I remember walking into Buy Buy Baby, pregnant with our first child. To say that I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. I wanted to immediately turn around and walk out as fast as I possibly could.
Thankfully, a dear friend of ours gave us a list of her favorite go-to baby items. I do not know what we would have done without that list! Did we purchase everything she recommended? No, but it was an amazing guide that helped us when trying to navigate what to purchase and register for.
With all that said, everyone (and I mean everyone) will have an opinion and give you advice on what bottles to use, how to parent, and which type of organic only bento box you should send your child to school, but take it all with a pinch of salt. Just trust your own instincts. You know what is best for your baby and lifestyle.
With that said, that doesn’t mean some anecdotal advice on which snap & go isn’t a complete chore to unfold and put in your car trunk can’t be useful . . . . So here it goes.
BREAST FEEDING PILLOW
My Breast Friend will, in fact, be your best friend while you are breast feeding. It is a game changer. The pillow wraps around your body securely and provides the baby with a comfortable place to rest while he or she is feeding.
Side note: I had trouble breastfeeding with both of my girls. With my second, I finally went to Harris Hospital Downtown and did a consultation with their breastfeeding specialists. (I definitely recommend doing this, even if you are not struggling.) They even used My Breast Friend.
STROLLERS
Buy Buy Baby has all of their strollers available for a test drive. I recommended going there and playing with them to see which one best fits your needs. If you know someone with a baby, see if you can borrow him or her because the stroller will ride differently with a baby in tow.
My favorite everyday stroller is the simple stroller frame. When your baby is little, I recommend using a simple stroller frame for every day, quick-and-easy errands. Since we have the Chicco car seat, we got the Chicco Keyfit Caddy Stroller Frame. It is sturdy and very easy to work.
The BOB Revolution Flex Stroller is my favorite stroller by far. It is a little bulky, but you will not find a smoother ride. It is great for walks, runs, and outings like trips to the zoo. We have the single and the dualie and have never had problems with either trying to fit through the doorways. It can be tight with the double at some places, but we still fit.
Side note: If you have a second child and do not want to purchase a double stroller, this Lascal BuggyBoard Maxi Standing Platform Stroller Attachment is amazing! We just bought it a month ago when we were traveling to San Antonio, and it was an awesome investment. It makes the stroller a little difficult to navigate, but it keeps my toddler contained. She also thinks it is pretty much the coolest thing ever.
BABY MONITOR
The Motorola Remote Wireless Video Baby Monitor is so nice to have. You can put baby to bed and then go sit in the hot tub with a glass of wine with your monitor in tow. It gives you the comfort of knowing that everything is okay. This particular monitor allows you to move the screen around the room and talk to your child if needed. We obviously did not use that feature when our oldest was a baby, but it has come in handy now that she is older. If she isn’t sleeping or has had a bad dream, we can talk to her through the monitor.
DIAPER BAG
My Petunia Picklebottom diaper bag was my first purchase when we found out that we were pregnant. I like this bag for many reasons, but one of my favorite reasons is how it converts into a backpack. I never have enough hands, and I love being able to have the option to just wear it. It is also incredibly durable. I have had mine for more than two years and it still looks new.
We also have a Timi and Leslie diaper bag. These are great bags too and look more like a purse, which is a nice feature. It comes with some great accessories and is very spacious.
DIAPERS
We use diapers from The Honest Company and LOVE them. You can purchase these now at Target and Buy Buy Baby, however, I find purchasing them through The Honest Company directly is the best. You can purchase the bundle and they will send you diapers and wipes directly to your front door. What is there not to love about that?! Not only are these diapers eco-friendly, hypoallerginc, and disposable, but also they have the cutest prints (that change with the seasons).
Regardless of what you end up choosing, I recommend looking at Consumer Reports and Amazon reviews before making some of your big purchases. Both of these were very helpful resources for us.
What is your favorite baby product(s) that you could not live without?
