For any new or expecting moms out there, I’ve put together a list of my tried and true favorites! There are so many baby products – you don’t need to buy every baby brand out there. Being a second time mama I’ve learned what products help make life a little easier during those sweet newborn days. I narrowed it down to 12 newborn must haves, these are the items that truly helped me and my babies during the newborn stage! These are my holy-grail newborn must haves that I swear by!
Owlet Smart Sock Baby Monitor with Oxygen & Heart Rate
This is my #1 must-have product for brand new parents! It’s a baby sock that wraps around a baby’s foot and it tracks their heart rate and oxygens levels. If their levels drop, you will get notified by a really loud sound from the base station and your phone. This was the best thing that we bought during those first few weeks of Sophia’s life.
It will help ease your postpartum anxiety and help you sleep knowing that your newborn is being monitored while you/they sleep. You get three different socks sizes so it can grow with your baby. If you’re pregnant, I highly suggest you put this on your baby registry as it is a pricier baby item.
Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine
This is a sound machine with a lot of different features. Not only does it have a lot of different sounds to help your baby sleep, it has color changing settings and acts as a night light. You can dim the light or make it bright. You can also connect it to your phone and manually turn it on or change the sound. We love this sound machine so much that we have one for each baby!
Nose Frida Nasal Aspirator
I was hesitant to buy this or even use it, but I promise it’s a life saver! All babies get stuffy and they need their nose cleared pretty often. Put a few drops of nose saline in their nose first, we like the brand Little Remedies or Boogie Mist. No need to worry about sucking up snot, there is a filter to prevent any snot from coming into the tube. And it’s easy to clean!
Swaddles/Sleepsacks
Like any new parent, I was desperate for my baby to sleep long stretches at night and I’ve tried so many swaddles and sleep sacks! My current favorite is the Ollie swaddle! This one is great because it doesn’t go near the baby’s neck and is below the shoulders. The hips and legs have full mobility as well. Swaddles and sleep sacks are a must!
Zip-up Footed Baby Sleepers
Buy baby sleepers that zip up, instead of the ones with snapped buttons. It will save you time and trouble when you’re constantly changing dirty diapers in the middle of the night. I swear by the footed sleepers from Target that come in a pack of three. They are super affordable and cute!
DockATot
This one is on the pricier side but if you put it on your baby registry, someone can gift it to you. I splurged on the DockATot with my first baby and don’t regret it! Both of my girls loved it and it’s nice to use around the house. I’ve never tried the SnuggleMe, that is a cheaper alternative that I’ve heard is great too.
Pacifiers/WubbaNub/Lovie
I tried several different pacifiers with my first and she ended up loving the NUK pacifiers the best. She never took to the WubbaNub which has a round shape to the nipple, whereas the NUK is flatter and fits into her mouth better. I ended up attaching her pacifier to her lovie and this has become her best friend. Just like the WubbaNub it has a small animal attached to the pacifier and helps aid with sleep. We got our lovies from Carter’s that has the velcro flap attached to it. Sophia is 20 months old and is still obsessed with her “giraffey” and uses it for naps and bedtime. If you’re interested on how I transitioned Sophia from 2 naps to 1, read about it here!
Solly Baby Wrap Carrier
I’m all about baby wearing during the newborn stage! I got an affordable wrap from Amazon and didn’t love it. I heard about the Solly wrap and knew I had to try it out. I ended up loving it way more! It’s made with the softest, thinnest material and is perfect for the summer months! I love to use it outside for walks or outings. Solly wraps come in so many cute designs and are the perfect gift!
Haakaa Manual Breast Pump
I love using my Haakaa while I’m nursing on the other side. It’s great to catch any letdown that normally gets wasted in a breast pad. The haakaa is a handheld pump that suctions onto your breast. Afterward, I pour my breast milk into a milk storage bag and freeze it. I love this pump from Amazon because it helps relieve any discomfort or engorgement. It’s seriously the best and helps keep up my milk supply!
Baby Swing
This baby item is one of my favorite newborn must haves! It has music features as well as speed levels for the swing. I received a hand-me down MamaRoo infant swing and my first baby hated it. And I tried it for months! The Graco swing is much more affordable and helped soothe my babies to sleep! I can’t recommend this one enough, it is a life saver.
Boppy Nursing Pillow & My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow
The Brest Friend nursing pillow is amazing because it supports your back! It clips in the back and doesn’t slide off when you’re nursing. The cover is removable and is machine washable. It even comes with a pocket on the side. The only downside is that it’s big and bulky, but other than that it’s a great nursing pillow! Recently, I’ve been using my Boppy pillow during late night feedings!
Aquaphor Healing Ointment
I had to put this on my newborn must haves list because I swear by this stuff! It works like a charm and helps prevent diaper rashes. We also use it on dry patches that would get red and itchy. We live in Colorado and both of my girls have really dry skin! This ointment is better than all the other stuff out there!
What other newborn must haves did you use? I’d love to hear what other items I didn’t mention above that were helpful during the newborn stage! @_cathyjune
