Must-Haves for New Parents

When I first found out I was pregnant, it was around the same time several of my friends and family announced that they were also. It was nice to be able to bounce ideas of each other, get advice from the moms that were having their second or third babies and learn from other’s mistakes and know what are the must-haves among baby products. After consulting my mom friends, the mamas in my online community, and scrolling through endless product reviews, I’ve come up with a short list of things that have helped us and hope you find success with them too!

Doc-a-Tot: I missed the boat on this one, and I wish that I hadn’t as more moms than I can count have sworn by the magic that is the Doc-a-Tot in helping their babies get more sleep. It provides baby with the secure, snug comfort that they need so early on. It’s made of breathable, hypo-allergenic material that prevents your little one from getting too hot. Moms have said it’s worth every penny and is a good solution for safer co-sleeping.

White Noise Machine: There are lots out there, but the Pictek white noise machine is the one that I have had a lot of success with. Rather than create a synthetic sound, it actually has rushing air that comes out of it and you can adjust how fast or slow the air moves to customize the level of noise.

Fisher Price Rock-n-Play: From personal use and from the praise of literally every mom I have talked to who owns one, this thing is amazing and helps babies sleep like a rock. There are two versions; a manual and an auto rocker…invest in the automatic one, trust me. It also has a slight recline which is really helpful for babies experiencing reflux.

Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddles: These swaddles are very high quality and also beautiful! They are large enough that it makes it easy for novice swaddlers to be able to get it securely and safely around baby. There are a lot of swaddles out there that are “pre swaddled” for you and close with velcro, but let me tell you that when it is 3 am and you want to change a diaper as quickly and quietly as possible, that ain’t happening once you rip open velcro!

NoseFrida the Snotsucker– I was hesitant to buy this at first, but upon recommendation from more than a few moms I went for it when my 3 week old was super congested. It sounds strange, but I promise it works and it isn’t at all as gross as it sounds.

Baby Ktan – I tried a few different wraps before my sister-in-law told me about this one. With others, I felt that I had to be a magician to figure out how they go on, but this one is so easy to use (seriously). It requires no clipping, no velcro, and no clasps.Lisa is a baby-wearing, breastfeeding, cloth diapering new mama. She loves running, yoga, video games and exploring all things about natural parenting.