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Shop My Baby Registry With Nestig CMO Sara Adam Slywka
Sara Adam Slywka started building her baby registry before she was even pregnant. That might not sound so uncommon for those who dream of welcoming little ones one day—except Slywka actually designed the products she wanted to see on her future registry by creating an entire nursery company: Nestig, makers of one of the most viral and beloved cribs.
She met Gui Picciotto, her Nestig cofounder and partner, while earning her MBA at Columbia, but says she first caught the entrepreneurial spirit when she partnered with a former high school friend to run a small ethically sourced clothing line. Raised by two doctors, Slywka spent part of high school in east Africa where her mother worked for a time where she met her clothing line partner. Later, she worked in marketing at Amazon in the mega retailer's baby business thus igniting another spark that would lead to the birth of Nestig. At the same time, her brother was expecting a baby and sharing that they were frustrated by finding nursery pieces that fit with their design style. 'I felt like there was an opportunity to create more products that were both functional for everyday use, but really elevated from a visual and design perspective,' Slywka told me. 'And I also thought there was a big opportunity for a brand that celebrated the joy of getting ready to bring a new baby home.'
Picciotto and Slywka founded the direct-to-consumer nursery company Nestig five years ago in the heart of the global pandemic (August 2020) with the really thoughtful and beautiful convertible Wave crib, and it's grown from there into offering nearly everything a design-minded couple might need to outfit their nursery, including additional cribs, bedding, dressers, toy storage, rugs and wallpaper.
Next up for Nestig is expanding the assortment of furniture into older kids and teens. 'Our overall goal as a company is to be the most delightful place to shop for children's furniture,' she said. And now that she is an experienced mom and a favored nursery brand, I wondered what her baby registry must-haves might be in 2025. Find Slywka's picks below, including her very favorite Nestig creations.
'Living in a New York City apartment, I gravitate toward items that can convert and adapt as babies grow, so I buy—and store—things I can keep around longer. This works for bathing an infant in the sink with a mesh sling, then transitioning to an infant setting for the sink or tub, followed by a seat insert as babies start to want to sit up in the bath, and finally a toddler tub.'
'I'm biased, but the Cloud Crib made so much about being a new parent more manageable when my son was born. It's beautiful, but it's also a 3-in-1, so it started as a mini crib on wheels that could go from our room at night to his room for naps—and I could bring it into the living room if I wanted to keep an eye on him or have him be part of family time, while also making sure he was safe with lots of people around. I also loved having the mobile attached to the mini crib—it felt almost like a whole nursery on wheels! He is 2 now and still uses it converted to the full crib. I feel prepared knowing I already have everything I need to make the switch to a toddler bed once he figures out he can escape the crib.'
'My son spent his first few days in the NICU, and the doctors recommended this ready-to-serve formula. I continued using it as we transitioned home and loved that it was straightforward for anyone to feed him at any hour, anywhere, during those early newborn days. Everyone has their own feeding journey, but knowing that our formula was easy to find wherever we were gave me a lot of peace of mind.'
'I liked using these Philips Avent bottles as he got a little older. They control the pace of the milk and only release milk when he's actively drinking, allowing him to pause. They're also surprisingly easy to clean, with fewer parts than many other bottles.'
'The minute I saw the design for our Daydream wallpaper, I knew it would be the one for my son's nursery. This design is everything I love about our visual world at Nestig. The print is beautiful and botanical, with little paper planes and kites peppered throughout. The design feels completely timeless but with playful and unexpected details. At Nestig, we've found that wallpaper and murals are worth the investment, as they add so much life to a small space.'
'It's more than a camera, but I do love watching my son sleep in his Cloud Crib, and the Nanit monitor video is crystal clear. Tracking his stats, like when he went to bed and woke up, and how long it took him to fall asleep, made spotting trends easier without losing sleep. I can soothe him from another room if he's fussy without restarting the bedtime routine. Lately, when he wakes up, he talks to himself and plays in his crib, which I love to tune into.'
'The BabyBjörn was essential for us. From very early on, the bouncing soothed him when he was fussy, and it was one of his favorite places to be. Before we got the bouncer, I was struggling with things like getting myself a glass of water, and having a place to soothe him, made life much easier.'
'This is another essential my son is still using every day, two years later, and likely will still be using for a while. It starts with an infant seat that pulls right up to the table from day one. We started using it when he could sit up on his own with the five-point harness for those first solids. Now he uses it almost like a booster seat at the dinner table.'
'Is it pricey? Yes. Was the cost per wear worth it? Also yes. I started with another carrier I could never quite get on without help, but upgrading to the Artipoppe felt worth it when I felt more like myself.'
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