What Would Gwyneth Do: Favourite Things for Newborns

Whether you are a fan of Gwyneth P or not (I am!), I do recommend a stop by the stylish blog What Would Gwyneth Do. It’s fashion and kids, and just stylish living as a family. Check it out! WWGD is curated by a mom of two, who has kindly agreed to share her list of favourite things for newborns!

Hi there, 

I blog over at WhatWouldGwynethDo, where I explore the never-ending quest for style, balance and substance in mommyhood. 

I have two children, Little D (who is almost 5) and Kai (14 months), and over the years I have narrowed down my favorite essentials for those first sleepless weeks with your new baby, which I am excited to share with you here. 

Some are big, some are small, but all made my “must-have” list with both babies and now I love to give them as gifts to expecting friends. 

Hope they come in handy for you as well!

Clockwise from top left: 

1) My babies lived in simple, cotton onesies or bodysuits in the early days, often simply paired with a matching hat and a cozy blanket. My absolute favorite basics are from Petit Bateau. They are soft and sweet and have lovely, subtle prints on them that infuse a little chic into those not-so-chic early weeks. 

2) I became obsessed about all things chemical the minute I left the hospital with Little D and was horrified to learn about the not-so-nice ingredients in good old baby powder. Burt’s Bees Dusting Powder (don’t you love that they call it dusting powder?!?) is talc-free, affordable and a safer alternative that we keep on hand at all times. Their diaper rash ointment is incredible, too. 

3) We knew the benefits of swaddling from all the books we had read but it really clicked when we were given the Miracle Blanket as a gift with Little D. It’s so easy to use, baby cannot wiggle their way out of it, and its all-natural fibers last through many, many washes. And trust me, there will be many. 

4) Little D was a colicky little baby who went on to be the perfect toddler and preschooler (so there is a light at the end of the tunnel if your newborn is crying non-stop as you read this) but those first few months were TOUGH. One particularly challenging evening, a friend of mine who had only become a mother five months earlier herself, could hear the stress in my voice and politely inquired, “Is she not liking the swing?” Swing? What swing?? “Ok, go and get in the car and go to the store and buy a swing. Now.” We did. It was 8pm, but we did it. And though it didn’t entirely cure the colic, its effects were instantaneous and MUCH appreciated. With Kai, who wasn’t colic (thank god!), it allowed us to put him down somewhere, knowing he was safe and secure, while we tended to Little D and day-to-day life. The only problem with it is that they grow out of it. 

5) I accidentally discovered the power of white noise during one of Little D’s colic spells. She was crying and crying, which was par for the course, and I was frantically trying to find some classical music on the radio to soothe her but hit upon a static channel instead. Instant calm. Her entire body relaxed, the crying stopped, and I was able to lull her to sleep. Kai still falls asleep to white noise at night and it also helps block out neighborhood noise to ensure long, peaceful naps during the day. 

6) Our first nanny turned us onto the wonders of a video monitor on her second day on the job. Not only is it fun to peek at your little one while he/she is sleeping, it also prevents you from running in at every single sound and disrupting them from the self-soothing process. My favorite is this Slim and Secure one from Summer. The color picture is fantastic and our first Summer one lasted for almost five years, with daily use. 

7) We are not co-sleepers but I do like to have my baby close by in the first few months, and that doesn’t have to mean making your master bedroom look like a nursery. This Offi bassinet provided a comfortable place for Kai to sleep soundly just an arm’s length away from me without sacrificing an ounce of style.