Being a new parent comes with all types of struggles. From lack of sleep to diaper sizes, doctor’s appointments, and colic, babies can throw a learning curve at any new parent. With all the changes that come with a baby, finding the right products to make your life easier with the baby can be the best way to cope with the new addition to your family.
If you are struggling with feedings, sleeping, play, or tummy time, here are some essential items you need that will make your life with a baby easier, letting you enjoy their milestones and moments, without struggling.
1. Receiving Blankets and Burp Cloths
As a new parent, you will most likely be gifted with multiple fuzzy and warm blankets, leading you to think you have enough to last, but those fuzzy blankets may not always be the best. Stocking up on receiving blankets and burp cloths will help you in many different situations. Babies are messy, from spit up to drooling, to spilled milk, to diaper explosions, you will be up to your ears in your little human messiness.
Always having a burp cloth or receiving blanket at your side will allow you to easily clean up these messes while saving those precious fuzzy and warm blankets for sleepy time. You may go through multiple burp cloths a day, so it is important to have more than you think you need. Not having enough will lead to having to do laundry every day, and that can be very challenging when you are home with a new baby.
Receiving blankets can also double as swaddle wraps for your newborns, so these items are essential to making your job easier taking care of the baby.
2. White Noise Machine
Having a white noise machine available for your baby will help them sleep better without so many distractions. While the baby is in the womb, they are in a very noisy environment. Sometimes entering this world and being left in complete silence will detrimentally affect their sleep and calmness. There are multiple cost-effective noise machines on the market, and this will make nap and sleepy time much easier for your new addition.
Having a noise machine playing will allow your baby to have a more peaceful sleep, and allow you to do what you need to do while they are taking their naps. These machines come in many different forms and price ranges, some with built-in night lights, others are portable for those families that are on the move. You are sure to find one that fits your baby’s needs and allows them a restful and peaceful sleep.
3. Bottles with Appropriate Nipples Shape and Flow
For bottle-feeding, you may think all nipples are created equally, but that is a common misconception. Ensuring you have the right flow for your baby will save them from uncomfortable gas and disrupted feedings from choking and gagging on milk.
Slow flow nipples are needed for newborn babies, so they aren’t overwhelmed by the milk. Slow flow nipples also reduce gas, which is a number one cause of fussiness in babies, and having the right flow for bottle-fed babies will make a huge difference in their comfort levels, and therefore their calmness.
4. Diaper Cart
Especially in the first few weeks of life, the baby will be spending a lot of time with Mom. If you have set up a diaper change table and a nursery, that’s great! However, the recommendation is to have babies sleeping in the parents’ room for the first few months. Having a bassinet beside the bed makes breastfeeding easier, and allows parents to rest while tending to the needs of a baby. Having a diaper changing cart with all the essentials close at hand will save you from having to go from room to room during late-night diaper changing, helping your little one sleep better and making it more convenient for parents.
A mobile diaper cart can also be great as you wake and move throughout the house in the daytime. Having all the diaper essentials close at hand is incredibly helpful if the baby has a blowout in the living room, allowing you to clean up the mess precisely where you are, rather than running to another room with a soiled baby in hand.
5. Baby Seats and Bouncers
Baby seats and baby bouncers are great items to have that allow parents to soothe their babies while still being able to have their hands free. Having a calming seat for your baby will allow you to make meals, eat, work, or fold the laundry. As babies get older and stay awake for longer periods, these seats can allow them to safely view their surroundings and start to play. When babies begin to sit and try to stand, a comfortable door bouncer can also be a great asset, as it allows the baby to happily and safely bounce, exercise their legs, and have some independent learning and playtime.
While jumpers and exersaucers are not for newborns, they will be of great help once a baby reaches the 6 to 9-month mark, staying awake longer, and are ready to play.
While these are just a few of the accessories that will make any parent’s life easier, they are the basics and a great place to start. You can never have enough help when it comes to welcoming a new baby home, and these items will make the transition much easier when you bring home a baby. The main thing to remember is to take care of yourself as a parent so that you can effectively take care of your child, so using any available items and aids to make that job easier are definitely worth it.
All parents will have different styles of parenting, and finding the accessories that are right for you and your family is key to a seamless transition when the baby comes home. Bringing a baby home is a time of beautiful memories, tiredness, emotions, and love, so utilize any items you can that will make your life easier, and revel in the joy and love of your new baby.
