Mom’s Favorite Baby Products
Let’s talk baby products. I’ve spent endless hours researching baby products ranging from diapers all the way to college applications (kidding.. kind of). Anyways one of the most stressful things about baby products with my first was that I was clueless. I bought all of the products I saw advertised online, and half of them we didn’t even use. This time around I did my research and found products that were practical and perfect for our lifestyle. Below you will find some of my favorite baby products – some that are essentials and some that were my splurge items. I have even included links to purchase if you are interested.
My absolute must have baby item is a Hope & Plum ring sling. You can’t spoil a newborn! They are meant to be held and loved on. Ring slings help you do that but also keep your hands free! Hope & Plum is a momma owned company and fosters an amazing community! They have a VIP group on Facebook where you can get all of the inside information and connect with other moms! This company empowers babywearing caregivers! Please check them out!
Skip Hop Play Mat – This is one of my favorite baby products. It is a soft place to lay baby down with toys that are attached. My boys both have loved this mat & I love that the toys are detachable and so are the bars. I pop this outside and we all enjoy an afternoon out on the deck!
Sound Machine – This is one of my essential items. It is a portable sound machine and I’m not kidding when I say we take it everywhere. It has a nifty ring to secure in the car or hang from the crib. We brought this along to Florida this past month and it was one of the things that helped us remain calm in the hotel and during the 9 hour car ride. I love this specific one because it has a long lasting charge and is small enough to keep in my purse when out.
On the go baby dome – Well I sure wish that I had this with my first. It is so much smaller than a pack and play (which you actually wont find on my list at all). This baby dome folds flat and makes it easy to travel with. It comes with a screen that covers the whole playpen creating shade and keeping bugs out. It is my back porch essential this summer because it creates a safe and entertaining space to set down the baby while I chase the toddler.
Miss Fong – Okay, you cant go wrong with any of the Miss. Fong products and I have a few friends who can vouch for that as well (I mean there are multiple of us who walk into church every week with the same bag). Seriously love both of these! I used the fanny pack (yup back in style!) while in Disney and it was amazing! I was able to keep my valuables on me at all times and never had to take it off for rides. I have had the diaper bag for over a year now and it shows no sign of use. The other thing about Miss. Fong products is that they are backed with a warranty and customer service is amazing.
Baby Jogger – Okay hear me out on this one. I know this is an expensive stroller, but I put it into my essentials category and here is why: durable, compact, grows with your family. If you are going to splurge on one item I suggest this be it. This stroller starts as a single, but you can add a second seat and then a roller board. The wheels are durable and make for a very smooth ride. It also is very compatible with most infant car seats. This is the stroller we took to Disney and we were able to pack all of our purses, diaper bags, water bottles, snacks and everything else in the bottom of the stroller and we also were able to attach a seat and car seat at the same time. I rave about this stroller to everyone. I have linked two options below. The older model of the baby jogger is on amazon for a great deal, but the LUX version does fold more compact. This is the one stroller that will fit your family from the start!
Dock a tot – This is totally a splurge item – but for us it has been one of my favorite baby products this time around! We love to use it at night when we are lounging in the living room, or if we have to travel to a hotel. This is a compact comfort item that we take with us!
Owlet – For some people this is an essential, but for us it was a splurge item (or rather I found a great deal on FB marketplace item). I use this every night. It gives a summary of the nights statistics, but my favorite part of this is seeing the sleep tracker. I can’t tell you how often I woke up feeling exhausted thinking I was up 23 times that night. I started using the owlet to see the sleep pattern my son was following. Now I’m able to see how often he wakes as well as have peace of mind that something is monitoring him. We haven’t had a single false alarm or issues with monitoring at all. The link to amazon below will let you read other people reviews!
Baby Monitor – We didn’t have one with my first, or not a fancy one with a camera anyways. We room shared until my son was 9 months old and by that time I was comfortable with just a sound monitor. Oh and my husband bought some cheap cameras from amazon. This time I was admit that I wanted a camera. It was hard enough trying to spy on my first son during nap time (I had to login to an app every time I wanted to check on him) and I knew with two that was going to be even more difficult. This is the camera we went with, but honestly any with good reviews will do!
Slumberkins – Okay here is a fun one! We love our Slumberkins Jellyfish. It is the only toy so far that our infant will take! Not to mention big brother steals it too. These collections are wonderful and teach mindfulness to children. Each of the Slumberkins has a different story and you can read all about them on their website!
Tubby Todd – We love their products! The best part is that they have a wonderful rewards program! Sign up for their loyalty program and you can earn yourself a $5 coupon before you even make a purchase!
Nuby – We love all of the Nuby products that we have tried so far, and that is a pretty long list! These products are easy to find at Target, Walmart and Amazon! I have linked a few of my absolute favorites below!
Swaddles – A lot of moms I know will say that their baby hates the swaddle (those moms probably are not Taking Cara Baby graduates) Swaddles are a must have in our house. They have kept our baby calm and helped with sleep. My only issue with swaddles is that you have to wean off of them. I have heard great things about the Ollie swaddle but we have not tried that. I have linked below the two brands of swaddles that we love.
Hand Sanitizer – Touchland is my favorite hand sanitizer! It’s easy to use and doesn’t dry your hands. With a baby that was born a few weeks early during flu season I lived on this stuff.
Bottles – Okay so I feel like I went crazy with bottles with our first son! We tried like 13 different bottles. This time around we primarily breastfeed and supplement with a bottle every so often. The one bottle that was recommend over and over again for breastfeeding moms was como tomo. To me the investment was worth it since we primarily breastfeed and didn’t need a ton of bottles. Even if we stop breastfeeding and switch to bottles I’ll continue with these. To me I would rather have a few good quality bottles that last rather than cheaper ones that wear down quickly.
Last but not least – I have to rave about the entire target line of Cloud Island products! We use their diapers, diaper cream, wipes, and all purpose balm. These products are more affordable than some other brands but work very well. The diapers happen to be the only ones this infant wont blow though. The Cloud Island clothing line is amazing as well. So if you were looking for another reason to head to Target this is your excuse!
* Some of the links above are amazon affiliate links. This means that while it is not any additional cost to you I may earn a small commission from the products.