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It’s quite amazing how much space these little humans can take up with all of their accessories. Especially when your small space is limited to begin with. It is certainly possible to make do with a minimal amount of things, all you really need are the basics.
I feel I should take a quick minute to introduce myself before getting into it. My name is Christy – I am the stay-at-home mom to two toddlers, Logan (Lo) and Avery.
When Lo was born we lived in an apartment that had to have been under 400 sq ft. Think small studio with a swinging door in place to call it a one bedroom. We were fortunate to have basement storage. Without that our space would have looked like the worst episode of “Hoarders – baby edition”. We were literally spilling over into the front hallway. Our neighbors must have loved us!
Eight months later (after a 3 month stint in my mothers spare bedroom – talk about small space living!) we moved into our 1100 sq ft, two-bedroom townhouse. By no means is it a mansion but to us it felt that way compared to our previous confines.
As Lo grows, even these once vast walls are slowly beginning to close in on us. But such is the joy of growing a family, am I right?
And then came baby number two!
Now, having lived in a small space two times over with an abundance of baby items (thanks to our generous friends and family), we were able to get a good idea of what worked and what didn’t in our tight quarters.
I think the most important feature for any baby item, whether you are trying to save space or not, is versatility.
Nothing had prepared me for how fast a baby necessity can go from being of absolute importance to completely obsolete, leaving you with yet another thing to store. At least if an item serves multiple purposes or can grow with your baby then you can stretch out its useful life and make it well worth the space it is taking up.
In creating this list I wanted to include things that
- served multiple purposes
- took up the least amount of space possible
- made small space living a little easier for us and
- were reasonably priced.
Must have Baby Items for Small Spaces:
Links to each item can be found in the list following the photos.
A Safe Place to Sleep
While you may not be getting a lot of sleep at first, a safe place for baby to lay will let your mind rest. If space for a crib isn’t an option there are great products out there that give baby a safe place to sleep in your bed or close by.
1. SwaddleME By Your Side Sleeper // A safe option for bed sharing if space is limited.
2. Dock-a-Tot // Great option to give baby a cozy place to sleep just about anywhere.
3. Close and Secure Sleeper // We used this for bed sharing when Avery was first born. I especially love the built in night light that made night feeding and changes much easier.
4. Arms Reach Co-Sleeper // This is the one we used. I really loved the extra storage space underneath for blankets and the side pockets for diapers and burp cloths.
5. HALO Bassinet // Adjustable height makes it easy to pull up close to your bed.
6. SNOO Smart Sleeper // This standalone bassinet can sit bedside or on its own and gets rave reviews for helping newborns get the best sleep.
A Place for Changing
While a changing table is a nice place to store baby gear, there are plenty of alternative options to save space.
1. Changing Basket // Beautiful and practical and can easily be moved around when you need it.
2. Foldable Changing Table // Try a changing table that folds nearly flat.
3. Waterproof Bed Pads // Ditch the table for something as simple as a waterproof pad. They’ll be useful again when potty training comes around and also perfect for protecting your sofa from messy toddlers.
Any of these options paired with a diaper caddy like this one can easily replace a changing table.
Feeding essentials
No matter how you feed your baby, bottle or breast, these are some small tools that can help you.
1. Breast Friend Nursing Pillow // If you have no room for a glider, a good, firm nursing pillow can turn any seat into a perfect place to nurse or feed your little one.
2. Microwave Steam Sanitizing Bags // Skip the bottle sanitizer machine and opt for some microwave steam bags that work for pump parts and bottles.
3. Bottle Drying Rack // Although a drying rack may take up some valuable counter space, you’ll be happy you have one when trying to lay out all of those bottle or pump parts.
A place to sit and eat
Once baby is ready to sit to eat, there are some excellent options to save on space.
1. Space Saver High Chair // This takes up no extra floor space since it sits on your dining chair. It grows from infant to toddler.
2. Hook On Chair // Save floorspace completely with a high chair you can attach to your table.
3. Adjustable High Chair // This seat grows from six months up to 250 pounds making it an extremely versatile option.
A Single Car Seat Forever
A major thing we didn’t consider was the amount of space an infant carseat takes up. Then, once baby outgrows the infant seat you’ll likely be looking for somewhere to stope it if you plan on more babies. Instead, skip investing in a different seat for each stage and get one that you can use for 10 years! All three of these popular seats grow from newborn up to 120 pounds.
3. Graco 4ever
A Safe Place to Play
It’s so important to have a safe place to put down your little one when you need to. Play yards, swings and seats are all great options. Here are some that are great for small spaces.
1. Lotus Travel Crib // A great small space alternative to a regular pack and play.
2. Portable Swing // This is a perfect swing option. I like how the legs collapsed so we could easily tuck it beside the couch when not using it.
3. MamaRoo rocker // The design of the mamaRoo takes up a lot less floorspace than a traditional swing.
4. Sit to Stand Activity Center // This is a small scale activity center that actually grows with your baby, giving you the versatility that works best in small spaces.
5. Summer Infant Play Yard // Easily pops up and collapses into a travel bag for easy storage. Great for indoors and out.
6. Sit Me Up Floor Seat // With the simple push of the two side buttons this seat folds down nearly flat and can be stored under the bed or crib.
A Place to Take a Bath
Infant bathtubs are actually pretty awkward and tough to store. If you’re already short on bathroom space, a big plastic tub can make things more challenging (I’m speaking from experience here). These are a few alternatives I wish we had instead.
1. Collapsible Bath Tub // Folds nearly flat for easy storage.
2. Blooming Bath // Great option for sink baths for babies up to 6 months. The flower is soft and cradles baby in the sink and then pops right in the wash for easy cleaning.
3. Angel Care Baby Bath Support // Affordable, compact, lightweight and has a convenient loop so it can easily be hung on the wall.
The best part is that all of these items can be found on Amazon and added directly to your Amazon baby registry!
If you haven’t set one up yet I highly recommend it. The selection of baby products is endless and nearly everyone shops on Amazon these days so friends and family can easily shop your registry.
Plus, you can order your free welcome box after you make a purchase from your list. You’ll also receive a 15% completion discount toward the end to finish your shopping!
I even used Amazon’s baby registry for my second baby. Although I didn’t have a baby shower I was able to take advantage of the completion discount on those few things I did need – including diapers (cloth and disposable) and wipes!
Get yours going today – Start My Amazon Baby Registry!
Have an item you think fits this list? Have a question, comment, observation about my post overall? Leave it in the comments!! I love feedback!
Looking forward to sharing more with you!
Find us on Instagram @thesedaysofgrace_ and check out our new small space: a 33ft RV!
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Sounds like you’re small space experts! This is an Awesome list! I also wanted to add the Babybay bedside sleeper as a great small space option. Lots of ways to adjust and grow with kids for many uses years after the bedside sleeper stage. 😊