When it came to having a baby, I had three main fears. Pregnancy. Labor/Delivery. Newborn phase. All you ever hear about is how hard having a newborn is. How exhausted you’re going to be. How you aren’t going to get ANY sleep. Admittedly I doubted myself. I wasn’t sure how I’d manage a newborn, or even if I’d be able to.
Spoiler Alert…I did it. And you know what? It wasn’t nearly as hard or scary as I was building it up to be in my head! Was it hard? Sure. Was I up throughout the night? You bet. But it was also SO fun. I genuinely miss the newborn stage.
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While I would love to say I enjoyed the newborn phase with minimal stress because I am just a bada$$ mom and everything came natural to me…that’s not the case! These 10 baby products were seriously LIFE SAVERS for me, and I highly recommend them to any moms (or dads) out there.
So check out the list of must have baby products below and make sure you’re set up for success with your new little bundle of joy!
I have to list this one first. This was a game changer for us. You’re going to get so many swaddle blankets at your shower because everyone knows newborns love to be swaddled. But I am here to tell you, not all swaddles are created equally!
Trust me on this, and thank me later. You absolutely need THIS Halo Sleep Sack Swaddle.
With a regular swaddle blanket you have to lay out the blanket, put the screaming baby down on the blanket, wrap one corner of the blanket around the baby and tuck it under, then the bottom, then the other side. Then the baby just breaks free of the swaddle and you have to start all over again.
With this Halo Sleep Sack, you just zip it up and velcro the flaps as snug as you want so you can quickly and easily get your baby swaddled just how they like!
I still remember the first time we realized the power of this swaddle. Our daughter was screaming and crying for probably 45 minutes or more…we were trying EVERYTHING and nothing was working.
I remembered I had recently bought this Halo Sleep Sack on Amazon, so I went and grabbed it from the dryer and we swaddled her in it. And I kid you not…she instantly stopped crying as soon as she was wrapped up in that.
I’ve been screaming this product from the rooftop ever since.
Swing/Rockers are also must haves. As much as we love holding and snuggling our newborns, sometimes we need a break, or we need to be able to put them down so we can get something else done around the house.
It almost acts as a second pair of arms that can hold and rock your baby for you when you’re busy. I think all moms can relate to needing another pair of arms!
I REALLY wanted the 4moms mamaRoo 4 Baby Swing. There was one in our NICU room because a baseball team had donated them to the NICU unit. (How cool!) My daughter LOVED it and it always calmed her down quickly.
So if you have the money to spend, I would highly recommend this one. (https://amzn.to/3lYNT5G)
We were on a tighter budget, so I did a lot of research on to see which swing was best and had the better reviews.
Ultimately we landed on this Fisher-Price Sweet Snugapuppy Dreams Cradle ‘n Swing and it worked GREAT for us and saved us some coin!
So if you want a good swing, but want to go a little more affordable check out this great one from Fisher-Price.
Car seats are one of the most important first purchases to make.
It’s going to keep your baby safe in the event you’re in a car accident. In my personal opinion, this is the item that you should spend the extra money on.
Go for a cheaper crib, changing table, swing, high chair, etc. But get a GOOD car seat.
When choosing our car seat I did a TON of research.
We landed on this Chicco Bravo Travel System, and I am so glad we did.
It’s a reputable car seat brand, the installation is easier then a lot of other brands. I’ve also found that the buckles on the seat are also easier to snap off and on then other brands.
The other reason I would highly recommend this car seat is because it is 3 in 1. It’s a car seat, carrier, and stroller. The base is hooked to the seat of the car, then you can very easily pop the car seat off the base, and either carry the carrier by hand, or just pop it on the stroller!
For the first several months, you’re going to want your baby to sleep in the room with you. So you really won’t even use the crib the first few months, except maybe for daytime naps.
Not only will you likely just want your brand new baby close by at all times, but it also makes those middle of the night feedings MUCH easier.
You’ll likely be getting up every 2-3 hours to feed, so it’s much more convenient to just reach over and grab them, then having to get out of bed, and go into their room that many times throughout the night.
We went with the Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Bassinet and were really happy with it!
It has features like soothing vibration, music, and light display. Personally, I didn’t use those features very often, but they are there if it works for you baby.
The biggest reason I liked this bassinet is because it has a really smooth rocking motion. (You manually rock it)
My daughter went through a phase where she demanded to be rocked to sleep. So there would literally be times where I’d just have to lay my hand on the bassinet and basically pinch my fingers closed just the slightest bit and it would cause this soothing rocking and she’d stop crying.
There were so many nights that my daughter and I would both fall asleep in the middle of me doing that.
Check it out for yourself: https://amzn.to/3buWdFo
The Dock a Tot is recommended by a lot of people. It’s great for tummy time, co-sleeping, napping, and just safely hanging out and lounging.
Similar to the swing, it’s another place to safely put your baby down so you can rest and/or get other things done.
I would absolutely say this is a must have item!
If you’re looking for a cheaper option then I would go with this Boppy Lounger.
This would more so be specific to the lounging function. This wouldn’t be for co-sleeping, tummy time, etc.
There is a different type of Boppy for the tummy time. (also more affordable then Dock a Tot)
When I was pregnant with my daughter I almost didn’t get a Diaper Genie because I saw it on lists of things that you “don’t need”.
Luckily, my best friend who already had 2 kids of her own quickly told me that I ABSOLUTELY need a Diaper Genie, and bought me one for my shower!
Newborns go potty A LOT. You will be changing dirty stinky diapers many times a day, so you’re not going to want to be running the diaper to the outside trash each time. The Diaper Genie locks in the odor so it’s not stinking up your house!
You’ll of course need a baby monitor!
One of the most popular is the Owlet. It’s great quality and has all the bells and whistles you could want.
It goes through your phone, so you always have access, without having to carry around a bulky monitor screen that is constantly losing battery. Plus those video qualities never seem to be as good.
They even have an Owlet version that comes with a little sock the baby wears so it can monitor their oxygen and heart rate which adds a lot of comfort to a nervous new mom.
Another great option is the Lollipop Baby Monitor. It also goes through to your phone, and has good picture quality.
Both options have 2 way audio options. (Check out this full review on the Lollipop Baby Monitor)
Definitely make sure you have MULTIPLE thermometers before the baby arrives.
You’re going to have days or nights where the baby feels warm, or is seeming sick. You need to be able to check their temperature so you can monitor and determine whether or not the baby needs to see a doctor.
I have multiple thermometers, with different methods. (Armpit, Rectal, Forehead, Ear).
Some of my personal favorites are the Frida 3 in 1 True Temp Digital Thermometer, the Kinsa Smart Thermometer, the Hotodeal Non Contact Forehead Thermometer, and the Braun Digital Thermometer.
Your baby isn’t going to be able to take baths in the regular tub until they’re a bit older and can sit up well on their own.
We got this Angelcare Baby Bath Support one and really loved it. Because of the soft rubbery material it’s made of, the baby isn’t slipping and sliding all around. They just stay put. I also liked that the tub itself doesn’t fill with water, so you can keep the umbilical cord dry while giving your baby a nice sponge bath.
Lastly, you need a pack in play. This will be the baby’s bed when you’re on a vacation, it can be used as the crib/bassinet for daytime naps if you want your baby to stay in the same area as you during the day, take it outside for some outdoor time, and much more.
The great thing about this Graco Pack ‘n Play Travel Dome LX Playard is that it also comes with a bassinet and a changing table attachment. (You’ll get A LOT of use out of this. Especially in that first year.
I hope this list was helpful to you!
Check out some of my other posts below!
