The Fit Mom’s Maternity + Baby Essentials List

As a brand new mom, I can’t take credit for this list. Instead, I want to thank some of the amazing moms in my life who all contributed advice and their favorite items. Registering for a baby (and preparing for one) was a sometimes overwhelming endeavor and having like minded friends who I trust help nail down the “need to have” vs the “not necessary” items was so helpful. I did a bit of my own research on the bigger items such as carseats and strollers, but really leaned on the feedback from some spectacular women & mothers in my life.

Mom’s Sport Maternity Gear:

FitSplint: My pelvis became very lax during pregnancy so I needed all the stability I could get. This splint was helpful to both running in the first trimester, and then just general everyday added stability while walking or even just around the house. While it didn’t cure my pain, I’d still advise it for extra support.

Saris H3 Indoor Trainer, MP1 Platform and Trainer Desk: ride through your pregnancy with comfort. The platform provides outdoor ride like movement and sometimes I’d use the desk as my handlebars so I was more upright and able to breathe.

Cannondale FSI Hardtail MTB: if I only rode one bike during my pregnancy it would’ve been this. Light mountain bike, upright position that felt comfortable with a growing belly but fast enough to ride on the road too.

Cannondale SuperX CX/Gravel bike: I adapted the stem so I was a bit more upright around 7 months and appreciated disc brakes and a versatile tire (Rene Herse Steilacoom) for stability in most conditions.

Workout swimsuit for growing belly: Swimming feels amazing during pregnancy and helped prevent swelling. It was a great workout and felt therapeutic at the same time. Coming from a swim background I joined a master’s swim team and enjoyed the camaraderie, structure and accountability it provided. I’ve always loved Kristin Mayer’s cute workout suit designs and the two piece was comfortable for the whole pregnancy (I wore a M during pregnancy).

ROKA F1 goggle: good goggles matter and help you look “pro”.

Brooks Dare Crossback Run Sports Bra: The soft straps and seamless nature of this sports bra felt so comfortable during pregnancy.

Velocio Signature Bib: many people asked if I was wearing a maternity bib. No, I wore the same bibs my whole pregnancy and they stretched enough! Sometimes I wore Ted’s bibs, but those weren’t ideal because I lost the Flyfree option (the ability to pull down the back of the bib and pee! Which was a FREQUENT necessity). I liked how the privacy panel of the bibs added to the support and felt like a bit of a support band.

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Mom’s Essentials

Favorite leggings: I wore Lululemon Align leggings for my pregnancy and postpartum (they’re buttery smooth material and high waisted, I bought one size bigger than normal). The benefit? I can still wear them now. The camo were my favorite.

Delivery gown: the nurses and doctors all commented how cute this gown was and it comes with snaps in the back in case you have an epidural. It also snaps down in front for immediate skin to skin. The nurses told me 18 laps of the labor and delivery floor was equal to one mile, so I walked round and round while waiting for labor to progress and I was happy I was wearing an outfit that wasn’t open in the back. It’s the little things!

Postpartum underwear: the hospital provides you with those awesome mesh panties, but I liked the added support of these on the newly soft belly. There’s a touch of compression to these which felt really good after labor. They’re not totally ugly either, just high waisted.

Hospital robe: a cute gown or robe make me feel good. I was comfortable to nurse and also lounge in bed but felt like I was “dressed” for visitors. Plus a bright color is cheerful and looks nice in photos.

Nursing bra: I chose this based on online ratings and the fact that it was a soft material that could be worn while sleeping, daytime or even as a sports bra. I can’t emphasize how much “soft” makes a difference in the beginning when everything hurts.

Fav maternity pants: These pants had a belly panel that was soft and didn’t make my belly itch (as it’s prone to do). They were comfortable and could be dressed up or dressed down. The cute moto detailing added some style. I wanted to order them in every color but stuck with black as my staple pair.

Tank Top: I bought one in black, white, and grey and wore these tanks constantly. Layering is key. Draped sweaters/cardigans can be worn during pregnancy and after so I tried to limit my actual maternity wear purchases.

Stitch Fix Maternity: this online styling service lets you tailor a box of clothing to what you like and need. I ended up purchasing a “maternity fix” and ended up with a few favorite items that I wore throughout the pregnancy.

Toiletries bag: I packed this in my hospital to-go bag so that I had anything I might need. The hospital’s toiletries were less than optimal.

Eye Mask: If you want to optimize trying to sleep at the hospital, an eye mask is helpful for blocking out all the monitors and lights. Though I woke up to feed every two hours, I still managed six hours of sleep that first night. TIP: let the nurses take your baby to the nursery!

Maternity Pillow: it was really hard for me to transition away from sleeping on my back. This pillow helped me get comfortable on my side and was essential in the final months as I needed extra support with pelvic pain (which hurts the most while sleeping!).

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Baby Gear + Registry Essentials

Colugo Carrier: We were gifted an Ergo which is great, but then connected with a former Middlebury College alum who has started an awesome company called Colugo. We ended up trying their carrier and loved the soft material, the fact that you do not need an infant insert (you do for the Ergo) and the fun prints. Ted loved the camo (I do too).

Colugo Compact stroller: for our family who plans to travel a lot we love how quickly this stroller breaks down. Also fun prints and colors are available. Colugo is like the “Warby Parker of Strollers” as they are direct to consumer. The details are all there down to the packaging it comes in. We’re very impressed.

Colugo Complete stroller: this stroller is amazing–definitely what we’d use most at home but likely not for airplane travel. Check to make sure the stroller you get is adaptable with your carseat.

Nuna Pipa Carseat: I liked the minimalist styling on this carseat. This carseat had high reviews and was lauded for being weather resistant with a great sunshade. The fabric is quite plush and high quality.

Changing pad: I’m really thankful my sister recommended this because washing a pad constantly would be a pain. This one is easily wiped down (and trust me, you’ll have to wipe it down often) with little baby pee and poop mishaps!

Baby monitor: I didn’t do as much research in the monitor department but this was recommended to me and we’ve been really happy with it. My oh my is technology crazy, we can watch the monitor live streaming on the video screen that it comes with or the Kodak app or website. You can talk to the baby through the monitor, assess temp and humidity, and view in color or black and white night vision.

Baby kit: all the little tools that are helpful to have around.

Bath toy storage: optimal for cleaning and better than a hanging bag that gets gross and needs washing as well as the toys that need separate washing.

Baby car mirror: It’s nice to have this installed for your first ride home from the hospital.

Crib mattress: I don’t have a specific recommendation here. Just add it to the “need” list

Crib mattress cover: I don’t have a specific recommendation here. Just add it to the “need” list

Activity Gym: I am not a fan of really bright aesthetics so I chose this one.

Swing: This was given to us but I don’t have strong feelings about what swing you get. I just think it’s a helpful essential for the registry.

Bumbo Seat. (3-12 mo): We can’t yet use this but it’ll come in handy in the future before Hazel can sit up on her own. ** Disclaimer: mixed viewpoints on this during development, do your own research and make the best decision for you and your baby

Halo Dreamnest: I opted for this sleep system over the pack and play as it’s convertible from a bassinet to a travel crib to a cot when they’re older. It packs down to the same size as a pack and play and will be great for when we’re on the road.

Popular swaddle: The Aden and Anais swaddles are definitely a top choice for most moms and they have some cool prints and designs. That said, this is not my go-to for sleeping swaddle as our baby is a ninja and needs more of a straightjacket to keep her from startling herself awake.

Swaddle for sleep: I think I received one of every type of sleep swaddle. This one is my favorite because the zipper keeps it closed and contained. Hazel finds a way to wriggle around in the ones that have velcro closures (although the Ollie is great and so is the Halo Sleepsack).

My personal fav baby clothing + blankets: What can I say, I’m not a traditional pink or blue person and the boho-organic style of this brand is my favorite.

Burp cloths + bibs: Copper Pearl has really cute designs + really soft fabrics. Big fan.

Baby towel/washcloth: can’t go wrong with more Aden + Anais

LED light for nighttime nursing: my bedside light is really bright. These are easy to stick anywhere you might need a dim light that turns on with just a touch of a finger. It’s rechargeable via USB.

Nursery drawer organization: all the baby items are so little! These drawer inserts made me feel like super-organized-mom. I use them for clothing, diapers, essentials. Everything has its place.

Portable sound machine: a MUST have. We have one upstairs and downstairs and have it running all night. It helps mute any noise we make and keeps her from being startled, plus mimics that “womb” noise.

Bath support: this worked well so far for us

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Nursing

Boppy Pillow: the Boppy is more versatile. I find that it’s not only helpful for nursing but you can prop your newborn in it too.

My brest friend: It’s nice to have this pillow AND the boppy. I have one upstairs and the other downstairs.

Elvie Pump: I just learned that two cyclists were involved in the product design for this nursing pump! I am a HUGE fan. It’s quiet, the pump can fit in your bra and you can move about without being tied down. It just so happens they fit in a cycling jersey pocket too so… maybe they’ll help extend ride time!

Nursing clothing: for an active mom, I’d simply just go with anything Cadenshae makes! It’s well designed and high quality.

Nursing sweatshirt: I could live in this. It doesn’t look like nursing wear, is well made and very convenient for discretely feeding.

Bottles: the key is to find a bottle that mimics breastfeeding. There are a number of good ones, this is the one I chose and it is working well.

Milk snob: use for a nursing cover, a baby carrier or a car seat cover. Very versatile.

Non alcoholic beer: I love the taste of beer so when I finally found an NA option that tasted this amazing it was life changing.

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