10 Must-Have Products for Parenting a Newborn Baby
When Rachel and I were preparing for the birth of our son we did the research any new parents do about must-have products for parenting a newborn baby. I have to say- initially I imagined the newborn phase being the easier parenting phase. I mean- there’s not going to be battles about the color of the cup you give your kid like there are during the toddler phase, or fights about boyfriends and girlfriends or tattoos like there are with teenagers.
Wrong, wrong, and well just WRONG!
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Newborn Parenting
My son was a great baby, but the newborn phase is probably the most difficult phase of parenting as a whole for any parent, truth be had. No matter how “good” your baby is, you’re always going to be holding a newborn baby, Baby can’t talk and cries to alert you when he needs something, and you’re either fixing bottles or burping Baby around the clock.
It’s simple work, but when you put it all together it is exhausting and quite nerve wrecking! But, when the phase is over and the independence kicks in you’ll miss it at times … especially when they begin to help you around the house!
To make things easier on you as a newborn parent, I want to share 10 must-have products for parenting a newborn. Some of these I’ve owned and loved, and other products are ones that are new and cool that weren’t around when our son was a newborn.
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10 Must-Have Products for Parenting a Newborn Baby
Changing Pad
A changing pad is not an absolute necessity, but having one definitely makes things easier. For the parent who uses a wheelchair, the changing pad keeps your newborn from rolling around. This gives you a few more seconds to navigate your wheels to reach for things.
You can change Baby on your bed or the floor, but any experienced parent will tell you that babies often have bathroom accidents during changing. You aren’t going to want to change your sheets, or clean your floor each time Baby springs a leak, particularly boys, during a diaper change! Owning a changing pad makes cleaning up after diaper changes as quick as wiping down your changing pad, or throwing the cover into the wash.
Diaper Caddy
A diaper caddy is a must have! It definitely makes things easier. It’s like a toolbox for your newborn. Keep diapers, wipes, vasoline etc. Everything you need to get that diaper changed in a one grab and go spot. For the parent who uses a wheelchair, the diaper caddy can sit on your lap or hang from the push handle on your wheelchair making it incredibly handy.
Low Light Nursery Lamp
At first glance, you may think this is an item you can skip over, but trust me! When you’re waking up in the middle of the night several times you’ll be so glad to have a dim light you can turn on in your sleep.
Bright lighting you and baby could lead to disaster. I love that this nursery lamp comes with a small remote which will allow you to turn it on from across the room. Again, a great tool for the wheelchair parent! Attach the remote to your wheelchair and your good to go! Finding Baby in the dark and making a bottle couldn’t be easier with this dim light nursery lamp.
Video Monitor
A GREAT friend of mine! When Baby starts sleeping through the night it can be scary waking up after that much solid sleep for a parent! (It sounds crazy now, but you’ll know what I mean…) When you use a video monitor, you can take a glance at the screen, and get right back to enjoying that full night of sleep without risking waking Baby.
My son is almost 6 and we still have the video monitor set-up. It’s great at night. If he’s tossing and turning a lot during the night I can check that everything is okay without putting a foot on the floor.
A fun thing about still having the video monitor is that we can listen in when he’s in his room reading or just playing. I love hearing him read; particularly when he doesn’t think anyone is listening!
Boppy Pillow
Is your wife planning to breastfeed your newborn baby? If so, this product comes highly recommended from moms.
Even if your family isn’t planning to breastfeed, a Boppy pillow can help make feeding Baby or laying him down comfortably for a few moments a breeze. Many newborn babies also have a condition called reflux and this product can help with that because it helps keep Baby propped up instead of lying flat on his back. For the wheelchair using parent the Boppy makes holding your newborn on your lap a breeze!
Closet Organizers for Baby
Newborn babies grow so fast! You could keep your baby’s next size of clothes boxed up in the top of the closet where they’re stored away neatly out of view, but difficult to have quick access to, or you could use these closet organizers to separate clothes inside the closet before Baby arrives. Using these makes grabbing the next size for Baby quick and easy.
Sweet Plush Animal for Baby to Grow Up With
A newborn baby can’t play with a toy yet, but they do appreciate consistency. Having a special toy around for Baby to see and interact with from the very beginning will be comforting.
We did this for my son. As your baby grows he’ll be able to start grabbing and pulling on this toy (or chewing on it…), and when the toddler years arrive it’ll likely be his go-to favorite because he’s always had it around. For our son, it was a monkey similar to this one. Even at 6 years old he still needs him when he goes to sleep!
Binky Saver
If you’re an expectant parent, or a brand new Dad you probably don’t know the terror of having your child’s pacifier fall to the floor of the Wal-Mart on a busy Sunday afternoon. Yuck! You’ll always have a clean spare close at hand using a binky saver— as long as you remember to refill the pouch.
Water Wipes
A newborn baby has very sensitive skin. Many children today have also been known to have reactions to chemicals found in regular wipes, or they may have a skin condition called eczema. Even normal diaper rashes can make using regular wipes painful for Baby.
These Water Wipes are 99.99% water making them likely the most gentle disposable baby wipe on the market today. Even to this day, 6 years later, I keep wipes in the car and in my backpack on my wheelchair. They come in handy eating in the car or just on the go. Spilled food or dirty faces and hands … not just the kid … adults too!
Babyproofing Items
It’s never too early to start babyproofing your house. You bring home Baby and you think you have time, but before you know it your newborn baby is 4 months old and rolling from side to side and then he’s 7 months old and crawling around the house. Don’t blink, Daddy! He’ll be exploring every corner of your home before you know it.
There you have it! My top 10 must-have items for parents of a newborn baby. If you’re a Dad-to-be, or a father of a newborn baby you’ll be so much more at ease parenting your newborn with these products in hand.
What products would you recommend for parents of a newborn baby?
Share in the comments below!
