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For the Love of Food

My Top 5 Baby Items and Ideas for New Parents

September 27, 2015 8 Comments

23 shares
  • 1
My sweet Stella Rose, who was born in April, is growing fast! She is a giggly, smiley baby and has brought so much joy to our family. But to my surprise, she is very different from her sister as a baby.
I thought I was prepared with pacifiers, a carseat, a bassinet, and swaddles and this one didn’t care for any of them. Ava had to be swaddled to sleep for her first 4-5 months. She loved riding in the car. She slept in her bassinet all night long after a couple weeks and she was hooked on her paci. Stella not so much. Stella loves bathes where Ava didn’t. Stella is a light sleeper. Ava wasn’t. Stella moves and wiggles, Ava was the opposite again. I’ve said all this to make the point that every baby is different. Who knows what they may prefer until you meet them and learn their personality. I put together this Top 5 list of items I recommend for babies and I would love to hear what your kiddos liked too in the comments!

1. Minbie Bottles

www.minbie.com
Minbie bottle teats promote the all-important instinctive breastfeeding technique, so if you switch between breast and bottle, your baby’s natural breastfeeding technique can remain undamaged.To help you, we have created Minbie which is a teat designed to support your newborn’s instinctive breastfeeding technique. This means that when newborns feed from Minbie they practice the instinctive latch and feeding-action for nurturing breastfeeding. This is a significant breakthrough in matching breast and bottle-feeding techniques and preventing feeding-confusion.
I waited the standard 2 weeks after my baby was born to give her a pumped bottle, in hopes that it would not cause nipple confusion. She is exclusively breastfed but I like to pump bottles so my husband can feed her and I can have a bottle on hand when we travel. 
She took right to the Minbie bottle, even trying to hold it. She had no problems latching and drank the whole bottle in gulps! We have used our Minbie bottle numerous times since and I really enjoy the shape of the small plastic bottle and the natural shaped bottle nipple. I am happy to say my daughter is an excellent eater- whether nursing or drinking a pumped bottle! 
Thanks Mimbie for a great product! 
I received this product for review.  My opinions are my own. 

2. Ergo Carriers and Moby Wraps

Babywearing for the win! 
Since having Ava three years ago I have been a huge fan of babywearing {aka wearing your baby/child in a carrier}. I still use my two favorites from when Ava was a baby with Stella. Both are available for purchase online and at Target, Marshalls, Babies R Us, and more!
 
 My Moby Wrap, which I like best for colder months {since it can get hot} and when the baby is smaller, newborn to 6 months. You can wearing it many different ways and the baby is snuggly and securly wrapped up.
My Ergo Carrier is my favorite all around carrier. You can wear it on the front {baby facing in}, on the side hip. or on your back when they are toddlers. It has a hood for covering baby from the sun and it is padded, comfy, and pretty darn cute! You can buy add ons like an infant insert, pouches/bags, and suck pads. I definitely recommend it for parents looking for a reliable carrier to use for a while since it can be used up to age 4! 
Babywearing Portraits by Sweet Rose.
The family that babywears together, stays together!
 
 
Family babywearing pictures by Jenny Laura Photography.

3. Personalized Clothes and Hats

There is nothing more adorable than sweet little babies in custom embroidered and printed clothes!
Monograms are cute but I just love having the girls’ names on their hats and clothes.
Baby Chefs Hat from Shannon’s Sewing Shop.
“Stella” printed romper bought secondhand. 
“Stella” printed newborn hat from Etsy Store: PiratesandPeonies 
My little sleeping Army babe. 
Army name hat from Etsy. 
Portraits by Sweet Rose and Tiffany Hess.

4. The Blooming Bath

 
Sweet Stella’s first bath was filled with coos and smiles mostly because she was comfy and cozy sitting in her Blooming Bath.
We had a regular plastic baby tub with Ava but I found this Blooming Bath for Stella and love it!
It’s bendable, soft, and made of a terrycloth material. It can be thrown in the dryer after you use it and it’s cute enough to use for photo ops too! 
www.bloomingbath.com
How tiny my little one was during her first bath!
4 months old already?! The Blooming Bath is great for pictures too! 

5. Baby Crafts

We all get that nesting urge when we’re preggers and I had it bad with both girls!
I tried to make the same crafts for Stella as I did for Ava and I love these special mementos that we will keep for many years! You can see more of my crafts here: Crafty Corner.
Hands down my favorite baby craft are signed baby onesies.
I iron one letters to a plain colored onesie, add some jewels or a flower to dress it up, and bring along a pack of fabric markers. I have the doctors, nurses, and our visitors sign it for the new baby. Then it gets hung up in a shadowbox in the babies room!
Shadowboxes are a easy way to display memorable items.
 I made a hospital shadowbox for each of my girls. 
I included the signed onesie, along with the baby hat and shirt from the hospital, 
their baby bracelets and an ultrasound picture or footprint. 

Some other baby products I love:

Muslin Blankets, like these from Aden and Anais, are great for swaddling, nursing, changing, you name it! I always pack a few where ever we go! 
Portable fans are a must in the summertime here! They’re battery powered and they clip 
to the car seat or stroller handle. Cool that baby down!
Also pictured: portable sound machine. We use this, which places white noise rain and water sounds, all the time in the carseat, crib, and swing and Stella, just like Ava, calms right down. 
I just love, love these knit crowns! 
Stella outgrew hers pretty fast so I have to reorder soon {order a size or two up}.
Find them on Etsy or Instagram. 
Boppy pillows are the bomb. 
I use ours for nursing and for propping the baby on for pictures, tummy time, and sitting. 
I recommend taking with you to the hospital for when you first have the baby.
www.boppy.com
Swaddles and Sleepsacks, like this one by Summer, are a lifesaver if you have a
 wiggle worm like my baby! 
She didn’t like them much as a newborn but they are working great now!
Playmats are a definite on my list too.
We have this one that has an attachable mobile and we have a small 
one that is a tummy time mat with a pillow. They are small so they are perfect for travel, they can be thrown in the wash easily, and they entertain your little one!
Life with my two girls, ages 5 months and almost 3 years, is 
fun, exhausting, and truly life changing. No matter how hard it is I love being their Mama.

This post was created in partnership with Mom Buzz Media. 

All opinions expressed above are my own and are not influenced in any way.

23 shares
  • 1

Filed Under: Breastfeeding, Pregnancy, Tips

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. David Haugen

    April 27, 2016 at 10:32 am

    New parents are always worried about their baby products; as they are unable to choose best baby products for their babies. Here this article describes about the points on how to choose best baby products and what kinds of baby products are suitable for our baby.
    baby steal

    Reply
  2. Clara

    July 7, 2016 at 7:22 pm

    Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  3. Farber@WhiteNoiseMachines

    July 7, 2016 at 7:28 pm

    We have been slowly collecting things for baby girl since our 20 week scan so I have got everything in a big haul here. I just adore the that blooming bath thing. I consider this essential baby products to make the first year much easier .

    Reply
  4. armaano

    October 31, 2016 at 3:44 am

    That's a fabulous idea for new parents and babies.They can great instruction this post.Here this article provide how can get baby product and how to do new mom.

    Thanks a lots for this post.

    Reply
  5. Tanveer Shah

    January 7, 2017 at 9:38 am

    Im no expert, but I believe you just made an excellent point. You certainly fully understand what youre speaking about, and I can truly get behind that. Inexpensive Baby Carriers

    Reply
  6. russell freeman

    October 8, 2017 at 3:45 pm

    Thank you for info and tips.

    Reply
  7. Patricia Jhonson

    June 22, 2018 at 6:15 pm

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful Blog

    Reply
  8. KateG

    March 21, 2020 at 11:07 pm

    Hi,This article is so useful for me about new parents
    good job and thank you!!!

    Reply

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Monkey Brain Fried Stuffed Avocado 
Fried Calamari
🍣 Sushi pictured: 
Smokey Ozark Sashimi 
Cajun Tuna Sashimi
🍰Dessert pictured:
Yuzo Cheesecake

📍Rein Sushi and Hibachi 
101 W Johnson Ave # D, Springdale, AR 72764
@reinspringdale
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