10 Most Used Baby Items (0-3 Months)

Babies R Us is a very overwhelming place.  You have your registry gun in hand when you suddenly realize that you know nothing about baby items or raising a baby for that matter.  Your crazy pregnant hormones slowly take over.  You start to well up thinking about everything you don't know and you leave the store empty handed.  Then you do what I did and call your mom.  What I've learned in the last 3 months is what everyone was trying to tell me:  Babies do not need much to be happy and healthy.  It's true.  That being said, there are a lot of cool gadgets out there that make moms' lives easier, too.

I regularly converse with a close-knit group of women with babies Little H's age.  I asked them about the items they used the most (and the least) in order to help out the overwhelmed mom-to-be.   There were varying answers because every baby has different preferences and habits, but there were many similarities in our lists.  After looking it all over, here are the top 10 most used baby items for the first 3 months, (in no particular order.)

1. Nursing Pillow


          Whether it's the Boppy, Breastfriend, or any other brand, a good nursing pillow is essential for at  least the first month.  Breastfeeding is hard work for moms and babies.  A good nursing pillow makes it a little more comfortable for everyone.  My baby often fell asleep right after nursing, laying on the Boppy perfectly content.  I wish I would have bought an extra cover for it.  It got dirty often, and I would have to go without a cover while washing it.





2. Breast Pads

           Whether you are breastfeeding or not, you will still make milk and you will leak...a lot.  So unless you want to be washing your own clothes and sheets multiple times a day, invest in a big box of breast pads.


3. Lanolin

            Hopefully, you won't need to use it for longer than a few weeks, but your nipples will thank you for it.


4.  Burp cloths

            Little H is a big spitter.  She spits up constantly.  We have burp cloths in every corner of the house, so we can grab one quickly when the moment strikes.  I use Chinese prefold diapers as my burp cloths.  They are extremely absorbent.







5. Fisher Price Rock n' Play Sleeper

            I know more than a few moms who have used this item, so I think it deserves to be on the list.  This is the only place Little H will sleep.  She hated her bassinet and despises the crib.  The Rock n' Play is cozy and just perfect for that picky sleeper.  If you don't use it for  sleeping, it's a great place to lay a baby while you cook or shower.  The surface the baby lays on is fairly hard, so I folded up a fleece blanket and put it under the liner.  This makes it even cozier.  I also love how portable it is.  I always take it to Gramma and Grampa's house, just in case Little H needs a nap while we're out.
        The only downside to the Rock n' Play is we are now facing a very difficult transition to the crib.  Try the bassinet or crib first, but if you're desperate and need sleep, this item is a must-have.


6.  White Noise

           To mimic the sounds from the womb, using a white noise machine is great for helping babies sleep.  There are many different machines you can buy.  There are also white noise apps for your phone.  One mom suggests the Sleep Sheep.  It plays music, as well as white noise and is super cute!



7.  Swaddlers

          Another item that helps mimic the womb, swaddling is essential.  Your baby may scream and act like she hates it at first, but once she is nicely wrapped up into a little burrito, she will thank you.  We are, like most parents, swaddling-challenged.  I don't know what special school the nurses in the hospital go to in order to learn how to swaddle, but nobody can do it like them.  It's impossible.  John and I took a baby basics class and practiced on little dolls.  "We got this,"  we thought.  In the hospital one night, we had to call a nurse in to help us.  We asked her to teach us how.  After our little mini lesson on swaddling, we thought, "Ok, we got this."  The nurse left, and we did not in fact get it at all.  If you end up being like us, I recommend purchasing the Summer Infant Swaddleme blankets, a Halo Sleep Sack, or the Woombie.  They have velcro and/or zippers, so no special swaddling school required.  I think Little H practically lived in these swaddlers for her first month of life.

     If you're unlike us and a pro at swaddling, invest in some Aden + Anais muslin blankets.  Even if you don't use them for swaddling, they are very versatile blankets.  Little H always has one with her in her car seat to chew on.  They are thin, so I keep one in the diaper bag to use as a nursing cover.  

8. A safe and entertaining place to put the baby while you shower, cook, or use the bathroom

         I lumped all these items together because you honestly will not know what your baby will prefer.

Some babies like swings, others like bouncy seats or  play mats.  The truth is, you won't know until your baby gets here.   Little H loves her Fisher Price Rainforest bouncy seat and her Skip Hop play mat. She hates her swing. Another mom I asked loves her Eddie Bauer bouncer with a mesh zip up cover (for cat proofing.) The good thing about bouncy seats is they are usually small enough to fit in the bathroom.




9.  Clothes

           Most of my fellow moms agreed that a good stash of baby clothes is essential, (and fun!)  It may not seem like babies would get that dirty, but between spit-up and explosive diapers, you'll go through more than you think.  I would say to have about 6 or 7 onesies, a few pairs of pants, socks, and footie pj's.  Most of my fellow moms agreed that the zipper pj's are much easier than snaps, especially for middle of the night diaper changes.  Make sure to have a variety of sizes , too.  Little H was only 6 pounds when she was born, so all of the 0-3 month clothes were huge on her.  I only had a few newborn size clothes that fit her.  Other babies may skip the newborn size altogether, and your 3 month old may wear 6 month clothes.  You never know what you'll need, so just have a little bit of everything.
           If you're on a budget, I recommend buying secondhand.  The only new clothes Little H has are ones people gave us as gifts.  The rest of her wardrobe is either from Savers, older cousins, or secondhand children's stores.  These stores usually sell clothes from 50 cents - $1.  You can't beat that, and your baby won't know the difference.  


10.  Baby Bath Tub

         My baby despised baths until recently.  The only way we got her to enjoy them was for me to get in our big tub with her.  I'm realizing that she is not the norm.  Most of the moms I talked to love their baby bath tub, and so do their babies.  One mom recommends the Summer Infant Soothing Baby Spa, another recommends the Puj.


Honorable Mention:


Travel changing pads - For on the go, or for using in lieu of a changing table.  Just throw a changing pad on the floor or couch.

Baby carrier - A Moby wrap, or one similar, is my favorite. In her early days, Little H would sleep for hours in it while I cleaned the house. Now I sit her in it facing out because she's an inquisitive little baby.  If you're finding that it's difficult to put on, find some Youtube tutorials.  The included written instructions are useless.

Bassinet or Arm's Reach Co-sleeper - Most moms like to have their baby sleeping next to their beds. A bassinet or co-sleeper is perfect for this, (unless, of course, you have a finicky sleeper like me and are using the Rock n' Play instead.)

Bottle Warmer - A formula feeding mom friend of mine said she cannot live without this.  She didn't think she would use it, but it has become essential in her house.  She says, "When our baby was waking up so often, it was soooo nice to have her cold bottle already in our room and then just heat it up right there, in a minute or less!


The Least Used Items
You'll be surprised to learn that the least used items included pacifiers, bottles, and the crib.  Obviously, if you're using formula or returning to work soon, you'll be using bottles more often.  What I didn't realize is it would be very difficult to get my baby to even take a bottle.  She's now 4 months old and still refuses to drink from a bottle or suck on a pacifier!  And the crib...well, it's just collecting dust at this point.  This doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't purchase these things, just be aware you probably won't get much use out of them for a long while!


What about you?  Is there anything you would add to the list?