This is an ever-growing list of our ABSOLUTE FAVORITE THINGS for Babies and Moms! If you’ve ever taken a look at the baby section in any store you know it is super overwhelming and so hard to decide what you need and what you can live without. So we’ve decided to take the guesswork out of baby shopping with our Absolute Best Things for Baby. These are tried and true products that our family has tested and loved. We have used each of these products with our own children and in most cases given or in the least recommended them to our own family and friends.

Please note: this post may contain affiliate links.

1. Nose Frida: a super simple, CLEANABLE, nasal aspirator.

Worth the $15. This is a simple yet brilliant aspiration tool that works great for suctioning excess drool during teething etc or as a nasal suction. The best part is that it can be cleaned and sanitized eliminating the risk of breading bacteria and mold which can happen with bulb aspirators.

2. Safety First Thermometer: basic digital thermometer with multiple settings. Provides the information the nurse line will ask you if you need to call and peace if mind that you have an accurate read. I also have a Braun Thermoscan, but when my daughter has been sick, the rectal temp was the most reliable and often easiest because I could just do it quick when I changed her diaper. No need to worry about if her forehead was sweaty or if I had it in the right spot of her head or armpit.

3. SnuzaHero Baby Monitor: Best peace of mind ever! Simple to use- just clip on baby’s diaper, push a button and the monitor will vibrate if movement isn’t detected for 15 seconds. If there continues to be no movement it will beep LOUDLY. Ohm works anywhere baby sleeps since it just clips to the diaper. We even used it in our baby’s car seat, especially on long car rides. I know this does NOT replace checking your newborn frequently, but it sure provides peace of mind when you are trying to get an hour or two of sleep. Our daughter’s has gone off many times and thankfully lots of false alarms. It can be a bit annoying when it goes off because it came unclipped from her diaper or she roles a certain way. I realize also that some people are very against devices like this. My sister is a NICU nurse and made a comment to “not waste the money,” however my daughter is a very deep sleeper and in the early months would get blue in the face at times. Her doctors could find an explanation and she is overall healthy. These two factors for me (and that fact that I am a worrier in general) were enough to justify wanting the peace of mind a device like this can provide. Shortly after I purchased the Ohm my daughter was sleeping and it went off. I went to check it and she was very difficult to wake. I don’t know if this was just coincidence or not. Thankfully she did wake, then go back into a more normal sleep. I was sold after that day.

4. 4 Moms Mamaroo Swing: newer style swing with several modes (including car ride mode) and music/ sounds. You can also hook up your phone or MP3 device. This swing came highly recommended by my sister who is a NICU nurse. My daughter loved this swing. She always wanted to be held, but was pretty content in her Mamaroo!

5. Muslin swaddle blankets: any brand, we own a few brands (Aiden & Anais) and we love these beautiful poppy designs by Margaux and May. They are light weight, big enough to cover even larger babies, easy to double and when tied at one end they make a great nursing cover or bib. Tie both ends for a quick satchel to round up toys or other kid items (the traditional flannel ones are great too, but became too small for our babies quick).

6. BumGenius Cloth Diapers: all in one or inserts, we love them all! We’ve tried several brands of cloth diapers and these are by far superior to any others we’ve tried. BumGenius are soft, rarely leak, wash nicely and the buttons and fabric hold up great. Oh yeah.. and they are ADORABLE!

They come in adorable colors that hold up to many washes. These diapers are not just cute though. Their adjustable snap design makes them perfect for growing babies, simply change the snap setting to fit your baby. Super absorbent liners keep baby dry (most come with an extra insert as well). We notice less rashing than when we use disposables. Worth the money. Here’s a link to my favorite site to buy them. I was able to get a great deal here and they came super quick. (*note: the above photo shows BumGenius and Kawaii brand diapers. BG are definitely our favs though!).

7. Footless Jammies: our little ones seemed to grow out of everything in the feet and legs first in the early months. Finally we got smart and started buying footless jammies and they seemed to last much longer. Now we buy both, but if we get the footies I buy them extra big so she has more time to grow into them.

8. Dr. Seuss Board Books: ours are well loved at this point, because from just a few months old our daughter loved looking at the bright pictures and hearing me read the silly lines. I like the small Seuss books because they are the perfect size for tiny hands (not to mention they fit great in the diaper bag). These whimsical little reads will serve as fun first reads and probably continue to be lasting favorites helping your little one learn rhyming, alliteration and other early reading skills.

9. Munchkin Silicone Baby Food Feeder. Silicone, leakproof ‘nipple’ with a plastic handle, this little gadget was a lifesaver when our daughter began teething and again when she started on solids. Did I mention it’s LEAKPROOF!! I would put breast milk in it when our daughter was a few months old and pop it in the freezer. She loved  noshing on the cold and I loved that she was still getting my milk. As she grows we’ve put various foods, fresh and frozen. She’s now 15 months and she loves frozen fruit or water pops in them. Dishwasher (top rack), freezer and kid safe.

10. Dr. Brown’s bottles: These bottles are gold!They made the difference between an upset,  screaming, must chug gripe water, gassy infant and a happy, drinks a bottle and sleeps little girl. They can seem like a lot to wash and deal with, but they come with a perfect little brush to keep everything clean and for us, they weren’t too bad once we got in a routine. I highly recommend trying them if your baby seems gassy or just upset after feedings.

We also love Dr. Browns Glass bottles. Though plastic is great for durability, glass is more natural and better for the environment.

11. Microwave steam sterilization bags: We had the Medela brand bags, but there are many others out there. I loved that I could get all the bottle parts washed and sanitized without boiling anything or having to run the dishwasher for just a few bottles. These were AMAZING for pumping at work. Simply throw all your parts in the bag and discretely microwave the whole bag or store the whole bag in the fridge for later use/ washing.

12. All things FENUGREEK: Fenugreek is an amazing herb/ supplement that is said to support lactation. A great supplement for breastfeeding moms who may not be producing enough. Try Mother’s Milk tea or Fenugreek capsules.

13. Gripe Water: Available at most stores that carry baby items, gripe water is a solution usually containing gentle herbs that can help settle a baby’s stomach. There are various types and brands of gripe water. Mommies Bliss is a good one and you can even find individual serving packets. Many friends recommended we try gripe water and we finally decided to listen when  our baby would routinely have crying spells (before using Dr. Brown’s bottles) that were otherwise un-resolvable. Once we gave her gripe water, the crying would stop in just minutes. We swear by the combination of using Dr. Browns’s bottles and having gripe water on hand. Seriously changed our life and so many people’s we recommended it to since!

14. Aiden and Anais burp clothes: Not only are these burp cloths beautiful, they are multifunctional! They double as a large (and amazing) bib! They are my new favorite for my daughters and make a perfect shower gift! Bonus… they are not too expensive! Usually these multifunctional little wonders cost between $9.99 and $24.99 depending on the set and print you choose! Win!

15. Owlet Sleep Monitor: This gives you the ultimate peace of mind when it comes to baby (and you) sleeping. Simply plug in the base station, put the sock on your little one and push a button! This is a tool that, along with safe sleep practices, can potentially save your little one’s life and your sanity! Using pulse oximetry, Owlet uses a small sensor on the foot to measure pulse and oxygen levels. We found it to be extremely reassuring especially when our little one was sick and congested. We could watch her oxygen levels at home, and on one occasion even alerted us to a sinus infection in our little one when she had only minor other symptoms.

16. Bella Tunno 7 in 1 Boss Diaper Bag: Recently our Skip Hop Diaper needed replacing. We had the Chelsea bag which we loved for over three years and was a great bag for us. However the zippers feeling so we started shopping for a new bag to last several years to come. After much research we found Bella Tunno. Made of vegan leather, this bag has all the bells and whistles and then some. It can be used 7 different ways, hence the name. It is super stylish, wipes down easily, has perfect sized pockets on the outside for wipes, a hook for your keys, pockets inside for diapers and bottles and comes with a changing pad and two bonus clutch pouches. We LOVE this bag!

As of 4/14/19 we have not received any of these items from the manufacturer to review, however as noted above, this post does include affiliate links to make it easier for you to find the products online and by clicking our links we may receive compensation at no cost to you. This helps keep our blog up and running! We’d love your feedback on all of our favorite baby items and hope you’ll leave your experiences with them in the comments!

What are some of your favorite baby items?