This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more information.
These are my favs! They aren’t necessarily items I used most, though some of them are. These are simply the baby items I loved. Some I loved for a season, and some I know I’m going to love for years.
They are items that were worth having and that I would strongly recommend. I want to share my loves because maybe even just one item on this list will help you in your parenting journey.
There are so many baby lists. What to buy, what not to buy. Regrets and mistakes. It can be overwhelming.
These are solid items that serve their purpose and serve it well. I absolutely loved these items! No regrets here!
1. Bows!
This first item is geared towards the fact our first baby was a little girl; however the rest of the list is more gender-neutral.
We bought and were gifted various bows, but they never seemed to match or look appropriate with little H’s outfits. Often the bows were too fancy for her day-to-day clothing.
We found a ten-pack of very simple bows on Amazon and have used them so much. They are a medium-thick band with one simple knot.
They have been awesome and take her outfit up a notch. Add a bow and wow she looks put together.
2. Bath Kneeler
Momma was the one to insist on getting a bath kneeler. Over many years of babysitting, I quickly learned bath time can be very uncomfortable on your knees…and this was while I was in my teens. In my upper twenties to thirties, I’d really be feeling it.
What’s funny is daddy is primarily on bath duty. I helped him out big time with this purchase!
This item is by no means necessary. You could total just throw a towel down or tough it out. But for the affordable price and the amount of time this product will serve you I highly recommend it!
An item that is expensive and has a short life isn’t worth it, but a cheap item that you use for a long time can be worth purchasing. Check out my article The Most Expensive Large Baby Items: Are They Worth the Investment? to learn more about this principle.
We plan to continue to bathe our child for the foreseeable future. This should get years of use.
3. Moby Wrap
The Moby Wrap was my carrier of choice for about the first three to four months.
What’s great about it is after learning the simple process of putting it on, you or anyone of any size can customize it to their body. Baby feels snug and safe if you do it securely.
There are tutorials on YouTube for how to wrap the wrap. Please test this out at home a few times first where you have a bed to put the baby on and a mirror to help guide you as well. Target parking lot is not the place to figure this out! Practice first!
Pro-Tip: If you know your baby is going in the wrap immediately when you arrive at your destination go ahead and put the wrap on at home. This way you don’t have to worry about the fabric touching a filthy parking lot. Once you are to your destination you can easily take them out of the car seat and put them snuggly in the wrap.
This wrap was also a lifesaver for when we were on the go and little H needed a nap. I put her in all snug and lulled her to sleep by just walking around.
Newborns sleep all the time. If you always expect them to nap in a bed you will never leave the house. This was my nap on the go solution.
Another great thing about a wrap carrier is how easily you can fold and roll them up to fit in the diaper bag!
Purchase a gender-neutral style that won’t clash with your outfits and it can last through all your babies. I went with a charcoal gray and loved it.
4. Structured Carrier
Unless you are a professional baby-wrap-carrier-parent you will want to upgrade from the wrap to a structured carrier, or as I call them a buckle carrier. As your baby gets bigger you will start to feel like maybe your baby isn’t as secure as they once were in the wrap.
Follow the instructions that come with all carriers and respect the size and weight limits. Safety is a priority.
Once I started to have doubts about my ability to wrap my baby safely as she gained weight I made the switch. At this point, we moved on, here you can find a similar carrier.
Once again, I did use this to put H to sleep if we were on the go or just flat out struggling at home.
I loved using this at the grocery store when H was too young to sit in the cart. I didn’t want her taking up all the space by placing her car seat inside the big basket.
And yes I have heard about the shopping car hammock…but that has one purpose. The carrier can be used in so many different situations. Having items that serve one specific function equals you owning a lot of items! Not trying to hate on the hammock…I mean at least it’s small to store. It just has a limited life and serves one purpose.
5. Rompers
We loved putting little H in rompers! They were so cute!
In case you are unaware there are also rompers for boys. IDK if people call them rompers…or one-piece outfits…but they exist.
Rompers are great because you don’t have to match two pieces together!!! Less thinking is awesome when you are sleep deprived. Rompers are also great backup outfits for the diaper bag because again it’s only one piece of clothing.
They are included in my list of A New Parent’s Guide to Packing the Perfect Diaper Bag: Tips and Tricks.
6. Haakaa
I could go on all day about my love for the Haakaa. In a nutshell, it has multiple uses, it is cost effective, and it is easy to use. This is the number one item I recommend to my mommy friends that plan on breastfeeding. Click if you want to ready my full article on The Haakaa: a Simple, Affordable, and Effective tool for Breastfeeding Moms
The Haakaa also made my list of The Top 16 Baby Products Every New Parent Needs: A Handpicked Selection.
7. VAVA Baby Monitor
This item is both a favorite and we frequently used it. We have enjoyed our Vava baby monitor very much.
Like many monitors, it has features such as zoom, night vision, talk button, temperature gauge and so much more. We decided we did not want a monitor that went through our Wi-Fi. That and the fact this monitor could move up and down and side to side were the main factors in our decision.
At this point, we have used it for twelve months and it is still going strong. (Update: 24 months and still kicking!)
8. Bear Suit
This is not an item for all climates or necessary for all people. It doesn’t have the longest life because like all baby clothing they outgrow them. I, however, loved it!
This is my favorite firstly because your little munchkin looks adorable in it! Almost like a little Ewok. Secondly, it is so extremely warm. When you do have an outdoor event in cold weather it is great to have.
Little H had a bear suit gifted to us when she was a newborn and then we purchased one for ourselves again for the fall when she was nine months. We loved it that much!
She wasn’t walking at either stage so the suits we owned had the footies attached. What’s great about the full-body suit is you know their little feet are warm. Pretty quickly you learn socks on infants are a losing battle.
This was without a doubt one of my favorite products.
9. Diaper Caddy
We keep a twin bed in H’s room. This will become her toddler bed once she is out of the crib, but for now, it is her changing station. I love that we have tons of space for diaper and outfit changes.
We keep our pretty large diaper caddy here on a small blanket that we use as a changing pad. I love my organizational items! Here we keep diapers, wipes, butt pastes, lotions, and any other small accessories.
Because we live in a small one-story house this is where all changing takes place and the diaper caddy keeps the area organized.
10. Winter Car Seat Cover
This one is obviously climate-based and seasonal, but it was one of my favorite items. H was born in January so any time we went out while she was little we had this car seat cover on to keep her warm. The newborn phase is the easiest time to take them out to restaurants and such because they don’t do much and often sleep through the meal.
The thing is during the winter that quick walk from the car to indoors can be cold and windy. Blankets are difficult to manage, especially if you are alone and juggling the diaper bag, car seat, your keys, and wallet…and then trying to open a door to get in wherever you are going.
I strongly recommend this cover because then you know your baby is toasty warm on your way inside. With this product please please please follow all manufacturers’ instructions for safe use. My system was while walking in the cold I shut the flap. Immediately once in the car or inside our destination the flap was opened.
Don’t just keep your baby warm, but keep them safe. For a winter baby, this was a great choice for our family and our climate.
11. Huggies (Snug and Dry)
I don’t necessarily want to go into the great diaper debate of what works and what doesn’t. Each baby is unique and after time you figure out what works for you. We came across Huggies Snug and Dry diapers and have loved them!
Our system with disposable diapers is to use Luvs during the day and these Huggies Snug and Dry at night. On occasion we dabble in cloth diapers, but that’s another story for another time.
The reason we love Huggies Snug and Dry for overnight is they have an elastic type feature on the back of the diaper right above your baby’s rump. Basically, it prevents up the back blowouts.
We also find that these diapers can hold quite a load for when you stop doing night time diaper changes. Watch that you get the right type though (Snug and Dry)! I can’t speak for the other Huggies diapers.
Conclusion
Whelp that’s all folks!
I love these items.
I would buy them all again and intend to use them for our next child.
I hope this provided you with some guidance on what items to consider purchasing.
What baby items are your favorites?
Check Out My Articles
The Ultimate Guide to Baby Care: 8 Essential Tips for New Parents
13 Baby Items You Can Absolutely Leave Off Your Registry
The Haakaa: a Simple, Affordable, and Effective tool for Breastfeeding Moms
The Most Expensive Large Baby Items: Are They Worth the Investment?
