Top Ten (Not Obvious) Baby Essentials for the First Year

There are the obvious baby essentials (like a car seat, pack-n-play, or swing), but what are the other things that really helped us all survive that first year of a baby’s life?  That’s what I’d like to share with you today.  I’ll do a short review/explanation of each item, but check back for more in-depth reviews in the future!

1. Graco DreamGlider Swing and Sleeper – We used this for the first six months of Luke’s life!  The adjustable incline was perfect for reflux or sitting up when he was older, but lays flat for sleeping.  Thanks to this sleeper, I could nurse him and put him right back to bed during the night.  He loved it and used it until he was rolling over (and too big to fit!).

2. WubbaNub – We got a bunch of pacifiers as baby gifts, but really only needed a couple of these.  The Wubbanubs are adorable pacifiers with a small stuff toy attached.  They keep the pacifier from flying across the room when Jeremiah spits them out, they are easy for him to locate in his crib at night, and they hold his pacifier within reach.  Not to mention they make fun toys to play with when he wakes up from a nap!

3. HALO SleepSack – I thought these looked ridiculous, but boy do they make swaddling a new baby easy!  This was the only way Jeremiah slept for the first six months of his life.  They promote safe sleeping by not having loose blankets or clothing.  Sleep Sacks come in both cotton (for summer) and fleece (for winter).  You definitely want a few in each size so you have an extra if one needs to be washed.

4. The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD – Our cousins made us watch this video when they found out we were expecting.  I fondly refer to Dr. Karp as the “Baby Whisperer” and with his advice, you can become one too!

5. Cloth Diapers – I was a cloth diaper skeptic, until a friend took me to a local cloth diaper store and they showed me how easy cloth diapering could be.  Now I’m hooked!  I haven’t spent money on diapers since Jeremiah was six months old, and my husband is a fan as well.  You will see MANY posts about these in the future, and I hope you see the benefits of them like I did.

6. Dohm-Sound Conditioner – It all started with an app called “Relax Melodies.”  It worked like magic getting Jeremiah to sleep from the time he was first born.  But for home, this works WONDERS!  It cancels out almost all sounds and provides a nice, soothing environment for Jeremiah to sleep.  Yes, I could use a small fan (we did that, but the fan died after a month), but this is better because you don’t have to worry about drafts in the baby’s room…and it’s a lot easier to take with you on trips!

7. Sensible Lines Milk Trays – These simple freezer trays freeze milk in one ounce increments.  This is great because you NEVER have to deal with bags that leak (or buy breastmilk bags for that matter), and you only thaw out what you need.

8. Piyo Piyo Baby Nail Scissors – Clipping a baby’s nails can be stressful.  And with Jeremiah hitting the one year mark pretty soon, I can assure you that it doesn’t necessarily get easier as babies get older.  These little scissors are awesome and can make the task less daunting.

9. Nosefrida The Snotsucker – This is the replacement for the bulb “snot suckers” they use in the hospital.  It may seem a little gross, but trust me, this is awesome!  My favorite thing is that not only does it do an amazing job of clearing little noses, but it also comes apart for easy cleaning.  That is something the bulbs can’t do!

10. On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep – I know parts of this book may be controversial in some circles, but honestly, this book may as well be called “The Owner’s Manual for your Baby.”  Seriously, it gives first-time parents very clear guidelines on what to expect and how to help your baby eat and sleep well.  I read it all before JD was born, then used it as a daily reference tool throughout the first year as I dealt with different parenting questions that came up.

Well, there it is!  Not the first things you’d think of to add to your baby registry, but definitely ones we couldn’t live without.  Click here to download a FREE baby registry list.  Want a teaser to see what’s to come in future posts?  Follow my Pinterest page to see all my baby recommendations and more!

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