Recently, I've had several conversations with pregnant friends about just how much
stuff there is for babies. You have the essentials: diapers, wipes, crib, clothes, etc.. but what about all that other stuff, is it really worth it, or is it just a waste of space? Well here's my list of my top 8 favorite (non-essential) baby items for 0-3 months!
1. Boppy Pillow
The boppy pillow is advertised as a nursing pillow, which it definitely does the job. I definitely prefered the boppy over it's large competitor, the my breastfriend. I felt like it was more comfortable for both me and Ilyana. However if the boppy was only good for nursing it wouldn't have made this list. As it turns out, the boppy pillow can be used for so many other things! At Ilyana's age, she loves to use the boppy to be propped up on her back, use it for tummy time, and even be cradled in the center hole to take a snooze! As she gets older she'll be able to continue to use it to have support while sitting too. The boppy has so many different uses which definitely makes it worth it.
2. Summer infant swaddleme
It's the middle of the night, you're running on 2 hours of sleep, and you just finished feeding and changing your little bundle of joy, can you still successfully swaddle your little one? If so, I'm impressed, especially as they get bigger and stronger! Ilyana LOVES to be swaddled so the swaddleme has been a life saver. It's the perfect thickness to keep her warm but not let her overheat and it's super easy to use. We originally tried out the woombie but found that it was really tight around her neck which made us nervous. The swaddleme is tight enough to keep her otherwise flailing arms contained but loose enough that it's not like a straight-jacket. And as an added bonus, she ends up looking like a cute little baby burrito!
3. Sound Machine
When a baby is in the womb there is constant noise, the sound of your heartbeat, the amniotic fluid swishing around, even your voice. Now that they are out of the womb, having things that remind them of the comfort and safety of their past home helps to relax and comfort them. We have used a sound machine in Ilyana's room since day one and I really think it has helped her to be a good sleeper. Not only does the sound comfort her, but it drowns out background noises as well. The sound machine we have is the "mybaby soundspa". It works great as a sound machine, you can set a timer or have it run all night and it has 6 different sounds to pick from (we prefer rainstorm). My only beef with this specific machine is the projector. It was really neat the first few nights and Ilyana loved to look at it, but the projector portion quit working after a week of using it.
4. Layette gowns
Technically this is clothing, but I feel that these gowns have definitely earned their spot on this list. Diaper changes in the middle of the night usually consist of one eye half open, the other eye still shut trying to sleep. I can not imagine trying to correctly button, whilst keeping kicking feet in a onsie in the middle of the night. These wonderful little gowns are definitely a lifesaver. They come in both boy and girl patterns so either gender can wear them, and they are usually long so a baby can continue to wear them for several months. Another added bonus is they usually have sleeves that you can flip over and cover up their razor sharp little finger nails so they don't cut themselves at night.
5. Activity gym
Babies need to stretch out and work their limbs to develop the muscles necessary for rolling, crawling, and eventually walking. An activity gym is the perfect toy to help with this. Ilyana has loved her activity gym since she was just a few weeks old. She loved to just lay there, squirm and just look at all the colorful objects hanging down. Now that she's a little bit bigger she's working on grabbing and batting at the toys. The activity gym has been great for entertaining her while I shower or get chores done. The activity gym we bought was the infantino grow-with-me activity gym. As Ilyana gets bigger and is able to sit on her own, we will be able to put up the sides and make it a ball pit! We really love having an activity gym!
6. Bouncer seat
A baby bouncer seat is a lifesaver. We've gotten pretty lucky with having a pretty chill baby, but there are still some days when she just doesn't want to be put down, but sometimes mommy needs to go to the bathroom, or eat, or get blood flowing back in her arms and the bouncer usually keeps Ilyana content for at least a little while. The one we have vibrates and plays music too so it's not only comfortable for her to sleep in, but it's fun to play in too! Ilyana loves to bat at the little dangling sheep. Another added benefit of the bouncer has been that it's an easy way to keep Ilyana sitting up right after eating to help with her not spitting up. I will say that as she is getting a little bit older we aren't using the bouncer as much, however it was definitely really helpful in the beginning!
7. Fisher-Price Sit me up
We just got this today, but as you can tell, it was an instant hit! Ilyana LOVES to sit upright, but she isn't quite strong enough to sit by herself yet so I really wanted to find a chair that she could sit in. I had found a bumbo seat at a consignment sale but after reading
this post by a pediatric physical therapist about how bad the bumbo is for a babies development I knew I needed to find something else. After lots of research and recommendations we finally decided on the Fisher-Price sit me up. It's perfect for babies who love to sit and have decent head control but maybe can't sit by themselves yet. It has a little tray, toys, and little squeakers that make noise when the baby kicks them. Not only is it fun, but it's a great opportunity for her to work on her neck muscles! It was super easy to put together and folds up nicely to take it places too! I definitely recommend the Fisher-Price sit me up!
8. Video baby monitor
A regular, sound-only, baby monitor can definitely do it's job, however I have LOVED having a video monitor. Although they are a little more expensive, it is so nice to be able to just peak in on Ilyana while she's sleeping without having to worry about waking her with opening or closing her door. It's also really helpful to be able to look in at her to see if she's just making noises in her sleep or if she's actually starting to wake up. Another benefit to the video monitor will be when she's a little older so I can see what she's doing during nap time. The video monitor we have has a button that allows us to use it like a walkie talkie. This feature could be really handy in the future!
Do you have any baby items you love? What do you love about them?
