like the material slightly more).
Newborn baby care including diapers + bottles + soap + towels
Diaper balm:
Earth Mama Organic Diaper Balm (my top choice, I love it. You’ll want to buy the 2 pack, and you’ll be buying plenty more).
Maty’s baby organic diaper balm (bigger size / better value)
Diaper rash cream: I only use this if my baby happens to get a bit of a rash, I place it only where it’s a bit red, as dermatologists suggest this brand:
Boudreaux's Butt Paste Diaper Rash Cream, Maximum Strength
Baby oil /moisturizer (I use some almost daily, after her bath, and do a mini baby massage)
Baby Soap/shampoo:
Dr. Bronners unscented (the best all purpose body wash/hand soap/ dish soap, etc. I’m personally using dr. bronners a lot!)
Baby wipes: Go for water wipes, they are the most simple, nontoxic and all you need.
WaterWipes Sensitive Baby Wipes
If you want another option:
Honest co. (I bought some of these just for travel but feel water wipes are a “cleaner” option)
Also option of reusable cloth wipes such as ImseVimse Washable & Reusable Cloth Wipes
Cloth Diapers: There are tons. I went most for the ones with organic liners. I recommend trying 2-3 different brands and seeing what works best for you. You’re going to need about 20 if you want to do laundry every other day (vs every day). I have loved:
Grovia hybrids with organic liners (my fav). This is a great package.
GroVia ONE (great for nighttime)
BumGenius and https://amzn.to/3G3XiCf
Best Bottom – with the organic hemp liners (they’re a bit tougher than the fleece but I still chose the organic liners as its important to me, and they’ve worked great so far.
Nontoxic disposable diapers: Its important to look for diapers without chlorine, preservatives, phthalates, latex, PVC, TBT. Ideally dye free and fragrance free (and if you’re picky, go with ones without petroleum based ingredients). Some great brands include:
Bambo Nature (most affordable. I use these as my go-to disposables when i need them, and love them)
Dyper (great reviews and good price, so I’m trying them out for first time this month)
Andy Pandy (great quality and price)
Coterie (subscription based, bit pricier but I tried them as a friend gifted me some and LOVED them. But since I use primarily cloth diapers, i only need small packets of disposables, so my go to’s are Bambo or Dyper. If I would have done only disposables, I probably would have done Coterie).
Bottles:
Avent glass bottles (these are the ones I’m using primarily)
Comotomo silicone bottles (these are great for when the baby can hold his/her own bottle!)
Dish & bottle soap:
Dapple baby bottle + dish soap
Dr. bronner’s unscented (multi-purpose cleaners for dish/laundry/body/hands etc)
Clothing detergent: This category is important to do some research on. Check out your go-to detergents in EWG, and you may be surprised that they aren’t as “non-toxic” and baby safe as you thought. For example, Deft ranks really poorly.
Molly suds - my go to, for the entire household
Nellie’s laundry detergent soda - my 2nd go to, similar to Molly suds, its simple ingredients yet very effective
Dr. bronner’s - best option to wash the cloth diapers (or anything) by hand.
Personally, I first hand wash our cloth diapers with dr bronners, and then stick in the washer - with Molly suds or Nellie’s- every 2 days or whenever we need to do a load of baby laundry.
Burp cloths:
Green Sprouts organic bamboo burp cloths (my favorite)
Burts Bees organic burp cloths
Bath towels & wash cloths:
Organic towels for baby: Burts bees organic singly-ply hooded towels
Organic cotton wash cloths to bathe baby: Burts bees and Honest baby
Swaddle: I personally found swaddles a life saver to make my baby sleep longer at night. Luckily, there are tons of beautiful, soft organic swaddles. Some I like include:
SwaddleMe Organic Swaddle – great Velcro option for when you’re starting off
Mushi (great company, great quality - on my wish list)
Coyuchi (I love this brand for my organic sheets and towels, and recently discovered they also have baby swaddle blankets)
Woombie - this is their organic version, however they have a great convertible option that converts to arms-free blanket for when your baby is older as well
(and there are beautiful ones from different boutique stores like Stina and Mae. I also love the swaddle blankets from Baby Cottons and Red Caribou – both are super soft peruvian Pima cotton)
Basics for postpartum mom
Nipple cream:
Earth mamma organics (my top choice and the one i use)
Lansinoh Lanolin Nipple Cream (this is slightly different than 2 above as its pure lanolin. Some people swear by it, some don’t love it, so I bought both types).
OTHER ITEMS:
Silverettes *I bought both earth mamma nipple cream + lanolin and alternated both. However I didn’t have the perfect latch and still got sore cracked nipples around 10 days postpartum. Around 3 weeks postpartum someone recommended these Silver Cups and they worked wonders for me. A few days later my nipples were healed. Of course the latch was also better, but I’m convinced the silver cups helped a lot (still wear them occasionally). Not every lactation consultant recommends them, so do your research, but I personally recommend them and found them worth the $.
Note: I also bought nipple shields (and pacifiers) “just in case” but never used either, so I’m not including those on this list as I don’t find them necessary.
Breast pump: I think the combination of these 2 is perfect!
Medela electric breast pump https://amzn.to/3DSzMao
Hakaa silicone breast pump https://amzn.to/2Zp7FRl (best invention ever)
Nursing bras + tanks: Storq (their clothing is so incredibly soft AND they are a conscious, sustainable brand, so it’s 1 of my top choices for pregnancy and postpartum basics, but there are tons of very affordable options from H&M, Gap, you name it…!)
Optional items
Organic breast pads: https://amzn.to/3CZGPNu
Nursing pillow: Boppy with Boppy organic cover
And great to have in case of a natural birth:
Organic cotton pads (ideally free of BPAs, BPS, phthalates, dehp, dioxin and fragrance) - are a must for postpartum, and you can soak in witch hazel and aloe then freeze to create “padsicles” for natural-birth postpartum moms. Such as: Rael and Cora
Perineal /Sitz spray: Earth mamma
Witch Hazel: pure organic witch hazel for soaking pads (or any pure witch hazel with no added ingredients, no scents)
Organic teas for lactation: Earth mamma Milkmaid and Traditional Medicinals Organic Mothers Milk Tea
Happy baby shopping!
Mariana