Someone asked me the other day what my favorite things have been so far for our baby. Let me begin by saying…holy moly there’s a lot of baby gadgets, gear, objects, etc out there! How does one possibly decide? I was so incredibly overwhelmed with what to put on our registry and what to buy as our “necessary objects” in case we didn’t get it. I spent hours searching what other people said to be the best things for their child and sometimes I thought…”Really, you’d spend that much on just that one object?!” From having a background in Early Childhood Education and many years of watching infants, I knew some of the things I had to have and things I would definitely avoid. I compiled a list of our favorite baby gear so far, in no particular order.   

1. The First Years Close & Secure Co-Sleeper – this was a must for us. After how sore I was delivering our little one, I hated getting up to pick her up out of her bassinet every few hours to feed. With the co-sleeper next to us, I was able to just pick her up while still laying down. I didn’t purchase this until about 3 days after delivering and it was one of the best purchases we’ve made. One of the other awesome things about this sleeper is that when I was exhausted and needing my husband to check on her, he didn’t have to get out of bed and come to my side of the bed to check on her, he could just look between us. The other great thing is how easy it is to pack up and take when traveling. We didn’t have to worry about taking the big pack and play or worrying about squishing her in our bed.

it even has a nightlight and side rails for safe sleeping

2. Medela Freestyle Breast Pump-choosing between which pump to buy if you’re a working mama and need to feed your baby while you’re gone can be tough. Don’t go with anything other than Medela! Yes this pump was expensive but completely worth it. I love that you don’t have to plug it in to use it and how hands free it is. A coworker of mine has to sit next to an outlet in order to pump…can you say inconvenient! I am even able to pump in the car and on the go. Yes- I have pumped going down the interstate before heading to a concert, on the way to a baby shower, and when we don’t have time to stop and feed our baby. The Freestyle is awesome!

pumping at work (lesson plans in the back)

3. Delta White Bassinet – this was given to us by a friend and it is what she is currently sleeping in. At first I didn’t think we would use this since we had the co-sleeper and a crib but once she grew too long for it, she now sleeps beside the bed in it! I love the spot underneath for storing diapers for those changes in the middle of the night.

4.  Baby Play Mat – this is one of the ones we have but there are tons of play mats just as good or better out there. We use this daily for tummy time and for playing on her back. Now that she loves grabbing things, she spends a lot of time reaching for the objects above her.

  5. Skip Hop Diaper Bag & Skip Hop Changing Station – we use the diaper bag and changing station everywhere we go. Goodbye purse and hello diaper bag! Of course getting rid of my purse I have to substitute it with a cute and functional diaper bag. I love how much space it has to hold all the crap cute baby things. The changing station is also perfect when you don’t need to bring that huge diaper bag with you to the bathroom. We use this for every diaper change on the go!

at school with mama (check out that Unites States rug!)

even looks cute when your husband wears it after his soccer golf tournament (which he won!)

6. Owl Noise Machine – when we run out of batteries for her owl, we will be unhappy parents. She uses this to fall asleep every night. When she wakes up during the night it is the one thing that soothes her back to sleep. Perfect for traveling and it has many great different sounds (even though we seem to use only one).

first day home from the hospital and she has her owl

7. Baby Björn Baby Carrier – there are so many different wraps, carriers, etc. out there. We have a Boba Wrap and also love it but they are totally different. Yes they serve the same purpose of carrying your little one, but the Björn has a lot more support the bigger and heavier your baby gets. I especially love wearing the Björn at work. When I go in on the weekend to get my classroom ready I have a way to tote her around while getting work done and she loves it. The movement of walking and bouncing and being snug against mom makes her fall right asleep. This is a perfect thing to have when you need to get things done and don’t have hands to hold your baby as well. For more on the Boba Wrap check out my other blog post called Boba Wrap.

two weeks  old

 8. Lamb Bouncer Seat – not only adorable but also a great buy so far! We have used this since day 1 and have continued to every day. Even as her little legs have started to hang over the bottom, we love this product. It is perfect because it doesn’t slant up too much where she slides down but she can snooze or just hang out in it. It plays music, vibrates, or does  a little combo of both if you want. It also has a mirror and dangling toy for baby to play with.

in her new swaddle blanket too (miracle blanket)

first day home from the hospital

9. Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets, SwaddeMe Blankets & the Miracle Blanket – if I have to tell someone to buy one thing for their child, it’s swaddle blankets (to sleep in). I’m a firm believer that if you swaddle your child, they sleep well. I can’t even begin to tell you how many children I know who slept like rocks because they were swaddled. Just recently our little one has figured out how to escape her SwaddleMe blanket and wakes herself up. We purchased the Miracle Blanket and wow, what a difference. Her arms don’t move at all and it helps her to sleep wonders. Now the Aden + Anais Blankets are great for swaddling when they are itty bitty and for just using as an everyday blanket. They are our favorite blankets. Swaddle that baby! That is until they can roll from back to belly. You’ll be happy that you purchased them!

swaddleme blanket

  10. Wubbanub Duck Pacifier – another favorite! We have tons of pacifiers with the string and clip and lose them constantly. How can you lose a pacifier with a stuffed animal attached to it? Well we haven’t yet! We got this when she was pretty little and she loves to hold on to it. Now she is able to put it back in her mouth on her own. It’s also incredibly adorable seeing this duck hang from her mouth!        

11. Utter Cover Nursing Cover – this is something for nursing mamas. I love this for many reasons. First, it’s easy to throw on and fit in the diaper bag. It also has this bowed out neck so only you can peek in on your nursing baby. This company is offering discounts ALL the time. I only paid for shipping which was about $15. They have a whole line of products: baby slings, leggings, covers for car seats-which we have and love.

What’s your favorite baby products and gear?