There was a time when I would never have imagined I would be sitting here telling you about all of my favorite baby items. My journey into motherhood was full of ups and downs, with many hopes dashed in doctor’s offices and sleepless nights wondering if I would ever be able to carry a baby to full term.
Yet, here I am, with a nursing Golden in my lap and a little Posey running circles around my desk, about to write a list of all the things I’ve loved in their little years. It is the most beautiful miracle I’ve ever witnessed.
When the girls were born I had the joy of trying lots of different products to see which baby items I loved (and some I didn’t love). At the end of the day, some things work better for some mothers than others. You have to let yourself find your own stride.
This post is a starting point. It is not a comprehensive guide, but rather a place to highlight some of the things you wouldn’t necessarily find at your local Target. I’ve included a handful of small shops run by female entrepreneurs, because I love to get behind women who are running after their dreams and giving us mothers some amazing choices in the process. In addition, I’ve included some really practical, life-saver options, like diaper rash cream and footed pants.
So, without further ado…
The Baby Items I Loved (And Some I Didn’t Love)
1.) Happy baby carrier
There are a lot of baby carriers out there, but I liked this one because it was easy to use, comfy, stylish, and folds small enough to throw into a diaper bag – score!
2.) Organic Footed Pants | Amazon
Just go ahead and get several of these pants with the feet built in because baby socks never stay on. Functional, comfortable and practical – you’re welcome!
3.) Baby Docking Station | DockATot
These DockATots are making the rounds on Instagram and it lives up to the hype. Instead of lugging around a bouncer with a metal stand, tote this soft and lightweight docking station for baby. Super helpful for the first couple of months when you need to put baby down with you on the couch or floor or while you steal that blessed shower.
4.) Swaddle | Amazon
This is a swaddle that’s really easy to use. It just has a zipper – no velcro, extra snaps, or weird contortions, especially for babes that don’t like their arms down. We bought other swaddles and never used them because they were too complicated.
5.) Sleeper Bassinet | Snoo
Expensive, but worth it. During the first week at home when you’re in a haze of sleepless nights and hormonal shifts, you will need this. It put Goldie back to sleep for me and I swore right then it was worth the money. If you can wait, watch for a sale! We got ours for 35% off (or do the rental option!)
6.) Cozy Hats | Etsy
This soft, stretchy cozy hat is actually made by my doula! Ties at the top in a Rosie The Riveter style and comes in several colors and patterns. My fave is color 8. It is one of the only hats my girls would keep on.
7.) Solly wrap
Stylish and oh so cozy for those first few months around the house when you’re bonding with baby and need to keep them close.
8.) Zip Rompers | Eleanora & Co
Why it’s so hard to find zipper rompers for squirmy babies I’ll never know! Thankfully, this sweet and SO smart mama created a small biz and her zippered short-sleeve and long-sleeve rompers are genius!
9.) Diaper Rash Cream | Beautycounter
This is seriously the best diaper rash cream around. It quickly cleared up every rash we ever had. It is also created unscented for delicate areas.
10.) Copper Pearl Bandana Bibs | Amazon
Our babies were spitter uppers and these kept us from changing their clothes (literally) 20 times a day. They are super soft and come in cute colors and patterns.
The Baby Items I Didn’t Love
You live and learn, as they say, so here’s the baby items I didn’t end up loving!
- Swaddles with velcro – they were too loud and hard to use
- Any clothes with lots of snaps – you will hate snaps, especially for middle of the night diaper changes. Trust me. Get the uglier pattern with the zipper instead of the cuter one with snaps.
- Breastfeeding covers – they were all hard to use, especially at the beginning when you are still learning how to get baby latched, and you still needed to be able to see what you were doing so it almost required two people. I eventually got comfortable enough to just breastfeed anywhere without a cover- obviously a personal choice, but its a natural part of life so if people wanted to stare, go for it.
And there you have it: The Baby Items I Loved (And Some I Didn’t Love). If you have a favorite baby item you swear by, comment below and share with our community of women. We want to know your secrets!
