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A while back as I was trying to prepare for the new addition to our family I came up with a list of my "Top 10 Favorite Baby Gear" items. Now that I'm having a refresher course on what it's like to have a baby (and I'm trying out some cool new products), I have a few more items to add to my list and I wanted to share them with you!
**These are all products that I have personally found to be helpful**
Baby 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice For Your Baby's First Year
I had forgotten how handy this book was the first year, especially as a first time mom. Sometimes searching the internet for baby advice can be overwhelming and this book is written by pediatricians so I would always look here first for questions and decide if I needed to call our doctor or how to best handle the situation.
The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD
A friend gave me this DVD but most libraries have it and I really recommend that all new parents check it out. My husband and I watched it while we were at the hospital and it was SO helpful. It teaches you some simple steps to calm a fussy baby. I thought this was especially helpful for my husband who wasn't used to babies and it made him feel useful to know how to follow these steps to make our son happy and comfortable.
Our bouncer chair is constantly being used. I love to be able to keep my baby with me even when I can't be holding him. When I shower I bring it into the bathroom, when I cook he sits on the counter and watches, when we eat dinner he is right there on the table with us, and as I'm typing this on the computer he is sitting in his bouncer and watching me! This is so lightweight that it is easy to carry around even with the baby in it, or you can carry the baby in one hand and the bouncer in the other hand.
I never knew about these blankets with my first baby but I wish I had! He loved to be swaddled and so does his little brother and these are the best swaddling blankets I have found! They are large and soft so you can get the baby wrapped up snug, and they are lightweight so they are perfect for summertime!
One of the steps from the "Happiest Baby On The Block" DVD for calming a fussy baby is swaddling. I know that not all babies like to be swaddled but our son loved it and we swaddled him when he slept for several months. This blanket was the best for helping him feel snug and keeping him swaddled all night (he could wiggle out of some other kinds of swaddle blankets).
Moby Wrap
{or make your own!}
I don't know who loved this more-- me or my baby. He loved it because it held him snug (like being swaddled) and felt pretty similar to being back in the womb. I liked it because I could use my hands-- and because it made him so happy! You can also make your own by getting 6 yards of jersey fabric and cutting it in half long-ways, then tapering the ends so they are easier to tie. This will leave you with enough fabric to make another one for a friend too, or you can just buy 3 yards and sew the 2 halves together to make 6 yards of fabric. Putting the wrap on is intimidating at first but I just followed the "how-to" videos on Youtube. Once you get the hang of it it's no biggie, and you can just leave it on you and take the baby in and out (I would do that when I was running errands).
I tried out several different kinds of cloth diapers before I decided I liked these "Flips" the best so I bought a big stash of them and never regretted it. I like that you can re-use the covers multiple times so when the diaper is soiled you can just change out the insert. I like that the inserts have a stay-dry lining so the baby doesn't feel soggy. They are a good deal and don't take up much space, don't require folding when you wash them, and they have held up great for us. I think cloth diapering is a great money saver because not only does it cost less to get a stash for your child than constantly buying disposables, but you can re-use your diapers for your next child too.
These wipes are made of 2 layers of super soft terry material. They are by far my favorite reusable wipes and they also make great wash-cloths!
When I bought my exercise ball I thought it would be good for stretching while I was pregnant and good for labor, I had no idea how much I would use it once my baby came. Some babies prefer to swing or be rocked, but my baby was a bouncing baby. He loved to bounce all the time and it helped him fall asleep. It didn't take me long to grow tired of walking around and bouncing him so I realized he was just as happy bouncing while I held him and sat on the exercise ball. We did this so much that I could sit on the ball and bounce him while eating dinner! That's some mad Mama skills! For a while we could never leave town without taking the exercise ball with us.
This is something I had never heard of before having a baby. My doula gave me one and it was invaluable for my tired Mama brain. When breastfeeding, it helps you remember which side you started feeding on previously and what time the baby ate. Those seem like easy things to keep track of until you actually try to do it (especially on little sleep) and all the feedings start to run together.
I have several of these tanks. They are very comfy and convenient for nursing day and night!
These have a soft liner that keeps your skin dry, then an absorbent layer, and a waterproof backing to help with embarrassing leaks. I like that they are better for the environment (and your pocketbook) than the disposable kind. I have several pairs and I just throw them in the wash whenever I do laundry (which is very frequent at this point).
Very comfortable for Mama and baby while nursing or feeding a bottle. Also later on it's great to use to prop up baby as they are learning to sit. I used it several times a day for over a year!
Like I mentioned earlier, my boy was always a bouncer. When he got old enough to hold himself up, he wanted to jump on my lap all the time so I got him one of these and he loved it. I like that it attaches to doorways so you can move it around and it doesn't take up much space. He would just jump like crazy every time I put him in it, it was adorable! We used it for several months, until he was mobile enough to not want to be cooped up anymore.
These are so great for catching all the drips and chunks that somehow escape baby's mouth! The hold up great (we have been using it for over a year) and are dishwasher-safe!
Okay, I know this is by far NOT cheap, but for us it has really been worth it. We usually go on long walks everyday and this stroller is so easy to push and maneuver. You can save some $ by finding one used on Craigslist. I got the infant seat adapter and this has been my main stroller since day one!
I know every baby is different, what are YOUR favorite baby items???
You might also like:
 Baby Girl Flower Hat |
 Nature Nursery |
 Pretty Spitty Baby Set |
I definitely agree with the boppy. 10+ months later and I still use it every day and love it! I also could not live without the Rock & Play. We used it as his bed for the first 2 months and then just for naps. It was so easy to use and I loved having it right next to me in bed. It’s also so much easier to travel with than a pack & play.
I love the rock and play too! I just got one off of Craigslist and it is perfect for sleeping!
Hi! Visiting from One Artsy Mama! I love your list of baby gear! I loved my moby so much! I still use it from time to time and my son is 15 months. Great list
If you get a chance Id love for you to share this at my Friday link party.. it just opened!
BOB is a must, especially for runners. The only thing we got for my second daughter was a double BOB. Boppy was almost a must.
I love my double BOB too! I feel kind of ridiculous having a single and a double but I still use both of them (and my single umbrella stroller sometimes too!).