Top 10 Baby Essentials

In my opinion of course..


These are outside the "normal" baby stuff like a Pack 'N Play, stroller, high chair, etc. There are so many things out there it can be so overwhelming. In the end, to be honest, you just make do with what you have. Sure there could be things that could have helped keep your baby from crying or given you more comfort but I kept telling myself that my mom didn't have any of these things and we all turned out fine! I would take a friend (who is a mom) to help you register - I had absolutely no idea what I needed or even wanted. Mom's are the best ones to ask but keep in mind that we all have different opinions too!

These aren't really in any particular order..just as they come to mind..

10. Rock 'N Play
So this seems really basic and sort-of weird at first but it was amazing. Shout out to my co-worker Jessica who told me about this gem. Bryce lived in this thing for the first 2 months of his life. Seriously. I never put him in a bassinet - I just put him in this and moved the monitor so I could still see him. I think it made him feel very secure and he also liked to be elevated a little bit. He later developed acid reflux so this helped tremendously. It's so easy to transport - much easier than a pack 'n play - so we took this to my parents house, when we traveled, or just upstairs/downstairs. It was awesome. We didn't use it much past 3 months but it was a life saver nonetheless.

9. SwaddleMe
We tried swaddling with a blanket in the beginning but Bryce first of all didn't like it at all and second, it would unravel and we'd have to keep re-doing it. We stopped swaddling after the first week because he would fight it and it just didn't seem to work. But I kept reading in these blogs that swaddling really helped babies sleep longer at night so I figured I'd try it again. I found this fleece swaddle blanket that made such a big difference in Bryce's sleeping. It has velcrow so it was nearly impossible for him to get out of. We tried swaddling again around 2 months and he started consistently sleeping through the night. I know that it could be a coincidence but I do think it helped him settle down and stay sleeping longer. Also, now that he's not swaddled anymore we just wrap it around his stomach and legs so it acts as a sleep sack. We use sleep sacks too but this is another option.

8. Swing
There are lots of swings out there, I don't know the difference in a lot of them but I know that this one was a.m.a.z.i.n.g. It's a lot bigger than most swings and definitely not portable but it had a lot more movement than the others and Bryce napped in that thing like a champ. He also liked to be in it awake and could look around while I got things done. My mother in law gave this to us and I'm so glad she did!! We used it until Bryce was about 6 months.

7. Video Monitor
This was one of the cheaper monitors (money wise I mean) but it has worked great. We haven't had any problems with it and you can add cameras later for more kids. It's a must-have in my opinion. I just felt so much better having him in his own room knowing that I could see him.

6. Zip-up sleepers
Not to be confused with button-up sleepers. I felt like these were a million times easier. I can't tell you how many times I matched up the buttons wrong and had to start all over or he was wiggling around and couldn't get the dang thing on!! The zip-up sleepers were a must-have for us.

5. Exersaucer
Bryce has had this obsession with jumping since he was literally 3 months old. (Where do you think he gets all of that energy from?!? ;) He loves to jump. This thing we got at a kids consignment shop for about $40 and it was worth every penny. Granted he couldn't stay in it for a long period of time when he was younger because he didn't have the back support but now he still loves to get in it every day and it's great because I can cook dinner while he's playing and I don't worry about what he's getting in to.

4. Butt paste
My sister-in-law told me about this one and the name really threw me off, not to mention the really old school cartoon on the front. However, this stuff is like magic. It wipes out diaper rash literally over night. To me, it works so much better than any of the other ointments (Desitin, Balmex, etc.). It is more expensive but we have had one small tube of it since Bryce was born and I haven't used it all yet (he's 8 months).

3.  Breast pump
This is, of course, if you decide to breast feed. This seems obvious but you have to get a good one. They are expensive. Thankfully my other sister-in-law let me borrow hers which saved us a ton of money. I have heard, though, that insurances are now covering breast pumps? Something to look into. When I went back to work part-time I was so anxious about having to pump during the day and I was afraid I was going to lose my milk supply. Thankfully my employer was great about it and my co-workers have been so helpful to make sure I get even just 10 minutes to pump. Don't worry, it's still awkward - just ask my boss. I will spare you the details.

2. Activity gym
This is the exact activity gym we have. I know what you're thinking because I thought the same thing. I'm paying $75 for a little mat with some animals hanging overhead? I'm sorry, what? Yes, I know. It's ridiculous. However, this one is not only absolutely adorable, but he has played on this since he was born and he continues to. Not many toys will last for that long. It was great when he was 2-3 months old and he was starting to focus on things and could bat at the toys. Now he more so tries to pull the animals off but hey, it works. It's really easy to fold up and take with you, too.

1. Sheet saver
A couple of people told me about these and the word "saver" is justified. When you have a diaper explosion in the middle of the night the last thing you want to do is change all of the sheets. Put this bad boy down underneath them and it will make those zombie diaper changes a little bit better. We had 2 or 3 and that was plenty. You can put this in the bassinet or wherever they are sleeping.

It still blows my mind how much stuff you "have to have" to keep this tiny little human being happy. Again, you don't HAVE to have really much of anything but these things can make your life easier. I had no clue what I needed or didn't need and I loved looking at other people's lists so I hope this helps someone! By the way, those sweet tiny human beings are totally worth it and for those new moms it really does get better, I promise!