Every new mom knows this struggle – you register for all the cool-looking things, only to discover later that not all of them live up to the hype (or were, in some cases, not worth the money at all). Today I’m sharing some of the best new baby products – ones that do live up to the hype and come in really handy for new parents. These essential baby items are mom-approved, and are good gifts for new moms if you’ve got a baby shower to attend and need ideas. Since it’s been a few years since mine were little, I’ve gotten the help of new mom Kim Kirby of Gray Duck Greetings for today’s post. Being a first-time mom of a newborn, Kim is sharing her first-hand experience with her best baby products of 2019. Thanks, Kim, for sharing your list of must-have baby items to help inspire other new moms!
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. This does not cost you anything additional, and helps me to keep the rest of my content free, so thank you!
Best new baby products of 2019
Kim Kirby is a first-time mama living outside of Boston. She is currently balancing a full-time job in information security management while running her Etsy shop, Gray Duck Greetings, on the side.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned since becoming a mom this past October, it’s that people are OPINIONATED! It actually all started during pregnancy, when I told people that we weren’t going to find out if it was a boy or girl (“Wow, I never expected that from you…you’re such a planner!,” “It’s 100% a boy; I’ve never been wrong,” “Definitely a girl; I always guess right!”) and continued on when it came to stocking my registry pre-baby shower (“Huggies is the ONLY brand that works,” “Whatever you do, don’t get a Diaper Genie,” “Make sure you only get NATURAL items, everything has so many chemicals!”). And don’t even get me started on birth plans and hospital packing lists!
Now that my baby is here, I can’t say that much has changed. In a lifestyle where everything changes week-to-week (as soon as you think you’ve got everything figured out!), I’ve found the one constant to be opinionated parents – and even opinionated people who have never had kids! I’ve come to a point where I listen politely and try to take it all with a grain of salt. My parenting style will never be identical to anyone else’s…because my baby is not identical to anyone else’s!
With that said, I have found some products that have helped me along my parenting journey thus far. You might not agree with them all, so take my recommendations with your own grain of salt and adapt them to work for you!
Keekaroo Peanut Diaper Changer
I will admit, this one is definitely a ‘splurge’ compared to other changing pads on the market – but I’m telling you, it’s worth it! Don’t add to your already crazy amounts of laundry by buying one that requires changing dirty pad covers – with the Keekaroo, you can just wipe those blowout messes clean with a baby wipe and move on!
Boon Lawn and Twig/Stem Accessories
Before having my son, I laughed at the idea (Was I being an opinionated person who had never had kids!?) of a separate drying rack for bottles because I figured I’d just use our already-existing drying rack and save some money. But BOY, was I wrong! Do you know how many tiny pieces bottles have these days?! I love the Boon Lawn because it holds more than smaller versions (meaning I don’t have to do dishes as often – bonus!) and the coordinating Twig and Stem Accessories are perfect for drying the nipples and/or smaller parts of a bottle and pump! (And while we’re talking dishes, get a simple dish bucket to collect your bottles and parts throughout the day; it goes a long way to containing the mess that will be your constantly-dirty baby dishes!)
NailFrida “The Snipper Clipper”
I got one of these for my baby shower and could not for the life of me find where I put it until my baby was 3 months old. By that point, I had clipped his nails what felt like hundreds of times with a terrible, cheap nail clipper. So many parents talk about how hard it is to trim babies’ nails that I figured it was just always going to be hard….and then I found my “Snipper Clipper.” The discovery was life changing! Gone were the stressful manicure sessions because this clipper has a window so you can see what you’re cutting! No more accidents!
A Digital Forehead Thermometer
Of all the baby gifts we received, this was the most unexpected but it has surprisingly quickly become a favorite! Although many pediatricians still require a rectal thermometer reading if you call them with questions, it is SO handy to have a quick reading thermometer (Daycares are petri dishes – you’ll likely be checking for fevers often!) that can help you decide whether or not you need to take a rectal reading (Because you’ll want to avoid these at all costs, they take ages and are uncomfortable for everyone involved!).
DIY “Emergency” Diaper Kit
Have you ever heard of “Mom Brain?” Let me tell you – it is REAL! It is so easy to forget things when you pack and repack your diaper bag…or even forget your diaper bag itself! Trust me, things will happen that you never thought possible. Anyway, put this DIY Diaper Kit in your car and help protect yourself against Mom Brain! We have one in my car and one in my husband’s truck so we’re always ready for the unexpected!
NOTE: When I created my own kit, I bought an already-assembled infant first aid kit…if I did it again, I would NOT do the same. It’s easy enough to assemble your own and customize it for your needs – and the items I got didn’t work well!
Here’s some of the key items I included in my own Diaper Kit (this also doubles as a great list for your diaper bag!):
- Clear plastic zipper organizers (like these) to organize all your emergency items (Any clear bags or containers could work, but you’ll definitely appreciate being able to see the contents of the bag as you’re holding the baby with one hand and trying to find something the other!)
- First Aid:
- Baby bulb syringe (Take one—or a few—of the blue ones home from the hospital; They can’t reuse them for other babies once used! …Side note – Do the same thing with diapers and wipes packages that are open!)
- Band-Aids (I use these more for myself than for my baby, but you never know!)
- Baby nail clipper and thermometer (Inexpensive ones are fine for emergencies!)
- Baby Tylenol (IF, and ONLY IF, you can keep this away from any small children who may accidentally access and consume it!)
- Diapers, diaper cream, a pack of wipes, and dog poop bags for diaper disposal (They’re often cheaper than the kind specifically made for diapers!)
- A travel changing pad
- A wet/dry bag for dirty clothes
- A mini hand sanitizer and/or hand sanitizer wipes
- Wet wipes, tissues, Boogie Wipes
- White onesies (Multiple! Side note – it would be hard to buy too many white onesies!), a new outfit, and a pair of pajamas (Make sure you remember to change out sizes of clothes and diapers as your baby grows!)
- Burp cloths and bibs
- Pacifier and Bottle Cleaning Wipes (Such as these, but I just buy brands based on price at any given time)
- A nursing cover, if you breastfeed and want privacy (I have this one and it’s so soft!)
- Small/simple baby toys (Like these rattles and links)
More best new born baby products reviews:
- The Fab Mom’s Guide on the Items You Need for a New Baby
- Must-have item for a new baby: Boppy Nursing Pillow
- Best diaper for the money: Luvs diapers
- Friday Faves: Moby Infant and Baby Wrap
- Baby shower gift basket idea and my other new mom must-haves from H-E-B
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