As a doula, I get asked to look at nurseries a lot. And, I LOVE it! I mean, who wouldn't love getting to peek at all those gorgeous rooms arranged just so?
But here's the thing- you probably don't need all that stuff. And thangs.
To help out your bank account now, and sanity later, I've put together a list of the Top 5 Baby Items I Can't Live Without.
5. White Noise Machine

This is something that we used for both kiddos. It helps keep your sweet little one from startling awake by drowning out background noise- think doorbells, dogs barking, etc. I like this one and we've been using it since Lola was born. When she was tiny, we would turn it one before we took her in to put her down for naps and bedtime. Now, she gets to turn it on at night before bed.
4. A Diaper Pail

Newsflash- diapers smell. Really bad. With my first, I used disposable diaers and my friend was kind enough to loan me a Diaper Champ and it was awesome. It holds up to 30 or so diapers, uses regular kitchen trashbags, and does a really good job controlling smell. Bonus- it's kiddie proof (meaning they can't reach in and pull out "goodies"). With my second, I chose to cloth diaper so I went with a Diaper Dekor. While it doesn't do as great of a job containing smells, it works MUCH better than other methods I researched for cloth (a bucket in the bathroom? No thanks.) It has a flip top lid, a lock button to keep the toddlers at bay and it came with 2 wet bag liners so I could dump the whole bag into the wash- win!
3. A Pack-n-Play or Other Type of Play Yard
Here's a link to one that I love. It has a reversible napper and changer (oooh, fancy) and the height is adjustable, meaning the bottom pad can be placed higher up so you don't have to bend your postpartum self all the way over when placing baby down. I have literally gotten years of use out of mine. My Graco lasted through both kiddos (6+ years and going strong) and has served as a place to sleep and change diapers for my newborns, a place to play safely as a toddler and even as a portable crib for overnight trips. Definitely money well spent!

2. A Swing
Get this- I refused to use a swing with my first! I was scared my son would become "dependent" on the swing and then not be able to sleep anywhere else. Then, I had my second. By this time, I couldn't care less if Lola needed the swing to sleep- I was just interested in her sleeping! And, I had read The Happiest Baby on the Block, so I knew Swinging was one of the 5 S recommendations. You better believe I used a swing this time around! And you know what? It worked. And guess what else? Lola used it for about 2 months, outgrew the need and that was that. This swing is popular with my clients but I used a (borrowed) Graco swing and it worked beautifully.
1. A Good Carrier or Wrap (or both)
So, with my first, I had only recently heard of baby wearing and the only carrier I'd heard of was a Bjorn. I tried it once but it was incredibly uncomfortable so I never tried it again. Fast forward 4 years and my, how things had changed! I knew all about baby wearing and to be honest, was a bit overwhelmed with all of the options (an opinions) out there. I tried several different carriers and settled on a gauze wrap for my newborn (July in Texas + postpartum hormones + baby furnace = HOT) and a Boba. I loved them both for different reasons.
The gauze wrap was great because it gave me awesome versatility and security without being wrapped in what felt like a blanket. Loreal, the owner of Hand Dyed Baby Wraps, helped me pick out the right size and showed me how to wrap like a pro and I will be forever grateful! Once Lola got a little bigger, I switched over to my Boba and fell in love all over again. I could pick her up, strap her in, and GO! No more wrapping in the parking lot or trying to adjust my rails- it was great! She is 21 months now and still gets excited when I get the Boba out.
I love this !!! So many parents think they need to buy evert baby product out there ,when in reality we only need a hand full of items to help us out !!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how every mom has different "must haves" none of these are on my list except the carrier.
ReplyDeleteGreat post though! I'm sure most mom's would have a similar list....I'm a bit unconventional; )
I can't agree with number one enough. Having your preferred carrier is such a godsend.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! We couldn't live without our white noise machine or our carriers! We didn't get much use out of our swing, but we just had a picky baby. I would add a few Muslin blankets. Great for swaddling, as a car seat cover, or a burp rag when you have nothing else within reach!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with a couple of these. For me the white noise (or a simple box fan) and a baby carrier are must haves!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and suggestions!! Our white noise machine and carriers were also must haves!!!
ReplyDeleteI love this! Number one is a must have for every new parent….I don't know how they can possibly live without one!
ReplyDeleteSo funny, I agree with Sheina, I didn't use any of these except the baby carrier! Those sure are handy especially when you have more than one child.
ReplyDelete