bassinet

You can actually start using the crib on day one, but a lot of people like to use something smaller/cozier at first. Many parents have the baby sleep in their room for the first few weeks or months, which is another reason to consider something smaller than a crib for the early days. Totally up to you.

In terms of popular bassinet and bassinet-like things, I've seen a lot of people use and love the Halo Swivel Sleeper. We used a cute Moses basket from Restoration Hardware that’s no longer available, but they have an updated version that’s similar. It was fine, but it may have had too many cushiony elements (potentially unsafe, IMO), though a major benefit of the Moses basket structure is that you can just pick up the basket from the base and carry it around the house with you if you want the baby nearby while s/he naps. In my ideal world there is a bassinet with mesh sides that can also detach from the base -- I think that's the dream functionality combo. Another bassinet option is to get a stand for your stroller bassinet, making it a seamless system to go from home naps to walks (see Uppababy for an example).

A huge technological advancement in the bassinet world is the Snoo, which is pricey ($1,300), but many parents say it’s well worth the cost. This cheesy video provides an overview of how it works, but the short version is that the Snoo was created by Harvey Karp (parenting guru/pediatrician behind the Happiest Baby on the Block franchise of books and videos). The Snoo is a bassinet with a built-in swaddle (attaches the baby to the mattress) and functionality to automatically turn on white noise and swinging when the baby cries. Pretty magical. A few things to keep in mind if you are considering the Snoo: (1) this will not be a good option for babies who hate swaddling and (2) at some point you have to ween your baby off the Snoo, which can prove challenging.

Many parents like to use a co-sleeper at first, which is like a baby-safe unit that you actually put in your bed. A co-sleeper can be especially preferable to a bassinet if you are nursing and doing a lot of feedings at night.

If you don't plan to have the baby sleep in your room and just want a safe/semi-structured place to do naps outside the crib, you can get something simple like a Dock a Tot, Boppy Newborn Lounger, Askr & Embla Sleepod or Cocoonababy. The Cocoonababy is particularly wonderful because it has a mesh/net head support that prevents too much pressure on the back of baby's head (meaning it's good for preventing a flat head). In addition to use at home, we jammed ours in our stroller bassinet and used it whenever our daughter went on walks.