Our Top 10 Favorite Baby Products

Before I became a mother, I had no idea what a baby all needed nor the best baby products. I wish I knew then what I know now…Babies don’t necessarily have to be expensive. Most of us are blessed with many family and friends who assist in gathering and giving baby products galore, especially if it’s your first. So, I wanted to do a roundup of my top 10 favorite baby products!

At my baby shower I received mountains of gifts, and though I loved all that I was given, it would have been better to know the ACTUAL necessities I needed beforehand to register for. A baby uses the bare minimum for the first few months anyways. So, now that I’m about to have my second child I wanted to share some of the products that I’ve found most useful and some I didn’t know I needed until my daughter arrived.

1. Baby Carrier

When I first had my baby I didn’t even have a carrier, nor did I even think I needed one. This is one investment I’m so glad I invested in. Though this won’t apply to all babies, mine was so fussy. One of the only things that would calm her down is to be in a carrier next to me or my husband. Sometimes in the middle of the night we would strap it on, put the baby in it, and walk around our apartment until she went to sleep. It was often the only thing that would work.

I searched long and hard for a carrier that would work for us as there are soooo many to choose from. It was a long debate for me against the Ergo and Baby Bjorn carriers, but ultimately I gravitated towards the Baby Bjorn Carrier One for the design and features. It has four available positions, and we love being able to wear her on our backs now that she’s older. First, my husband wasn’t too keen on wearing the Ergo for the colors I wanted. Secondly, this carrier didn’t have to have the extra newborn infant insert. So, we cashed in our Babies R Us gift cards and brought home this one, and she has LOVED IT since day one. Definitely worth the purchase. (I do also recommend baby slings or wraps as well, some of my favorites are the WILDBIRD collection and Solly Baby Wraps).

2. Kiinde Breastmilk SetI randomly put this on my Amazon baby registry after watching a commercial on this set, and I am SO glad I did! I received it as a baby shower gift and have praised about it to all my friends and family who choose to breastfeed. I will admit, the pooches are expensive compared to other Breastmilk storage options but, the ease of use and convenience of the pouches had me reordering them the entire nine months I was able to breastfeed! I absolutely love this system especially since I had to pump at work, and so I will certainly be using it again for my next baby. The only con that I noticed of the system was that the included Active Latch Nipple posed a challenge for my baby to accept but they do provide attachment pieces for alternative nipples to be used.

3. Baby’s Only Organic Formula
Being able to breastfeed my baby was truly important to me. It was a struggle from the beginning, and there were times I wanted to give up altogether, but it is such a rewarding experience. Babies can get the most valuable nutrition catered to their individual needs. However, one downfall for me was that I couldn’t seem to get enough calories during the day to maintain my weight. I went from 125 lbs at 38 weeks down to 100 lbs by two months postpartum. (I’ll share my story with that in another post).

After about eight months of breastfeeding, I wasn’t making enough supply to feed my baby throughout the day. If I couldn’t give my baby breastmilk, I didn’t want to give her just any store bought formula. Soooo, I researched on what would be the healthiest option for her. I came across a few bloggers who broke down the ingredients of what is in our baby formula’s, and I was genuinely shocked. I found that Baby’s Only Organic was the best option available here in the states and began ordering it in bulk from Amazon as it was difficult to find at local stores.

They have different types available, but we opted for the Lacto-Relief as our daughter has always had issues with dairy since birth. It does say it’s an “infant formula” however, this is because the company is geared towards providing breastmilk for babies first year of life but we successfully used it since she was nine months old till she turned one.

Check out these links here to read more on what’s in your baby formula:

http://foodbabe.com/2013/05/28/how-to-find-the-safest-organic-infant-formula/

https://gimmethegoodstuff.org/safe-product-guides/safe-infant-formula-guide/

4. Swing

There are SO many baby swings out there that purchasing one is really based on your own preferences and how much you want to spend. We have an awesome second hand baby store near our house and we found one we really liked there and brought it home, (similar to the one shown above). It’s nothing fancy, but buying all new things for a baby that they can only use for a couple of months is what makes it so expensive for us moms.

I was dead set on getting the Mamaroo from 4Moms and coughed up over $300 bucks for it right after my baby was born. Sadly, right away I noticed she didn’t care for it one way or the other, despite my love for it. So, we returned it to the store and bought our secondhand swing for less than half the price and it would put her right to sleep! Having something to at least put the baby in to get some stuff done around the house is beyond helpful. It’s all about finding what works best for you and your little one.

*UPDATE 1/19/19 – It seems they no longer sell this particular swing as I’ve looked everywhere online but check your local second hand store, Once Upon a Childhood, or Facebook Marketplace for something similar if interested.

5. Mini Crib

My dream crib was the Stokke baby crib. So many beautiful Pinterest pictures had me swooning over a beautiful little nursery with such a unique crib. But…my bank account didn’t like the price (I searched for used, still spendy) and sadly we were living in a tiny one bedroom apartment at the time baby was born, so room was ultra tight. Our baby slept in her pack and play for a lonnnng time. Roaming through a baby store in San Diego one weekend I saw a “mini crib” and immediately had my heart set on getting one for the baby. Call me naive, but I had no idea they even made such a thing! It was much more reasonable in price and perfect for our tiny apartment. I found one used for $60, nearly brand new, and we ordered a new mattress for it (they are hard to find in store, Amazon is your best option) along with the sheets and crib bumper! It’s also convertible to a toddler bed so I am more than pleased with it and baby loved it. One thing to note on mattresses is that they have the 5″ and 3″ option for thickness. We purchased the 3″ and found it worked just fine, I believe the 5″ just offers more padding to ones liking.

6. Snuza Hero Baby Monitor

This little gadget I came across brand new and in the box at my favorite second-hand baby store for $50.00. Retail is about $120.00. I was so excited when I saw it there and that it was BRAND NEW! I had been searching for a product I could purchase for my little one as she would not sleep on her back from the time we brought her home for longer than an hour. It was so exhausting until I figured out all the girl wanted to do was sleep on her tummy. Well, we all know as new mothers that we shouldn’t put our infants on their stomachs as it may increase the risk of SIDS. I could hardly sleep at night, even though she was sleeping soundly next to me, knowing that she was on her tummy.

After I had purchased this product, all I did was make sure I had pants on her at night that I could clip the Snuza onto in the middle of her back. The Snuza works by monitoring the baby’s movements (or breathing) and alerts you if the baby fails to move or movements are weak and less than eight times per minute. If no movement is detected after 15 seconds, the Snuza vibrates to rouse the baby. If the baby fails to move after three vibrations, the Snuza sounds off an alarm to wake you. I used this for nearly four months straight every single night and never had to change the battery even though I had ordered some off Amazon in case I ever did. Only once did it ever go off in the middle of the night and my husband and I both jumped out of bed immediately only to find it wasn’t clipped on secure enough thus setting off the alarm. I was in love with it ever sense and have PRAISED about my piece of mind from it to all my mama friends and family. There are so many similar products available out there that have the same concept with different price ranges and options that I have never tried, but like I said I LOVE this little gadget and with baby number 2 this little monitor will be on her every night.

7. Car Seats

They say most babies love car rides and are soothed to sleep by them, but Shae absolutely hated it from day one! In order to get anywhere by ourselves sometimes we would just have to let her cry it out. When she was first born we had the Urbini Avi Jogger Travel System (which I learned you get what you pay for sometimes) and it did not seem to suit her at all, plus it doesn’t assist with much padding. At only three months old we bought her the Chicco NextFit Convertible car seat and that seemed to help a little bit. I love that it has various reclining positions and seems ultra comfortable plus has some of the best safety ratings so it’s definitely one I recommend. For our other car, my family got us the Safety 1st Grow and Go 3-in-1 Car Seat and I have to say even though it’s cheaper in price I’m more partial to it than the Chicco. It has the two side cup holders as well as seat belt strap holders that make it extra convenient to get the baby in and out quickly. Plus, it’s so comfortable for the baby as I notice she tends to fall asleep now that she is older in this one more than the other! Definitely my top pick.

8. Andy Pandy Baby Diapers

Ok, if I could go back in time to my baby shower I would have insisted we had some diaper game for those who attended, cause as you all know, it’s something we can’t obviously go without and they are soo EXPENSIVE. But, for some reason, my baby has an extra sensitive bum and those name brand store diapers always seemed to have her breaking out in a rash, so I was stuck paying even more until she got a little older and had less of an issue with them than when she was little. I would typically purchase the Bamboo Nature Diapers (which are my other favorites) and came across these Andy Pandy diapers while purchasing them on Amazon. I wanted to get on the whole cloth diaper kick but it truly just intimidated me haha. Andy Pandy diapers are disposable and made of bamboo just like the Bamboo Nature Diapers. They are also eco-friendly, biodegradable, and soft to the touch. The only reason I preferred them more is that they have a wetness indicator, but the pricing seems relatively competitive on both. Be sure to check them out if your baby is extra sensitive to diapers, you are going for a more natural approach for your precious little one or are even just curious to see the difference. I think you’ll like!

9. Boon Grass Drying Rack

This little boon grass dry rack for washing baby products was so convenient. BPA, Phthalate, and PVC free, it’s the perfect place to dry bottles and pacifiers as the water drains to the bottom of the grass yard. It’s super easy to clean, can also come in white, and helps with the overall clutter of all those baby products.

10. Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle

Aside from using the Kiinde set and active latch nipples, the Comotomo bottle was our other go-to. The bottle is soft and squeezable with silicone nipples, with claims to be ideal for babies who have trouble transitioning from nursing to bottle-feeding. The nipple also has vents designed to help reduce colic. Suggested for use beginning at 3-6 months, we started using it right at three months, and our daughter took to it with no issues. It’s also super easy to clean and just one of the coolest bottle designs.

I hope this little round up helps a few of you searching around for some baby essentials. Feel free to ask any questions!

*UPDATE 1.10.19 – We’ve joined the world of YouTube and I’ve posted a video on the:

TOP 10 BABY PRODUCTS YOU NEED TO TRY

I hope you found this list of our top 10 favorite baby products helpful, be sure to share it on Pinterest or anyone you may know to be expecting 🙂