7 Baby Items New Parents Can’t Live Without

What the heck do babies ACTUALLY need?  I swear, I have done my research both before and after having Cali and I still made so many mistakes or bought way more junk than we’ll ever need. Nothing’s worse than spending money on a product you think your new baby MUST have, only to find out you just threw money out the window.

Now, when it comes to spending money – I’m a pro. Especially online. Online shopping is one of my favourite pastimes. So to say that I enjoyed shopping for my baby’s arrival would be an understatement, but I still wasn’t sure exactly what she would need. What did I need to have on-hand to make everything a little easier for us, as first-time parents? I felt like the list was endless and the prospect was just so daunting. So, naturally, I procrastinated. For as long as I could. I had nine months to figure this stuff out, right?

With my due date around the corner, I know I at least needed to plan out everything I would need to leave the hospital, and have Cali home for the first night. Everything else I could figure out on the fly. This gave me somewhere to start.

Here is a list of the things I absolutely needed to have right away, and everything else I found throughout the past six months that have helped us tremendously, and I feel I get the most use out of.

The products listed aren’t sponsorship or endorsement deals – they’re things that we have, we use regularly, and we love.

7) A Safe Car Seat

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One of the MOST important things you have to have for your baby. Want to take him/her home? You need a car seat. Want to ever drive a car, or bring your baby into a moving vehicle? You need a car seat. If you want to keep your baby as safe as they could possibly ever be should a car accident ever happen with your child in the car (and I hope it never happens), you need an amazing car seat.

Nuna Pipa

Something important for me was ease of installation. I can transfer the base to any other vehicle and have her connected in two minutes. It’s fast and easy. I can even use this car seat in taxis and in any travel conditions because it can strap in with just a seatbelt.

– Side impact protection.
– Full retractable UV canopy (to keep baby’s skin safe).
– Airplane certified. (I travel a lot for both work and my personal life).
– Lightweight! Something I find a lot of first-time parents don’t always consider. This seat is only 7.9lbs. Kids continue to grow and just get heavier, so why in the world would I want a car seat I can hardly pickup?

 

6) A Good Stroller 

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Another necessary item. I needed a stroller that was lightweight and compact enough when folded, it would store easily in my trunk alongside my tools. I use our stroller every day. I needed something that I could push around with ease on anything from a sidewalk, to dirt outside of a job site.

Bugaboo Fox

I got to completely customize this stroller to look how I wanted it to – which I loved! Even the rims on the tires. Super cool. Bugaboo has so many accessories and attachments; it works PERFECTLY for my family. Between a wool seat cover to keep baby nice and cozy, and UV parasol to keep her out of the sun; there isn’t anything Bugaboo hasn’t thought of.

– Comes with both a pram and a fabric seat once baby gets a little bit older.
– Easy to take in and out of the car, and unfold.
– Comfortable stroll.
– Front-wheel suspension.
– Work with different car seats.
– Light and easy to carry!

5) Breast Pump

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Okay, I didn’t want to have to spend the money on a huge and loud pump. Something small and discrete was ideal, but it still needed to do the job, and be easy for me to carry around.

Haakaa Silicone Breast pump

This is not your typical breast pump. It attaches via suction and is handheld. It collects the letdown milk from your opposite breast while feeding. I have NEVER purchased any other product, and I still have a freezer full of milk.

– 100% FDA approved food-grade silicone.
– Super light and small.
– Very affordable (less than $30 CAD on Amazon)
– Easy to use. It does the same j-b as a pump I would have spent hundreds of dollars on. I can use this pump anywhere and have recommended it to every pregnant woman I meet.

4) Effective Diaper Rash Cream

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This is another very affordable product and a lifesaver! I bought this cream for under $10 CAD, and use it all the time.

When I first brought Cali home, I tried to make sure to use rash ointment all the time. I thought anything could work to try to avoid her having a painful rash. Unfortunately, she ended up getting one, despite everything I tried. I used all kinds of different creams, and her rash only got worse. I felt like I was being a terrible Mom.

Zincofax

This stuff started working from the first use. It’s easy to find, easy to use, and the only thing that worked for us! I bring this stuff everywhere I go.

 

3) A Comfortable Bassinet 

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Cali sleeps in a bassinet beside our bed. I wanted her close so I could hear EVERY noise she made, but also in her own space.

Halo Bassinest

We bought the Halo. All of the sides are mesh, should she roll onto her side and put her face against it, her airways won’t be restricted.

The front wall is collapsible, so I can reach in and pick her up easily at night when she’s hungry or fussing. It also rotates 360 degrees, and I can pull over the mattress to bring her closer to me.

It plays lullabies, has a night-light, and vibrates to help soothe baby to sleep.

 

2) A Portable Lounger

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I wanted to have a portable lounger so she had something comfortable for her to lie in, regardless of where she was.

Snuggle Me Organic

I used this lounger SO much. Now that she’s grown a bit, I need to order a bigger size. This lounger is designed to “hug” your baby, to help recreate the feeling of the womb.

100% organic cotton, and has multiple colour covers, that are machine washable.

 

1) A Thermostat for the Nursery   

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How are you supposed to know if a room is too hot or too cold for your baby? For me, this was a surprising source of stress. I needed something that could tell me what I didn’t know.

Serenity Star

This cute little star tells me the temperature in the room and takes out all of the guesswork for me. If it’s too hot for Baby, it turns red, too cold, it turns blue. If it stays white, the room is just right.

It also has a time display and acts like a night-light.  It can be used to store information for your feedings, and is even a sound machine!

I feel like I have so many things I could add to this list, but these are some of the things that gave me the most peace-of-mind.  Share this list with any parents-to-be, because I honestly think they made my life so much easier.

 

 

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