My Top 15 Baby Product Must Haves

Well with baby #2 almost here I am going through my checklist of everything I need to buy or get out for the baby. It got me thinking about all the research and trial & error I did while finding the best products for babies when I had Ashlyn and I thought it might be nice to share my list of the top 15 baby product must haves. So here it is (in no particular order):

1. A boppy: not only does it take a lot of pressure off your back and arms, your husbands can enjoy feeding the baby a bottle in it. I used it to prop Ashlyn in when she had acid reflux so she wasn't laying flat on her back. And when she was older I put her in it on her belly, arms hanging over the front, to strengthen her neck and head. I could not live without my boppy- it makes breast feeding so much easier!2. A good car seat: Graco Safe Seat is the way to go!!! I can't tell you how many different car seats I looked up when deciding which one to get for Ashlyn. We ended up getting the Graco Safe Seat (exact one pictured below) because of it's awesome safety features, it's weight limit is up to 30 lbs (which some people with bigger babies find themselves having to buy 2 car seats before transitioning into the forward facing toddler seat because their babies outgrow the infant ones), and because it has both the base that can stay in your car & a place where you can put the seat belt straps over the top if you don't have your base. Trust me I've seen a lot of people who just have bases and no place to just seat belt it in who find themselves out of luck when trying to carpool, etc.3. A good baby carrier: I suggest the Baby Bjorn. I know they are a little pricey but I have bad back problems and used a snuggly for a little bit but when I switched to the Bjorn things got a lot better! Bjorns are specially designed to take the weight off your back and I don't think any other carrier can do what it did for my back. And there is no way I could travel with a baby without a bjorn! I had to fly a few places with just me and Ashlyn and I needed my hands. Lugging the car seat around was just impossible! My sister found my bjorn for me at an unbelievable clearance price at Target and I couldn't have been happier. Great for hiking, shopping, doing things around the house, you name it. 4. A high chair: may I suggest the amazing Fisher Price Space Saver? Oh man I was about to get one of those bumbo's and then all the sudden there was a huge recall on them due to kids falling in them and getting brain damage & some even dying. I know some people swear by them but I am not taking any chances when it comes to my baby's safety. That is when I found the Fisher Price Space Saver high chair/booster/everything! It straps onto your normal dinner chair in 2 different places and has a ton of amazing features. It has multiple recline positions, multiple height positions, it has a removable and dishwasher safe tray, it can transition into a booster seat for your toddler and is even so small that it can be portable for trips and vacations! Ashlyn sits in the seat as a booster so she can reach the table and eat with us. I love it and so does she! 5. A bouncer and/or a swing: When it comes to swings there is no doubt that the Graco Luvin' Hug is the best when you consider all it's great features and price! It even has a detachable tray for eating and playing. I read lots of comparisons of swings and it seemed like the Luvin' Hug was always on top. Best all around deal. If you have a colicky baby then you definitely want a swing or bounce. We got a matching set swing and bouncer on craigslist and I used both with Ashlyn. I couldn't have made dinners without them! I don't think it's necessary to get both but for some people it's worth it.6. A pack n'play: Again nobody beats the price and quality of the Graco pack n'plays. I got mine for under $100 at Babies R'Us and it has some great features like a removable changing table, a mobile, a canopy, a light,sounds, & vibrator attachment, it converts to and from a bassinet, and comes with an organizer for putting things in. This is what most people use to put their newborns in until they transition the babies into a new room with a crib. You can take these anywhere and they are great to bring outside and let babies play in them while you do things. 7. A pacifier: I know some people are not pacifier supporters but in MY case, Ashlyn benefited by having them. It really helped with her colic and studies have shown it helps prevent SIDS. Lots of people use different kinds of binkies. It's usually just what your baby perfers. Ashlyn would not take the big green soothie kind but loved the Gerber Nuks. I suggest getting the silicone ones and making sure they are the right age group- yes binkies have sizes! I also enjoyed the cheap clip I got to go with it so I could stop worrying about it dropping on the floor and getting gross. I'm going to make some homemade ones for Gavin out of ribbon and alligator clips (SOOO EASY). The only thing I would do different is start taking the binkies away early than I did with Ashlyn. I don't think Gavin is going to have his binkies all the way til he's 2 like her. Again binkies are my must have, and may not be yours.8. Bibs and Burp Cloths: Because of Ashlyn's acid reflux, she spit up a TON!! I found that putting a bib on her WHILE breastfeeding really helped. I use cloth bibs, doesn't matter what brand, until the baby starts to eat solids. Then I use plastic bibs with the pouch that catches food. They are so easy to wipe off and you don't have to worry about washing them in the laundry. Now as for burp cloths- there isn't any specific brand of burp cloths that I buy because spit up is spit up. My mom makes me really cute ones with embroidery on the edges. However, I did really like the thick ones that are actually Gerber Cloth Diapers (the picture below is one someone made out of the cloth diaper). They come in packs and they make great burp cloths and you can even decorate them with ribbon or fabric to add some color.9. Baby Einstein: oh man I was skeptical with these at first but man did I fall in love with these fast! It's not t.v. shows for baby- it's videos designed to enrich and stimulate a baby's mind. Ashlyn loved the soothing classical music as a baby and as she grew, the videos did too. She learned sign language, clapping, peek-a-boo, and songs from these dvds. Can you believe she still asks to watch them? I bought the 26 pack on ebay a long time ago and have not regretted a single second of it. Now I'm not telling you to let your babies watch hours and endless hours of these each day. The dvds are grouped by age and the times are usually cohesive to the age group (meaning the older the baby, the show can be a little longer). Most are around 30 minutes and I wouldn't suggest more than 1 a day. I did it every now and then when she was fussy. They calmed her down and she really enjoyed them.10. Wipes: Let's face it some wipes are a lot better than others. I happen to think that the Huggies wipes are unbeatable. Pampers and store brands were too thin and not very good quality. Sometimes I would rip the Huggies wipes in half to save money because on such little tushies a full wipe may not be required. I tried a lot of store brands because I was trying to save money but found out I wasn't really saving any money, but using more wipes to get the job done than I was with the Huggies wipes. Plus I just signed up to receive coupons on their diapers and wipes in the mail and that helped a lot.11. Diaper Rash Cream: Boudreaux's Butt Paste is #1. No more can't get this cream off my fingers mess. Whoever invented this must be a bajillionaire now because mom's everywhere cannot get enough of their products. They smell good, work good, and do not leave the messes that other rash creams and ointments do. It's gentle and perfect for the occasional diaper rashes invading baby booties everywhere. Yes "BUTT PASTE" may not be the prettiest name but it is what it is- and it's a must have for me!12. Breast Pads: Unfortunately for me I started producing colostrum when I was 5 months pregnant with Ashlyn. I would wake up with puddles on my bed and thought "what the?". I got some free samples of breast pads from various companies until my sisters informed me of their favorite brand Lansinoh. Oh what I had been missing! The Lansinoh pads were much thinner and still able to hold good quanities of liquid. With the other brands you could practically see the pads through my shirts but not with the Lansinoh ones. I swear by these pads and would suggest them highly to any new mom! I also really loved their lanolin cream for sore nips after you start breastfeeding! 13. Lotions, Baby Wash, etc.: Now you can use whatever brand you want for these but I have to say that one product I loved with Ashlyn was the Johnson's bedtime line. The lotion and baby wash has lavendar in it which calms and relaxes the baby- perfect for bedtime. I loved the smell and the effect it had on soothing her. I tried the generic brand and it wasn't as good so I stuck to Johnson's. For regular bath time, I just used what was cheapest usually but I had a lot of good coupons for the Johnson product and used their lotions with Ashlyn. Do you think I could still use the lavendar bedtime line with a boy? Hmmmm....14. Breastfeeding support: Now most people will not need this next product so let me just tell you that if you are a breastfeeding mom, it is important to have good nursing bras, if you plan on working get a good pump- my sister loved her medela and I think the electric pumps outdo the hand pumps if you need to buy a pump, get good nursing pads (like Lansinoh), good lanolin cream for the first few months, and if you have any problems with latching, the baby getting too much milk, or if your nips are challenged like mine then this next product: Medela Contact Nipple Shield. HOLY MOLY!! Ok so embarrassing to talk about but my sister and I both have a thing called inverted nipples. They just don't poke out like most peoples. She could not get her kids to latch because of it and had to buy a $300 pump and feed her first 2 kids from bottles. When I was in the hospital after Ashlyn was born I used a pump to help stimulate and even had me wear these hard plastic things which sucked; still she couldn't get a good latch. She was having a ton of problems and the first day home was a long and stressful day where I could not get her to feed good. Bret ran to the store to get some stuff and happened to find these at Target. I believe my husband was inspired and that what happened was a miracle because these flimsy silicone shields were heaven sent! You just put them over your nipple and it creates a perfect suction, as well as a good latch for your baby. I honestly could not have breastfed without them. I refered them to my sister when she had her 3rd kid and they worked for her as well. They are not just for the nipple problems but can be used to help babies learn how to latch and also regulate the flow of milk a baby gets. This is probably the single most important product I have on my list- FOR ME!And finally the "Great Debate" 15. Diapers: Huggies Gentle Care vs. Pampers Swaddlers. Trust me people I have used a lot of different kinds of diapers and these in MY opinion were the best- especially for newborns. There is only one problem- I wish these diapers came together and made a baby because both have flaws. Huggies Gentle Care diapers are awesome- they have the umbilical cord cut out and they are the best at keeping accidents from coming up the baby's back. Pamper's Swaddlers are awesome as well- they also have the umbilical cord cut out now and they are the best at keeping accidents from coming out of the sides of the legs! Honestly, one keeps it from coming up their backs, the other out the legs. See why they need to make a baby together and form an ultra diaper that keeps messes from both? Until then I usually do both depending on the deals and coupons I have. Both are good and have perks. One suggestion though- both brands have point systems which means you get points when you buy their products. Sign up on there websites online and use your points for things. I got movie night packages, toys, and more with Ashlyn and will do the same with this baby.
So that's it folks. There's my long list and I hope you enjoyed at least some of it. Again this is all just MY OPINION. I would love to hear your opinions and your must haves! I would love to hear what you think!