Seven months after giving birth to our first daughter, I can tell you that we have gone through a LOT of baby products. Some items I loved and some I couldn’t put away fast enough. Because some moms-to-be would rather sit through an all-day meeting with no bathroom access than think about what to put on their registry, I thought I would share my favorite baby products for new mommies and women who have been invited to a shower (How do you pick something that says “thoughtful, but practical” and not just “this was what I could afford from your list”!?). These are my must have, baby-tested and mommy-approved items for babies 0-6 months old.
- Wubbanub – These funny little pacifier/animal combos have been a lifesaver! They generally stay in baby’s mouth a little longer than a standard pacifier and give her something to hold on to. The attached pacifier is a Soothie, which is the only type of pacifier our daughter would take. I also got a few extra Soothies to stick in the diaper bag for emergencies. Not to mention these Wubbanubs look adorable! Our favorite is the giraffe. (If you ever happen to run into him, ours is named Carl)
- Bright Starts Lots of Links – I am convinced that links are the most versatile toy on the planet. They can attach toys to a toy bar, stroller, or car seat. They clip a blanket to a stroller to make a sun shade. They have great textures, making them perfect on-the-go teethers. Basically, they are baby gold.
- Skip Hop Pronto Changing Station – This may seem like such a silly thing to have, but a changing pad is so convenient when you go out to eat, go on vacation, or even just go to a friend’s house. This one has pockets to keep some wipes, Butt Paste, and a back-up diaper in, which means you can just grab it and go.
- Medela Feeding System – I’m sure the super expensive bottle systems with a million parts to clean serve some sort of magical purpose, but I am all about a one-stop-shop. These Medela bottles fit on my breast pump (I have the Medela Pump in Style) and I can feed her directly from those bottles. They also have several convenient sizes, so I can portion the milk out and save a little liquid gold here and there.
- Sleep & Play – Who needs fancy clothes for a newborn!? They are just going to pee or spit up all over it anyway! The chance of you leaving your house more than once a week for the first month is slim, so just stick them in a Sleep & Play day and night. I prefer the ones with snaps that go down both legs. Then you don’t have to completely undress them for every diaper change or wrestle a floppy (but strong) newborn leg back into a pant leg while they are fussing. You’re in survival mode during the first few months, so it’s all about ease!
- Board Books – Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? – Of course any books are good when they are young, but sweet girl really loved Brown Bear. She would study the high-contrast pictures and try (unsuccessfully) to pull the animals off the page. Some other favorite books of ours are: Horns and Toes and in Between, Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?, Oh the Thinks You Can Think, and Put Me in the Zoo. My hubby thought we had too many books for her age, but now that he’s read The Eye Book 231 times, he appreciates the variety. My only real requirement for books is that they don’t make me cry (I’m looking at you, Love You Forever). If I accidentally read one of those books, I am sitting in the middle of the living room ugly crying while my daughter looks at me like I’m nuts – it’s not a pretty picture.
- Sophie the Giraffe Teether – If you would have told me before having sweet girl that I would gladly drop more than $5 on a teether, I would have laughed in your face. However, Sophie is so worth it! It is easy for tiny fingers to grasp and it’s legs are perfect to soothe sore gums in those hard-to-reach spots.
- Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper – We would not have made it through the first few months without this rocker. Our daughter had pretty bad colic, so she took all her naps in this rocker. She slept in her bassinet at night, but the slight elevation of the Rock ‘n Play really helped extend her naps.
- Fisher-Price Discover ‘n Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym – This was sweet girl’s favorite during playtime and tummy time when she was a newborn and we still use it now that she’s sitting up and rolling over. This model has a piano at the end that can flip to go over their legs once they are sitting up – she loves it! I may be biased, but I’m pretty sure we have a budding Mozart on our hands.
- Sassy Go-Go Bugs – These silly little toys have gone with us everywhere. They clip on her car seat, hang on her play mat, and attach to the diaper bag just in case! I bought several packs of these bugs because they are easy to for little hands to manipulate and, according to a seven month old, the wings are very tasty. These were really the first toys she actively played with and we have definitely gotten our money’s worth out of them!
Bonus: Swaddle Blankets. I added these blankets as a bonus because they aren’t sold in stores, so it’s not really fair to you. They were made by my mother-in-law and had to be included because they have literally been used every single day of sweet girl’s life. If you know someone who sews, ask…no beg…them to make you 38 in. x 41 in. blankets. They will seem huge when you bring home your tiny bundle, but these kids grow fast! This is hands down the best size for a swaddle blanket.
Considering how many baby items there are, this was a pretty short list! What did I miss? What were your favorite baby items for a 0-6 month old?