I know there’s a million and one “baby essentials” lists out there. When preparing for the arrival of my daughter, I read them all. Most of them listed the same items – stroller, car-seat, crib, swing/bouncer, change-table, etc. The list of basics you need for your new baby is huge. Those lists were useful, but they did miss some big items for me. These are my top three baby must-haves I was lucky enough to discover.
Baby Nest
When we first brought our daughter home, we had her in a bassinet. The bassinet was gorgeous – a family heirloom that I was very proud to have – but it just didn’t work for us. We have a small room, so it was not easily accessable in the middle of the night. Our daughter also had alot of mucous in her lungs, so she would need to be turned on her side frequently to allow for more comfortable drainage. Add newborn cluster feeding into the mix and we basically weren’t sleeping at night.
I did some Amazon hunting and discovered baby nests. They’re basically portable, baby-sized matresses with built-in bumpers. They’re machine washable, and basically just the bomb. We plunked this thing in the bed with us and had our daughter sleeping much easier through the nights. Feedings were easier, because I could basically just roll over and do what I needed to do. It also gave us a sense of security, knowing our daughter was right there if she needed us. We didn’t have to worry about rolling over her, because she was raised up and the bumpers helped protect her from that.
The Nest was also super helpful when we would go out places. We camp alot, so we would bring this with us so she could nap safely in the trailer without us having to set up her Pack-N-Play. We brought it with us when we would visit family and friends, so she could basically nap anywhere. The whole thing weighs like 3 lbs, so it can be brought literally anywhere.
Even though our daughter is 5 months old and now sleeping in her crib, I still use this during the day when I’m doing chores. If I’m making dinner, I plunk it on the kitchen floor and give her a toy to play with – she can’t roll out and she’s comfortable. If I want to take a bath and my hubby isn’t home, she gets plopped into her Nest and chills on the bathroom floor while I soak.
The one I bought isn’t for sale anymore, but this one is just like it. I highly recommend this product for new parents!
Water Resistant Bibs
As we all know, babies drool. A lot. They drool a tonne when they’re getting ready for solid foods, when they’re teething, and basically on any day that ends with a Y. Not only is drool kind of gross, but it can cause problems if you’re not careful.
My girl happens to have a nice double chin. It’s cute, but it’s a drool trap. If I don’t pay attention, drool will pool in there, which can cause a rash. So while bibs are cute, they’re also very neccessary for her.
Finding the right bib took a while. I wanted something that was soft, large (but not too large), and water resistant. Water proof bibs are not soft, and I knew our daughter wouldn’t be happy wearing a piece of plastic around her neck all day. Regular cloth bibs were okay, but they got wet too fast and I would have to change them out multiple times in a day.
My friend recommended these. ALVABABY has absolutely nailed these bibs! They’re soft, but also water resistant. The top side will get damp, but underneath stays dry all day. So I don’t need to worry about that nasty chin rash. They’re also the perfect size, with adjustable snaps that grow with baby.
At some point, your baby will drool – don’t bother trying out other bibs. These are hands down THE BEST.
Teether
Teething is something all babies go through at some point. Some parents are lucky enough to have babies who aren’t too bothered by the process, but for a lot of parents teething can be pretty tough.
So far, we’ve actually been those lucky parents. Teething hasn’t bothered our daughter too terribly much, but she does still have her days where she needs a little bit more comfort. She’s constantly got something in her mouth whether she’s teething or not, and she often gets frustrated when she can’t get whatever toy she’s holding to her mouth properly.
We’ve tried all the teethers out there – the rings, the mits, the beads, cold toys; even our own fingers. They’ll generally hold our daughter’s attention for a few minutes before she hucks it across the room (not the fingers, obviously).
This teether is magical. It’s shaped like a lollipop, so it’s super easy for baby to grab onto and bring towards her mouth. It has a silicone head shaped really well for chewing and gumming. Our daughter is a big fan. She gnaws on it constantly, and when she’s tired of chewing she will just suck on it for comfort. It’s our favorite teether by far!
Like most parents, my house is now full of baby items. I’ve highlighted my three favorite things for our daughter, but really there’s a tonne of amazing stuff out there. As I continue my process of trial and error, I will keep all you Mama’s updated on what works for us!
