We all know that feeling of opening up a gift and not quite knowing what it is. Fake smile, “Thank you!…what is it?” followed by an awkward face.
But to be honest, all Moms should know that the best baby shower gifts are ones you don’t register for. They are hidden treasures your friends and family found during their time as a Mom. It’s okay that you didn’t register for it! We just don’t know what to ask for if we don’t know about the need for it.
Here are some of the best baby products I never heard about until another Mom shared them with me. If I had another kid (which I am NOT), I would not be able to live without these baby products:
Water Wipes
This was a gift at my baby shower that might have been the diamond in the rough. I loved using water wipes instead of a normal wipe because of the lack of chemicals and scent. We had a really hard time with diaper rashes the entire time Zoey was in diapers. Having water wipes was nice because it really was just cleaning her off with water instead of alcohol, scents, or drying chemicals that would have made that worse. Plus, you can stick them in your diaper bag and use them to clean anything without leaving a gross baby butt smell on your hands.
Diaper cream paddle
Said diaper rash problems left us with a lot of diaper cream applications. Diaper creams go on like “you are frosting a cake” – aka a ton of cream on little buns. Life-saving, but definitely a first-world solution for this problem.
NoseFrida
I literally gagged when I saw this invention. You just don’t know how much you need this until your little baby is suffocating in snot and doesn’t know how to blow their nose. Moms, I promise there is NO WAY that snot can get to your mouth!
Nipple Shields
Thank goodness that I had a Lactation Consultant that had nipple shields in her bag. This product saved my nipples from continuous bleeding and scabbing that occurred and probably gave me a few more weeks of nursing before I went strictly to pumping.
Freezable Baby Bottle Bag
Keep it in your freezer, and when you need to take a bottle somewhere, hook it to your diaper bag. I liked this one because I didn’t have to also try to remember a freezer pack.
Sound machine
We loved this one and had to get a backup for traveling. It gave a way to drown out the background noise of our lives that was still going on while she was sleeping.
Bathtub thermometer
Duh! Of course I needed to make sure my baby didn’t get scalded (or frozen) while bathing. There are a lot of versions available but I really loved this one. It floated around and let me know if the water was too hot or too cold.
Gripe Water
This is a natural medicine that helps with gas, colic, or upset stomach. I still use this today with my toddler.
Amazon Prime for diapers
Use your Amazon Prime account to schedule diaper delivery on a monthly basis. I never had to run out to get diapers and I got them at a very good price. Totally worth the Prime annual membership fee.
Dresser as a changing table
Most everyone thinks they need a standard changing table to change diapers. I suggest that you get a normal dresser (about hip height tall) and lay a changing pad plus some sort of organizational station for diapers, wipes, lotions, etc. This way the diapers are right next to you and not below the changing area and when diaper season is over – you have a usable piece of furniture. Genius!
Bottle Steamer
I just didn’t know I needed this. For the first month, I was using microwaveable bags as we were dealing with thrush. That was a huge pain and a total waste. I liked having this bottle steamer that could hold more stuff.
I can’t even imagine parenting without these items, and none of these best baby products were on my baby shower list as a first-time Mom. So embrace the gift that you didn’t register for and make sure you ask them “what is it?”
It might just really save you time!
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