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My Favorite Baby Products from Caroline’s First Year
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This is Part One of my Life with a Baby Series! Click the link below to read Part Two & Three:
5 Ways to Stay Organized with a Baby
My System for Capturing, Organizing & Printing My Personal Family Photos
As a first time Mom, it’s SO easy to become overwhelmed at all of the many options we have these days for baby products. I read a lot of reviews, talked to my own Mom and sister, and tried certain things based on my own preferences. Ultimately, this list of my favorite baby products from Caroline’s 1st year comes down to 3 things:
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They made my life easier
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They were efficient
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They kept my baby entertained/made her happier
All of the products are linked below!
I already had a bunch of these when Caroline was born, because this was all my sister had used with her son, and she gave them to me to use. For the first few days after Caroline was born, I used the bottles that the hospital gave us, as well as the Medela bottles that come with the pumping kit. The first time that she showed any signs of colic/stomach pain after a feeding, I immediately switched to the Dr. Brown Bottles and never went back. If I remember correctly, we never had another problem with colic, which was such a blessing because I know there are so many babies that struggle with that.
These bottles do have a few pieces to them, which involves more work and dishwashing, but it’s SO worth it! The bottles come in small and large sizes. I would definitely recommend only having 2-3 of the small bottles and the rest large. Babies’ milk intake increases a lot quicker than you realize, so you don’t want to have too many of the smaller bottles taking up space and not using them.
The nipples come separately from the bottles, and are split up into 0+ months, 3+ months, and 6+ months.
Little Z’s Sleep Training Course
When Caroline was 4 months old, we started noticing that she wasn’t taking long naps anymore (if at all), and we were still getting up with her at least once per night. The nap situation got worse, and the only way I could get her to fall asleep was to put her in stroller and walk around the neighborhood. Then, I’d carefully take her out, put her in the crib and pray she’d stay asleep. I knew that was crazy, but it was the only thing that worked.
I had heard about the Little Z’s Sleep Training Courses from a few people, so I did some more research. Becca, the founder is amazing! Follow her on Instagram (@littlezsleep) and her podcast!
Her sleep courses range from newborn-3+ years. I am SO SO thankful I found her and wish I had found her sooner!! After implementing what she taught when Caroline was 6 months old, she has been sleeping through the night, EVERY NIGHT since. She can put herself to sleep without needing any help (bottle, walking, etc.). And she does the same thing for nap time, too.
Sleep is EVERYTHING! If there is one product that I would say you absolutely NEED, it’s this one. I will absolutely be using her next course when Caroline gets to the next phase.
Once Caroline started sleep training, we have used this every time she goes to sleep (naps & at night). There are multiple types of songs and sounds that you can use for this specific sound machine, but the only sound we’ve used is the “heartbeat”. It’s a consistent sound and it mimics the sounds that she heard in the womb, which supposedly helps soothe her. It also drowns out other outside noises that might wake her up.
We take it when we travel too, so that she can have the same type of sleeping experience wherever she is. And we’ve never had any problems with her sleeping in different locations, so it’s been a great product to have. There is a nightlight option, but we’ve never used that feature.
Boppy
We have used 2 different types of the Boppy and each have been wonderful for different reasons.
Boppy Pillow & Positioner: This was great for feeding (bottle or nursing) and rocking her to sleep. I also used this a lot when she was learning to sit up on her own, as a support pillow.
Boppy Lounger: I used this for the first 2 months or so, and it was worth it. We used this mostly when we were hanging out in the kitchen or living room and needed a place to put her. It kept us from holding her all the time, too. Once she got big enough for the bouncy seat, we transitioned to that.
An absolute favorite! She used this from around 2 months-7 months and was in this thing ALL the time. So many good things to say about this product, so I’ll just say it’s definitely worth having. Trust me!
I don’t even know how many times we’ve used this on road trips! Until you have a baby, you don’t realize how many places (gas stations/restaurants, etc.) DON’T have changing stations in the bathroom!! This portable changing pad has been SO helpful for those times when we need to change her in the car. Even if I do find a changing station, I still use the changing pad instead of laying her right on the changing station (for obvious reasons: germs!). I keep it in the diaper bag at all times just in case!
When Caroline was a few months old, her skin started to flare up really bad. Her arms and legs especially looked terrible. It required a trip to the doctor and some antibiotics, but we got it under control. Knowing she had sensitive skin and excema, we started using Aveeno Excema Therapy Lotion every night before bed. Before we put her pajamas on, we put the lotion all over her. This keeps her skin from drying out and flaring up. It has helped her so much, especially in the winter time.
I hooked these to everything! The bouncy seat, car seat, doorway bouncer, etc. You can do so many things with these animal links, and they were a wonderful source of entertainment for the first 6 months or so. Great for road trips!!
I first started using the doorway bouncer when she could sit up on her own and it quickly became part of our morning, afternoon, and evening routines. This would easily give me at least 15-20+ minutes to get a few things done. This was also very helpful for tiring her out before a nap.
High Chair Suction Toys
When I first introduced Caroline to the high chair, these were/and still are a great source of entertainment. After she would finish eating I’d give her one of these, which would allow me time to get a few things done like cleaning, laundry or dishes!
Here’s the two that we have: V Tech Lil’s Critters Ferris Wheel and Sassy Wonder Wheel
When Caroline was around 6 months old, she started rolling all over the place and could sit up on her own. So, this foam play mat was great to have. It gave her a large enough space to play on without me worrying about her falling over on our wood floor. We still use it for her play area in the living room!
Caroline was 4 months old when she started using the walker. This was great in helping strengthen her legs and it gave her entertainment for longer periods of time. She could also move around so much more, which made her happy. I believe she only used this for about 4 months, because once she learned how to crawl, she didn’t want it anymore. It was still SO worth having for even that short amount of time.
When Caroline started to learn how to feed herself, these silicone bibs were great for catching food. They make my life easier too, because I don’t have as much to clean up when she’s finished eating! They also last longer than other bibs that are a plastic/fabric material and are easy to clean.
These stackable cups are one of her favorites. We gave her these around 8 months, although you could definitely give it to your baby earlier than that. She has already started to understand that the smaller cups go in the larger ones, so I believe they are a great learning tool! They are great for road trips, too!
Caroline started playing with this around 10-11 months, when she was really getting the hang of pulling herself up to a standing position. She LOVES this table! It has really helped to strengthen her legs, and is great for entertaining her for longer periods of time.
