Before I became a mom I wondered what baby items were actually necessary and which ones I could do without. I put together a list of things that I (and Dominic) have loved so far! I’ll update this page as I think of/discover more cool baby things!
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For the Nursery:
Playtex Diaper Genie Complete Pail with Built-In Odor Controlling Antimicrobial, Includes Pail & 1 Refill, White
A lot of people said this wasn’t necessary, but living in an apartment/condo where you can’t run diapers out to the trash easily made this a necessity. If you live in a home where you can easily throw the diapers into the outdoor trash, you may not NEED this, but I still really like it. It really does mask the smell of smelly diapers and is very convenient. Yes, you have to buy the refills, but we only put poopy diapers in it for the most part and I’ve bought maybe 10 refills in a year.
Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother Musical Crib Toy and Sound Machine, Newborns Plus
Putting this on Dominic’s crib as he’s gotten older has been a LIFESAVER. He is so obsessed with this aquarium toy, he will wake up and play with it for 30+ minutes before crying for me to come get him in the morning. Most mornings I hear the music first before I hear him and that’s how I know he’s up! We make sure to stock up on batteries for this because Dominic gets so sad when it’s out and we do too.. haha. Love this toy!
Bonzy Home Air Leather Recliner Chair Overstuffed Heavy Duty Recliner – Faux Leather Home Theater Seating – Manual Bedroom & Living Room Chair Reclining Sofa (Red Brown)
This is not the chair that I have, but mine is too old to link, so I just picked one that resembled mine from Amazon as an example! I do not recommend this specific chair since I haven’t used it, but I do recommend a recliner chair in general! My supervisor at work while I was pregnant told me that I needed a lazy boy chair for the nursery. I shrugged it off until my roommate at the time was moving out and was giving his away. I decided to keep it. I am SO glad that I did. I honestly can’t imagine having any other chair in the nursery. I definitely spent a lot of time feeding and rocking in Dominic’s room. Especially during hard nights when he was up often and for long periods of time, it was so nice to be able to be comfortable. Without a comfortable chair, it wouldn’t have been the same!
Safety 1st HD Wi-Fi Baby Monitor Camera with Sound- and Movement-Detecting Audio Unit
I think nowadays most parents opt for a video monitor. What made us choose the wifi monitor that links to an app on our phone, was that Billy has a job that mandates a lot of travel. Billy loves being able to check on Dominic even when he’s away. I also love it because I don’t have to remember to charge anything except my phone, which is always charged! I love that I can check on Dominic even when I leave the house because my phone can connect to his monitor even when I’m not in Wifi. If I had to pick a con of this monitor, it’s that you don’t have a constant video stream unless you keep the app running. It does come with a separate auto unit so you can always hear baby even when the video/audio app isn’t open. But unless you leave the app open and want to watch baby on your phone, you don’t really get a continuous stream. This con didn’t bother me too much. When Dominic was younger I would just check the video often after he went to sleep. Now that he’s older, I probably only check the video once or twice after he goes to sleep.
White Noise Sound Machine Portable Sleep Therapy for Home, Office, Baby & Travel 6 Relaxing & Soothing Nature Sounds, Battery or Adapter Charging Options, Auto-Off Timer HoMedics
This was especially helpful when we lived in a small apartment. The sound machine helped drown out noises so Dominic could get a better night sleep. This way Billy and I could talk without worrying about waking Dominic up. Even now that we live in a bigger space, I still love this sound machine for helping sooth Dominic to sleep. For only $20 I would definitely say it’s worth the money!
Boppy Original Nursing Pillow and Positioner, Blue Pink Posy, Cotton Blend Fabric with allover fashion
I linked the first Boppy that came up, but it comes it a bunch of different colors and prints! I don’t know how anyone would get through the first year of their baby’s life without a Boppy. We used the boppy for so many things. First off, if you’re brestfeeding I don’t know how you couldn’t use this. I forgot to bring mine to the hospital when Dominic was born and I had the hardest time feeding him. Once I got home, the Boppy made it so easy! Once he got older, it helped with sitting up and kept him sturdy until he could sit up on his own. It then helped with teaching to feed with a bottle by himself. I would lay him back on it while he held his own bottle. I also flew with Dominic about a million times in his first year, so using the Boppy on the plane was super helpful so my arms didn’t fall asleep as I held him and he slept. We literally just put Boppy away right before he turned a year old. It really does make a huge difference in that first year.
For Baby to Wear:
HALO Sleepsack Swaddle, Velboa Plush Dots Color: Cream
I was given a sleep sack by the hospital I delivered at and I absolutely loved it! It gave me peace of mind that Dominic was always warm and cuddled without ever worrying about it being unsafe. It was so much easier than swaddling! You just put baby in, zip it up, and wrap the two side pieces around and attach by velcro. Dominic loved the feeling of being cuddled even when sleeping on his own. Babies can use a sleep sack until they start being able to roll over. I loved this product so much, I purchased additional sleep sacks once he outgrew his newborn one from the hospital! They also make transitional “wearable blankets” that don’t have the two side pieces, it just zips up. Dominic loved that to help transition to sleeping without anything but jammies!
Carter’s Baby Boys’ Interlock 115g219, Blue, 9 Months
Dominic doesn’t have this exact pair, but I wanted to link something to show you guys. I LOVE the pajamas that have the 2 way zipper, especially for when he was a newborn. When Dominic was waking up during the night and needing diaper changes, I LOVED pajamas that could zip both ways. I could just zip up and pull his legs out without his tummy being exposed. This made for super easy diaper changes at night for me and kept Dominic cozy. When you’re a sleep deprived mom of a newborn, saving any time is worth it and these pajamas saved me time changing diapers, so I’d say they were a win!
For the Kitchen:
Ninja Auto-iQ Total Boost Kitchen Nutri Blender System with 1500 Watts professional base- BL687CO (Renewed)
We got our blender for our wedding shower, so it’s about 3 years old and I don’t see it on the site anymore, so here’s one that’s similar to mine that has a puree option. I had registered for a baby food maker but didn’t get it. When I started researching how to make baby food, I read that a good Ninja blender can actually be better than some baby food makers. Luckily I already had one! The Ninja blender worked great for pureeing foods for Dominic. it was definitely more time consuming to make my own purees, but it saved SO much money and it made me feel good that my baby was getting wholesome nutrients. I knew exactly what was in his food and that was so important to me. My sister-in-law did have a baby food maker and I found out that hers would steam and puree the food in one step.. This would have been SO much more time effective. I had to steam my food separately on the stove before pureeing. I just used the blender because I already had it, but if you don’t have either one, you maybe want to do some additional research before buying to see which one is best for you. Either way, I feel like making your own food is the way to go!
Tommee Tippee Easi-Roll Up Bib, BPA-free Crumb & Drip Catcher – Blue & Green, 2 Count
Having bibs that catch food once your little one starts solids is a MUST. I didn’t realize how important this was until my extremely messy eater started on solid foods. This saves me so much time from having to clean up the food from his lap, the chair, or the floor. I love the Tommee Tippee ones we have. And for only $7.99 you can’t go wrong!
OXO Tot Transitions Straw Cup with Removable Handles, Navy, 6 Ounce
I know all babies are different, but Dominic has wanted a sippy cup with a straw since the beginning. This has been his favorite cup since I introduced a cup at meal times when he was 6 months old. I love that you can take the handles off as a transitional cup. They also sell this cup in a bigger size too.
54″ Large REIGNDROP Splat Mat for High Chair, Play Mat, Picnic, Art, Crafts for Baby, Kids, Non Slip, Waterproof, Washable, Portable, Durable, Reusable Splash, Spill Mat for Pet (Chevron)
Again, I can’t find the exact mat that I have, but having a mat under your high chair is a MUST. I have an extremely messy eater, and it’s so nice to be able to sweep up noodles and other foods that are hard to sweep with ease. Trying to sweep up macaroni on the kitchen floor is difficult, but on the material of the mat it’s very easy. I love that I can just pick the mat up and throw it in the washing machine when it’s dirty.
For Baby to Play With:
Graco Slim Spaces Compact Baby Swing
The swing is such a great place to put baby where he can relax or nap while you need to get a few things done. Dominic never wanted to be put down, but the swing was one place that I could set him for at least 15-20 minutes to get stuff done. The only thing I wish was different about the swing I had was having more to look at for baby. Mine only had a few hanging plush stars to look at, and it wasn’t enough to keep Dominic entertained for long. My swing was pretty basic, and I’ve been looking at some more high-tech ones that I may invest in for our next baby. It says it’s a compact baby swing but I didn’t really feel like it was that compact. Even though this swing wasn’t my favorite, I highly recommend a swing in general!
Baby Einstein Neptune’s Ocean Discovery Jumper
I absolutely loved this and so did Dominic! Once he learned how to jump in here there was no stopping him! I feel like it helped him build so much leg strength. He loved playing in this so much and it was so cute to watch him jump around and explore. The seat also swivels so he could turn around and play with all the different toys. This was his favorite toy for a long time!
Melissa & Doug Wooden Toy Chest – White
I really wanted a toy box that would look cute in my living room and this exactly what I wanted! It looks like a piece of furniture and goes so well with the rest of my decor. It’s very well made and very sturdy. The lid is easily opened and closed by my one year old and does not shut on him; it can stay open at any level. It’s very big and holds tons of toys!
VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker (Frustration Free Packaging)
Dominic has always wanted to be on the go, so he loves his activity walker! He loved being able to push it around before he could walk on his own. He still loves it now that he can walk. It’s also so entertaining to play with all of the activities on the front.
Folding Activity Center 3-in-1 Ball Pit/Trampoline
This toy is so much fun for Dominic. He loves sitting and playing in the ball pit. It’s so easily transformed into a little trampoline with a handle for him to hold onto while he jumps. It’s the perfect size for your living room/play room and is so much fun for little ones! The trampoline can be used until about age 4. So many toys get out grown so quickly but I love that this will grow with Dominic!
Fisher-Price Little People Caring For Animals Farm Set
Dominic LOVES his farm set. It’s so cute watching him play with the animals and pressing the buttons to hear the music and farmer talking. This set helps him learn animal sounds, caring for animals, and motor skills. I love playing with this farm with him!
For Outside:
Chicco® Bravo® Primo Trio Travel System
I absolutely love this carseat stroller combo. The carseat has two different newborn inserts that you can take out as baby grows. The material is so nice. I also love that the carseat fits perfectly in the stroller. The stroller itself folds up so easily and is great quality. It has two cupholders up front by baby with a little snack tray and two cupholders for you up top. The handle is adjustable and the storage space down below is very big. I’ll be honest; I didn’t know I was registering for such a high end combo. There are many Chicco options that aren’t as expensive. But if you are wanting to spend the money to get a really great seat/stroller combo, I highly recommend this one.
Step2 Wild Whirlpool Water Table
We just got Dominic this for his 1st birthday and he is loving it! It’s so great to fill this with water and let him splash around outside on a hot day. You can also play with it inside and fill the tub with dry beans or pasta! (When they are the appropriate age of course). I know this will be a toy that he will love for many summers to come.
