First baby brings so much excitement but it's also overwhelming not knowing what you may need or what products are most useful or cost effective or useless!
There are ao many products I looked at thinking wow do I need that? I could go on forever with those, wipes warmer, bottle warmer (I mean, that's what microwaves are for right?), additional diaper bin, diaper dispenser etc etc. I mean, really?
So here's a list of super helpful items I used EVERY SINGLE DAY! and I learnt what worked and what didn't or what products suited their purpose better than others.
Now, before I list them, please know that I always try my best to support small businesses and there were quite a few products I bought from adorable local stores!! I will link these too because you can really tell quality. But if you're on a budget (and let's face it, most of us are especially when baby products are so expensive), there's many good alternatives from Kmart, Amazon and Target. So I will link it all!
Silicone teethers!!
They are the best (way better than those wood ones in my opinion). Gretel used this Fox silicone teether every single day. I tried a bunch of different ones including the plastic with water inside but none were better than this fox one. She could grip it easy AND you can freeze or cool these down too!
Silicone bibs!!
So there's a few different types, the ones that are wider are better! It's so much easier to wash silicone ones off in the sink rather than throwing it in the laundry! No stains, no stuck food and much less on the floor! This is for eating, obviously the material dribble bibs are perfect for non eating times so you don't have drenched clothes from the teething drool!
Silicone bibs in Kmart aren't as wide and I find it doesn't work as well!
Zip up onsies!!
I know I know but there's so many cute clothes. Trust me, all you will want in your sleep deprived zombie state is simple zip up onsies. Particularly onsies that zip from top and bottom so baby doesn't have to be undressed for a diaper change!! So many available everywhere. Or at least ones that button from the crotch! So you only have to undo the bottom! A lot of onsies are also made to come off by pulling them down rather than over the head in times of poop blow outs.
Love to Dream Swaddles
There are a few different types depending on how thick you want them. We had the relatively thin ones because our heating and cooling in our house was able to be easily regulated so we never worried about being too hot or cold. The Love to Dream swaddles were a game changer. Gretel always slept like a star fish so her hands would escape the normal swaddles. As a newborn it's comforting for them to feel tightly tucked in so these zip up swaddles are the best. They fit snug, keep them warm, keep arms in place and never come undone!! They are not cheap (usually around $40) and that's pretty much across the board. We had two and just switched them out every few days.
Riff Raff sleep toy
Okay, so another investment but I PROMISE it's worth it. A Riff Raff sleep toy. They are ab Aussie business!! We were gifted two and it was amazing. We still use them every single night. I always had one at home and one when we travelled even for the day. There are two settings, one with white noise that has a heart beat like they would have heard in the womb and the other is a lullaby. We used the white noise setting every single nap time and bed time when Gretel was a newborn. It worked miracles in my opinion. And now when we do bedtime she makes sure she brings her Fawn and Racoon to bed!! She's also figured out how to unzip the back and pull the speaker out but that's another story haha. Once again, not cheap, but so useful and useful for years to come too.
Burp cloths!!
Now I was gifted hand made ones with a towel like material on one side and a more cotton material on the other. They were bamboo material and cross stitched so the two sides didn't buckle once washed which is what I found with some store bought ones!! Also, burp cloths don't have to be fancy. In fact you can buy a bulk pack of towels from Big W that work perfect too!! I just steer away from the more flannel fabric because it doesn't seem to absorb as much. Personal opinion!
Here are all the links for the items that I bought for the baby shower gift I shared on Instagram! At the moment I am in the States so much of it was from Target but I am slowly discovering some cute US small shops too!
Teether | Onsies | Bib | Burp cloths | Tea
I hope this list is helpful!! Also just a tip I shared on my Instagram stories, I usually will gift the gift in a usable box or basket so that everything is usable. Gift boxes can be expensive anyway so why not spend it on a little useful basket that can be used to store creams or bathroom toys!