Top Ten Baby Products - Our Fabulous Finds
Top Ten Baby Products - Our Fabulous Finds
When shopping for Baby items, there are many products that you will need, and many more that will simply make life with Baby more fun and easy. Most parents know the list of baby necessities, so we're going to go beyond the basic bibs, bouncers and burp cloths and give you our list of Top Ten Baby Products - Fabulous Finds: products that may not be widely known, or you may have not thought of needing (or wanting!) All of these products are ones that we have personally purchased and used, and found invaluable in our parenting (plus a couple that are just so adorable that we love to recommend them!)(We apologize that numbers 9 and 10 are for girls only - if you know of a comparable fun and adorable item for little boys - email us at info@imag-inations.com and we'll check it out and possibly include it in our list!)
1) Halo Sleepsack Swaddle - Wearable blankets and sleepsacks are very popular, but we just LOVED this version with the swaddling flaps that you can velcro around baby. Our children slept like, well....babies in these! And it's so easy to swaddle baby - no complicated wrapping that eventually comes loose. You just simply pull the 'wing' flaps around the front and they velcro in place!
2) Baby K'tan Baby Carrier - we've tried many slings and wraps and the K'tan is by far our favorite. This thing is so comfortable, and our daughter just loved it. I wish I had found this with my first child, instead of trying numerous other slings and wraps. It will take a few minutes to figure out how to wear it at first, but after that first time, it goes on very quickly and easily. And you can wear it 8 different ways as baby grows! Love this carrier!
3) Soothing Shell Sound Machine - we bought this noise machine when our 4 year old was born, and bought a second one last year when our daughter was born. We love the 'rain' sound effect - it's a pleasant sound and helps drown out background noise during baby's sleep time. Many newborns love noise like this, since their environment in the womb was actually quite noisy (what with all your body functions going on in there!) The only downside - my husband and I are both addicted to this sound machine now and pack it in our suitcase wherever we go. The one we bought 4 years ago is still going strong, (after being used EVERY night for 4 years) so this product gets a great quality rating from us.
4) Baby's Bliss Gripe Water - works great for colic, gas, hiccups, etc. We love this because it's all natural, plus it actually seems to work much better than other products we've tried. Definitely worth a try if you have a fussy baby!
5) BioGaia Probiotic Drops - these were a Godsend for us with our daughter, and I'm so thankful I found them! She suffered from excessive fussiness, major discomfort when having a bowel movement, and projectile vomiting of her bottles. Within a week of adding these drops to her bottles, we saw such a noticeable improvement. Her fussiness improved dramatically, absolutely no more crying while pooping, and her spitting up became less frequent. It was literally like we had a new baby! The drops are active L. reuteri Protectis bacteria (like the bacteria found in yogurt), and we highly recommend trying these if your baby suffers from these symptoms.
6) Land's End Fleece Bunting - If you live in a climate that experiences cold weather, you'll need something to keep your baby warm at some point during that first year. Did you know that using any heavy type of coat or coverall in a car seat seriously compromises your baby's safety if you're in a crash? Compression of high-loft or 'poofy' snowsuits or coveralls during a crash, can actually make your car seat's straps loose enough that baby can slip out of them during the force of a crash. You should always use a suit that is no thicker than a sweatshirt, and not filled with any poofy material. These Fleece Buntings are perfect, since they are warm, but not overly thick. Make sure to get the size closest to your baby's size (not too big), since having a bunch of extra material tucked around baby would pose a similar threat.
7) Cheap Diapers! When my first child was born, I insisted on nothing but Huggies. Pampers leaked on him, and somehow I felt 'bad' about buying him anything less than a name brand diaper. With my daughter, Pampers seemed to work better for her as far as leaks, but she always had a bit of a red bottom. Our Pediatrician recommended using the cheapest diaper we could find, and see if that helped her irritated skin. She explained that the more expensive the diaper, the more irritating they can be - full of extra elastic (irritating to some skin), and perfumes, dyes, etc. Sure enough - when we switched to a Store Brand diaper her skin immediately cleared up. And we're saving a TON of money. And guess what? NO leaks. So do your baby and yourself a favor and experiment with some store brands and see which ones you like. Seventh Generation also makes a chlorine free diaper that is less expensive than the name brands and gentle on babies.
8) Shoo-shoos Baby Shoes - these are our Pick for best baby shoes. After trying quite a few different brands, both of my children basically lived in these from 6-18 months. I love all the adorable styles for both boys and girls - from fun to classic, they have something for every outfit and occasion. Make sure you check out their Clearance section for extra savings, too. I'll be buying some of these for my daughter this week, since she just grew out of all the pairs she has!
9) Forget Me Not Kids Pettiskirts - (girls only) I ordered one of their Pettiskirts (red and pink) for my daughter's First Birthday, and absolutely love it. We're going to use if for her 1 year portraits as well. These are just adorable and so photogenic - loads and loads of fabric! My daughter loves wearing hers as well - it's like a toy and a skirt in one! Visit their site and search for 'pettiskirt' - I don't want to link to a specific product because their products/colors/sizes change often and I don't want to post a link to a specific product that may not be there soon.
10) Crochet Beanie Caps - (girls only) I fell in love with these hats as soon as I saw them, and after receiving my order of 3 hats, I was so impressed with the design and quality, that I ordered more! These are also very photogenic, perfect for photos and portraits. Here's my little sweet pea wearing one of hers:
Have fun shopping for your baby - and if you come across any Fabulous Finds that you couldn't live without, let us know at info@imag-inations.com, and we may include it in a future Weekly Top Ten!
