Like most parents, as soon as I found out that I was pregnant, I ran to the store and got a lot of things that I thought I would need for a new baby in our life. And also like most parents, most of the things I bought are still sitting on shelves unopened! Here is my list of the top five essential baby items that are actually worth their purchase price.
Essential Baby Item #1: Miracle Blanket for Swaddling the Baby
Babies need to be swaddled for the first four months when sleeping to prevent them from waking up due to the newborn startle reflex. Swaddling helps them feel cozy like when they were in the womb. We practiced swaddling with a doll at the newborn care class before our baby was born and came away thinking it would be easy. Little did we know, our girl could channel Harry Houdini! Cut to the Miracle Blanket, number one on my essential baby items list. The Miracle Blanket has a unique design that makes swaddling easy and secure, ensuring your little escape artist will get a restful night sleep.
Essential Baby Item #2: Diaper Genie Makes Diaper Disposal Easy
Diaper Genie is a plastic diaper disposal system that prevents odor and germs. It has a very small footprint, so it doesn’t take much of your precious space. It is made of plastic, and it works very simply: You step on the pedal on the bottom which will open up the top lid; put the dirty diaper in; when the lid closes a double door system drops the diaper into the main part of the bag, the smell now trapped inside. When the genie gets full, you open up the front panel and remove the bag of 20-30 diapers. According to my husband, the Diaper Genie should be at the top of the essential baby items list for new parents. Don’t forget the Diaper Genie Refills or the Carbon Filter Retail Trays.
Essential Baby Item #3: Boppy Pillow for Keeping Baby Close
Many veteran moms have told me how much they love the Boppy pillow. It is shaped to be lower in the middle and higher on the edges, ensuring babies can lay in it perfectly. We used it almost every day during the first few months until our little girl outgrew it. It’s perfect for when you want your baby to catch a little nap next to you when you are enjoying your favorite book on the couch or reading stories to your older child on the floor. Your baby will love the Boppy! Make sure you don’t leave the baby in it without adult supervision and follow all instructions on proper use. We also had an extra Boppy Pillow cover on hand for those little spit ups and accidents.
Essential Baby Item #4: Baby Playmat for Activities
My mother-in-law got us a baby playmat as soon as we started tummy time. It has a few bright colors and cute cartoon designs. It also has a mirror (made of baby safe material), a rattle and a piece of fabric that makes crackling noise attached to it. Our baby spent countless hours on it until she started rolling around. She loved to squeeze the crackle fabric, and her face always lit up when she found the star that was hidden under another piece of fabric. This was a staple in our early baby days and it helps that it was machine washable.
Essential Baby Item #5: Lovey for Nap and Night Time Sleeping
When your baby is around four to six-month-old, he or she will start to transition out of the swaddle. This is a great time to start introducing a Lovey to your baby. While there are many styles of Lovey, we decided to go with a soft blankie with an animal’s head attached to it. It is suggested that moms wear the lovey in her bra for a day, so it picks up her smell which is calming to the baby. Put it next to the baby in the crib when you put him or her down for sleeping. The baby may hold it, smell it or chew on it before falling asleep or when waking up at night. It is a good idea to have two, just in case you need to wash one or lose one. It’s such a cute sight to see your little baby instinctively reach for the Lovey when you put them down to sleep!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any of these products it won’t change your price, but we would get a teeny tiny portion to help support our site and we would be so appreciative.
