Babies’ arrival is followed by loads of anxiety and stress due to ample responsibilities for the newborn’s well-being. Also, since the babies do not come with a manual, baby care is more challenging than it seems to be.
This makes a few things that are necessary to have before the D-day, like clothes, diapers, bottles, toys, etc. However, among all the possible baby essentials, there are a few must-have products that could help you sail through the parenting journey with ease!
R for Rabbit is here to discuss 10 must-have baby products for first-time parents that could act more like your assistants in parenting!
1. Diaper Bag (Your New BFF)
This is more like Doraemon’s pocket, which is capable of storing loads of baby care items like a folding mat, diapers, wipes, bottles, sippers, a pair of clothes, etc.
The trend of diaper bags has become a “new chic accessory” among new parents! This is due to the level of comfort that it provides while traveling outdoors!
So, in case you are planning to go grocery shopping with your baby, all you have to do is fill your diaper bag with all the baby essentials and take a calming walk, while strolling your tiny munchkin.
Benefit: Stores all the possible items in one place. Also, some of the diaper bags are designed in a manner to promote easy removal of the items from the bag, even while carrying the baby.
These diaper bags come in a variety of patterns, colors, shapes, and sizes to allow you to choose the one according to your convenience.
Multipurpose: It can also function like an office or laptop bag!
2. Portable Rocker or Swing (Because nothing beats a good sleep)
Babies love the rocking movement and the built-in soft music that plays in the rocker. This helps them calm down as it helps them experience the womb-like comfort, making them peaceful.
Next time you are occupied and unable to rock your baby every time they get fussy, the portable rocker chair could be your assistant, just anywhere!
Benefit: Many rockers are compact and foldable, making them lightweight and easy to carry just anywhere!
Want to read a book in the park? Well, just take the rocker and let your baby play and sleep in peace while you relish the mysteries of the book you wanted to read! After all, mothers do deserve guilt-free self-time!
This also helps the baby learn self-soothing, thus helping them learn self-regulation for the future.
3. Nursing Pillow (The Multi-Tasking Comfort)
This can be considered a one-man army in your army of assistants for baby care! Well, it is more capable than you consider it to be! A nursing pillow provides multiple benefits for both the mother and the baby, like:
Benefits to Mothers:
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Keeps the posture straight and reduces strain on the back, shoulder, neck, and arms, especially during frequent feedings in the initial days.
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Helps the baby to latch appropriately. Feeding twins becomes easy!
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Provides a soft cushion between your baby and your incision.
Benefits to Baby:
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Supports proper alignment of the baby’s head and the body, which further promotes a good latch.
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Keeps the baby at an angle, preventing the risk of choking, gastric issues, spit-up, etc.
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Provides the baby with the necessary comfort, thus relaxing them during their feeding time.
Tip: This pillow can be repurposed into a tummy time pillow or as an assistant to learning to sit in the later years.
4. Electric Breast Pump (Because the Mothers Are Always on Duty!)
It is a very underestimated baby-care assistant. This is because, according to research, almost 83% of mothers face breastfeeding challenges due to incorrect latching, sore nipples, inadequate milk supply, etc.
However, here a breast pump comes to the rescue due to its enhanced efficiency, especially for working mothers!
An electric breast pump is considered the best alternative to breastfeeding. This is because of its in-built multiple stimulations, sensations, and massages that assist the mother to produce an efficient milk supply for the baby and in less time too!
Benefits of Breast Pumps: Relieves engorgement and flat nipple issues, clears milk ducts, provides faster and more efficient milk supply, offers hands-free pumping, and is convenient.
5. Waterproof Burp Cloth (Because Messy Is Memorable)
As soon as the children turn 6 months, it is time for their “Messy Eating!” So, brace yourself because more than tasting, they are likely to indulge in an “artful adventure” with all the food items.
This makes waterproof burp cloths an additional mealtime assistant to soak up the kids’ drool, spit-up, and messiness, along with ease of cleaning and easy maintenance.
Benefit: Waterproof bibs are more convenient as they can be used for a longer term compared to the cloth ones, which could face wear and tear.
Tip: Always invest in a high chair to develop their optimum food-eating habits.
6. Bassinet (That Doesn’t Look Time-Traveled)
SIDS is one of the leading causes of death in infants, especially under the age of one. This indicates that the habit of co-sleeping with the baby should be avoided at all costs, especially until the baby is very tiny.
Here, your assistant is a bassinet! This could not only become your baby’s bed, but lots of them also come with an automatic timer, rocking and musical mode, or white noise to assist the baby in sleeping.
So, next time, if you are involved in a household chore but your baby also needs to sleep, simply put them in the bassinet and focus on your work, being stress-free!
7. White Noise Machine (Your Baby’s DJ)
Ever wondered why white noise calms the baby down? Well, this owes to the fact that it resembles the sound that the baby hears in the womb. This includes the noise of blood, digestion, the mother’s heartbeat, etc.
Besides soothing, it also helps prevent the startle reflexes of the baby while sleeping, such as dog barking, loud noises from outdoors, etc.
Further, as they grow up, the white noise becomes a part of their bedtime routine, stimulating them to sleep. This also helps them to have a good sleep cycle, which is also a necessary precursor for their essential growth and development.
Other benefits include faster sleep onset, long stretches of sleep, and good naps!
Tips
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The volume should be soft and mellow, like a soft shower.
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Place the machine just a few feet away from the bassinet and avoid placing it near the baby’s head or ears.
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Opt for constant, non-looping sounds to provide consistency.
8. Baby Carrier (Your Third Arm)
The benefit of this baby-care assistant resembles “Use it before you lose it.” Baby carriers are a great way for hands-free parenting.
This is because children’s growth and development require them to be exposed to nature extensively. Also, because you cannot just carry a stroller or a rocker anywhere, baby carriers provide great comfort for both the parents and the baby.
Benefits of Baby Carriers
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Stress-free hustle outdoors.
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Skin-to-skin touch provides the baby with the necessary soothing comfort.
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The upright position assists the baby’s digestion, neck strength, and even helps in their social awareness.
Tip: Always place the baby’s face facing outward. This way, they can witness and absorb the various brain-neural stimulating activities, thus helping them grow!
9. Baby Monitor (That Does Everything Except Baby-Sit)
This is like your baby’s personal contact, especially when you are at a distance from them. It is a great tool to monitor the baby’s whereabouts, along with focusing on your work. A win-win for both the parents and the baby.
Next time you have a virtual meeting and your baby has to be put to sleep, you can simply connect the baby monitor and move with the connecting device into the next room! A baby-essential, indeed!
10. The Pacifier (The Mysterious Soother)
Pacifiers are a great way to soothe down the baby because of their inherent tendency to want to keep sucking. The babies always have an urge for sucking, irrespective of their feeding time and this assistant provides them with that satisfaction.
You can call it baby’s meditative state!
Benefits of Pacifier
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Self-soothes the baby and puts them to sleep.
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Calms down a fussy baby by keeping them occupied.
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Prevents SIDS as it helps keep the airway open due to sucking.
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Helps in relieving colic or gas
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Satisfies baby’s sucking reflex
Conclusion
Parenting is similar to free-falling from a height, and you ought to knit a parachute on your way down. So, although raising a baby is quite challenging, having these 10 most essential assistants will help you in your parenting journey.
After all, who knows if they actually provide you with less fumbling and more time bonding, laughing, and maybe sleeping with your baby!
