After two kids, a mountain of baby gear, and money down the drain I’m here to tell you the top baby items that you definitely need but may have overlooked:
Haakaa Breast Pump
This nifty little contraption is a godsend when it comes to building up your milk stash because it catches all of your letdown. And if you have no idea what letdown is don’t worry, I didn’t either. Basically, every time your baby begins to nurse the nerves in your breast send signals that release the milk in your milk ducts, this process is known what’s known as letdown. This is why when you nurse your baby on one side you get that tingling sensation and leaking on the opposite boob. What the Haakaa does is catch that letdown milk that would otherwise go to waste. All you do is suction the silicon pump on the opposite breast while you are nursing and voila! you will get anywhere from an extra 1oz – 4oz for literally doing nothing. It is a great way to help build your supply stash without doing any extra work. I also want to add that even if you don’t leak much it doesn’t mean that the Haakaa won’t work for you. That was actually my reasoning for not buying it when I had Cyra, BUT I decided to give it a go once Rumi was born and was pleasantly surprised with the amount of letdown I was able to catch even though I’m not much of a leaker! Definitely a must for your pumping arsenal.
Diaper Cream Brush
Where have you been all my life?! A diaper cream brush is exactly what you think it is. You use it to apply creams to your baby’s tush and private areas. It also has a suction at the bottom of the wand so it can stand upright on the table or changing pad. Say goodbye to creams under your finger nails and vigorously washing off those white casted ointments off your hands. I still can’t believe I spent all of my diapering days with Cyra without one of these.
Side-Snap Onesies
Forget the traditional over the head onesies and opt for the side-snap or kimono style onesies instead. Both of my girls hated having anything go over their heads. They would cry and wiggle like crazy anytime I would change their clothes… until I switched to the side snap onesies. All you have to do is slide their arms in and then snap up all the buttons, no more having to delicately slide on a onesie over a squirmy baby head. These will make your life a lot easier. It’s also a good idea to include these onesies (preferably organic) in your baby registry. I’m also working on a post dedicated to must-have items to include on your registry so stay tuned for that!
Diaper Backpack
Ok, so this item might not be so random but whatever you do just make sure you choose a diaper BACKPACK. With my first daughter I opted for one of those sleek black diaper bags with straps and a handle and it served its purpose. It wasn’t until I purchased a backpack for an upcoming trip that I realized how much better a diaper backpack is vs a regular diaper bag. It is so much more comfortable to wear a backpack rather than have a heavy bag draped across your shoulders. Another plus is that backpacks tend to be more compact therefore utilizing space more efficiently. With my old diaper bag I would have a handful of pockets that would never get used because we were always rushing out the door and I didn’t have time to properly organize everything. Here is the diaper bag I use and love. And this one is great because it has a slim medium size compartment that I would use to put the porter-potty in. I liked that it was in it’s own separate compartment with zip making it sanitary.
Black and White Books
Research has proven that black and white contrasts register powerfully on baby’s retina and send the strongest visual signals to baby’s brain. Stronger signals mean more brain growth and faster visual development. Per the Dr. Sears website:
“Surround a baby with soft pastel colors, and you might as well be blindfolding him. Surround your baby with black and white or light and dark pictures, and watch your baby’s eyes light up.”
The best way you as a parent can stimulate baby’s vision is using black and white or light and dark contrasting colors toys and books. We have a handful of black and white books and they are all great but I will say my favorite is this accordion style board book. I like to completely open the book up and place it next to baby. Just make sure whenever you are interacting with a newborn whether it’s with a book, toy, or your face that you stay within 8-12 inches from them.
Drying Rack
This was something that was actually suggested on many baby registry lists but I thought I could get away with using my Simple Human dish rack (which I love btw), but boy was I wrong.
First, it’s just sanitary to keep all your pacifiers, baby bottles, breast pumping parts in a separate area than the rest of your dishes. Second, it is something you use for a long time. Once your kid has outgrown bottle feeding you can still use the drying rack for sippy cups, snack containers, kids straws etc. Bottom line it’s convenient, makes life easier, and is less than $20. I like this nanobébé dry rack because it’s slim, easy to clean and BPA free. It’s also way better than the Boon fake grass looking dry rack that everyone has which has been shown harbor mold and bacteria!
Bonus Item: Double Converting Stroller
This one is definitely a big ticket item but hear me out. If you plan on adding more children to your family it’s more cost effective in the long run to purchase a stroller that has the capability to convert to a double. My parents had gifted us with the Nuna Mixx before Cyra was born which was a very nice stroller, however, once Rumi was born we were pretty much S.O.L. Luckily, I was able to resell it on Facebook Marketplace and ended up purchasing the Vista and I love it.
The Uppababy Vista is very well made and adapts easily to accommodate two (or even three!) children making it well worth the price tag. So many single strollers are anywhere between $500-700 these days that it makes sense to spend the extra and have a stroller that grows with your family.