The baby products you didn’t know you needed before baby comes home
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I’d guess I’m not alone if I said that as soon as I found out I was pregnant I started to Google “Best baby strollers,” “Best baby changing table,” “Best baby bassinet” and the list goes on and on. I made endless private Pinterest boards and read every review on a product I could find. Little did I know how many products were being featured on various lists because they had paid to be featured. I’m giving you my honest opinion on the products I’ve used as soon as baby came home and the products I’ve yet to use (but people have said I needed).
Top products I’ve used since baby was home
Diapers - The first of many surprises I encountered in the first few weeks of being a mom is how many diapers the baby goes through. I bought a small pack of 36 newborn diapers thinking she’d be in size 1 in a week or two (HAHA). It’s important to have at least 80 newborn diapers and wipes because baby will pee and poop A LOT.
Diaper Rash Cream - I also thought I needed fancy diaper rash cream and came to find out after talking to our pediatrician that a big ‘ole tub of Aquaphor is all we need.
Diaper Trash Can - This is a big one because the diapers are STINKY. I’m pretty happy with our diaper trash can but would definitely say that the bag needs to be changed at least every 3 days. This can is great because you can use regular garbage bags with it, but with my OCD, I opted for the garbage bags that go with it. I also bought the deodorizer that I keep in the bottom of the pale (because every little bit helps, right?).
Baby Thermometer - This seems like a no brainer, but I used the baby thermometer way more than I expected. It was also great to have on hand after her first round of vaccines. I’m happy with the FridaBaby 3-in-1.
Vaseline - I didn’t think I’d need to take my baby’s temperature immediately, and when we needed to, we didn’t have any Vaseline to do it.
Infant Tylenol - I actually bought this ahead of time at the recommendation of a friend and I’m so glad I did! After our little ones first round of shots, she had a low grade fever and I’m so glad we were able to treat it right away.
Infant Nail File - So I had nail clippers on hand, but when our little girl was born, she was ready for a manicure. Our pediatrician recommended using a nail file over nail clippers (although I do use both now) it was definitely handy to have on hand.
Car Seat - This is obviously a big one, and the hospital won’t let you go home without one. I did a TON of research on car seats and while there are so many great options out there, I ended up going with the NUNA PIPPA LITE because of it’s crash ratings and how light weight it is. I’m totally happy with the car seat and have no complaints!
Stroller - Another Google search that consumed hours of my time. Again, there are so many great options out there but I wanted a stroller that could grow with us. I opted for the UPPABABY VISTA because of the flexibility of being able to use the bassinet, car seat and toddler seat. You are also able to add a second seat for baby number two. Another big reason for going with the UPPABABY is that the handle extends outward, great for taller people.
Clothes - It’s so hard to know if baby will fit in newborn clothes when they’re born. We ended up using all of our newborn onsies however, we also had a TON of newborn gowns. I found changing a diaper was next to impossible when the baby was wearing a gown with an elastic bottom. I was always hitting her umbilical cord with the elastic and had a hard time getting it above her belly button. While incredibly cute, next to impossible to change a diaper in. I also couldn’t stand the gowns because if I put the baby in a rocker that had a buckle that came up around her crotch, I had to lift the gown up, exposing her legs. A few of my favorite onesies were fleece lined ones, and waffle knit ones from Goumi Kids.
Sleep Sacks - When we brought our little girl home from the hospital, we thought she HATED being swaddled. Thanks to the newborn class from Taking Cara Babies, we learned that she just needed to get used to sleeping swaddled. We’ve tested many different swaddles and our favorite has been theHalo Sleep Sack.
While I could probably make an endless list of everything I’ve needed since the baby came home, these are the top products that I wish someone would have told me about!