Change Table: Having some sort of Change Table is an Absolute Must Have. Bonus Points if it doubles as a dresser. While these may seem like something you’ll only use for a short period of time, you will more than likely be able to use it for a good 2 years. Change Tables are great for saving your back from having to bend over and your tail bone from having to sit on the floor to change baby. It’s also really convenient to have everything you need in one place.This can be especially helpful for those who are cloth diapering. 

Receiving Blankets: Are you like me and have literally a Million of these?? Did you get a bunch from your baby shower and just not know exactly what to do with them?

Receiving Blankets have a ton of great uses:

Changing Pad Cover, Burp Cloths, Light Weight Stroller Cover - use with caution in hot weather, Breastfeeding Cover, Travel Play Mat/ Area, Shopping Cart Cover, Public Changing Table Mat.

When babies grow up, you can also use them as cleaning rags, keep one in your diaper bag or going out bag because life happens and having one can be amazing if you are in a parenting emergency. 

BioGaia Probiotic Drops: If your baby throws up after every feeding or projectile vomits every night. If your baby has a lot of unresolved tummy issues, I’d Highly recommend trying BioGaia Probiotic Drops. You can even get some with Vitamin D, if you’re a parent like me who always forgot the daily Vitamin D Drops. Always consult with your doctor before trying any OTC remedies because there could be a more serious underlaying issue. But if nothing else seems to be working and you’re finding yourself cleaning baby puke every night and having a very upset baby who screams for hours every night or just won’t settle, definitely try these!

Baby Bath Tub: “Why can’t I just bathe my baby in the kitchen sink? These only last a few months!” 

Safety, Safety is the number 1 reason why you need a baby bath tub. Whether that’s your typical bath insert for a tub or an insert for your kitchen sink, you need something to make sure that your baby’s head is kept above water at all times. Yes, that sounds like a super obvious statement but when you’re bathing baby on your own, you really need the extra support. Let’s say you’ve got your bath or sink filled with a few inches of water, you have one hand on baby and one hand holding a wash cloth. You realize that you forgot soap or you need to quickly grab something else for the bath (never leave your baby unattended!), there will more than likely come a time where you are in the situation of needing both hands which isn’t doable when one is holding your baby’s head above water. Having a baby Bath Tub will not only help to keep your baby safe and happy but it will also help your back by not having to bend as far into the tub to support your baby.

Diaper Caddy: Have you ever been in a situation where you’re getting ready to change your baby’s diaper and realize that you’ve forgotten to grab wipes. diaper cream or … a diaper? Having a Diaper Caddy can be your best friend, especially if your partner is constantly asking you where you put things. Bottom Line, having everything in one place that’s portable can be a huge help, especially in those sleep deprived first few months.

Soother/Pacifier: While somewhat controversial, Soothers can be a huge lifesaver especially if your little one insists on using you as a human pacifier. If your baby is gaining weight and nursing or feeding regularly and they’re just looking for that added comfort, there is absolutely nothing wrong with introducing a soother. For both of our kids they got soothers right in the hospital after they were born, both of my children had no problem nursing. Nipple confusion is wayyyy less likely when there’s no milk coming out of a soother. Nipple confusion is generally caused by going back and forth between bottle and breast. With breastfeeding, babies have to use a lot of muscle strength in their jaw to pull the milk from the breast. With Bottle Feeding all a baby has to do is chew gently on the nipple and the milk just pools into their mouth. Some babies get lazy and start rejecting the breast because the bottle is easier.

If you’re nursing and you know your baby has had a good feeding; using a soother can provide you with a break which can be especially beneficial if you’re also dealing with cracked or sore nipples. 

Baby Book/ Album/ Calendar: This one is IMPORTANT! You will Definitely forget all the milestones and all the important dates unless you write them down. Keeping notes is especially important if you have or plan to have more than one child. I can guarantee you, that you will forget so much by the second or third baby. Things like “What day did you come home from the hospital?” “When did your parents meet the baby?”, “When did your little one get their first tooth?”, “When did your baby say their first word?”, “What was their first word?”. “When should you book their next vaccinations?”, “What are some of the things that they loved as a baby?”. I can tell you right now that I have no idea the answer to most of these without looking them back up in our son’s calendar. The most important thing is to keep track and keep up. Make charting these precious - once in a lifetime moments - a priority, especially for your subsequent children. I totally forgot to write anything for the last 2 months before my daughter turned 1 and there is no way of going back in time to try and find all the information that I missed. 

Backpack Diaper Bag: While the over the shoulder bags look super cute, you'll thank me for this one later. Backpack Diaper Bags will save your back, especially as your little one gets older and their needs change. Consider a Bag that has room for Larger Spare Clothing, Larger sized Diapers, Toys, Snacks, and a bag that won't fall off of your shoulder every time you bend down to adjust the carseat or pick things up off the ground. You want a Diaper bag that is easily accessible for everything that you could possibly need, especially if you're holding the baby with one hand and grabbing something out of the bag with the other hand. Lots of Backpack Diaper Bags are also big enough to hold your Breast Pump, Keys, Wallet and a Change of Clothes for yourself, especially if you're the mom who needs to change her shirt multiple times a day. With everything you must carry as a busy mom on the go, you want to have the least amount of bags to manage in addition to your little one and their carseat. The Best thing about a Backpack style Diaper bag is that it will last you way longer than a typical over the shoulder bag because at the end of the day its a Backpack with special features, not just a bag that only functions when your baby is under a year. From Personal Experience, our Over the Shoulder bag lasted about 6 months with our first child before I was fed up with it, things were impossible to find and it also wasn’t the most gender neutral thing to carry. We bought a Backpack style for our second baby and I wish I had had it for our first. Another added bonus is that with the backpack my husband could also carry it without it looking like he had to carry around an oversized purse. I would highly recommend looking for a Backpack that also has a diaper pocket on the side. For us we didn’t use the plastic container that came with our bag, but rather preferred to put a regular pack of wipes (55-65 count) in there instead. Worked wonders. I also have major back issues and carrying around my other bag was just not doable anymore, especially with 2 kids under 2 years old.