30 Days of Blogging: Days 7 & 8 (Yesterday and today’s is combined. I started writing this yesterday but didn’t have time to finish.)
10 Baby Items I Didn’t Know I Needed
Our life right now is mostly all things baby so while it’s fresh on my mind, here’s 10 baby items I didn’t know I needed. I ended up buying these things last minute or even after baby came because I realized how much easier they’d make life with a newborn!
1. Baby swing
After a couple weeks of holding, walking, and rocking baby for hours and hours, I knew I needed another option that would keep her moving that was NOT me. I had a little seat that vibrated, but she hated that. My mom always had a swing for my siblings and it was so helpful to be able to put them in there and just let them rock. So while I thought the little vibrating/manual rocking seat would be enough, I really needed the real thing. I ended up getting this Nova Rocker. Mainly I got this particular one because of the mosquito net so I could take her outside, and because it has the option to be powered by batter or the power cord.
2. Pacifier cases
3. Pacifier wipes
Next to paci cases, pacifier wipes are pretty darn helpful to have. I grew up watching moms pick up a dropped paci from the floor, stick it in their mouth, and then give it back to their baby. Ew. That just doesn’t seem like a great option, and pacifiers are going to be dropped – in the car, in the store, on a public bathroom floor. And unless you want to buy and carry around 10 pacifiers all the time, you’re out of luck once the paci is dropped, unless you want to find a sink to wash it off in. Juggling a newborn is hard enough and keeping a few paci wipes on hand at all times just makes the whole situation so much easier! Again, an inexpensive purchase that makes life easier.
4. Reusable baby wipe holders
Originally I was just going to buy one reusable baby wipe holder/dispenser to keep in the diaper bag, but the most economical way to get them was in a pack of four. And I’m so glad that was the case because now I use all four! These really have been so much more helpful than I thought they would be. One, it’s expensive to keep buying the individual packs of wipes, so since I have multiple reusable holders, I can buy the wipes in bulk and keep the holders stocked around the house, diaper bag, car, etc. Second, these holders that I purchased are much quieter than the traditional packaging that baby wipes come in, so diaper changes are less disruptive during the night when I’m trying to keep the house quiet. I’ve also found the dispenser to be better at dispensing only one wipe at a time, rather than pulling out four extra wipes that I didn’t need.
5. Diaper pail
Before baby came I was convinced that a regular trash bin was going to be fine for diapers. But a few days in we realized that definitely wasn’t the case. Unless you’re someone who just likes the smell of diapers all over the house. Even taking the trash out regularly didn’t do it. So I finally caved. Worth it to me to keep the house fresh! We got one for the nursery and one for our bedroom since that’s where we do the most changes. We got the Diaper Genie pails and I just saw that the refills can be purchased at Costco FTW!
6. Microwave sterilizer bag
Huge time saver! Before baby came I sanitized her bottles, pacifiers, and breast pump accessories the old fashioned way – boiling water in a pot over the stove. Yep that took a while! Now I couldn’t imagine trying to do that every day. The hospital gave me a Microwave Sterilizer Bag and it was a game changer. This is another item that is not expensive and saves a lot of time and hassle. I ordered a multi-pack that should last me several months (for about $5) and I will never go back to the boiling water in a pot!
7. Toys with sounds, lights, and movement (0-3 mos)
I didn’t realize how big a deal toys would be for the 0-3 month timeframe, particularly ones that would grab our little one’s attention. We had like three toys prior to her arrival and within a few weeks she was already “playing” with them. She loved them but we were showing her the same toys every playtime, so multiple times a day every day. We also noticed that they weren’t quite interactive enough to keep her attention during tummy time. So we recently made a trip to the store to pick up a few more toys to rotate for her, including a couple that had sounds, lights, and movement.
8. Baby sunglasses
Ok this is kind of a strange one. But we took our girl for her first walk when she was just one week old, and we’ve been on many since. Baby E loves to look at the trees and whatever else she can see over the edge of her pram, but…the sun. Poor girl squints for half her ride! And a lot of times I just stay inside simply because it’s too bright outside for her and she doesn’t like it. I’ve probably thought to myself “she needs sunglasses!” a dozen times. They’re currently on their way as I type and I can’t wait to see how she likes them. I will report back, but it definitely seems like this is going to be another winner.
9. Car Mirror
A car mirror is extra right? That’s what I thought. And then we put the car seat in and every time I went somewhere I looked back there and realized I wasn’t going to be able to see my baby at all when I was driving. I didn’t know this then, but definitely now I know you are going to want to see your baby in the car! I did get a car mirror before she came because I thought it would be nice, but now I’m super glad I did and absolutely would have gone out to get one after she was here if I hadn’t gotten it before. It’s so helpful to be able to glace back there to see if she’s awake and content, sleeping, fussy for a particular reason, etc..
10. Haakaa
Finally, a Haakaa breast pump. Another item that I discounted before I understood it’s usefulness. I will say that it’s not a replacement for the electric pump. but it is so nice to have in addition to one. Since I’m exclusively breastfeeding and haven’t got back to work yet, I don’t need to pump regularly. However, sometimes baby girl doesn’t eat as much in a particular feed and she certainly doesn’t during the night. So there’s an occasional overflow and it can start to get uncomfortable. Enter the Haakaa. It’s small, easy, no cords or accessories, and doesn’t make any noise. It’s really easy to use on one side as baby is nursing on the other, or as I’ve heard others mention, in the shower or while washing dishes. I’ve actually gotten a couple freezer bags filled using the Haakaa – milk that would’ve otherwise just gone to waste soaking my clothes. Ew. Go Haakaa! I honestly didn’t think I’d use it when I got it, but once again, I was wrong.
So there you have it. Food for thought for any mama’s trying to figure out what you do and don’t need. I know everyone is a little different and some things work for some people and not others, but I hope this at least helps with thinking through whether or not you might find these items useful!