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This post is a little (ok-VERY) off the usual topics, but beneficial nevertheless. I have a lot of mom friends who are having babies for the first time and have been asking about “must haves” to add to their registry. So, here’s our favorite life changing must have baby/toddler items!! I seriously don’t know how our parents raised us without these…or Amazon Prime…but we’ll save that for another time.
Velcro Swaddles. Why on earth would you wrap them in a blanket that comes undone and have to worry about them wriggling out or strangling themselves when you can just velcro it up?!
Hands-Free double pump bra. I initially bought the medela one and it didn’t fit or adjust-which is really difficult when you’re losing baby weight and the size of your boobs changes daily. This one, however, is amazing!! I would pump and drive everywhere. You’re stuck sitting in your car, why not pump too? Of course, you’ll probably want a nursing cover for that. Or not. Whatevs.
Nursing cover/Carrier Cover– SO necessary if you have a winter baby or are a huge germaphobe like me. These milk snob covers are super cute and very versatile! You will always have a nursing cover when you need it as long as that babe is with you in his/her carrier!
Cart Cover/Shopping Cart Cover. I have seen a lot of nursing covers that convert to car seat covers, etc. To me, that’s gross. I don’t want her nursing on something that has just been sitting on a shopping cart. So here’s what we use in the stores. This one has side and back pockets, and some things attached to entertain babe.
Snot sucker. I had a 2 week old with a horrible cold and she couldn’t breathe and those little bulb suckers DON’T WORK. This, which seemed so disgusting at the time, but was a life.saver. There are filters and plenty of tubing separating your mouth from their nose. It’s not gross (until you have to clean the snot part)…but still worth it!!
Forehead thermometer. Let’s be honest. Your baby DOES NOT sit still. She also may be burning up, but asleep. This quick forehead swipe thermometer has saved us more than once.
Changing pad liner/mat. These things are super convenient and save you from having to wash the actual changing pad cover continuously. Your baby will get it dirty multiple times a week so these waterproof pads are a lifesaver.
Burp cloths. Forget all those fancy burp cloths…cloth diapers are all you need. They are gentle and pliable (get into those tiny baby nooks) and so cheap. The ones you pay a ton for are usually too thick, too narrow, fall apart in the wash, etc.
Sound Machine. So necessary if you have a light sleeper!! We love this one because it doubles as a night light, projects images on the ceiling or wall (entertain a newborn…), has a timer, and has a lot of different sound options. We even bought the travel version!
Night Light. We got this as a gift and I am embarrassed to admit that my first reaction was WHAT. THE. F. IS. THAT. We used it every single day-multiple times-for the first year and a half. When you go in baby’s room at night for a feeding/diaper change/cry sesh, you need a subtle light that won’t wake baby up completely (or you for that matter) that’s easily accessible and fun for babe to look at…I mean you just squeeze it and it lights up!!
These squeezie tops ….let’s you hand your baby a squeezie packet without having to worry about them spilling it everywhere! Kid screaming “SNACK” in the back seat? Throw em an organic fruit/veggie packet without thinking twice about the potential mess. Life. Changer.
Snack cups. Speaking of snacks…toddlers love to dump their snacks all over the ground. They trip and bowls fall. They pour their water into their bowls to make snack soup….this little miracle cup prevents all of the above. We love it.
Water bottles. These keep Eva’s water cold and her milk warm ALL DAY. They also close to keep from spilling and keep the spout clean if you want to just throw it in your purse. She loves it so much that I got the mommy version. We bought ours in a double pack at BJ’s, but they sell them at Target too!
On another note, for the nursery? Get a rocking recliner. When your baby doesn’t sleep unless you hold her, you will not survive without one. Biggest regret was that damn $1,200 pottery barn rocking chair that is too small, uncomfortable, slides all over the carpet, and the worst thing ever….I digress.
Also make sure your drawers will open when using only one hand-it’s very likely you’ll have a baby in the other.
Also also, having diapers out and accessible is very handy. We have a shelf over the changing table so I can just grab them easily. You could potentially have poop or diaper cream on your hand while reaching for a diaper…you don’t want to mess with a drawer.
