This is my first real post per say and it’s all of mine and my son’s favorite day to day items we use from when he was a newborn until 3 months old. I will go back to make a list from items I loved when I was pregnant and what I had for after delivery at home to make life a little easier.
As this is my first list, I have been wanting to put this together sooner rather than later so I don’t forget to write it or forget what my favorite items are. I hope to do this through stages of my son’s life to help other moms and dads with some of the useful items out there.
Everyone always wonders what to get for moms that they will actually use or mom’s are wondering what to buy that is truly useful when that baby arrives. A lot of the items were either purchased from my mom friends for me or suggested to me by them! After all, moms do know the best items to use and what’s better than an experienced mama giving you tips on what to use or have?! (Much different from the unsolicited advice. That’s a topic for another post.)
Each item is pictured with a link to it if you click the image. Most are found on Amazon but some are Walmart or their own site. If they are on Amazon, I do have affiliate links and may earn a small commission if you purchase it. They are truly items my son and I love . There is no specific order to these but I will explain why we like them so much.
• Aden & Anais Burp Cloths
My girlfriend suggested these and bought them for me at my baby shower. They’re much bigger than your typical burp cloth and can be used as a bib as well with little buttons attached to them to clip to the baby’s neck. I have yet to use as a bib but like them mostly for their size and durability. I find myself reaching around the other burp cloths I have for these specifically and ordered more immediately after using them the first time.
• Canopy Couture Car Seat Cover
Specifically the jersey stretch kinds, they have several! The same girlfriend who got me those burp cloths bought this car seat cover for us. I have since bought a second and a few for new mama friends of mine as well! They are a really light material that stretches over any car seat carrier and they don’t take up much space in your diaper bag. I’ve used this quickly for a makeshift burp cloth or changing pad for him too. You don’t always remember the “essentials” as a new mom and have to make due with what you have! They’re nice for summer especially since they aren’t too warm for the baby but also block the sun from him.
• Tommee Tippee Pacifiers
These are Dominick’s favorites. I had not heard of them before and came across them at Wal-Mart when I was browsing one day. They were even on clearance for the 0-3 size when I found them. However, he quickly needed/wanted a bigger size so we moved to the 6-18 month ones. We have bought other brands such as Nuk & Avent but he spits them out. In the pictures, Dominick has in the smaller one. The other picture is the two different ones from Tommee Tippee. He’s currently using the top one most as it’s the bigger size!
• NatureBond or Haaka Breastfeeding Manual Breast Pump
My neighbor introduced me to this, specifically the NatureBond one, and I wish I had began using it sooner while nursing! This bad boy got me well over 100 ounces of milk I would have otherwise wasted. You use it while nursing on the other side and it catches the let down milk. You do have to be cautious of your child pushing or kicking it off though. I had him bump it once and spill a lot but otherwise I’d prop it between his little legs. I froze all of what I had got in month 2 of nursing him and it’s what I am using now to wean him off from nursing. It was kind of crazy how much it would catch each feeding with him! The image below is what I have left of my stash. I had twice this much when I started to wean him off and this is at least 66 ounces yet if not more depending how much I froze in each bag.
• Baby Bumbco Clutch
One of my closest friends bought this for me as a gift. I first looked at it thinking I would never use it, however, it’s all I use now! It holds a couple of diapers and has a air tight pocket for wipes and extra space for additional items including a side zipper to put your personal items. I’ve had so many other moms ask where I got it and it’s really convenient so I don’t have to always carry his giant diaper bag especially if it’s just me out with him. And not many people realize what it is until I begin to bust out a diaper and wipes!
• Boppy Pillow
This seems like a no brainer because everyone registers for this. I do love it though! I have two because I was gifted one and my neighbor had given me hers. Having two is great. We always travel with one when we leave for the weekends and keep one on our couch. This was clutch for nursing him comfortably as well as allowing him to sit in it now especially since he would nurse for 40+ minutes! . Nursing without it was a pain in the butt when I forgot it one weekend. Dominick and me were not very comfortable. It was also ideal when he was recently sick and slept against me on the couch one night as well. (Don’t pass judgement here! You do what you have to do when your baby is sick and of course I was absolutely careful.)
• Personal Mini Fan
This is a portable fan I bought one day knowing we were going away for vacation and wanting to ensure he would be cool if we were in the sun. This little bugger has been a life saver. Our son is a sweaty beast just like mom & dad so we clip this to his stroller or carrier when we go out to be sure he is cool and not sweating his butt off. It’s also so nice because it’s rechargeable so you’re not going through tons of AAA or AA batteries to power this thing! Though you can put some in, it’s easier to recharge quickly. It lasts for a few hours too.
• Inchbug Orbit Labels
These are perfect for bottles for daycare! A friend of ours had them sent to me when he was born and I kind of stared at them not knowing when I would use them since I was exclusively breastfeeding. Now that he is 95% on formula and bottles, these are the go to for labeling for daycare. I had bought sticker labels but they’re stored for something later because why would I want to put a sticky label on his bottle that will wear off when I can use these that slip on and off easily and can be used when he moves on to sippy cups? These are great and I ordered more to have on hand when we have more items and I begin to lose things.
*Click image to go directly to their site to customize yours!* This is NOT an affiliation link
• Baby Wrap Carrier by KeaBabies
I bought this knowing I had several mama friends swear by them. It took me over a month to try it because of shear intimidation. I was scared of putting my newborn in and dropping him. Blake tried it though and he slept for hours inside of it! When I finally convinced myself to try, I watched YouTube videos and he was big enough to face out. He LOVES it! We actually use this when he gets really fussy and take him for a ride on our golf cart at the lake. He enjoys seeing everything and being a part of everything! It’s much easier than it looks once you practice a handful of times and it is very comfortable!
• Personalized Baby Blanket
Dominick was given this gift from one of his aunts and I love it so much since it is a really nice blanket but also because it’s a great keepsake for him! I have purchased several now for friends of ours with newborns as well. You can choose from several different characters on it, different colors, and personalize the texts. It is such a nice personal gift that will last and be a nice keepsake for the family!
• Swaddles (links below to the two different types)
Babies love to be swaddled. I was not good at swaddling him with a blanket at first so we bought the ones with velcrow that were great for me to use while Blake could turn him into a baby burrito using the hospital blanket. Then he went through a week long phase of no swaddles and now he’s back to enjoying it but in a swaddle blanket and I’ve mastered it as well. He can still be Houdini once in a while and bust an arm or leg out by morning. We have a handful of them and they’re nice soft, light blankets to use as well when he is done being swaddled.
o SwaddleMe with velcrow
o Muslin Swaddle Blankets
• Eddie Bauer Diaper Bag
We first saw this bag when our friends had their baby boy and loved it so of course we registered for it. It’s convenient and has tons of pockets and space for all the needs of a baby! Plus it’s more appealing than some bags you see out there. Blake is willing to carry it since it’s not super feminine, though he wouldn’t care. It’s overall great quality & we take it everywhere with us.
• Babymoov Anti-UV Tent Sun Shade
This was our favorite item on vacation for Dominick! I found this on Amazon right before we went because I wanted to be able to spend time outside but he cannot be in direct sun for long at all until 6 months when we can put sunscreen on him. This was great since it could fit his activity play mat inside of it when we were in the yard and then when we would be on our dock, he napped in it after we had him in the water. It works for up to 50+ UV which is awesome. Minus the part of me struggling to fold it because I’m just horrible at things like that, this is so convenient and will be great to use for a while for him! It even has a screen zipper for if there are bugs and the breeze can blow right through it.
• Baby Portable Changing Pad
I said I wouldn’t need one of these at first but the more we go out to dinner or even the stores I find myself grossed out by bathrooms. I was never much of a germaphobe, but once you have a kid it changes your view of how gross everything can be. Some changing tables do have the disposable paper things but we typically only find them when Blake takes him to the men’s bathroom to change him. We know that’s because there are more moms than dads taking the babies in OR dads are not as germophobic as moms. Either way this little thing is just that, small and convenient keeping your kiddo’s bum off the gross stuff!
• JJ Cole Pacifier Pod
I first saw this when my close friend suggested it and though, “I will never use that.” I was wrong! This little thing is a life saver when you misplace a binky or are on the go and think you forgot one. Ours is hooked to our diaper bookbag. It’s a guarantee my mom or Blake somehow misplace a binky when we are out, but no worries, one is safely stored and clean inside it’s tiny pouch! BOOM!
I could add more on here and probably will if I think of anything else but for right now, this is what we use on a regular basis and I find myself being asked by others where I got it. I hope you find this helpful and maybe will enjoy some of these items or purchase them for a mom you know! I’ll keep another list for his next few months if there are any new items we begin to use! Let me know what you think of them if you do buy anything I’ve listed above!
Two Cents Worth of Mom Life 