Receta Top 10 Must-Have Baby Items: Birth to 3 Months
Top 10 Must-Have Baby Items: Birth to 3 Months
This list is not even close to being comprehensive when it comes to all of the things that we have and use, but these are definitely the ten that stick out as the most used and most-loved over these first few months. I’d love to hear what must-have’s you would add to this list, and especially anything for babies in the 3 to 6 month age range, since we’re just starting out there!
1. Aden + Anais Bamboo Swaddle Blankets – We had registered for the regular A+A muslin blankets, but received a set of the bamboo ones at our shower. They are quite possibly the softest blankets ever! We use them for everything – laying on the floor, wrapping up Joseph at the pediatrician, covering toes when he’s in his swing… they’re extremely versatile and did I say soft?!
2. Aquaphor – Joseph had some pretty rough patches of skin on his arms and legs and some dry skin on his forehead, and the pediatrician recommended Aquaphor. It works wonders and just a tiny bit goes a really long way. I’m pretty sure that tub is going to last me three years!
4. Bouncer chair – There are tons of different ones on the market, and I’m sure they’re pretty much all the same, but we have the Ingenuity Automatic Bouncer. This was an absolute lifesaver for the first couple of months! Joseph has reflux and for the longest time, he would scream if he laid flat on his back, and this was the only way we could get him to sleep.
5. Burp cloths, burp cloths and more burp cloths – We actually use cloth diapers as burp cloths and we go through A TON. They’re perfect for spit ups, drool, slobbery hands, etc. I keep a ton in baskets in both the nursery and our family room. This is especially a good idea if you have a Golden Retriever who tends to steal any that he sees sitting on the couch (AHEM).
6. Car seat cover – If you have a winter baby, I HIGHLY recommend a fleece car seat cover! We just took this off of our car seat a week ago; while it was freezing out, it was perfect for keeping Joseph warm and draft-free when we had to take him to the pediatrician.
7. Fisher Price play gym – Joseph started using this about a month ago and as soon as put him down the first time and he looked up, he broke out into a huge smile. It has a mode that only plays music and lights when he hits or kicks something, which is awesome. Once he realized the correlation, it was awesome to see him start kicking once the music stopped.
8. MAM pacifiers – We received an assortment of pacifiers between shower gifts and freebies and while Joseph doesn’t use one to sleep or even routinely for that matter, it does help him occasionally if he’s feeling fussy in the early evening. We tried a ton of different ones that didn’t work very well before discovering a freebie MAM starter pacifier that we had, and it worked like a charm! He seems to be able to keep these in his mouth easily and they do seem to calm him down if he’s mildly fussy.
9. Swing – Most people I know said that their baby either really loved or really hated their swing. Joseph is most definitely in the “love” camp… he still takes a ton of naps in there and he’ll sit in there very contently if there is something my husband and I both need to be doing. It doesn’t look like the one we have is sold anymore (this one is similar), but it’s awesome because the seat pivots so he can swing in multiple directions and it comes with lights and sounds and rotating stuffed animals that he’s loved to look at since he discovered them a couple of months ago!
10. Video monitor – We have a Motorola video monitor and I think it’s one of the best things we purchased. Joseph makes so many noises when he sleeps, so it’s awesome to be able to peek in and see if he’s really awake and upset or if he’s just stirring around in his sleep. More often than not, it’s the latter, which saves me from going into the nursery and potentially waking him up when he’s still sleeping.
BONUS: Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail – This thing is beyond awesome. We have one in the nursery and another one in our family room, which is where the majority of diaper changes take place. It’s incredibly easy to use and you can’t smell a single thing.