There are thousands and thousands of baby products on the market and it’s so easy to get wrapped up in it all! It can be so confusing to know what baby items you actually need, versus the baby products that are totally useless.
I was ultra prepared during my first pregnancy! I had everything organized perfectly, several different kinds of everything, and I was certain that my experience babysitting was steering me in the right direction.
Boy, was I wrong. So many of the items I never touched, and there were others that I went out to purchase because I got it so wrong the first time.
I’m hoping this post helps steer all of you new mamas-to-be in the right direction! Everyone has a different experience, but this is what I recommend.
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Mittens
When my first was born, I had mittens in every color. I’m not even kidding you, I probably had 15 pairs.
I USED THEM ONE TIME!
They ended up coming off of her hands within minutes, and I was terrified one would end up in her mouth and she’d choke or suffocate.
Instead, I used baby socks over her hands or purchased the sleepers that had the fold-over mittens.
These sleepers are EXTRA amazing because they also have a 2-way zipper. That way when you have to change a diaper you don’t have to completely undress the baby!
I threw the mittens straight in the garbage after one time! The foldover mittens are my favorite for sure. There’s no risk of them coming off and there’s less to wash that way.
Sleepers with buttons
You are going to love me for telling you this.
When it’s 3am and you’re changing the 2,093 diaper of the night, you don’t want to be fiddling around with buttons!
Sleepers with zippers are the BEST. There are even some with two-way zippers! These are my favorite because I could change the diaper without ever waking the baby.
Do yourself a favor and get a lot of these. You might find that your baby lives in them day to day. They’re easy to clean, change diapers in, wash, and they’re adorable.
Swaddle blankets
Along with not wanting to button things during the night, you aren’t going to want to swaddle your newborn.
Seriously, why are they so wiggly?! And when you have to turn the light on to find the proper corners to fold around them, everyone’s a little more awake and alert.
Velcro swaddles are amazing! They grow with your baby, too, so they can wear them a lot longer than they can be swaddled up in those tiny little blankets.
When my kids were too old for their arms to be swaddled, I would just wrap the velcro around their torso to keep them warm and secure.
It’s also a great way to break your infant of being swaddled – you can leave one arm out at a time to get them used to having free arms!
Ergobaby makes a great swaddle sack, and when you bundle them (pick two) you get 20% off! The patterns are adorable, and they are a high quality product without being super expensive.
They also have sleep sacks if that’s more your style!
You may also like:
How to Get Your Baby to Sleep Through the Night
Personalized Baby Outfits You’ll Go Crazy For
How to Make Pregnancy More Comfortable
Velcro bibs
When your baby is teeny tiny, velcro bibs are super convenient. But once the baby is coordinated enough to grab the bib, they will pull it straight off their neck! Then they’re better used as a potholder, because they’re totally useless.
I would recommend getting a few velcro ones, and then getting a substantial amount of ones that tie or button.
The Bumkin long sleeve ones are my absolute favorite. They’re great for crafts as well, and they do a great job of preserving the entire outfit.
They also make some that aren’t long sleeve. I love those, too!
I’ve gotten so many compliments on them, and several of my friends and family members bought them after seeing my kids wearing them!
The Bumkin Bibs can go directly into the washer after wearing, making cleanup a breeze.
They’re lightweight enough to wear outside in the summer, too.
Note: I’ve tried some of the cheaper off-brand and they are not the same. They are harder to clean and fall apart sooner. Go with the Bumkin!
Purse-style diaper bag
Now, a purse-style diaper bag is totally fine with one child. In fact, I loved mine when I just had one kid!
But as soon as the second one was born, it was a no-go.
My kids are only 17 months apart. Trying to carry my 17 month old, a car seat, and a purse through a parking lot is something out of a comedy show.
I purchased this one from Amazon, and it gets the job done. It has a TON of pockets, which I love, but it does get really messy quickly. It’s fairly lightweight, and I do love that it’s a pretty small size.
Cons? It’s not the cutest one I’ve ever seen.
If I had a little more money to fork over at the time, I probably would have gotten a pretty one like this! It’s highly rated and is actually cute. On PishPosh Baby, it retails for less than $100 (if you’ve never checked this site out, it has GREAT baby deals!)
I’d recommend getting a backpack one right away. The purse diaper bag will become one of those useless baby products that gets thrown into a dark closet pretty quickly
Rocking chairs or gliders
Shocking, I know!
Instead, get one that RECLINES! This was the BIGGEST mistake I made by far.
I’ve reached out to many friends and family members to tell them NOT to get a plain glider and to get a recliner. If we have a third child, I will definitely be replacing my glider with a recliner.
We spent over $250 on a cheap glider from Target. Sure, it rocks OK. Meh.
But it absolutely SUCKS when:
- You have a sore hoo-ha after delivery, and you don’t want to sit directly down on something
- When you’re breastfeeding and are stuck in one position
- When you are rocking a fussy baby, and you just want to lay back a little
- If you have more than one child and they all want to sit on your lap to read a story
Don’t make the same mistake as me! Go for a recliner that rocks, too! It’s totally worth the extra money.
What are some other baby products that you’ve found to be helpful or useless? It seems like every year there are new and exciting baby items hitting the market.
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