The BEST and MUST HAVE baby products for the first year.

As we approach Piper’s first birthday (how is that even possible?!), I’ve been asked over and over again what the best and must have baby products for the first year are. So today, I’m sharing some of the products we could not have lived without! I’ve broken it down into must haves for mom and must haves for baby!

 

Must haves for baby:

Halo Bassinest– this was seriously a lifesaver for us and she slept in it for almost 6 months. I loved that it swiveled over the bed and the side bent down as well so I could easily access her.

Boppy Two-sided nursing pillow– I’ve nursed three babies and this has been my favorite nursing pillow. I liked it because it was firmer than the other ones so I wasn’t hunching over and the baby wasn’t sinking into the pillow. One side is for the newborn stage and the other side is for when they get older and you have established breastfeeding.

Chicco Bravo Trio Travel System– I loved how lightweight this system was and that it could be folded with one hand. It also folded up nicely to fit in the trunk and can stand on it’s own for storage. You can read more about it on this post!

mamaRoo 4– My other kids were not impressed with a swing so I knew I needed to try something different with this baby. And we LOVED this mamaRoo! You can read a more detailed explanation here.

Activity mat– We had this one with both girls because I liked that the piano could be detached or they could sit up to play with it. So they could lie down and use the toys that hang down while they kick the piano, or sit up and play it!

Nose Frieda– Honestly this was one of the things I was like “ehh, kind of grosses me out” but you guys, you NEED this. It’s so much better than those little blue bulbs and it’s actually not as gross as it seems. There’s a filter that keeps the snot from getting into your mouth (in case you were wondering haha) and it’s helped us relieve our baby of so much congestion and icky-ness!

Fisher-Price Sit me up chair: Once she realized she could sit up, she needed something to sit in so she could look around. This was the sole way I was able to shower or get things done! This also replaces the Bumbo that I used with my other kids (apparently the Bumbo wasn’t recommended anymore due to lack of neck support)

Activity cube– From sitting to standing, this cube kept her occupied and gave her the feeling of independence while she stood or “walked” around the edges. It’s also educational and you can get a lot of use out of it.

Plastic bibs– These bibs were a game changer for us once we discovered them. Babies are super messy when they’re first learning to eat (whether you do purees or baby led feeding). Super easy to wash and catch all the food instead of dropping on their clothes!

Noise machine: We literally have this noise machine in every room of our house and none of us could sleep without it at this point. I tried another one and wasn’t a fan, this has always been my go-to.

Jumperoo– We have this one but whichever one you choose will be a lifesaver! When I was cooking dinner or needed to clean, she would bounce away happily. Bonus points if I turned on Baby Shark on YouTube!

Walker: She’s only 9 months old but she’s been using this baby for a few weeks now. You don’t need a super fancy walker with a ton of bells and whistles (literally). This one is reasonably priced and gets the job done.

Swaddle: We jumped back and forth between the Ollie Swaddle and the HALO SleepSack (which is the one I preferred) and although she didn’t sleep through the night, she did sleep longer stretches than my other two!

Baby carrier: I loved this Boppy carrier this go around. I tried the Moby and Baby Bjourn with the other two but this one felt supportive, comfortable, and was easy to get on without any help. I also love this carrier because you don’t need an infant insert and you can wear baby front face-in and front face-out after 6 months.

Baby monitor: We really liked the Panasonic one; it notifies you of noise or movement, mounts on the wall, and offers lullabies, zoom, and more. I would also recommend one that you can travel with for when you’re at other peoples houses and baby pops down for a nap somewhere!

I also wanted to include a few products that I loved and used, especially the first few weeks while we were establishing breastfeeding. These were all lifesavers with all three of my kids!

Medela Soothing Gel Pads; These things are lifesavers the first few days. Seriously, so much relief! And they’re reusable so I was usually good with only 1-2 packs.

Medela nursing pads: You’ll want to wear these in your bra the first few months (leakage..be prepared) but pro tip, don’t even bother removing the adhesive. They never stuck to my bra and would just get stuck other places or in weird positions. Just placing them in your bra is enough.

Lanolin cream: This is also great to apply to your nipples the first few days/weeks for comfort and relief.

Hard to believe something so small could need so many things, isn’t it?! But as they grow and develop you’ll want to have the tools to help them flourish. And it goes by way too quickly. Enjoy the time while you can <3 XO!