I really wanted to take some time before I wrote this Baby Essentials post as I only wanted to share items that I thought were really useful to first time parents. Before we had Ava, we thought everything was a MUST HAVE. Now that she’s here and we’ve gotten the opportunity to use most products, we know what’s really essential for baby.

So let’s see what those baby essentials are:

Nuna® PIPA™ Infant Car Seat

The moment we found out we were pregnant, I stopped working out partly because of overprotective grandparents and also some laziness. This meant, we needed a car seat that I could lift that was light enough with baby inside.  After trying so many, we chose the PIPA™. It only weighs 7.9 lbs and installs in 5 seconds. When we left the hospital and for the first week after, hubby was primarily responsible for putting Ava in the car seat. After watching him a few times, I realized how easy it was to strap Ava into the car seat and into the base in our vehicle.

The PIPA™ has all of the safety requirements we are looking for in a car seat along with being stylish and fashionable. It provides full body side impact coverage and security, True lock™ installation, integrated full coverage canopy that protects baby and their eyes and a 5-point harness for maximum security amongst others. The fabrics are machine washable which is so IMPORTANT and something we’ve had to do. The handle is also ergonomic and a beautiful cognac color which is also a great feature. With so many options, we are so glad that we chose the PIPA™ as one of our baby essentials.

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Nuna® MIXX STROLLER

This by far was one of the most difficult decisions we had to make. I never thought of myself as a stroller mom so I had reservations about even trying out a stroller. However, once I saw the Nuna® MIXX in Cavier, I knew that was the stroller we NEEDED to have (plus it was the perfect match to our car seat). It’s super stylish and functional and it has all of the safety features we wanted for our baby. To mention a few, the stroller has a quick release 5-point no re-thread harness that converts to a 3-point harness, all-season seat that keeps baby cozy in winter and easily converts to mesh in summer and a one-piece fuss-free compact fold, no matter which way the seat is facing.

I really like how the stroller has a lot of space for a diaper bag and my purse. It makes for easy outings to the mall with Ava.  My hubby really likes how the handles on the stroller are adjustable for height and the all wheel suspension for when he takes Ava out for walks.  The MIXX has been designed with all  the details in mind.  It really is the best stroller we could have chosen for our little one. This is why it made our baby essentials list.

Nuna® LEAF™ Grow

The LEAF™ Grow is one of those items you wish you had in every room in your house. At first, Ava wasn’t really liking the LEAF™ but at 8 weeks something changed and she LOVES it now. Every morning, I take her from her crib and put her in the LEAF™. We listen to music and have a little dance party. A little nudge from me and the LEAF™ grow sways from side-to-side which relaxes Ava. It also allows me to go and brush my teeth, make our bed and tidy up a bit as I know she is safe and secure.

What we love about the LEAF™ is that as Ava grows, the LEAF™ will grow with her. It is perfect for new born, toddlers and big kids. Just like the PIPA™ , the material is all machine washable which I know will be important as Ava starts to get older.

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Chicco Lullago® Protable Bassinet

A bassinet is a must have essential for every new parent. The Lullago® Portable Bassinet was Ava’s first bed.  The soft fabrics, breathable mesh panels and a padded mattress created the perfect home away from home until she was ready to be transitioned to her crib.  We also really liked the lightweight design and portability of this bassinet. It folded right up within minutes and we were able to set it up in different rooms in our home. It was also perfect to take for visits to the grandparents in the matching carry bag.

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Baby Brezza Steri – Dry Steam Sterilizer

This is a MUST HAVE essential for all first time parents. Using natural steam, the sterilizer kills 99.9% of all germs in baby’s bottle within 8 minutes. It is a life saver. We wash Ava’s bottles and put them in the sterilizer and then choose the drying cycle we need (30, 45, 60 minutes). The bottles come out dry and ready to use. No wet bottles like other sterilizers. It’s so convenient that we don’t need to several bottles – we manage with 3 and run our sterilizer two to three times a day. This is something we cannot live without. Even friends of ours with babies have asked about it. Not to mention, it looks very stylish on our kitchen countertop.

We also really like using the Baby Brezza bottles. They are super easy to assemble, feed and clean with only two parts. Plus, they have these really cute sayings on the bottom of the bottle.

Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced

When BF didn’t work for us, I knew we needed something in our lives to help us with formula feeding. I had heard about the Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced from a few people and thought we should try it. They referred to it as the “coffee maker for babies.” I am so GLAD we tried it out. It is another one of those MUST HAVE ESSENTIALS if one has to formula feed. I can’t even imagine what we would do without ours. I had to have surgery shortly after Ava was born and having the Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced was a blessing. Ava’s dad, grandmothers and aunt could all feed her. I didn’t need to worry about that.

It is the most advanced way to make a warm formula bottle instantly. It’s got a fully customizable mixing system making it a breeze to set up and use. There are digital controls on an LCD panel that allow you to select your settings from temperature to volume. Ava likes her milk extra hot so we use that setting all the time and just hit the start button.

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So there you have it, these are some of the baby essentials that we would recommend for all parents. These have been tried and tested by us for the last few months and I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you might have in the comments. I know we couldn’t manage without any of them.

** This post is sponsored by Elfe Juvenile Products. All opinions are my own.