The
baby market can be very overwhelming. The big box baby stores have
thousands of options, but what do you really end up using? The
need-to-have list may vary depending on where you're living (city vs. suburb),
but here are our top 10 favorite and need-to-have items for the baby's first 3
months (excluding diapers and wipes):
1. Bibs: Green Sprouts waterproof bibs are our favorites. They have a waterproof inner layer so even after all of the drool/spit up/milk spillage, baby's clothes still stay dry! They also come in lots of pretty shades for boy or girl. Definitely stock up on bibs! You can never have too many.
2. Bottle drying rack: You can wash bottle parts in the dishwasher but neither of us run the dishwasher too frequently so we hand-wash everything. We both have the Grass Countertop Drying Rack by Boon which is functional, cute and easy to clean. You can dry pretty much anything on it, though it's particularly useful for pump parts and things that don't hang (spoons, toothbrush, dropper, pacis, teething toys, etc.). While it's great, it is a little small, so Jean got this cute Twig Accessory you insert into the grass to create more hanging space (thanks for the tip, Mira!). Amy got the Beaba drying rack in addition to the grass which holds a ton of bottles/cups/nipples. Jean also has the Skip Hop rack which also does the trick! Lots of good options to choose from here.
3. First aid kit: This First Aid Kit by the American Red Cross is great-- it has nail clippers, mini emory boards, various brushes (for his tongue, his head/hair in case he has cradle cap), nasal aspirator, comb, syringe/dropper for medicine, etc. The only thing that sucks about this kit is the nasal aspirator/bulb syringe-- it is super stiff and doesn't get anything out! Don't even bother with the bulb syringe, instead get a...
4. Snotsucker!: We both love the Nosefrida snotsucker. We've gotta give it to the Swedes for inventing such a powerfully effective yet simple device. When baby is congested, you will do just about anything to help him breathe better-- yes, even sucking out the junk straight out of his tiny nostrils! The idea of sucking your kid's snot makes you cringe, but fear not! The Swedes have made it possible for you to do it in a hygienic way. We find it to be most effective if you spray a little saline spray in each nostril first, wait a few seconds, place the Nosefrida and take multiple, quick, deep sucks to loosen and ultimately suck those suckers out!
5. Diaper rash cream: Triple Paste is HANDS DOWN, the BEST diaper rash cream. When Logan started having solids, he had bad diarrhea which resulted in the WORST diaper rash. Anything but air would make it sting. After a few days of trying various diaper creams, Amy discovered Triple Paste. After 12 hours, the rash was practically gone!! Butt Paste, California Baby Diaper Cream, A&D, Desitin all work just fine for day-to-day preventative use, but when you need immediate relief, nothing beats Triple Paste. Don't have a baby without it.
6. Boppy (nursing pillow): Some people may not think the Boppy is a necessity, but the Boppy is great for both mom and baby! Amy used it whenever she was breastfeeding, which is what it's typically used for. Since Jean pumped, she didn't use it much for feeding but more for Miles to lounge on. When he learned to sit up, it was great to put it around him to catch him if he fell over. Jean also used it as the cushion for her bottom during the first few weeks when it is extra sensitive down there. Amy used it when she passed out on the floor from pure exhaustion :). If you decide to get it, get an extra cover so you can wash one while using the other.
7. Sleep sacks: If you have an active baby, he will eventually kick off his swaddled blanket no matter how tightly you swaddle him. The Halo SleepSacks have been great at keeping the babies snug as a bug. Make sure to get the ones w/the "wings", which are swaddle sleepsacks, not just plain sleepsacks. It's the wings that keep the swaddle in place (for the most part). The wings are also detachable so once your baby grows out of the swaddle altogether, you can use them as just plain sleepsacks, so it’s like getting 2 for 1! They come in regular cotton and fleece material.
8. Swaddling blanket: We are suckers for sophisticated designs for babies. We LOVE Aden & Anais products, specifically their swaddling blankets! Their super-cute and oh-so-soft and stretchy muslin blankets are perfect for swaddling, summer stroller rides and just plain snuggling. Stash one in your diaper bag or stroller whenever you leave the house! Did we mention that they're also very cute??
9. Baby carrier: Go hands free by getting a baby carrier. There are lots of carriers out there, but our favorites are the Lillebaby (what Amy uses) and the Baby Bjorn (what Jean uses). Both carriers are strong and offer good shoulder support. The Lillebaby allows you to hold the baby (up to 40 pounds) in 6 different positions while still being soft enough to stuff into your diaper bag. The Baby Bjorn is super stylish and very easy to put on and off. Baby carriers are an absolute must for the city mamas! We weren't huge fans of the Moby Wrap because though it was very comfortable, it wasn't always the easiest to put on/off. They also didn't feel very supportive when the babies got bigger. Their website has tutorials on how to use/wear the wrap-- that's already a sign that this is too complicated than it needs to be.
10. Burp cloths: These cloths are not limited to just burping! Use them to clean up random and excessive spit up, lay it down before diapering, cover him when diapering (so you don't get peed in the face), dry him down after using wipes (helps prevent diaper rash), clean up the spilled milk, etc. While we typically like stylish and cute items, burp cloths really don't need to be since they're cleaning up all types of gross things :-). You'll definitely want to have a healthy stash of these. We recommend the not-so-fancy-but-gets-the-job-done Dundee Mills burp cloths.
What were/are some of your need-to-have items for the first few months??
1. Bibs: Green Sprouts waterproof bibs are our favorites. They have a waterproof inner layer so even after all of the drool/spit up/milk spillage, baby's clothes still stay dry! They also come in lots of pretty shades for boy or girl. Definitely stock up on bibs! You can never have too many.
2. Bottle drying rack: You can wash bottle parts in the dishwasher but neither of us run the dishwasher too frequently so we hand-wash everything. We both have the Grass Countertop Drying Rack by Boon which is functional, cute and easy to clean. You can dry pretty much anything on it, though it's particularly useful for pump parts and things that don't hang (spoons, toothbrush, dropper, pacis, teething toys, etc.). While it's great, it is a little small, so Jean got this cute Twig Accessory you insert into the grass to create more hanging space (thanks for the tip, Mira!). Amy got the Beaba drying rack in addition to the grass which holds a ton of bottles/cups/nipples. Jean also has the Skip Hop rack which also does the trick! Lots of good options to choose from here.
3. First aid kit: This First Aid Kit by the American Red Cross is great-- it has nail clippers, mini emory boards, various brushes (for his tongue, his head/hair in case he has cradle cap), nasal aspirator, comb, syringe/dropper for medicine, etc. The only thing that sucks about this kit is the nasal aspirator/bulb syringe-- it is super stiff and doesn't get anything out! Don't even bother with the bulb syringe, instead get a...
4. Snotsucker!: We both love the Nosefrida snotsucker. We've gotta give it to the Swedes for inventing such a powerfully effective yet simple device. When baby is congested, you will do just about anything to help him breathe better-- yes, even sucking out the junk straight out of his tiny nostrils! The idea of sucking your kid's snot makes you cringe, but fear not! The Swedes have made it possible for you to do it in a hygienic way. We find it to be most effective if you spray a little saline spray in each nostril first, wait a few seconds, place the Nosefrida and take multiple, quick, deep sucks to loosen and ultimately suck those suckers out!
5. Diaper rash cream: Triple Paste is HANDS DOWN, the BEST diaper rash cream. When Logan started having solids, he had bad diarrhea which resulted in the WORST diaper rash. Anything but air would make it sting. After a few days of trying various diaper creams, Amy discovered Triple Paste. After 12 hours, the rash was practically gone!! Butt Paste, California Baby Diaper Cream, A&D, Desitin all work just fine for day-to-day preventative use, but when you need immediate relief, nothing beats Triple Paste. Don't have a baby without it.
6. Boppy (nursing pillow): Some people may not think the Boppy is a necessity, but the Boppy is great for both mom and baby! Amy used it whenever she was breastfeeding, which is what it's typically used for. Since Jean pumped, she didn't use it much for feeding but more for Miles to lounge on. When he learned to sit up, it was great to put it around him to catch him if he fell over. Jean also used it as the cushion for her bottom during the first few weeks when it is extra sensitive down there. Amy used it when she passed out on the floor from pure exhaustion :). If you decide to get it, get an extra cover so you can wash one while using the other.
7. Sleep sacks: If you have an active baby, he will eventually kick off his swaddled blanket no matter how tightly you swaddle him. The Halo SleepSacks have been great at keeping the babies snug as a bug. Make sure to get the ones w/the "wings", which are swaddle sleepsacks, not just plain sleepsacks. It's the wings that keep the swaddle in place (for the most part). The wings are also detachable so once your baby grows out of the swaddle altogether, you can use them as just plain sleepsacks, so it’s like getting 2 for 1! They come in regular cotton and fleece material.
8. Swaddling blanket: We are suckers for sophisticated designs for babies. We LOVE Aden & Anais products, specifically their swaddling blankets! Their super-cute and oh-so-soft and stretchy muslin blankets are perfect for swaddling, summer stroller rides and just plain snuggling. Stash one in your diaper bag or stroller whenever you leave the house! Did we mention that they're also very cute??
9. Baby carrier: Go hands free by getting a baby carrier. There are lots of carriers out there, but our favorites are the Lillebaby (what Amy uses) and the Baby Bjorn (what Jean uses). Both carriers are strong and offer good shoulder support. The Lillebaby allows you to hold the baby (up to 40 pounds) in 6 different positions while still being soft enough to stuff into your diaper bag. The Baby Bjorn is super stylish and very easy to put on and off. Baby carriers are an absolute must for the city mamas! We weren't huge fans of the Moby Wrap because though it was very comfortable, it wasn't always the easiest to put on/off. They also didn't feel very supportive when the babies got bigger. Their website has tutorials on how to use/wear the wrap-- that's already a sign that this is too complicated than it needs to be.
10. Burp cloths: These cloths are not limited to just burping! Use them to clean up random and excessive spit up, lay it down before diapering, cover him when diapering (so you don't get peed in the face), dry him down after using wipes (helps prevent diaper rash), clean up the spilled milk, etc. While we typically like stylish and cute items, burp cloths really don't need to be since they're cleaning up all types of gross things :-). You'll definitely want to have a healthy stash of these. We recommend the not-so-fancy-but-gets-the-job-done Dundee Mills burp cloths.
What were/are some of your need-to-have items for the first few months??
pretty good list! i used 7 out of 10 you listed.
ReplyDeletehere are my personal favs:
baby carrier: ERGObaby - i tried baby bjorn and it killed my and my husband's back. ERGObaby on the other hand has really great back support and it put my son to sleep in a matter of minutes. We used it until he was 9 months.
bibs: i think it's carters brand... but some companies make teething bibs (waterproof) without velcro. if you have a baby with sensitive skin like mine, velcro will irritate their neck. so i used bibs that have a metal closure on the side of their neck which worked wonderful. sorry i couldn't find a link.
i used boppy but didn't realize how much better "my breast friend" is until i tried at a new mom's meeting at a near by hospital. it was so much more comfortable than boppy. i stopped using boppy b/c it was hurting my back. it was too low for me. maybe i have long torso. it didn't work for me. but i mostly used it to my son to keep him upright after each feeding. but i highly recommend "my breast friend" so much more comfy. better for mom's back.
I heard the ERGO was great! I see a lot of people with it in our neighborhood. Cynthia gave me her Bjorn so I've been using that occasionally and so far its been good.
Deletebibs, i'm going to look for your bib! Miles normally is fine but I did notice a few times he had a little redness on the back of his neck...I figured it was from the bib but didn't realize it would be from the velcro of the bib! I always try to match it completely so no velcro parts touch his skin but sometimes it just happens!
You forgot the most important thing...wine! (assuming you are pumping and dumping, or formula feeding!). Xoxox Tania
ReplyDeleteI've learned that as long as you drink 2 hours prior to pumping or you are sober by the time you are ready to pump, its ok! :)
Deletewine/beer is def a must!
esp when you are sleep training. oye!
you guys rock! Thanks for posting your favs, totally helping us with our registry and helping me be more decisive. There's just TOO many products and SO many reviews, I feel overwhelmed. How does this little teeny tiny person need ALL this STUFF?
ReplyDeletejean
Glad its helpful!!!!
Delete