Must Have Essentials For Bringing Home Baby

Over the years if anything I’ve gone through as a mom, it’s my share of great baby items and the not so great ones. With many of my friends and acquaintances starting to join the parent crew; I’m often asked what my favorite brands are, what are my must haves, and what I recommend. I decided to tackle all of that in today’s post for you! A complete list of must have baby items, so you’re never at a lost for what to get. If you’re a mom, a dad, an auntie, or just looking to be prepared when the time comes – this is for you.

Diapering Needs

From the beginning your baby will need diapers and while there was once one or two companies everyone used, there are now so many varieties and designs, it can be overwhelming. Trust me when I say I’ve tried it all and the brand that I use now trumps every one. Not only are they soft, absorbent, and yes come in cute designs they have a convenience level that shoots them to the top of the list. Parasol is a diaper subscription service that makes keeping your baby covered a cinch. They really should pay me, I’m constantly promoting this brand simply because I love it. You can subscribe to the service which delivers diapers to your door based on your selected schedule. Ranging from sizes one to six, you can have your package delivered every three, four, or five weeks. I discovered it when Clarke was a baby and was having allergic reaction to several different diapers. After a doctors visit and a bit of drama, I gave Parasol a try. If you run out of diapers, no worries Parasol has you covered. Simply sign in to your profile and have your box of diapers sent overnight. Seriously, this feature has saved me numerous times. I would recommend this to every new mom who is already trying to figure out life with a baby, taking one thing off of your plate to think about makes things so much better.

As far as wipes are concerned I’m a fan of thick, unscented wipes. The brand I’ve found that works the best for me has been Huggies. If you’ve been around a baby any amount of time you know that blowouts happen, though if you find they’re happening more often than not, it’s likely that your babies diapers are too small or too big. But in the event that the poo escapes, you need something that can make cleans up fast and efficient. Huggies wipes have been that for me. They hold up well and I don’t find myself having to use half a stack to get the job done.

With my first two daughters I didn’t have a changing table situation. Finally with my third I decided to make her dresser multifunctional and more useful by creating the changing spot I needed. I did that by buying a Keekaroo Peanut changing pad. I never understood having changing pads covered in fabric, again because, accidents happen. And then you’re left trying to clean poop off of some cotton cover. Save yourself the mess. This rubber pad makes changing a breeze. Though it can be a bit cold on the baby it’s great because it can be wiped down. It comes in a few colors, I wanted black but it was hard to come by so I opted for the vanilla color and it worked perfectly.

Newborns average eight to twelve diaper changes a day. Yes, you read that correctly. Those changes may need to happen when you’re in the car, at a restaurant, or visiting with friends. Do everyone a favor a have a pack of Munchkin diaper bags in your bag at all times. Powder fragranced bags help mask the odors of diapers so you don’t have to feel bad about throwing your little ones messes out wherever you are. They come in a nifty dispenser you can hang and works wonderfully.

Bathing

We all live for the smell of babies…

It’s intoxicating but those little buggers need to be rinsed off from time to time. Hahaha. It should be noted that your baby doesn’t need a daily bath, in fact it can be bad for their skin causing it to become dry. Every other day or two days is fine, I mean they aren’t running any laps. It’s all good. That said, sink baths make bath time super easy. There are two tubs I recommend for your baby that worked out well for me.

The Blooming Flower tub, which is a terry cloth flower shape that fits into the sink. It absorbs the water so your baby isn’t cold and also is soft so they aren’t just sitting uncomfortably on hard plastic while they slip and slide out of your arms you wash them. It comes in a few colors but y’all know I like to keep things neutral so I opted for grey on my registry. Also, with my middle daughter I used the Puj. A foam tub that also fits into the sink and seats the baby at an angle making it easier to bathe the baby. It also has magnets so it will cling to your shower or tub, where it can drain and be stored.

As far as soaps and lotions are concerned, for years we all used the same brand but now there are a myriad of others to choose. I’ve been using the French brand Mustela. A more clean and modern brand I find that it leave my babies skin soft and it smells elegant. I use the foaming cleanser and the lotion.

For shampoo needs I like to use Shea Moisture in the kids or baby lines. This is great for the texture of my daughter’s hair and leaves it soft. Plus I noticed it was easier to brush out her cradle cap as well.

Feeding

When it comes to feeding your baby there are a multitude of opinions and thoughts on how it should be done. I’ve breastfed each of my girls for some length of time and began giving my two eldest solids by four months. This is what has worked for me. Of course you make your own choices when it comes to food and how you’ll introduce it and whether or not nursing is for you. But I encourage everyone to try and stick with it for some time, because it is a new thing and has to be learned but you can do it!

Breastfeeding though free in nature does come with its own necessities that can be costly if you don’t know what to get ahead of time. From pillows to nipple creams and pads, there is always something to be had. Truth be told I have three nursing pillows and I don’t love any of them. I find that I still have to use an additional pillow to prop the baby closer to me and they’ve just not been the best. Nonetheless, My Breast Friend stays by my bedside, my Boppy stays in the nursery, and my dual sided Boppy rests in the living room. They each serve me when needed and I suggest you try a few to find what works for you.

When I was a first time mom, you could find me with rings of breastmilk all over my clothes. Simply because I didn’t realize that I always needed to be wearing nursing pads. The ones that I have used and like are Medela brand. The double tape helps keep them in place and the material is soft and absorbent. You’ll want to keep these on hand at all times – in your purse, your diaper bag, and you car. Because leaks will happen friends, stay prepared.

If you’re breastfeeding it most likely means that you’re pumping, which means you too have felt like a cow being milked or will at some point. Just think, it’s for the baby when you catch a glimpse of yourself in a mirror. That said you’ll want a pump that really works well, is mobile, and is easy to use. Again Medela has been that brand for me. In fact I have a single and double pump that I use currently. The single breast stays in car for times when I am away from the baby, while the double pump stays at home. The double pump can be handsfree with the bustier that can be purchased, and trust me – it’s worth it.

To store your milk I like the Lanisnoh storage bags or the nanobebe option. Both are easy to store flat and make it simple to freeze your milk. I’m currently creating a stockpile and having bags that can freeze flat is a lifesaver.

As far as bottles are concerned, with my oldest I found Dr. Brown’s to be the best for helping her not inhale so much air while she ate thus keeping her gas and reflux down. With the youngest two I’ve used Comotomo and found them to be great for breast to bottle transition, plus they’re easy to clean and are BPA free.

Food

In line with feeding comes introducing your little one to solids. We all want to be the mom who makes all of our kids food because we’re ambitious  we care about their well-being, but as someone who did it, trust me when I say it’s great if you have the time. If not, there are plenty of alternatives that you can trust. Making food is awesome and if you do I suggest you nab some silicone ice trays to freeze your purees in like these from NUK.

I loved these pouches from Happy Baby because Clarke enjoyed them and they were a great way to introduce mixes of fruits and vegetables that I may not think of myself. As you can see they come in stages from 1 to 4, which are for infants to toddlers.

Your baby can squeeze the pouch into their mouth, you can put in on a spoon, or you can do both with the Infantino spoons that attach to the pouch and come in a nifty container to bring with you. Everywhere we went people were really impressed with these like I had invented them myself. Honestly, I wish I had. Thanks whoever you are genius person.

During my ambitious mommy moment I used the Infantino Fresh Squeezed system to make my purees but I really want the Beaba steamer and baby food maker now should I go back to my DIY food. If you can do it though mama, just know I’m cheering you on!

While is list isn’t exhaustive, it is what I have found to work for me over the years. I trust these brands and would recommend them over and over. I hope you find something you like and that your questions were answered if you had them.

If you don’t see something here that you want an opinion on, feel free to ask, I’d love to help lead you in the right direction if I can.

Until next time,