10 Best Baby Gifts

 

Hello lovelys!

Hope you’re having a great day!

So I’ve been basking in newborn bliss for a little over 3 weeks now and I am so in love with our new little doll baby!!  She is sweet and tiny and totally adorable.  She has us all wrapped around her tiny little fingers.

Ofcourse if I’m being totally honest, not every moment of the last 3 weeks has been rainbows and unicorns…. Lots of late night feedings, poopy diapers, blood curdling screams, spit up, drowning in laundry, and struggling through the day like a zombie running on very little sleep…..but thats just par for the course!

One thought keeps going through my head as I’m up making bottles in the middle of the night or putting yet another load into the washing machine….

“having the right gear makes all the difference in the world!”

I can’t tell you how much more prepared we were this time around versus with our first one, duh.  When my son was born, we only thought we were prepared but when he actually arrived, we were constantly ordering from Amazon to get what we needed, mainly in desperation for a good night’s sleep (I will explain more below) .  My poor mother-in-law must have purchased 10 different sleep sacks!  (lol)

Now that I’ve had my fair share of trial and error with all the baby gear, I decided to share a list with you of the top 10 baby items I cannot live without, i.e. 10 favorite things to give as gifts too!  Don’t worry, I’ve linked every item for super easy online shopping…

 

Baby K’tan Carrier

If you watch my Instagram stories you’ve already heard me talk about this amazing, life saving apparatus!  It’s called the Baby K’tan Carrier and I am obsessed with it!!!!  I wear it every day now that I’m up and moving around.  I would definitely recommend it to every mom if you plan on getting stuff done while caring for your newborn.  They come in 3 different sizes (Small, Medium, and Large) and a few different colors so keep that in mind when ordering. Just to give you an idea, I have a “small” and my husband has the “large”.  My daughter LOVES being in my K’tan Carrier so much that when I can’t get her to fall asleep, I will put her in it and she dozes off within minutes!  I think it reminds her of being in the womb!?  It really does make for the perfect little snuggly cocoon right on your chest and the best part is, not only do you have a happy baby but 2 hands to do all the things!  To purchase the Baby K’tan Carrier click here.

 

The Baby Shusher

I owe several hours of my life to this guy right here!  If you’ve never heard of this genius product, prepare for your mind to be blown.  Speaking of mind, yours is probably wondering right now with all kinds of questions and weird thoughts just from looking at this thing but seriously, IT’S LEGIT!  Allow me to explain….. this little hand held device consists of a speaker and timer that when turned on, literally shushes your baby to sleep as if you were doing it yourself.  Yup, that’s right, it shushes your little one to sleep so you can save your breath and your sanity.  I’ve been using it every night when my daughter likes to look at me with one eye open and fight the good fight until the baby susher wins her over, and the baby sushser always wins!  The best part about it is that its very light weight and comes with a strap that you can hang from your wrist so the Baby Susher can accompany you wherever you go as you do laps around your house trying to get the baby to fall asleep.  You can even bring it in the car with you because it runs off batteries!  I told you it was genius!  For those of you who like to give “unique gifts” that no-one else would think of or that you know the expecting mom will not have, this is your guy!  Warning though, it will cause you to fantasize about  the face behind the shushing voice.  I’m picturing an older Dad, early 40’s, strikingly handsome, and very hands-on.  Always puts his kids first, may even drive a mini-van, coaches the soccer team, you know the type!

To purchase the Baby Shusher click here.

 

Stationery/Inclusion Cards

Still to this day, one of my top 3 gifts I ever received when having my son was a set of personalized thank you notes and inclusion cards with his name on them.  GENIUS!  I can’t tell you what a relief it was to have brand new thank you notes, already personalized and readily available for me to write my thank you’s for all of the gifts and meals we received after my son was born!  Also, the inclusion cards are great for birthday presents and gifts once your child gets older!  Stationery is usually the last thing an expecting mother thinks of but something she definitely needs!  I  have used every single piece of that custom stationery set my high school friend gave me and cannot wait to order some more.  My favorite place to order stationery right now is Minted.  They have such cute designs at affordable prices and my orders always ship SUPER fast! Plus, I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t able to find a promo code to get a discount on my order.  Right now they happen to be having a sale on baby and kid’s products.  If you use the code LABORDAY17 you can save 15%!

Here are a few of my favorite kid designs that I would consider giving as a baby gift.  To purchase, click on the title above each design…

Trucker Stationery 

Fire Engine Stationery 

Pink Cursive Stationery

 

Pink Silhouette Stationery

 

 

Rock N’ Play Sleeper 

I absolutely love this little cradle!  My son had horrible reflux and could not lay flat for long periods of time so we were very thankful to have The Rock N’ Play Sleeper!  This is the latest version that rocks itself!  No more having to bob it up and down with your hand hanging off the side of the bed.  It’s very light and folds up flat which makes it easy for travel too!  Perfect for a visit to Grandma’s house or if you need to take your child to work with you!  To purchase the Rock N’ Play Sleeper click here.

 

Bath Visor

Ok don’t laugh, but yes, this is a real thing, and yes I really have it for both of my kids, and yes it really works!!!  My son HATED (and still does) to have water poured in his eyes and ears so I ordered this on Amazon one night in desperation to have a peaceful bath.  Much to my surprise, it actually worked!!!!  It’s super cheap and totally practical so I bought another one for my daughter.  They come in a few colors and make the perfect “add on” item when you’re looking for something small to put with another gift.  To purchase the bath visor click here.

 

Changing Pad Liners

Ok, so this one may seem a little boring, and I remember thinking that when I first received a set of these but man are they practical !!  Not a day goes by that I don’t use atleast 2 of these babies.  One is always laying on top of the changing pad to avoid a massive clean up when those blow out diaper changes occur.  The other is always laying underneath my child while she is sleeping to protect the mattress from getting wet and delaying sleep in the middle of the night.  It is SOOOOO much easier to switch out these changing pad liners than to change sheets and pad covers!  They are also great for travel and tummy time!  EVERY mom needs a set of these, if not 2!  To purchase these changing pad liners click here.

 

Changing Pad Cover

I love our changing pad cover from Madly Wish!  It’s made of linen and looks so custom in my daughter’s nursery!!  They have so many cute designs made from very unique fabrics.  They also make the most fabulous custom Boppy covers and blankets for babies. To check them out click here.

Woombie Sleep Sack   

My son was not a great sleeper.  As I mentioned, he had reflux and was a very fussy baby for the first 6 months of his life!  So you can imagine how desperate we were to find a way to get him to sleep.  My wonderful mother-in-law purchased every different kind of sleep sack available within the first few months of his life because she was so determined to help us!   Out of all the sleep sacks we tried, and we tried all of them I swear, the woombie was/is my favorite.  It’s the only sleep sack that didn’t come undone in the middle of the night and wouldn’t ride up over his face after much wiggling.  It zips up and fits very snug to the baby’s body so there is no wiggle room, making them feel snug and secure for a restful nights sleep.  The woombie comes in several different sizes, colors, and styles so keep that in mind when shopping.  To purchase click the appropriate title below (girl/boy)…

Woombie Sleep Sack-Boy

Woombie Sleep Sack- Girl

Muslin Swaddle Blankets

Swaddle blankets are a must, I mean they’ve been around since Jesus was a baby, literally. But muslin swaddle blankets are all the rage.  They come in so many fun patterns and colors!  Every mom needs atleast 2 sets of these for their newborn.  The muslin cotton is so light weight and soft, perfect for any season or climate.  To purchase these Muslin Swaddle blankets, click the appropriate title (girl/boy)…

 

Muslin Swaddle Blankets-Girl

Muslin Swaddle Blankets- Boy

Carseat Germ Cover 

This is my latest and greatest purchase.  I would not be able to leave the house without this germ cover!!  It lives on my daughter’s carseat and goes everywhere we go !  It fits very snug over the top of the carseat, giving your baby complete coverage from germs.  So far I have used it at the doctor’s office, a restaurant, Homegoods, Target, and on walks and felt 100% comfortable about bringing her out in public, knowing that she was fully protected.  It also has a mosquito net built into it which is great for walks, soccer practice with brother, and time outside.  Every mom needs one of these germ covers for their carseat, especially if you have to bring your baby inside a school to pick up their sibling!  Ewww a germ motel!!!  To purchase the germ cover click here.

 

 

 

 

So that’s my list of the top 10 baby items I cannot live without .  But did you really think I was only going to share 10 things with you?

Ofourse not!  After completing this list, I thought of a few more items that I just had to include.  Some of them are a little more expensive, actually a lot more expensive, so they don’t necessarily fall under the “gift giving” category unless its a group gift or a very generous gift.  However, these are also things I cannot live without and highly recommend for all moms…

Play Mat

 

Let me preface by saying, there are TONS and TONS of different play mats out there.  Literally TONS.  And they all serve the same purpose, however I really like this particular one because of the piano at the end of it.  It gives another element of function and excitement for the baby.  My son LOVED this play mat and I really think having the piano at the end to kick and make noise, prolonged his time on the mat in one sitting.  I.e. gave me more time to do things! To purchase this play mat click here. 

 

 

Owlet

I’ve only been using this device for 3 weeks now, but so far I am totally obsessed.  Its a tiny “sock” that goes on the baby’s foot and monitors their heart rate and oxygen level while they are sleeping.  Ya, it’s pretty genius. I’m sure it has it’s kinks, but right now I don’t have any complaints.  It is only able to get a reading while the baby is perfectly still/sleeping but that’s the only time you really need a reading.  It has an 18 hour battery life and is very user friendly and easy to set up.  It does not come with a monitor, all of the info can be read via the Owlet app on your phone.   I highly recommend this device, especially if you are a nervous nelly mom like me.  To purchase the Owlet click here.

 

Leacho Lounger

I use this thing every single day. It’s super cushy, easy to move around, and both of my kids have loved it!  I use it most when I need to take a shower or when we sit down to have dinner as a family and I need to set the baby somewhere close but don’t want to put her down to sleep. It’s great for after feedings because the baby can sit on an incline.  Also, I love that the cover comes off easily and is washable.  If you’re looking for a gift that you feel will be 100% worth your money, this is it.  We’ve definitely used it beyond what it’s worth.  To purchase the Leacho Lounger click here.  

 

Drop Cam Pro

LOVE the Drop Cam Pro!!!  We have 2 of these now, 1 for each kid.  It’s exactly like a baby monitor but you can watch it from the app on your phone via WiFi and check in on your baby remotely.  It gives me peace of mind when we need to leave our kids with a sitter.  Also, we’ve used the Drop Cam just to check in on our house/dog when we are out of town.  It makes for a very practical, generous gift!  To purchase the Drop Cam Pro click here.

Wedge Pillow

 

This pillow is great for reflux babies during diaper and clothing changes, play time on the play mat, and when you have to lay them down for swaddling. I also love using this wedge pillow for tummy time because it helps the baby raise their head up when they are on an incline.  There are several different wedge pillows out there that all serve the same purpose, but I like this one because it has a zippered case on the outside that wipes off easily.  Also, the whole pillow unzips and folds in half, doubling in size so you can increase the incline of the wedge if necessary.  To purchase the wedge pillow click here. 

Magnetic PJ’s

I wish I could say I invented these pajamas because they seem like such a no brainer and they are so darn practical and smart!  Instead of fighting with snaps in the middle of the night, they simply just magnetize together all at once.  So easy!  So smart!  So much better!  They come in several different colors and patterns for girls and boys and make a really cute gift!

To purchase the BOY Magnetic PJ’s click here

 

To purchase the GIRL Magnetic PJ’s click here

 

and last but not least the…

 

 

Mamaroo Swing 

So I owe my life to this swing, literally.  A few weeks after my son was born, we were desperate to find anything that would make him comfortable after feedings.  My sweet husband drove from store to store looking for this particular swing because we heard it was great for “motion babies” and babies with colic or reflux because of the incline and slow, smooth movements.  Let me just tell you , it did not disappoint.  I went from having to hold him literally ALL day, to being able to set him down for atleast 20-30 mins after each feeding.  HE LIVED in this swing!  I like it because it’s not very tall so it could easily sit on top of our kitchen table which made it super practical for me to use all the time, and still is!  For 3.5 years now I’ve been saying I’m going to write this company a thank you letter for making a product that gave me my life back!  To purchase the Mamaroo Swing click here. 

 

And those are all the baby products I cannot live without!!!  I hope this helps you find the right gift for that expecting mother on your list…

 

 

 

 

Next week I have a special guest poster lined up and I can’t wait for you all to meet her!

Until then ,

have a great weekend…

 

This post may contain affiliate links.  However, all opinions are 100% my own.  For more information regarding disclosures please click here.