Every person that has ever become a parent has always had to go through that “first time parent” state of panic. You know what I’m talking about: What do I need? What do I have to have? What’s going to be best for my baby? What’s going to make this transition easier? Sifting through the sea of millions of baby things can be a daunting task and I’m here today to share with you my absolute favorite 10 items that I wouldn’t have made it through without!
1. A Pacifier: Oh man, we are some bink addicts in these parts. Both of my kids were bink (our pacifier term of choice) addicts and although it was tough to break them when it came time, it was much easier to get rid of an extra piece of plastic than their thumb. I personally loved the Avent brand of pacifiers because they are easy to attach to a “bink leash” and they are made in colors that didn’t distract from the cuteness of one of the adorable outfits I dressed my kidlets in. Love.
2. Speaking of pacifiers, a pacifier clip, or as we call it, a “bink leash,” is a must. There is nothing worse than being in desperate need of a pacifier with no one to be found anywhere. Save yourself the headache and just get one. Trust me.
3. Once upon a time, I married a man that flinches like crazy in his sleep and he passed that awful quality on down to both of my children. When my babies flinch like that, it will wake them from a dead sleep. Swaddlers were heaven sent. They kept my babies warm, content, and if one one of them ever was cranky, I could wrap them up in there and they would *instantly* calm down. Now in the spirit of honestly, I’ve had friends who’ve had children that couldn’t stand the swaddle. Swaddling isn’t for every baby, but I for sure think it’s worth mentioning and giving a try.
I’ve shown the swaddler that we used above. I loved that it had Velcro to keep it from unraveling in the middle of the night. Since my babies have been born, the gauzy type of swaddle blankets have become super popular. I’ve never had a chance to use them myself, but they look super cute.
Fisher-Price Discover ‘n Grow Moonbeam Dreams Soother
4. My children each still sleep with their crib light/music as a nightlight. It was great when they were babies to have that little bit of music in the background when they fell asleep and now that they are older and not in their cribs anymore, they both still fall asleep to the soothing music. I love that they each have something easy to comfort them when they wake up in the middle of the night or when they are restless. Reagan’s (not shown here) even has sweet little bears that project onto the ceiling that she watches as she falls asleep.
Vicks Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
5. We have used one of these humidifiers religiously in our home. Luke’s used it to help with his asthma and seasonal allergies. Reagan’s used it to serve as white noise in her room when she was an exceptionally fussy baby. We purposely chose a cool mist humidifier so I didn’t ever have to worry about my child getting burned, nor did it add extra heat in the middle of summer to already muggy rooms.
6. Every baby is going to have to get baths and be cleaned at some point, right? Why not have them smell amazing in the process? I adore the smell of this stuff. I can’t honestly tell you if it really helps my children fall asleep faster or more soundly. All I know is that my children smell dang good after I’ve doused them in this entire line of bath goods: body wash, shampoo, and lotion. I might just go slather some of the lotion on myself while I’m thinking about it…
Comfort and Harmony Cradling Bouncer
7. Need to shower quickly? Need to cook dinner? Need to change a load of laundry? Need to go to the bathroom? I loved having a bouncer for all of these reasons. I could easily pick this bad boy up and haul it all over my home without any struggle and I instantly had somewhere that I could put my baby where I could easily see him or her without worry for a few minutes. The bouncer especially came in handy when Reagan was sick her first few weeks of life and needed to be propped up to sleep at all. She slept so well in this bad boy that I will love it forever.
8. Whether you nurse or bottle feed your baby, you’ll need burp cloths and lots of ’em. I never just used these to clean up whatever projectile vomited out of my child’s mouth {although they do come in super handy for that}; I also used them to lay down on unsavory surfaces while out and about, I used them to wipe the onslaught of drool that happened around four months of age, I used these for just about everything. Sure, you don’t need fancy burp cloths, but they do make the topic of regurgitated milk a little less offensive to deal with. Trust me.
9. A standard monitor, a video monitor, whatever; the piece of mind in the middle of the night and during nap times was invaluable to me. I went through a rough spell of post-partum anxiety and this little piece of electronic equipment helped save me from really losing it. I feel like I might forever be indebted to the individual who invented monitors and he/she deserves a big fat giant hug from me. We still have one for each child even though they’re three and four now. Instead of listening for crying {which they still do occasionally do from time to time}, The Husband and I like to listen to them chatting with themselves and the toys in their rooms when they are supposed to be going to sleep. Reagan can carry on a mean conversation about going to the dentist with her Tinkerbell doll and Luke will still talk about ASU even after no one else is around. 🙂
10. My last piece of baby equipment that I swear by is a Boppy pillow. This pillow made nursing my kids remarkably easier, plus it served as a great prop during tummy time and as a great cushion when Luke and Reagan were learning to sit up. Our Boppy traveled with us and was there at the hospital when both of my children were born. It was there in the middle of the night for those half-awake feedings and there smack dab in the middle of the day for those half-awake feedings.
So there you have it: my 10 must-have baby things that I absolutely swear by. Let me just say though that everyone has a different opinion and I’m curious…is there anything that you think I missed on my list? The mommas want to know!
What are your FAVE baby items?
I was not paid or compensated in any way in completing this post. I just really stand by all of these products from personal experience.
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Great list, I can’t think of anything else I used in the first few weeks.
The SwaddleMe was a lifesaver with my son. They don’t tell you how flinchy a newborn is in sleep! I would wrap him up and he would instantly calm down and know it was time to sleep.
My mom swears by the cloth diaper burp clothes she already told me that she got me some for my baby shower. But I’ve already gotten a boppy pillow and Tested it out (with a doll) it seems to be awesome. Thanks for the great list