10 Baby Products I Wish I had with My First (or Second!) Baby

It seems like there are so many baby products out there, it's kind of crazy actually. When you think about it 100 years ago and for thousands of years before that, babies mostly just needed their moms and not much more than that.

 

Onesie is handmade by Tiny Baby Times

Fast forward to today and you can find stores full of things for baby. While I know none of these things are really important or necessary I have personally found they have made things just a bit easier, because hey, motherhood is hard enough as it is!

These are some of my favorite items I have found and come to love with baby boy #3 that I wish I would either invested in or known about with my first. Better late than never I suppose. A lot seem a bit on the spendier side but I was gifted a number of items and also didn't have to buy many of the 'essentials' (clothing, bouncer, crib, stroller...) because my guy has two older brothers. Hello hand me downs! Also these are definitely the items I plan on keeping so I can either use again if we have #4 or that I can pass on to my sister whenever she starts having kids. 

Woombie Air – My first two boys love to be swaddled, no doubt. But there came a time when those little hands began to pop out and more and more they began to wake themselves up. Now with this hefty 10 pounder it came much earlier, like at a few weeks instead of months. So I found this and LOVED it. The fabric is really soft and very stretchy. I also liked that there was the mesh in the front so he wouldn't get too hot. The first night he used it he went from 3 hours to 7 in a row. My mom thought I was crazy because it does look like a baby straight jacket but once in it he loved it and slept so much better.

 

Woombie Air

White Noise Machine – Oh how I wish I had this with my first. He was a hard one, not just because he was my first but because he refused a pacifier and just plain struggled getting and staying asleep. There were lots of tears coming from all in the house. For baby #2 I had a cd of a washing machine which I felt helped him sleep so much better but it  eventually scratched, skipped or the cd would end which of course woke him up. So I decided to go all out and get this white noise machine, the Dohm Sound Machine which I found to be rated as one of the best and I absolutely love, love, love it. It drowns out his two loud older brothers and calms him down right away.

 

Dohm Sound Machine

 

Ergo baby Carrier – Oh why did I wait until baby #3 to get a baby carrier?!?! I did some research and tried a few out but found this to be one of the most recommended by friends. Also I hit the jackpot when a friend told me she saw a new in box one at Goodwill for only $40 and then I had a $10 credit so it only cost me $30. I use it almost daily and makes life so much easier. I barely even use a stroller with it. I’m sure there are other great carriers out there but I am in love with this one.

 

Ergo Baby

Adin and Anis Swaddle Blankets – I love these and to me they are the best baby blankets, hands down. They have a much steeper price tag but they are definitely worth it because you can use it for so much. For burp cloths, a nursing cover and of course to swaddle. One of the reasons I like them so much is because they are bigger than your traditional baby blanket making sure baby is swaddled securely. It is a very lightweight and breathable fabric so you don’t have to worry about baby overheating.  They are also pretty cute.

Also as he has gotten older he now has 4 blankies he loves to sleep with instead of one so if we were to lose one of his lovies (which he can now not sleep without) we won't be freaking out trying to find it.

 

Adin and Anis Blankets

Nosefrida Nasal Aspiratior – My little man got sick the second week of being home. Then again the sixth week because it was cold season and his big brothers brought home plenty of germs and couldn't help but snuggle (and infect) their little bro. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? Again this is one of those products that my mom and husband looked at me like I’m was a loon because you literally suck the snot out of baby’s nose through a tube (with a filter of course) but while it was weird at first I was able to get his nose cleared out faster and without as many tears. Also I liked that I could take it apart, see everything and clean it unlike some of those other ‘nose suckers’ that you have no idea what’s in there. Ewwww.

 Nosefrida Aspirator

Columbia Diaper Backpack - I bought a older version which was all black. I had other diaper bags with my other guys but they were all over the shoulder and let me tell you, a backpack version is so handy. You just sling it over and you're hands free. Whatever the diaper bag I would definitely recommend a backpack of any kind. I almost went with a Petunia Picklebottom but they are much bigger (and spendier!) and I found I really liked this particular bag because it is slimmer. Being on baby #3 I've come to realize I didn't really need to take quite as many things around with me as I usually did. My diaper bag has 4-5 diapers, wipes, some toys, a spare set of cloths, my nursing cover and has lots of room to spare.

Columbia Diaper Backpack

A Good Nursing Bra - What a difference a good bra makes. With my first I wore a cheap wireless bra then with #2 a friend who was my size loaned me her top of the line ones. They made me instantly feel so much better about myself, feeling 'contained' and put together. So for this time around I went to Nordstroms where she got them, where I NEVER shop at because I'm a cheap-o but knew it would make a huge difference in how I felt so was willing to pay the hefty price tag.

I went in on a Saturday afternoon and they were busy but found someone to do a fitting. She said that nothing would fit me right (I'm a larger gal) and she recommended getting a bra then having them alter it to make it a nursing bra. So I did. When I went to get it I found it was TERRIBLE. I knew it wouldn't work at all so I went back. This time I went in the middle of a slow time and got the most amazing sales lady who, despite the fact that she had a models body, was the mother of 7 and this lady knew her nursing bras. She said she did not know what the other gal was thinking. She was a teenage looking girl who, thinking back, was not the best person to have fit me considering she probably didn't have children or understood what it was really like to nurse. This super mom of 7 found me this bra in my size. It is amazing and I love it.

 Anita Nursing Bra

Milkies Milksavers – Another new one for me that I thought I’d try out for kicks and ended up loving. I found I leaked a lot when feeding (like when you feed on one side and the other leaks). Again, when I showed it to my husband he gave me the ‘your crazy but I still love you’ look. You know the one. I tried it and because of it I could usually get 2-3 ounces from a side each feeding instead of having it be thrown away. I then saved it for later and had milk for a bottle without pumping. Genius.

 

Milkies Milksavers

Madela Tender Care Hydro Gel Nursing Pads - Nursing is hard and very painful. I knew I wanted to do it again with #3 (I did it for 3 months with one and 8 months with my other guy) and even having nursed before it still hurt. A lot. I got lucky and when I was in the hospital a nurse gave me a pack of these and they help me get through the rough part of nursing. I would recommend them to anyone nursing. Extra tip, store them in the refrigerator, you'll thank me.

 

Madela Nursing Pads 

Barefoot Dreams Cardigan – That same lady who fitted me for a bra said she wanted to show me something that she wished she had with her little ones and had several of. I felt it and the moment I touched it I fell in love. This sweater is SO soft! Normally I wouldn’t spend so much but I was 8 ½ months pregnant, nothing fit and I wanted to treat myself to something, anything because even shoes were out because my feet were so swollen. I am so glad I did because I pretty much wore this for 3 months straight and still do often. It is made out of a super soft bamboo and is kind of stretchy (but not too much). The sides can wrap all the way around you and baby so you can snuggle close. I also used it as a nursing cover when I couldn’t grab mine, it made a great cover up when I had to run and get the door and I needed to cover up quick and my older boys also loved to get inside of it and have it wrap around all three of us. They call it my snuggle sweater and my middle son regularly sneaks off with it so he can sleep with it at night.

Tip: My friend who also loves these sweaters says they go on sale after spring so keep an eye out. I'm actually looking at getting another one in a different color just for me! 

 Barefoot Dreams Cardigan

I am so thankful to live in such a great day and age where we have these luxuries because, for me, with my kiddos, they made this mamas life just a little bit easier.


Disclaimer: I did not receive free product or compensation for any of the items on this list. I just loved them and wanted to share! These are the things I would recommend to my sister or close girlfriends if they were expecting their first, or any baby for that matter!