Contributor Confessions — Favorite and Least Favorite Baby Items

Hey moms!  We are starting our first installment of Contibutor Confessions and I’m so excited to be hosting this time!  What a great post to write!  I learned a lot about my fellow contributors and a few things I wished I had taken advantage of when my little ones were small.

What was your favorite baby item and what item could you have lived without or find unnecessary?

Kali

Must Have — The NoseFrida!  A MUST HAVE!  The bulb syringes just don’t do a great job of getting the snot out, especially when your little one is super congested.  We still use it and my little one is almost 2.

{Want more information?  Don’t worry, Kali will be doing a full post on The NoseFrida very soon!}

Unnecessary — Peepee Teepees.  It’s a cute and funny gift but one that’s hardly used.  It’s much easier to just quickly change the diaper to avoid getting sprayed.

Steph

Must Have — Born Free bottles.  With a baby who had relflux and was unable to nurse, the Born Free bottles were a lifesaver for us.  I really liked the glass bottles.

Unnecessary — Because of the type of baby I had, he wanted nothing to do with any of our swaddling blankets.  Although others swear by it, it didn’t work for us.

Erin

Must Have — Baby Delight Snuggle Nest.  My daughter simply could not lie flat and this had just enough incline to help.  It also has structured sides to help with co-sleeping and to keep you from rolling over on your baby.  In addition, it was great to help with the transition from pack-in-play in our room to the crib.  She didn’t know the difference since it created familiarity for her.

Unnecessary — A diaper pail! I know it sounds crazy, but for me, it was much easier to keep the diapers right outside the door in the garage in a small sack.  We dumped the day’s worth at the end of the night and saved the $30 for the diaper pail, as well as the expensive inserts.  Also, as the baby gets older, those pails smell AWFUL, even when they are empty and have been sprayed with air freshener.  Not having one helps keep that baby’s room smelling sweet.

Jenny

Must Have — Muslin Blankets.  You can read more about Jenny’s thoughts on the muslin blankets, here, in case you missed it the first time.

Unnecessary — Receiving blankets.  Totally useless, in my opinion, because they are too small to swaddle with and just get kicked off the infant seat.

Heather

Must Have — Summer Infant Baby Monitor.  So many days and nights I have saved myself from waking up a still sleeping, though noisy, baby thanks to the video screen. I still use it with my 3 1/2 year old to make sure she’s in bed when she’s supposed to be napping!

Unnecessary — Baby bottle sterilizer for the microwave.  You wash your bottles and then put them in this plastic case in the microwave to finish the cleaning. I think the dishwasher on its anti-bacterial setting does just fine.

Sherry

Must Have — Aden + Anais swaddle blankets.  They are huge in size and so versatile- great for not only swaddling but so much more. We also love how thin they are, especially for a summer baby! They are available online at www.aidanandanais.com and at Target.

Unnecessary — Small 4-6 oz bottles.  Both of my babies were 9 lbs, so they were eating so much from the beginning! It was such a waste to invest in the smaller bottles only to have to replace them when the baby turned a month old. I wish we had the larger size from the start- we would have saved so much money!

Jamie

Must Have — Miracle Blanket.  A lactation consultant told me about this blanket when my son was a couple of weeks old.  I am forever grateful to her for that tip.  After watching a You Tube video or two, I was a swaddling pro with The Miracle Blanket.

Unnecessary — Wipe warmer.  We never used it and I knew they had to get used to the wipes being cold at some point.

Lauren

Must Have — Moby Wrap.  Sometimes wearing Kyler in it and walking around the backyard was the only way to get him to fall asleep.  I loved how comfortable it was and how much weight it took off to carry him. It really was a life saver!

Unnecessary — Mesh Bath Sling.  It’s basically a bouncy seat for the bath. Because it is mesh, you still have to use it in the tub and bend all the way over. It’s also a pain to store. I ended up buying a $5 foam pad and found it so much easier.

Now it’s your turn!  What baby items were must haves for you and which ones could you live without?