Little Spoon co-founder Angela is expecting her first baby. Her best friend has a swear-by list. Our community has opinions. Consider this your invitation to the group chat on what you really need.
And there’s more: One lucky expecting parent can win a baby haul worth over $2,500. We’re talking vetted must-haves from baby-brand favorites: Joolz, Nanit, Stokke, Coterie, Swaddelini, BabyBjörn, Lalo, and, of course, Little Spoon. Talk about a serious head start on your registry. Enter the giveaway by Nov 13 at 11:59 PM ET!
There are approximately 40,000 products marketed to people about to have a baby, and somehow every single one is essential. You need a stroller. Obviously. But do you need a $300 bottle washer? A wipe warmer? 17 different kinds of swaddles?
Little Spoon co-founders Ben and Angela are expecting their first baby, and like so many new parents can relate to, the registry industrial complex was almost paralyzing. So rather than spend the next several months comparing diaper pails, Angela turned to the people who know: Little Spoon parents, who’ve already been there.
Little Spoon co-founders Angela Vranich and Ben Lewis
First up, her best friend Sarah, a mother of two who came armed with a list of what she calls the unsexy essentials. Think frozen peas, adult diapers, nipple cream, and a folder for hospital paperwork. Not exactly the stuff of baby shower dreams, but definitely the things you’ll be reaching—and thanking your past self—for Day 1.
Then Angela put the question to the Little Spoon community, and you DELIVERED. Passionate opinions about zipper placement (or resounding votes for Team Magnets), stroller wheels, and the engineering failures of most newborn socks.
So what actually deserves a spot on your registry? Here’s what made the cut, from the big-ticket baby gear to the little things that make those first few weeks a whole lot easier.
“THE LISTS! They stressed me to no end. We ended up waiting to order most things until after she was born and we confirmed we actually needed them and I highly recommend that route!”
— @kklewin
Sleep + nighttime
There are certain purchasing decisions best made with the understanding that you will eventually be operating on approximately 90 minutes of sleep.
Take pajamas. Before having a baby, you might look at a beautiful newborn sleeper with 19 tiny buttons and think, how sweet. After having a baby, you’ll wonder what kind of person designs a puzzle for someone who hasn’t slept solidly in 36 hours.
Little Spoon parents were emphatic about Magnetic Me pajamas, which close with magnets instead of requiring delicate finger work in the dark. Zippers also received enthusiastic endorsements.
Swaddles inspired similar passion, with recommendations for Velcro styles and lots of hype for Swaddelini.
“Couldn’t live without Velcro swaddles. Screw the hospital burrito nonsense. Give me the easy option all day.”
— @brookereeves
Angela’s Pick: Swaddelini Swaddle Sleep Sack
If there’s one thing new parents learn quickly, it’s that swaddling a newborn at 3AM can feel like an Olympic event. Swaddelini offers an alternative to the traditional wrap-and-tuck routine, so getting your baby settled is a little less complicated.
Image courtesy of swaddelini.com
Angela’s Pick: Nanit Smart Baby Monitor System
The urge to check on a sleeping newborn approximately 400 times a night is very real. You’ll want to see what they’re doing, whether they’re sleeping, and if they’ve chosen this particular night to surprise (and maybe terrify) you with their first-ever tummy roll. You’ll want to keep tabs on all of this without risking the creaky-floorboard obstacle course into their room.
Another giveaway gem, Angela’s opting for the Nanit Smart Baby Monitor System that brings video, two-way audio, and sound and motion alerts right to your phone. With compatible Breathing Wear, it can also track breathing motion and offer sleep insights into your baby’s nighttime snooze patterns.
Image courtesy of nanit.com
Feeding + pumping
Whether you’re breastfeeding, formula feeding, pumping, or combo, feeding a newborn involves logistics. You used to have hobbies. Now you wash bottles.
Little Spoon parents recommended Haakaa milk collectors, comfy feeding pillows, properly fitted breast pumps, and Baby Brezza appliances for preparing or cleaning bottles. One parent called a bottle washer the thing they couldn’t live without. Different feeding routines call for different equipment, so the trick is finding what works for yours.
And Angela’s BFF Sarah? She came with receipts.
Her breastfeeding and pumping pics include the Spectra S1 Rechargeable Breast Pump (“get this one”), Silverette Nursing Cups, Earth Mama’s Organic Nipple Butter, and a Haakaa manual pump for collecting milk from the opposite breast while feeding.
Another parent offered perhaps the best advice of all: stock your fridge and freezer with food for yourself. Think breakfast burritos, smoothie ingredients, and more that would be easy to eat while holding a newborn who takes being put down is a personal betrayal.
Diapering + bath time
Diapers. Wipes. Diaper cream. A spatula specifically for applying diaper cream, which sounds ridiculous but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. You might not dream of unwrapping diapers at your baby shower…Until you’re changing your twelfth diaper of the day, at which point a well-stocked changing station may just feel like the height of luxury.
Angela’s Pick: Coterie Newborn Kit
Angela’s taking Sarah’s advice to heart: don’t sleep on the unsexy essentials. Case in point? Diapers. Lots of them. Coterie’s Newborn Starter Kit is the kind of practical luxury you’ll be especially grateful for when baby’s here and diapering becomes an around-the-clock affair.
Image courtesy of coterie.com
For bath time, you need a safe way to bathe a very small person who may or may not enjoy being bathed. Ideally, one that doesn’t break your back.
Spooners recommended small infant tubs, like the Stokke Flexi Bath. It gets the job done, then folds flat and stashes away out of sight when the job is, well, done.
Strollers + carriers
Before having a baby, leaving the house meant putting on shoes. Now you’re packing six diapers, three outfits, and enough supplies to survive a week in the wilderness—let alone grabbing coffee from four blocks away.
Angela’s Pick: Joolz Hub² Stroller
A stroller that’s ready for city sidewalks, tight spaces, and your daily coffee run. Part of our giveaway, the Hub² is compact, lightweight, and designed to make each outing with your baby feel a bit less like relocating homes cross-country.
Image courtesy of joolz.com
The best stroller for you is the one that works for your actual circumstances. e.g. If you live in a walk-up, weight matters. If you drive or travel often, foldability might be a key factor. And if, like much of the Little Spoon team, you live in New York City, consider whether it can survive a sidewalk that hasn’t been repaired since the Eisenhower administration.
Little Spoon parents recommended carriers from Artipoppe, Mabē, and BabyBjörn. Some prefer a structured carrier for outings and a softer wrap style for home. The appeal is simple: you can hold your baby and use both hands at the same time. (It’s the little things!)
Angela’s Pick: BabyBjörn Carrier
When it comes to bouncers, try before you buy when possible. Your height and the weight of your baby will both affect the fit. Part of our giveaway haul, the BabyBjörn Carrier lets you super confidently keep your babe close hands-free while on the move. It’s a Spooner favorite for walks, errands, and the moments your baby would very much prefer to be held, thank you.
Image courtesy of babybjorn.com
Playtime, gear + growing up
Your baby is going to spend a surprising amount of time on the floor: tummy time, rolling practice, chillaxing.
Angela’s Pick: Lalo Playmat and Art Cards
Good thing Lalo marks that prime real estate a little more inviting. The Play Mat wipes clean and makes for a soft landing for tummy time and eventual rolling, crawling, and playing. Pair it with Lalo’s colorful Art Cards—featuring safari animals, abstract prints, or (our pick) fruits & veggies—for a little visual entertainment.
Image courtesy of lalo.com
Angela’s Pick: BabyBjörn Bouncer
For those awake, supervised moments you need to put baby down to tackle something wildly ambitious like, say, making a sandwich. This bouncer provides a dedicated seat that allows for gentle movement powered by your baby’s own kicks and wiggles.
Image courtesy of babybjorn.com
Angela’s Pick: Stokke Tripp Trapp
Some of your baby gear you’ll use for a few months. The Stokke Tripp Trapp is designed to stick around for years.
Crowd-source your mom friends—and the Spooner crew on Instagram—and you’ll soon learn this wooden highchair is iconic for a reason. It truly walks its heirloom-quality talk and features an adjustable seat and footrest that grow with your baby, bringing them right up to the family table.
With newborn and baby accessory add-ons, it transitions from baby’s earliest days to first bites, toddler meals, and all the picky, throw-food-on-the-floor stages in between.
Image courtesy of stokke.com
Hospital bag + postpartum recovery
Everyone wants to know what your baby will need. Angela doesn’t want to sleep on what she’ll need, too.
For recovery after a vaginal birth, Sarah’s all-star lineup includes adult diapers, perineal ice pads, an upside-down peri bottle, TUCKS cooling pads, and stool softener. (“lol sorry but it’s true :(“ Sarah says.)
And then there’s Sarah’s hospital bag must-haves:
- A portable fan. Because hospital rooms aren’t known for personalized climate control.
- Battery-operated flameless candles. Sarah brought them to the hospital both times she gave birth and loved having a softer light for nighttime wakeups instead of switching on the room’s big fluorescents.
- Your retainer, if you wear one. Spoiler: you may clench your teeth during labor.
- Your feeding supplies, if applicable. Nursing and pumping bras, nipple butter, Silverette cups, and a nursing pillow are all on her packing list.
Not exactly the stuff of nursery mood boards. But that’s what makes this list so good: it’s coming from someone who remembers what those first hours and days actually felt like.
The best advice?
A refreshing reminder you don’t need every gadget, accessory, and hypothetical scenario accounted for before your baby arrives. Fast shipping will still exist after your due date.
Some parents swear by their sound machines and bottle washers. Others barely touch them. One parent’s nonnegotiable might be another parent’s expensive paper weight. Take the advice that works for you. Skip what doesn’t. Change your mind later.
Because what makes this list special isn’t really the products. It’s the parents behind them.
A best friend who remembers things nobody warned her about. A community willing to share the surprisingly specific stuff that made parenthood easier. People who remember what it felt like to be where Angela is now: excited, overwhelmed, and trying to prepare for something that’s impossible to fully prepare for.
It’s a funny thing, how much love can be contained in a recommendation for nipple cream.
And if you’ve discovered a very specific baby product that saved your sanity, please tell us.
We’re still collecting evidence. Especially about the socks.
A $2,500+ baby haul? Yes, please.
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Want in? Head to @littlespoon on Instagram, like the post, and comment your due date to enter.
Giveaway ends on 11/13 at 11:59 PM ET. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram. US only. Must be 18+ to enter. Winner will be contacted directly via Instagram DM from @littlespoon only.
