Before Gene was born I didn't have a lot of help picking out baby items. In fact, when I went to the store to create a gift registry, I didn't even know what a lot of the products were for. Many of them seemed like a huge waste of money and I didn't bother trying them out. There were a few, however, that I ultimately purchased and fell in love with.
Here is a list of products we have tried and loved during our time as parents, as well as a couple that we're looking forward to trying out with this baby.
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Boppy Pillow -- Initially I thought the Boppy was going to be a waste of money. After all, we had perfectly good pillows at our house that I could use. Someone bought me one and I decided I would give it a shot. I absolutely loved it. It helped me hold Gene at just the right height for breastfeeding. Even better, it kept my incision site from my c-section protected. I didn't realize just how much I loved my Boppy until we traveled over the holidays and I didn't have it. With Baby #2 it will be one of the first things I pack!
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Homedics SoundSpa Lullaby Sounds & Projection -- When we first brought Gene home we had a little giraffe that played soothing sounds. The problem was that it only stayed on for 20 minutes before it shut off. It was also battery-operated. This didn't fit our needs, so I went off in search of something different.
Enter the SoundSpa from Homedics. This little machine has been a life-saver. You have the choice of running it on battery power or plugging it into the wall. Not only that, but you can use it with or without the timer. You can choose between six different sounds -- three nature and three lullabies.
This product seriously helped our family sleep better at night. We no longer use the projector, but we do set the timer for an hour to help Gene settle down at night.
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Levana Safe n'See Advanced video monitor -- This was another product we decided was a total waste of money. We didn't want to be those parents who just sat and stared at their baby over the monitor all night long. Then Gene started talking and crying in his sleep for no reason whatsoever. I was dragging my sleep-deprived self to his room night after night, only to discover he was asleep. His baby spidey-sense alerted him to my presence and he would end up waking up.
We'd had enough. We bought this last September and never looked back. Now I can see if he is actually awake before getting out of my comfy bed. It has also provided us with hours of entertainment as we see his silly sleep positions.
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NoseFrida -- This is not a product we had with Gene. I was not familiar with it until several months ago. When the photo of the moldy bulb nasal aspirator began circulating the Internet, I decided to look into the NoseFrida. I wanted to know how it actually worked. Several videos later, I was convinced.
Fortunately, Gene never had a lot of runny noses as an infant. When you add a second baby into the mix, though, germs are bound to be shared.
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aden + anais Muslin Swaddles -- We were not very good at swaddling when Gene was a newborn. We had a stack of flannel receiving blankets that never seemed large enough for our tiny baby. A few months later I started hearing about these amazing swaddles from aden + anais. I filed the info away in my mind for future babies. Once we knew were expecting again, I immediately decided I needed some of these awesome swaddles.
I already have a few of these in my possession. At 47"x47", these are big enough to comfortably swaddle any newborn. Straight out of the package they are soft, with promises that they continue to soften up as you wash them. Being made of muslin, they will keep the baby warm without overheating her. This is fantastic considering we are due in August.
What are your must-have products for babies?
