Most used baby products in the first year
It is hard to believe little Westley is ONE! It feels like we really survived. I know there are sweet and hard parts about each stage but I feel such a sense of accomplishment having gotten through (and enjoyed! and soaked in! and survived) the first year with baby Westley. In some ways he is just such an angelic, dreamy little baby. But he was also one of the worst sleepers I’ve ever heard of. He is also a third child. And half of his life was in the year 2020. So this August feels like an accomplishment.
After three kids, these are the things we used the most during the past 12 months. A lot of them are repeats from baby #1 and #2 and some are new/new-to-us products.
(Apparently I have strong opinions about swaddles and baby pajamas)
Our most used baby products in baby’s first year:
Ollie swaddle:
Of all the swaddles we’ve tried, this is my favorite (second favorite is the Halo Sleepsack Swaddle). I love that it allows for middle of the night diaper changes without unwrapping the baby. I also love that it is lightweight and doesn’t require putting the baby’s arms through the sleepsack (like the halo does) so it is much easier to swaddle a baby regardless of what they’re wearing. The velcro and stretch also help to get a very tight swaddle. It is pricey for a swaddle but our most used baby item.
Runner up: Halo Sleepsack Swaddle
Bond’s Australian Pajamas:
A friend gifted us a few pairs of these before Westley was born and they are phenomenal. They are soft and super stretchy which make getting baby changed so easy. I love that they zip from the bottom so you don’t have to undress for a diaper change. They also have fold over fabric for hands and feet which mean they will grow with your baby AND keep your little one from scratching themselves. I cannot recommend these enough.
(there are a couple prints available on Amazon here)
MAM pacifiers:
We switched to MAM pacifiers after I read a few negative things about the standard Phillips Avent green soothies we were given in the hospital. We are still big fans of these and I really liked how similar they are to the nipple of the MAM bottles. It seemed to make bottle feeding easier when we transitioned to these (and maybe it made the pacifier more soothing?).
shop MAM pacifiers here
boppy pillow:
This was nice for feeding but also I used it for lounging. t worked like a Doc-a-tot for us (at a much cheaper price) and he loved feeling safe + secure in this during the day.
alternative: Doc-a-tot
Babyletto mini crib on wheels:
We went with this portable mini-crib for Westley’s bed because I wanted to be able to roll it around to different rooms. It was especially nice when we sleep trained him on the other side of the house from the kids and I could just roll the crib back to his room in the morning for naps and such.
white noise machine:
We use this for every nap and every night’s sleep. White noise helps baby stay asleep and is a great cue that it is time to sleep. With the other kids we used this app on an old ipad but this $20 white noise machine works better and I don’t have to worry about it being charged.
Shop the $20 white noise machine we use here
baby brezza:
THIS IS MY HOLY GRAIL baby product this time around. We had one nursing session in the hospital with Westley and then moved straight to formula (a very good decision for us). I thought the baby brezza was a bit indulgent but after using the one we found on facebook marketplace for a week, both Ben and I agreed we’d pay full price for one in a heartbeat. This is so convenient and saves a lot of time. It made for very easy middle of the night feeds and meant never waiting for the water to run warm. If you are formula feeding at all I HIGHLY recommend this.
pampers pure wipes:
With my older two kids we always switched from regular pampers wipes to Water Wipes whenever they started developing a diaper rash and it would clear right up. Pampers Pure are almost as pure as Water Wipes at a better price point and Westley has not had a single diaper rash. It could be a coincidence but he has pretty similar skin to baby Lincoln so I attribute it to the wipes. These are also great for wiping hands, noses and surfaces when you’re out and about.
put these on amazon subscription and never run out
ergo baby 360 carrier:
We got a new Ergo baby carrier with this baby and I love it even more than the older version we had for Lincoln. I use it around the house when Westley wants to be held and I need to get things done, I wear it on walks, and it is really great for when I need to get Westley to nap on the go.
britax b ready stroller and infant carseat:
This is the same double stroller we got when Adelaide was born 4 years ago and it is still going strong. It isn’t as nice as the Uppababy but it is a much better price point for a great stroller. I love how compact it is for a double stroller. We have no complaints.
Shop britax b-ready stroller and b-safe carseat here
Doorway Jumper:
Another hand-me-down from the older kids that is still in regular rotation. This is Westley’s favorite baby product. He has spent so many hours bouncing in this and it brings him so much joy (or at least makes him giggle a lot). We usually have it set up in the kitchen and he’d bounce through dinner from 4-7 months. Now that he’s old enough to eat solids in a highchair, we save the bouncer for when I’m cleaning up, coloring with the big kids, or just getting things done around the house. Highly, highly recommend this. It has also held up really well for a lot of use through three kids.
4moms Mamaroo:
I am one of the moms who swears by a mamaroo. We borrowed one when Lincoln was born, we worked with 4moms after Adelaide was born and received a complimentary mamaroo, and this time I went out and bought one full price when Westley was two weeks old. It was worth every penny for us. We used it during the day when Westley was just hanging out. I also swear by it when babies are congested. I change the reclining position so baby is almost fully upright and have them near a humidifier in the mamaroo.
ikea high chair:
Nothing fancy but now that Westley is older we are using this each day and it is very easy to wipe down.
nose freida:
We bought another one of these to use again with baby Westley. He HATES when we use it but it clears his nose better than anything else which means everyone gets more sleep.
humidifier:
Another piece of the “when baby is congested” set-up that has been really helpful. You might not think of a humidifier as a typical baby purchase but do yourself a favor and have one of these on hand so you don’t have to scramble for one when baby gets the sniffles.
order the humidifier we use here
