**I received free product and compensation from VTech in return for doing this post. However, all opinions are my own.
Happy 1 month to my sweet baby boy Colby! I can’t believe how lucky we are to have him in our lives!
I think the instant you become a mother you start to worry. At least I did. Long before the baby was born I worried about something happening and me losing the pregnancy, worried about if I was eating the right foods for him, worried about him being born healthy. Now that he is here there is just a whole new onslaught of worries. Is he eating enough, will he sleep safely through the night, etc. And I’m sure as he continues to grow those worries will too.
As a worrying mother I want(ed) to make sure I have the best products to make baby’s life (and mine) easy and of course to keep baby boy safe.
Here are eight of my favorite baby products that I have really grown to love:
1. Baby carrier. There are a lot of different baby carriers that are great. Whether you get a wrap, a sling or a carrier; they will allow you to hold your baby close while keeping your hands and arms free so you can still get stuff done around the house. We figured out Colby (and I) likes the Ergobaby carrier and falls asleep within minutes of being put in so I can do laundry and the dishes and whatever else needs to be done all while holding my baby close.
2. Comfortable rocker/recliner. We put a rocking recliner in the baby’s nursery and it is seriously a lifesaver. It is so comfortable to sit in during all the late night feedings, rocking baby boy to sleep, and I’ve even slept in it a time or two as well.
4. Diaper pail. We have a Diaper Genie, and it has been so nice not to have to take stinky diapers outside every time we change Colby’s diapers. We can just toss them in the genie, and usually go a few days before the Diaper Genie gets full and we need to take it outside. It totally keeps in any smells too.
5. Diaper bag. A good diaper bag is essential. Every mom will need a nice and big diaper bag (with lots of pockets) that allow her to carry lots of extra diapers, wipes, pacifiers, bottles and anything else the baby might need when on an outing. I got one that I think is cute too so that I don’t feel extra frumpy when we’re out and about.
5. A good breast pump. If you plan on breast feeding, a good pump will be a life saver for you. It will allow your baby to enjoy the benefits of breast milk when you’re not around – which means that your husband (or others) can enjoy the tenderness of feeding your baby, and more importantly that you can take time away from your baby to run errands, go back to work, or just enjoy a little time to yourself.
6. Bottle warmer. I try to breast feed Colby as much as possible, but its nice that Nate can occasionally feed him or we can grab a bottle on the go, so our bottle warmer is so nice to have! Instead of waiting to boil hot water for the bottle or running it under hot tap water, which both take so long, we can have a warm bottle for baby in just about 3 minutes.
7. Stroller/Car seat combo. Stroller and car seat combos are nice because they allow you to quickly transfer your baby from your car to the stroller when you are taking them around. This way when I go to the grocery store baby is safe in our stroller (but I didnt have to wake him up by transferring him out of his car seat – he always seems to fall asleep in the car) and I can maneuver him around the store quickly and safely.
8. VTech Safe and Sound Color Video and Audio Monitor. Colby has his own bedroom down the hall from ours and he has slept in there since we brought him home from the hospital. Having the VTech Video & Monitor has been amazing because this allows me to hear him crying when he wakes up during his naps or at night (with night vision! It just turns black and white instead of color).
And having the video is so great because sometimes he will grunt and groan in his sleep or even have a short cry, but then he falls right back asleep, so I can check the monitor and double check if he is actually awake or asleep to see if I need to get him or not. This allows me to make sure all is okay with him without having to go in his room and worry about disturbing him and waking him up when he is still sleeping.
I can take the monitor wherever I go around the house, whether I’m cooking in the kitchen, or even sitting outside enjoying the beautiful summer sun (It has a range of 1000 feet!). The system also has a two way talk so I can talk to him to try to calm him down a little before I can get in to him. Another great thing about this monitor and camera is it can pan 270 degrees side to side and tilt 124 degrees up and down so we can move the camera around and see the whole room. So as Colby grows up and starts to move around his crib (and eventually his room during play time) I’ll still be able to check in on him and make sure everything is okay. The camera also has a thermometer attached that shows the temperature on the monitor, and we can set an alarm to go off if the temperature in the baby’s room gets too hot or too cold (but I have noticed that the temperature shows a few degrees higher than it actually is, but as long as you know that its easy to compensate)
And I’ll admit, I even sometimes check the monitor during the day while he is sleeping – he’s just so peaceful and adorable in there and I don’t want to miss any of the sweet moments in his life!
(I mean, who wouldn’t want to stare at this cute face all day long?)
So these are the things that we have found so helpful in our first month of having a newborn, and I know they will stay super useful throughout our time with an infant. Am I missing anything from the list? Anything we need to buy, that will make our lives with a baby even easier in the future?
What are your must have baby products?
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Kristina says
Fantastic list!
LeAnn says
That is the coolest baby monitor I have ever seen.
Alli Miller @ Cupcake Diaries says
That monitor is amazing! I need a new one. This one looks great. One of my baby must-haves is a little vibrating chair for the baby. Ours saved my life with both my boys!
littletipsyblog says
I’ve never had a video monitor. I would love to try one! Especially for when they are a little bigger and start to move around.
Brooke @ Silver Lining says
What a great list! And that baby monitor looks pretty cool too 🙂