Anyone who knows me, knows I cannot stand “stuff”! If I can get rid of things, it makes me much happier than it does to get new things. And anyone with children, knows that (no matter how hard you try) “stuff” accumulates over night!
New moms get so much advice on the best “stuff” (often from BuyBuyBaby ads) to have for their baby. Much of it is nonsense if you ask me, but some things I just couldn’t live without!!
The Top 5 Newborn Must Haves
Haakaa For breastfeeding moms, this is a game changer!! Pumping sucks… I needed to shoot a wedding 3 weeks after Amir was born, and I needed to build up a 12 hour supply of breast milk, and fast! Pumping was scary, it hurt, and I wasn’t getting milk (probably because I was so tense and hated it). BUT, with the Haakaa, it’s 100% painless (Also you don’t end up with a million parts to wash). I would wear the Haakaa on one side when nursing the baby on the other, and it would collect an once per day. Some women can get much more than that! It saved my life! I almost NEVER have to use my breast pump. It is also affordable.
Nose Frida Babies have tiny little noses, and they get stuffed up so easily. :( This handy dandy device would allow me to clear his nose. I don’t know what we would do without it! We never left the house with out this thing. Unlike the old fashioned bulb sucker, this allows you to see exactly how much you are getting out, AND best of all, you can take it apart and WASH IT in seconds! :) And it might seem gross, but there is a thick sponge that would stop any boogies from getting sucked up into the straw, so have no fear!
Changing Pad Liners As your little one gets older, these won’t be as dire. BUT, I still use them, and will until he is potty trained. But when you are changing a newborn, the blow out diapers and the peeing all over the place is a regular occurrence. You only really need one changing pad cover, if you have enough of these liners on hand! (I would have about 6 total, you can go through 3 in one night.) They are so quick to swap out for a clean one, rather than changing the whole cover.
Swaddles I loved to swaddle Amir when he was so tiny and small. Once your little one learns to roll over you will likely switch to sleep sacks, but until then these worked much better in my opinion. They are also great as burp cloths, or as something to cover the floor/bed/grass while you lay them down. They make a nice light weight blanket to take along with you incase it gets a little chilly, or if the sun is beaming down on them. And I love the adorable patterns. They are great for covering up while nursing in public, and I plan to use one of them as a scarf!
Bouncer There is a difference between a bouncer, a swing, a sit-me-up, and a jumper (and there are so many styles and brands of each). This is extremely confusing when they seem like the same thing and you don’t know what to put on your registry. The bouncer, (in particular the one we have grows with them), for little baby to apparently a 2 year old. This thing was pricy, way more expensive than other bouncers, but I like its minimal design and fold ability. It is so easy to clean too! My friend takes theirs to the beach all the time.
Toys That Grow With Them
Children learn through play, and as babies develop, they will need different toys…
But this could mean a truck load of toys in your living room, after just a few months. (UGH, kill me now!) I wish that my home still looked like the zen garden that it once was, but we are doing a decent job at keeping the toy accumulation to a minimum. Best way to do this? Find the toys that grow with them!
Musical Instruments We were lucky enough to get a bag full of musical instruments and they were his first toys. Before Amir could even grasp something, or see a drum to hit, he could hear the sounds when we would play them. Once he could hold onto something, the maracas were his favorite. And now at around 10 months old, he loves to bang on the drum, and shake (and bite) all of the other fun noise makers. And who knows, it might open his world to the love of music, and I can see him playing with these toys for years to come. (I have fun playing with them too.)
Activity Mat Laying on their back, with toys above them was about the only thing that a baby can do for the first 2 months that doesn’t involve you having to hold them. Because trust me, sometimes you just NEED to put them down! (Unless you don’t pee, shower, cook, get dressed, eat, or work.) I didn’t realize at first how versatile this mat was. Most toys are only good for a phase… about 2 months or something. But this was a staple for at least 6 months, and we still use the removable little toys that hang from the top. I even put a blanket over the top for a mini fort! There are a million styles of these, so you will be sure to find one to fit your aesthetic.
Books ( << That one is his current favorite.) We have a black and white book that Amir loved even as a two week old. Black and white contrast is one of the only things a newborn can see. It was beautiful to see his eyes widen when something came into his focus for the very first time. He would just look, and I wondered so bad what he might be thinking! Now when we read it to him, he tries to mimic the animal sounds. And obviously books are something that we are never too old to enjoy!
The Surprising Bonus Buys
Derma Frida When you buy one thing, and it serves four purposes, it’s a major win! :) My son had some dry skin on his scalp as a newborn, and this is made to gently exfoliate. It did the job, and you can also use it as a wash cloth. But Amir LOVES to use it as a teether. Out of all the teethers that we got for him, this one is his favorite. The little nub that sicks out as a handle, he puts it in his mouth like a pacifier! Haha. And when my children are grown, I believe this will make an excellent veggie scrubber. :)
Stacking Bowls Instead of buying one of the stacking toys out there, why not get something that is functional too!? I love these, and use them all the time, and it is now his favorite “toy” to play with while we are in the kitchen. And one day I am sure we will use them to bake cookies together too. :)
Other Toys that You Didn’t Know Were Toys: recycling, rolling pin, rubber spatula, plastic hangers, old computer keyboard, yoga matt, laundry, boxes, dad’s ear, and the spot on the floor that won’t come off.
Friendly Tip
Find some mom friends with little cuties that are a little older, and a little younger. Not only will you find friendship and support among woman that will understand, but, I see no better way to find a new home for the “stuff” your baby has out grown. As well as save a lot of money by accepting cute and loved hand me downs!