Baby Must Haves for Small Spaces and Travel in 2024
/All the Baby Things Needed in 2024
I made a similar post in 2022, but now that I’m 2 kids deep, I feel like I have more to share! For my friends expecting, I can’t wait for you to enter parenthood! It’s a journey but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I made this list as I needed all the help I could get when preparing for baby. At first, we were living in a one bedroom apartment so I wanted only the essentials as we didn’t have much room to spare. My list below outlines my must haves and what was nice to have or not necessary!
Scroll down to the bottom for TRAVELING WITH A BABY TIPS!
Let’s Stroll
Must Haves:
Stroller – Worth investing in a good stroller. You’ll have it for a while and quality is important.
UPPAbaby Vista - has rumble seat (infant/toddler) and bassinet attachment (newborn/infant) - Pro tip: get it on sale for $750 at Nordstrom sale in July! If you’re having 2 kids, this stroller is amazing! I recommend the snack trays, but not necessary until baby is 8-9 months. We also have the piggy back that is like a kick board which is fun at first, but not really worth it.
Backups - Mockingbird $450 – it’s VERY similar to the UPPAbaby and half the price. The Doona Infant Car seat $550 is great too but pretty much only good for a year. The convenience of being a car seat and having wheels is pretty great, especially for traveling.
Stroller Organizer and Cup Holder – I use this to hold my phone, keys and water bottle when I go for walks around the neighborhood.
Ergobaby Metro+ Travel Stroller - We LOVE our UppaBaby, but it’s not the best for traveling with. The Ergobaby Metro+ stroller is perf lightweight, compact and fits in the overhead bin on a plane. You can open it with one hand, which helped tremendously when I was holding the baby and trying to open the stroller. Perfect for newborns to toddler with the adjustable seat and holds up to 50 pounds.
Car seat - We were only going to get the Graco car seat but ended up borrowing and were handed down the Nuna.
UPPAbaby Mesa V2 – borrowed from my sister for a couple of months, only fits newborns or infants. It’s nice if they fall asleep in the car then you can bring them in without disturbing baby but they tend to wake up anyway. Also, easy to carry them around to places like doctor appointments. This one worked with our stroller, but we never actually used it that way, Josh just carried him in the car seat everywhere.
GRACO 4Ever DLX SnugLock 4 in 1 Car Seat Infant to Toddler Car Seat – We got this one since it is a 10 year convertible car seat, works from newborn to 10 years old! It’s already budget friendly and the color I liked was on sale for under $200.
Nuna Rava Car Seat - 10 position headrest with Ride rear-facing from 5–50 lbs. Ride forward-facing at least 2 years old or 25–65 lbs. We were given this as a hand me down. Buy new for $499
Cosco Car Seats - No, not COSTCO! We have 2 of these for travel and they are the set I have in my car now that the little one is out of the infant car seat. Easy to install and around 10lbs in weight. Cosco Finale Dx 2-in-1 is great for kids 30-100lbs (about a 2 year old) and the Cosco Scenera is great for infant to 40lbs. They don’t have bells and whistles but machine washable seats and did well on the safety tests.
Nice to Have:
Car seat protector in car seat – they pee, spit-up, etc. Easier to wash this!
Car seat mat – Protects your car seats
Car mirror – to see what baby is doing while driving
Baby Carrier – I have 3 different ones that we used for the 4 months:
Infantino Flip Advanced 4-in-1 Carrier – light weight and comfortable! Josh and I both use this one. Josh likes it best because of the airflow and light weight. For around $20, it’s perfect! I would wear this in the house and make dinner while baby slept in it.
Sleepy Wrap Carrier – I don’t use this one as often but good for around the house, especially when he’s sleeping.
Lillebaby Carrier – This was a hand me down from a friend and I love that it has a pocket and you are able to have baby face you or face out once they have more head control.
Babyletto Hudson Crib and Baby Einstein Activity mat
Sleepy Time
Must have:
Pack n Play – I’ve mentioned it a few times, it’s perfect to use as a crib at first if you don’t have space or want to move it around. We used the bassinet in the bedroom and the Pack n Play in the living room before baby had his own room.
Graco Pack n Play – we have this one
Mattress – we have the Hiccapop Dual Sided for Infants and Toddlers
Sheets – tons of pack n play fitted sheet options on Amazon
Crib – We didn’t buy the crib until he was about 3 months because we were giving up the bassinet for my sister to use. You could totally use a pack n play too, which was our plan until we moved into the 2 bedroom and had more space
Babyletto Hudson Crib – love the look of this crib and it was fairly easy for Josh to put together. I bought on sale on Black Friday and used the completion discount (as well as gift cards from friends)!
Sealy baby flex cool 2stage airy dual firm mattress – good mattress for crib, also bought on sale on Black Friday.
Sheets – have 2 or 3 fitted sheets that fit your mattress, nothing else should go in the crib until baby is one.
Waterproof Mattress pad – make sure it fits your mattress, this one is standard size so it should fit! You’ll definitely need it!
Sound Machine – we use the Hatch for EVERY nap and every night’s sleep! It plays white noise and has a light. There’s an app and a variety of options of noise and colors for the light. We made it part of our sleep routine and I think it helps him fall asleep as well as drown out noise.
Nice to have:
Bassinet – Baby slept in the bassinet in our room for the first 3 months. We borrowed a friend’s bassinet, but the Pack and Play also works if you’re minimizing your space. When we were in the one bedroom apt, we would move the bassinet into the living room during the day and the bedroom at night. In the 2-bedroom we had the Pack n Play in the living room and bassinet in the bedroom.
This Graco one is like my Pack n Play but has a bassinet and changing station! Being able to see the baby through the net while sleeping is really helpful.
Halo Bassinest – newer version of the one I borrowed.
Sheets – have 2 or 3 at least
Baby Monitor – we got security type cameras that you can see on your iPhone, iPad, or even Apple TV! We figure we can use them after we don’t need them as baby monitors. Didn’t start using until 3 months when noise would wake baby up and we put him to nap in his own room.
Eufy Security Camera – we have one in his room and one in the living room
Vtech Audio Monitor – we use this and look on our phone when we hear him
My sister has the Vava 720P (thermometer, 2 way talk, night vision)
Get if and when needed:
Sleep swaddler/Sleepsuit – Neither one of my babies liked to be swaddled tightly so we wrapped them from the chest down in Muslin blanket swaddles like these. We have about 6 or 7 of them and swaddled him for about 4 months until the day we found him sucking on it after a nap.
Zip up swaddles – My sister used Love to dream. If you live someplace cold, you might want these as an extra layer. We have the heater run if it gets to cold so his long sleeved footed onesies did the trick!
Velcro swaddles – My sister also loves the SwaddleMe
Magic Merlin Sleep Suit – my friend swore by this and got us one! It’s to help their startle reflexes to sleep longer.
Feed ME!
Must haves:
Bottles – we’ve been using the Avent bottles since day one (and to this day). Just make sure whatever brand you choose that their bottles work with your breast pump. Between the Avent Starter set and 2 bottles that came with my pump, that’s all we really need. Everything else goes in a Kiinde bag and is stored in the freezer.
Avent Bottle Starter Set – Love this set and it comes with a brush. It has three 4 oz bottles (which can be 6 oz if you fill to the top) and two 8 oz bottles.
Nipples – Make sure you follow the nipple size as baby grows. The kit comes with different sizes but you may need to buy more eventually. I bought size 4 for the Avent bottles for baby and started using them at 4 months.
Nuliee Breastmilk Storage bags - Best value, BPA free and some have a temperature sensor so you know when the milk is ready!
Drying rack – Munchkin Fold Rack – there’s one with just the rack or one with brushes if you don’t get the brush in the Avent kit. We use this daily and it folds for easy storage!
Burp cloths and bib- Aden and anais - multipurpose!! You can use as a burp cloth for the first 6 months then as a bib 6 months+. You can get any kind of burp cloths really. We have 7 or 8 and keep one out in each room, to easily grab when there’s a mess!
Don’t need right away:
Booster seat - Bumbo 3 in 1 – My sister has one and loves it. We got one and ended up wanting a highchair instead once we had more room. Won’t need this until 6 months.
High Chair - We got the Graco 6 in 1 Convertible High Chair which was highly rated on all lists for 2022 High Chairs. It’s easy to clean and grows with the baby into a toddle booster seat! Best bang for your buck!
Sippy cups
Munchkin Trainer Cup - use at 6 months transitioning from baby bottles to sip cups.
Munchkin Straw Cups - use around 9 months after they have mastered the trainer cup.
Fresh food feed – Everyone recommended the to me! You put fruit in the mesh and they suck on it - great to introduce food and helps with teething! Baby loves sucking on watermelon with this! Didn’t really use until 7 months.
Bibs
For the first few months, we used bibs when we fed him bottles as milk leaks out of his mouth. We have some of these Carter Bibs and ones that look like bandanas.
At 6 months, when we started solids, and you have to get the PandaEar Silicone bibs to catch food and easily wash after eating.
Food storage containers - don’t need until 7+ months
Munchkin Love-a-bowls 10 piece set - comes with 4 bowls with lids and 2 spoons! They go in the microwave and dishwasher too! I use these all the time for oatmeal, fruit, etc.
Babie B Suction Cups - Baby likes to try and pull the bowl, creating spillage! With these bowls, the suction keeps the bowl in place!
Baby Nutribullet – Great food storage system, but I honestly just used my food processor or Ninja blender. And I made both boys most of their purees. There are even all-in-one appliances that steam, cook, and puree like Grownsy!
Utensils – We started our first foods with Olababy utensils as they are soft, flexible, and make it easy to get in jars or use like a spatula in any bowl. Needed at 6 months.
Plates - we have suction plates with lids so you can prep ahead of time of save for later!
Pottery Barn Kids - Wingback Manual Swivel Glider Recliner
Nursing and Boobies
Must haves:
Breast feeding pillow - my breast friend - I have used daily for every breast feed since day 1!
Breast pump - You should get a free pump through your insurance. I got the Spectra 9 Plus pump because it is portable and small. I was worried at first that it wasn’t strong enough but after my milk came in between 6-8 weeks, I’m really glad I got this one. It comes with 2 bottles but also works with the kiinde bags and Avent bottles. Order this at 32 weeks pregnant to make the most out of the warranty!
Breast pads - change at least once a day or if they are soaked. I like Baby Bliss because it came with a bag to store them and a bag to wash them! I’m a bra Size C and got the large size.
Nipple cream - Earth mama organic nipple butter - I used it after every feed the first few months or my nipples would crack and hurt! Now I use it every once and a while.
Nursing bras - Amazon Hofish - I have 6 bras - leaks, spit up are bound to happen. I started to wear them around 32 weeks, because they come with extenders and were so much more comfortable. Also, here is away to adjust your bra so you can pump hands free - this will come in handy! https://youtu.be/spPwcPeQQ5I
Nice to Have:
Rocking Chair - I didn’t think I needed this, but I use it EVERY SINGLE DAY! I wanted one that swiveled and reclined, because the nights that baby wouldn’t fall asleep, I needed a place to rock the baby and then recline to sleep. We splurge on the Wingback Manual & Power Swivel Glider Recliner from Pottery Barn Kids, but it was worth every penny. I got the manual recline to the powered recline wouldn’t wake a sleeping baby.
Bottle Warmer - would be nice to have but we just put hot water in a big cup and stick the bottle in it for about 5 mins, saves money and room.
Sterilizer - same as above, nice to have but you can just boil all bottles for 5 mins. We throw ours in the dishwasher too.
Milk catcher - Haakaa - I used in the beginning or if my boobs feel really full and are leaking. You can also use as a hand pump like when you forget your pump at work!
Nursing cover - use when company is over or in a public place. Baby didn’t like the cover after he was about 2 months 😔 You can also use swaddles or large flowy tops to cover!
Nursing tops - not needed and ugly 😂 I just have comfy flowy tops!
Diaper Dirty Work
Must haves:
Diapers – We’ve used Pampers Pure, Honest, HelloBello, and Huggies. How many diapers will you need? Great question! Sizes depend on weight, so we went through 50 NB (newborn) diapers a week the first 3-4 weeks, then he went up to a size 1 for a month with an average of 45 diapers a week. He went to size 2 at 2 months with an average of 40 diapers per week and then size 3 at about 3.5 months with an average of 35-40 diapers per week. I track his diapers in the app Baby+ because it is SO easy to forget when you last changed a diaper when you do it 8 times a day every day! At 9 months, he’s still in size 3.
Skip Hop Changing Pad – I like the plastic changing table as it is easy to clean up messes (which happen a lot). We took off the mobile part because it got in the way. My sister has this one - Keekaroo – same thing just more expensive.
Baby Wipes - Honest water wipes – We went through a pack per week at first. Now it’s almost 2 weeks. I didn’t like the HelloBello wipes as they were thin and smelled funny.
Diaper Rash cream – Honest - use anytime you see redness down there.
Diaper bag – we got a Eddie Bauer backpack that has lots of pockets and either one of us can carry. It also has straps to hang on the stroller and has a thermal pocket for milk!
Nice to have:
Diaper Genie - we didn’t have a diaper genie for the first weeks and threw diapers in our kitchen trash can that has a top. Now we have the changing station in the bathroom and a friend was getting rid of her genie so we took it. It’s handy to have right next to the changing table. I didn’t understand how the bags worked at first but it’s actually genius how it works: https://youtu.be/OJCHr-oe8H0 For refills, we’ve been buying the Amazon brand and they work just fine. The bag is thinner and the only time you can smell the dirty diapers is when you open it to throw something in. My sister has a Ubbi diaper pail which is nice as well and metal to mask the smell.
Diaper genie bags – we’ve been using the amazon brand and they’re fine.
Diaper caddy – I have this basket right next to the changing table to hold diaper rash cream, diapers, wipes, and lotions.
Splashy Bath Time
Must Haves:
Towels - Hooded towels are the best. There are tons to choose from, we have 2.
Wash cloths - soft terry cloth 6-8. I use 1-2 at bath time, and sometimes used 3 when sponge bathing at first.
Baby Shampoo/Soap – I use Mustela products, my boss highly recommended and gifted them to me. Mustela has a cradle cap shampoo that helps! My sister uses Cerave baby.
Brush – love this Frida baby brush and so does baby!
Frida Baby Basics - Includes NoseFrida, NailFrida, Windi, DermaFrida + Silicone Carry Case
Bath thermometer - I liked the rubber duck one and baby does too!
Nice to have:
Spout cover – Skip Hop – to protect them from hitting their head on it.
Bath kneeler - cushy and saves my knees, so glad I have one.
Baby Bathtub
Frida Bathtub - this is similar to the one I borrowed from my sister. I like this one because it has the insert to hold the baby. Bathing a newborn/infant is hard, they are fragile and slippery when wet. You really need 2 people to bathe the baby if you don’t have an insert.
Relaxing Baby – Inflatable bathtub - we got this after we had to return my sister’s tub when baby was 3 months. It’s slanted, so they can lean on it and it is much easier to use once baby can hold his head up! At about 3 months, I threw toys in there for baby to play with.
More Room for Activities
Must haves:
Baby lounger - DockATot or Baby Nest – great to put baby in it while on the couch or the bed. We’ve used it daily since day one! There are tons of options on Amazon! Still using at 9 months, we just have to keep a close eye on him as he can roll out of it now.
Blankets - we do tummy time on a blanket on the bed. We started doing it when he was about 3 weeks but the doctor might say you can try it sooner. At about 3 months we got a nice play mat for the living room or we use the activity mat on the carpet. We also use the blanket in the stroller. We have 3 blankets and use them constantly.
Need but not right away:
MamaRoo or Ingenuity Swing – The MamaRoo is a splurge and was gifted to us, but baby can sit in it anywhere from 20-60 mins! The swing is good too, but he doesn’t like it as much. It’s a good place to put them in while you quickly go to the bathroom or put in the kitchen while you cook. We first used the swing when he was 1 month. Always keep an eye on them and buckle baby in!
Activity Mat – Baby LOVES his Baby Einstein Activity mat and will entertain him for a while. Started using at 3 months.
Baby Play Mat – we got a Baby Care play mat for the living room on our hard wood floors at 3 months. After tons of research, it was the best for quality and safety. We also got a play yard for it after he was really rolling around and almost crawling at 6.5 months.
Teether - 3 pack target has all stages Nuby don’t need until 5 months. Baby loved these, we stored them in the fridge so he liked the cold on his gums.
Pacifier – got some from the hospital and in the Avent bottle kit. Baby decided he didn’t like the pacifier after 1 month but at 3 months he liked to play with the ones with animals attached.
Dress Me Up
Baby wore newborn size for the first month, then size 0-3 from 1-3.5 months. At 8 months baby can still fit in some 3-6 months, but generally in 6+ months. Like women’s clothing, baby clothes run smaller or larger depending on the brand.
Onsies – have 8-10 on hand at least - pee, blowouts and spit up happen!
PJs – zip up are best, especially the double zipper for changing diapers! Lots of options out there. Again, have 8-10 depending on how often you want to do laundry. Baby went through 3 in one night, but for the most part you’ll only need 1 a night. I’d say once every 2 weeks we’d have an accident.
Socks – I have a 10 pack and its plenty.
Hats – I have 3 or 4, we use them on walks.
Hangers – Amazon brand (doesn’t fit newborn or some 0-3), I fold a lot of baby’s clothes but the bulkier ones, I hang.
Sleep swaddler/Sleepsuit - zip up swaddles; Love to dream; velcro ones (see more in the Sleepy time section)
Mama Style
Things you’ll need for the hospital and after birth:
Clothes - flowy and comfy
Pads/diapers - give you some at hospital. I wore pads for at least a month after birth. I did heavy the first 2 weeks, then a lighter flow after. You might want panty liners until your pelvic floor is strong again.
Ice packs – I didn’t like the cold down there but did use them on my boobs when my nipples were sore from breastfeeding
Witch-hazel pads – get from hospital
Squirt bottle - get a peri bottle from hospital
Stool softener – buy ahead to have when you get home from the hospital. I took daily for about 3 weeks.
Granny panties - hospital will give you some
Light weight robe – the hospital gowns are backless so it was nice to have a robe when walking around, especially when we weren’t planning on him going to the NICU and we went over there every 3 hours.
Massager – Best $6 you’ll ever spend
Hygiene and Organization
Thermometer - digital quick reading, we only used less than a handful of times in the first 9 months.
Bulb syringes – Catch boogers and blows small hair out of eyes – got one from the hospital
Dish Soap - we use Mrs. Meyers or there is Babyganics. Pediatrician said Mrs. Meyers is fine.
Make sure all bottles and pacifiers are sterilized in sterilizer or boiling water for 5-10 mins.
Wash everything – We used Tide at first and we were gifted babyganics detergent. My sister’s baby had a strong reaction to detergent, breaking out in a rash so they needed to use an unscented baby detergent. I usually wash baby’s clothes separately and do a light and dark load if they are first wash especially. After they’ve been washed a few times, the colors don’t really bleed when you wash on cold and delicate settings, so I just do one load with everything. Make sure you zip up any zippers and unfold the mits on the footed onsies as lint gets trapped in there sometimes.
Babyganics Toy and Highchair cleaner – use this to clean all toys, highchair, and the changing table.
Little Remedies Kit – Gifted from a friend and our Pediatrician recommended. We use the gas drops all the time and the Saline spray really came in handy. The Gripe water is good for hiccups.
Travel
We didn’t really travel until after baby was 6 months, but here are some helpful tips:
Crib/Pack n Play - If you’re staying in a hotel, most will have a pack n play, just request ahead of time.
Slumberpod - This blackout tent fits over the pack n play and blocks out all light so baby can sleep! Great for naps and sleep, also gives you the freedom to walk around the hotel room. It worked SO well! It folds up in a fairly small pouch to making it easy to travel with.
Hatch or HomePod Mini - to play white noise while baby is sleeping to drown out hotel noises and so you can walk around the hotel room. We also brought the baby audio monitors so we could sit and talk on the patio, while baby sleeps inside. Book a hotel with a patio/balcony so you have somewhere to go!
Ergobaby Metro+ Travel Stroller - We LOVE our UppaBaby, but it’s not the best for traveling with. The Ergobaby Metro+ stroller is perf lightweight, compact and fits in the overhead bin on a plane. You can open it with one hand, which helped tremendously when I was holding the baby and trying to open the stroller. Perfect for newborns to toddler with the adjustable seat and holds up to 50 pounds.
Car seat - Cosco Car Seats - No, not COSTCO! We have 2 of these for travel and they are the set I have in my car now that the little one is out of the infant car seat. Easy to install and around 10lbs in weight. Cosco Finale Dx 2-in-1 is great for kids 30-100lbs (about a 2 year old) and the Cosco Scenera is great for infant to 40lbs. They don’t have bells and whistles but machine washable seats and did well on the safety tests. I got the Gorilla Grip cover for it when checking the seat at the gate. The cover folds up into a small pouch, which is really convenient!
See our full list: Packing Checklist and Must Haves for Traveling with a Baby
Baby Packing Checklists
To Pack for Hospital
For Mom
Flip flops and socks (not to wear together)
Nightdress or flowy sweats and t-shirt
Nursing bra (pack 2)
Breast pads (pack 3-4 sets)
Nipple cream
Robe
Comfy clothes
Going home outfit
Toiletries - your shampoo, body wash, etc.
Brush
Make-up - eye liner
Phone/Apple watch/tablet charger
Snacks
Water bottle (reusable)
Breast feeding pillow
Bed Pillows (use pillowcases other than white so the hospital doesn’t think its theirs if they make up your room)
Massager
Cord Blood kit
For Dad
iPad (charger too)
Change of clothes
Toiletries
Snacks
AirPods
Ear plugs and sleep mask
Vaccination card
For Baby
Going home outfit
Blanket
Car seat
Empty duffle bag
Please note this is not a sponsored post and based on my own personal experience, all thoughts are my own.
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