So, you’re having a baby.

Quick- better get online and research all the best and most recommended baby items immediately!

STOP! You don’t have to spend the next 9 months wading through a million open tabs on your browser. Why not? Because I’ve already done it and I’m here to stop the madness.

No, you don’t need that whale faucet cover. Your baby isn’t born yet, he certainly hasn’t reached the standing up in the bathtub phase. Forget the wipes warmer- it’ll either catch on fire (no, really it might!) or you’ll find mold on it one day and toss it.

You don’t need most of these things and you certainly don’t need to spend every penny on useless baby items. I’ve already done that for you. Here’s what I recommend. AKA: the stuff I ACTUALLY used.

1)One miiiiiiiillion onesies. My favorite clothing item. The baby onesie does it all. It acts as a shirt, or an entire outfit, depending on the weather. It wasn’t until I was shopping with a friend that I realized some people treated them as undershirts, and wasn’t I just the idiot for thinking they served as proper clothing for events like coffee out with dad or mom and baby yoga?! My favorites were Carter and Gap because of the cut and fit, but really, they are all the same. A few snaps at the crotch and off you go. Style and comfort for baby. Speed and ease for Supermom.

2) Swaddle blankets. My mother still talks about how I swaddled my son for “such a long time”. In reality, it was 4 months. But it was a glorious 4 months. It helped him sleep, it helped me sleep and when we finally stopped swaddling it was a sad, sad sleepless night. My favorites are Aden and Anais, but there are many different names and knockoffs now. You just want to make sure that they are big enough and made from good quality muslin material. It’s breathable and perfect for a million different things. Park blanket, stroller cover, barf wiper, nursing cover….the list goes on. I used my set of 4 swaddles so much that they are kitten belly soft and 5 years later starting to get a hole here or there. Totally worth it.

3)Cloth diapers. I know, I know. Gross, eh? I poo-poohed everyone else who planned to use them before I got pregnant but then when it was my turn I suddenly found myself scrolling through pages of the “cutest diaper prints ever!!!!” and suddenly boxes of “fluffy mail” began arriving in the mail. My cloth diaper stash was made up primarily of AppleCheeks and AMP, two Canadian companies that make really great diapers. For the record, I also used disposables, because HELLO- shit happens, but I felt like we were doing something good for the environment and my kids basically NEVER had diaper rashes. I’m thanking the cloth.

The only way I could manage to get to the pastry shop one day after giving birth.

4)Stretchy wrap. Yes, I am a babywearing fanatic. Or, sadly, “was” might be a better term since I now have a very independent 30lb two year old who isn’t so into being strapped to me anymore. From shortly after my first was born and from day one with my second, I wore my babies. So did my husband.(If you’ve got a hesitant husband or partner tell him all the ladies love it!…or maybe don’t. Never mind.) It saved my sanity. I could be hands free to eat, check Facebook, get ready for the day, clean (…haha), all the everyday things that my children did not want me to do unless I was holding them. Babywearing was perfect for failed naps or for outings. I had a Maman Kangourou, but I prefer other brands like Boba or Happy Wrap because the colours are nicer. Once baby is close to 20lbs you’ll need to move on to something more supportive like a woven wrap, or soft structured carrier like an Ergo.

5)Pack and Play or travel crib. I’m going to assume that you’ve planned something wonderful for where your new little one will sleep. Maybe it’s in a co-sleeper attached to your bed, maybe they will sleep with you, or maybe they’ll go straight to their crib. Perfect. My kids did all those things yet we still LOVED our Pack N Play. It travelled with us to grandparents houses, on camping trips, and was used for middle of the day naps. We could easily pack it up and check it at the airport for trips and it became a familiar place for the baby to sleep when we were away from home. It’s safe, good for a baby up to about 2 years old, and not even that expensive. Highly recommend a travel crib!

“So, is that it?” Well, not exactly. I had about a billion other baby items, but these are the specifics just for baby that I could not have lived without.

I’d love to hear from YOU- what did you like having for your baby? Was there something you simply couldn’t live without?