What i didn't think I needed
*Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links; however, I only recommend what I’ve already tried and trust.
As a second time mom I thought I had everything down as far as baby needs. I was dead sent to not spend unnecessary money on baby 'essentials' that I really didn't need. I skipped over so many items that I didn't have with my first born that now that I have them, I couldn't picture life without them.
Having the right baby essentials will give you the tools you need to make motherhood that much more enjoyable.
Here I'll share must-haves items I didn't know I needed. Add these to your baby registry to make sure you are as prepared as you can be to make things go as smoothly as possible.
So first of all, have more than one registry. It gives people options on products and price. I chose amazon.com, Walmart and Target for my registry. I pretty much live on Amazon, not purposely it's just easier to buy what I want and have it in my hands so quickly. The best thing is they give you free stuff once you start making purchases on your registry.
I never got my gift from target, Walmart box was okay, it really only had a diaper, sample wipes, a sample of Dreft and a load of coupons, and milestone cards (which were fun to have), however amazon had two bottles, a baby blanket (that I love), sample of diaper rash ointment, nipple cream, and baby wash.
I used disposable breast pads with my first born and within the first week of having my second. It wasn't until I soaked an entire t-shirt that I realized I needed to save all the liquid gold I possibly could.
2. Haakaa
This goes hand in hand with the milk savers but with a twist. I use this while I nurse, when I'm out in public or in the car. It's so convenient to just use it all the time it was probably the best $12 I ever spent!
With my oldest I didn't have a bottle warmer, it never occurred to me to get one and she never took a bottle for me so I never needed it. When I had my second, I registered for one but never thought I'd actually use it. I had figured if I needed to warm her milk, I'd simply put her bottle in a cup of hot water, which worked okay, until I saw how quickly the bottle warmer worked and how convenient it was to keep it by my bedside for times I wanted to give her a bottle instead of nurse.
4. Wipe warmer
So, a wipe warmer was the absolute last thing I ever thought I'd buy. I figured it couldn't be that big of a deal, but having warm wipes on a baby makes a difference. Changing baby is already a challenge, but watching my daughter scream and try to get away once that cold wipe hit her butt vs how calm she was with the warmed wipes, made all the difference.
5. Pumping bra
I can't even remember how I got by pumping without a pumping bra. It's beyond easier than holding the flanges the entire pump session.
6. Baby wrap
The ideal thing to do would be to put baby down for a nap or in a chair and get things done around the house. Realistically that baby is only going to stay down for a small amount of time. It was so much easier to have her strapped to my chest or back while trying to cook and clean, and she would fall asleep within minutes of being in the wrap.
7. Baby Bullet
So, the big difference between the baby bullet and a blender that I noticed wasn’t a big difference, however, the baby bullet came with containers and extra storage that normal blenders don’t.
The bullet steamer is what I honestly couldn’t live without. Yes, you can boil the foods prior to blending them, but you don’t want to boil out the vitamins and nutrients within the foods. The steamer is quick and I know my baby is getting all the nutrients she needs.
9. Nail File
Baby nails can be a dangerous thing, they scratch themselves they scratch you and worst of all trying to clip a sleeping baby's nails is like trying not to wake a hungry lion. It's much easier to file their tiny nails down, especially since clipping their nails leave jagged edges, and if you're breastfeeding, you'll appreciate it!
I started off with the regular microwave bottle sterilizer, which is great, however waiting for the bottles to dry was a headache, and for some reason it left a white film on my baby's bottles, which even after continuous cleaning would always appear. Another huge difference was I would have to sanitize in batches because the microwave sanitizer only holds a few items at a time and the Breeza holds so much more. This meant I could sanitize all my bottles and pump pieces together, which cut down cleaning time tremendously, and you don’t burn your hands from the steam.
Keep in mind this isn't a complete list, I do have another post of Baby Registry Essentials. These are the products I didn't know I needed, and had no intention on purchasing, but so happy I did.
I hope this can be a helpful start for everyone to read.
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