Baby Items | My Favorite, Most-Used & Can Do Without
photo by Clair Shorter Photography
Sometimes having your first baby feels like information overload; before he’s born and after. Friends and family would apologize to me for their unsolicited advice but I always said THANK YOU because I am clueless and more than happy to take in ALL the information (as long as it was kind-hearted and nonjudgemental, which 99% of it was). For the past four and a half months I’ve spent a lot of time trying things; trying new things and different things, and attempting to use all the things that were highly recommended by others. Here’s my list of our most-used baby items, including 5 items that I tested several versions of before landing on the one that worked best for us. Plus, 5 items I thought I needed but totally didn’t!
OUR 5 MOST USED/CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT BABY ITEMS
Boppy Lounger - Wyatt has reflux (like a lot of young babies) so this has been great to keep him upright after eating during the day. Also, he only just started getting interested in his play gym mobile thingy so a lot of the time he would just be hanging out on the Boppy with me on the couch. It’s been a convenient way to keep him “parked”, easily accessible, and entertained.
2. Ubbi Baby Weighted Wipe Dispenser - Try ripping out a few wipes from a packet of wipes with one hand in the middle of the night when you’re exhausted and/or when the baby is crying — you’ll want to throw it across the room. This weighted dispenser is so great because it makes it easy to pull out just one wipe at a time, quickly and painlessly!
3. The Hatch Changing Pad Scale - If you plan to breastfeed, this is a must have. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without it, especially with a preemie baby. For hundreds and hundreds of years how did women know if their baby ate enough?! But seriously, it has been so nice being able to weigh him before and after a feed, especially in the beginning when we were both still learning, and for the times that he didn’t seem to have eaten enough. 10/10 highly recommend!!
4. Gerber Baby Mittens - Newborns have zero control of their own hands and this poor babe had a scratch or two on his face for a week before we decided to keep the mittens on him most of the time. And then whenever we took them off for a bit, he would always end up with a scratch! These kept him happy and scratch-free. You don’t need another reason for your baby to cry! Ps I linked the exact brand I liked because another brand I had the elastic stretched out too much.
5. Amazon Prime - For a few weeks it was hard to get out of the house once my husband went back to work (after only 5 days *cringe*) to get things I needed for the baby — things that I forgot to refill, things I didn’t know I needed, things I wanted to try for that current problem we are experiencing that will almost certainly solve itself within a couple days anyway . . .
The two day shipping (with some products having one-day shipping availability) has been worth its weight in gold!
MY FAVORITES AFTER TRYING 837382 OTHER KINDS
1. Ollie swaddle - This is my favorite for nighttime sleep for sure. The jury is still out for naps, only because his needs are changing so much so I’m constantly trying something new for naps. Everything I’ve used I’ve liked, but the Ollie has been best for night time and you know we all need some good night time sleep from our babies!
The Ollie swaddles tightly and the velcro is strong. It doesn’t shift which is great because some others shifted up toward his face with movement which would stimulate him and wake him up.
Others I tried: Halo (which I did really like when he was a newborn), Swaddle Up, Nested Bean, Merlin Magic Sleep Suit (seems to be working well so far for naps as a transitional swaddle before he starts rolling).
2. Honest Co Brand Diapers - I like these best because they’re fragrance-free and considered “clean”. They don’t have that diaper smell (you know what I’m talking about). I also like that that they have a lot of cute designs which is totally unnecessary but fun anyway. FYI they run a little on the smaller side.
Other brands I’ve tried: Pampers, Huggies, Luvs
3. Pampers Pure Wipes - I like these the best because they are soft (as far as wipes go) and they are also a little wet, which I think cleans better, especially for #2. Bonus: They have a rating of 1 from the Environmental Working Group (1 having the least toxic ingredients and 10 being the most).
Other brands I’ve tried: Water Wipes brand, Honest Co, Target brand, Walmart Brand
4. My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow - The “go to” nursing pillow seems to be the Boppy but I didn’t like it because it was impossible to keep from shifting and moving underneath the baby. The My Brest Friend clips behind you and keeps it on your hips so it doesn’t move around at all. They have them at the Breastfeeding Center of Charleston for lactation appointments so after using it once there I knew I had to get one.
Other brands I tried: Boppy, aden + anais
5. Zip Up Onesies - OK this isn’t exactly a brand but it’s the only kind of onesie you need for your newborn. Trust me. He or she will hate getting dressed and undressed, especially when a onesie is going over his or her head. Again, you don’t need another reason for your baby to cry. A lot of onesies do have the kind of neck that opens wide to pull off down to the feet but it’s still a lot of movement and shimmying. The zip ups are the way to go. People told me this and I didn’t really believe them. Believe me! Save the cute stuff for 2+ months when he or she won’t be so sensitive to stimulation.
ITEMS I COULD DO WITHOUT
Owlet Smart Sock - As a preemie/NICU mom, even I am shocked that I bought this and never used it. Doctors and nurses said it might make you more anxious. I did not believe them. I am a very anxious person and surely this couldn’t make it worse. I never even opened the box. I decided it made me feel better to believe I was doing everything to keep my baby safe and healthy, and to have faith that he would be OK.
Swaddle Blankets - I never took the time to get good at swaddling. I did try a few times and couldn’t get the hang of it. I have probably 7 of them and I just use them as blankets. *arms shrugged emoji*
Humidifier - This seems to always be on a “must have” list but I only used it for myself when I was getting nose bleeds at night (v strange and annoying pregnancy symptom) and have never felt the need to use it for Wyatt.
Bassinet/Carry Cot Attachment for the Stroller - (sorry Brooke and Aunt Donna!) I swore I needed this (expensive) separate attachment for the stroller and we only used it a handful of times. It seemed like he shifted around too much in it whenever we hit any little bump.
Dock a Tot/Snuggle Me - Everyone seems to be obsessed with these. We did use it a little bit, but I like the Boppy lounger better.
Well, that’s it. I’m a first timer over here but I hope this helps another first timer who doesn’t know where to begin.
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