We’ve always lived in a small space and are moving into our first home at the end of July- which is also not terribly large. Add my husband, a 140 pound dog, and a baby, and you’ve got yourself a situation where making the most of your space is vital. So, I’ve been taking the “minimalist” approach to baby products. I’ve been researching which products are necessities, and which products save space in their design. It’s no secret that I am a fan of minimalist design, so I’ve also been researching products with innovative, neat designs that compliment the home. Storage will be vital (so I’ve heard…toys, toys, toys!), so my husband is tackling that project. We’ve picked up a few things ourselves so far, and our families have also lovingly pitched in.
Below, I’ve gathered a small selection of my fav baby product finds to date, to help out any new parents who find themselves in the same boat as us! I’ve still got tons more research ahead of me- breast pump advice anyone!?
– Brit
I’ve received advice that “baby wearing” not only helps with baby and mom’s bond, but also helps you get more things done around the house- win, win! There are SO many different baby wraps out there, but I’ve fallen for the beautiful fabrics, and full coverage of the Solly Baby Wrap. No rings or hoops are involved, and apparently it is easy to get baby in there. I’ve heard great things about this one from other Mom’s, so its on my wishlist for sure. You can even use the full coverage fabric to secure baby’s head when they are brand spanking new. This “Blush Swiss Dot” fabric is both the perfect shade of pink and perfect amount of cute. Also, if anyone wants to come visit and braid my hair like this cute Mom’s, I’ll let you cuddle my baby! LOL 
We chose the Nuna Leaf for a swing. There are so many swings and chairs in stores, but I kind of fell for the simple design of this one. It also does not need to be plugged in, so it doesn’t have to be plopped down next to an outlet. Depending on my little one’s preferences, I’ll probably end up picking up a noise machine in addition, to help with the zzz’s. The seat will sway back and forth for two minutes after one push. The movement is designed to mimic a leaf gently falling from a branch- what that means to me is that it will hopefully make my baby sleepy…very, very sleepy. One advantage to this chair is that it can hold up to 135 pounds, so by removing the safety strap, kids can use it as a neat chair for years to come- yey for innovative products that can be used for more than a few months! 
I’ve been given the advice to meticulously watch how the nurses in the maternity ward wrap your baby in a swaddle, and to swallow your pride and ask them to show you how they do it- apparently they are the wizards of this and I am sure they have earned this title so, watch and ask them I will! My research on swaddles has come up that cotton muslin material seems to be the material of choice. It is a breathable fabric and apparently stays tucked easily. These Little Unicorn swaddles are so beautiful- this is the “Garden Rose” set. These are on my wishlist! I’ll also be picking up a number of the, what I like to call “swaddling for dummies” velcro swaddles that I’ve seen around, just in case I can’t easily pick up the nurses technique right away. 
There are about one million baby tubs on the market (so my research concludes). Most are plastic and take up a lot of room, the PUJ baby tub is neither! I searched high and low for a baby tub that would fold up and be easy to store (space saving!), and eventually came across this tub. It is made from a soft anti-bacterial foam that fits pretty much every sink out there. When you aren’t bathing baby, you can hang it in the bathroom on the back of the door or fold it up once dry and put it in your towel closet! Practical and space saving- my search stopped right there. 
We wanted a baby monitor that we could check from our phones (purely out of laziness/practicality…so we don’t have to carry around an additional monitor that we need to make sure is also charged). Our search brought us to the Nest Cam. It has amazing video coverage during day and night, and audio, and can be hung or placed anywhere in the room. I’ve heard it’s also popular for keeping your eye on your mischievous dog (we should have had this years ago!?). It runs on a Wi-Fi connection, which may not work for some people as you’ve got to have Wi-Fi wherever you intend on using it. You can google it for more high-tech info on resolution, etc- my husband was in charge of that part. To me, what it all means is that I’ll be able to glue my eyes to my phone and clearly see and hear that my baby is breathing at all times, because that is what all first-time Moms do, right?! 
It’s been suggested to keep a humidifier on hand in the baby’s nursery to help with nasal congestion during cold seasons. I am a huge fan of my Saje Natural Wellness nebulizer, which acts as humidifier, air purifier and essential oil infuser. I cant make up my mind whether to move mine to the nursery, or pick up another! There are a number of styles to choose from, each modern and sleek in design. I trust it to help me when I’m feeling under the weather, and I’ll be trusting it to help our little one as well. 
Okay, this change pad is revolutionary- it is on my ‘must have’ list! Other change pads are fabric, and when changing full diapers that leave behind messes, you have to take the cover off and wash- which means you need a lot of covers, and also means a lot of laundry. The Keekaroo Peanut Changing Pad is impermeable to any fluid, limits bacteria growth, and is super easy to clean. No covers, just a quick wipe and all clean! I don’t know about you, but the less time I have to spend cleaning up baby poop and pee, the better! 
This is more of a sentimental pick for me- Sophie La Girafe is one of the best selling chew toys for babies internationally- and has been since 1961. A legendary French toy, it is made of natural rubber and paint and is made in the French Alps. It’s recognizable, sweet, and delicate, design caught my eye many years ago. I’ve often picked it up for baby shower gifts for friends and family, but secretly always hoped for the day my own little one would be chewing away on it!
And there you have it, my personal favourite baby picks so far. I’ve got two more months to research about a million more things- wish me luck! Oh, and before I forget: the best rated baby wipe warmer that I’ve found in my research is the Munchkin Warm Glow Wipe Warmer- you’re welcome, one less thing for you to research!
Hope this helps!
-Brit