Helpful Baby Items

Nesting! I bet expecting parents are familiar with that word. And if you are not, here is what it means- the nesting phase is the stage in your pregnancy where you may feel the intense urge to prepare for your baby’s arrival. These urges can include physical tasks like cleaning the house, getting the nursery ready, meal preps , and doing laundry etc. 

Coming home with a newborn can be very overwhelming. Unlike new cars, newborns don’t come with a manual and parents learn about their new born one day at a time. Newborn phase aka the fourth trimester can be very exhausting and to make it a little bit better, here’s a list of helpful baby items which you can shop during the nesting phase to make life a bit easier when the bundle of joy arrives. This article contains a list of useful products which are not talked about often but are essential.

Car seat and head support set
As we know new born babies need head support. Car seats do not have inbuilt head support for newborn babies. Highly recommend shopping for a head support set. These are super easy to install and aren’t that expensive. My family used the GO by Goldbug Clouds Duo Car Seat Head Support and Strap Set. It has very soft fabric and was also great for strollers and baby swings.

Baby swing
Swings are a very useful tool for daytime naps. For babies younger than two months, make sure the baby lies completely flat and with her chin off her chest to ensure proper breather. One good brand is the My Little Snugabunny from Fisher-Price. My family used the 4moms mamaRoo 4 Bluetooth Enabled High-Tech Baby Swing – Plush and my son loved the kangaroo motion.

Swaddles
These are the ultimate sleep aid and are great for nighttime sleep (when you want your baby to sleep longest). One great brand is the SwaddleMe swaddle blankets available on Amazon. Swaddles can be replaced with sleep sacks once the baby outgrows them.

Red light
Red light is absolutely ESSENTIAL. Red light promotes production of sleep hormones (Melatonin) whereas blue light promotes wakefulness (Cortisol). Red night light is essential for nighttime sleep. Not required for nap time. You can buy a red light bulb from Amazon or use what my family uses- The Kulala Baby Sleep Lamp (Use code: EXHAUSTED for $50 off your order)

White noise machine
These help the baby sleep well at night, especially if there is a sibling or they are sharing the room with the parents. There are a lot of different options for white noise machines as well as several apps available on Apple and Google play store.

Black out shades
I love it when my baby wakes up early, said no parent ever. Blackout curtains are necessary to help the baby sleep until it is desired wakeup time. There are endless options available here. You could opt in for the ones you can hang on a curtain rod or portable ones with suction cups. Plenty of options available on Amazon as well as other retail stores. My personal favorite is the Sleepout Portable Curtain (Use code THE_VERY_EXHAUSTED_MOMMY10 to save 10% off your order)

Portable crib covers
These are great when you are traveling with your kids example- hotel room or a relative’s house where you do not have much control over the light exposure. They cover the crib and block out the light while allowing air flow to keep the baby safe. One option is the SnoozeShade Pack N Play Crib Canopy and Tent available on Amazon

Baby tracker app
There are a lot of free apps available which allow you to track feeds, diaper changes, nap times. These can be extremely helpful with establishing schedules.

Loads of diapers and diaper genie
Stalk up on diapers, wipes and some of those diapers are stinky so make sure you do buy a diaper genie. We purchased the Playtex Diaper Genie. I can’t imagine any other way of disposing of his diapers in a clean, efficient and as scent free way as possible.

TIP: Do not buy too many baby clothes in excitement. Baby’s grow up so quickly. They outgrow from those clothes in a blink.