A Few of my Favorite Things

I love baby showers! I love celebrating new life, passing sweet little clothes around, and eating delicious food with my people. I’ve been to a LOT of showers in the last few years, and I’ve come up with a list of go-to items that I love to give to friends who are expecting new babies.  Some of these are more well known than others, but my list below might give you some new ideas either to take as a gift, or to purchase for your own baby.

10) Munchkin Latch Bottle: This is a newer bottle in the market of baby feeding, and it is excellent!  The accordion-style nipple is different than most because it can rotate, stretch, and pump very similar to the breast. It also has an anti-colic vent at the bottom of the bottle.

9) The Mommy Hook:  This is basically a large carabiner clip, but it is oh so practical. In addition to being able to hold lots of grocery or shopping bags, it is a great “handle” for a rambunctious toddler to hold while walking at the mall next to mommy (take it from personal experience).

8) “The Happiest Baby on the Block”:  This is a great resource (either in book or DVD form) for new parents especially.  Dr. Karp talks about the 5 S’s of soothing an upset infant and maintaining your sanity.  While every baby is different, these techniques have worked wonders for each of my boys when they were newborns.

7) Mustela Cradle Cap Shampoo for Newborns: Both of my boys had some serious cradle cap on their sweet little baby heads.  I did not know about this shampoo with my first son, but it made a huge difference for my second. I also like that it is a foam, because it is very easy to rinse out.

6) Calmoseptine:  Almost every baby gets at least one pretty nasty diaper rash during that first year or two. A friend told me about Calmoseptine, which is usually located in the adult diapering section of most drugstores, after I had tried EVERYTHING possible from all-natural remedies to every baby cream on the market. I’m not exactly sure why Calmoseptine works so well, but I know part of the reason is because it is so thick and provides a much better moisture barrier than the other diaper creams I tried.

5) Vicks Menthol Plug-In Vaporizer: This is another more practical gift item, but it is wonderful for baby’s first cold. It is such a helpless feeling to have a stuffed-up baby that you just can’t seem to help, and both of my children sleep so much better when I plug in this Vicks vaporizing night light.  Each menthol pad lasts about 8-10 hours in my experience and makes such a difference.

4) Boba Wrap:  The Boba Wrap is a long piece of stretchy fabric similar to other wraps on the market. The difference is it is super stretchy.  You can tie it on you as tight as you would like, and your baby will still feel comfortable.  Also, your baby’s weight will not cause it to get looser as the day goes on, so you don’t have to re-tie it multiple times.  At first, I thought that tieing my baby to me would be daunting, but after two days of practice at home, it got so easy.  (Tip: If you’re short like me, the fabric may seem extra long and it can be frustrating trying to tie it on in the parking lot of the grocery store without it touching the ground.  I have found that tieing it on before I leave home takes a lot of the pressure off and makes it easy to just pop the baby in the carrier once we get out of the car at our destination.)

3) NoseFrida:  This Swedish invention may seem really weird and gross at first, but when it comes to suctioning out your baby’s nose, it is amazing. The NoseFrida is different because it allows you to regulate the strength of the suction as well as the length of the suction time instead of using the traditional bulb syringe. There is a filter and your baby’s mucus never actually travels up the tube, so it’s completely hygienic.  It is also very gentle on baby noses, and now that my little one is used to it, it makes him laugh.

2) Woombie Swaddler:  This is a zipper swaddle that is different from many other models of swaddlers that require criss-crossing fabric and velcroing it closed.  I love this swaddler for a few reasons.  First, it has a two way zipper, which means you can change diapers in the middle of the night without unzipping baby’s arms.  Second, it is stretchy.  Your baby can be swaddled but still move his/her arms if they are uncomfortable without startling awake. There are other brands that sell similar products, but in my opinion, the quality of this one is worth the money.

1) Wubbanub Pacifiers:  A Wubbanub is a soothie pacifier (the kind they hand out in the hospitals), attached to a small stuffed animal.   The beauty of the Wubbanub is that your newborn can find the paci again if it falls out of his/her mouth because it won’t roll away.  It is also easier to catch before it hits the ground! (Cleaning tip: I run mine through the washing machine and then let them air dry.) Once your infant is bigger, it is much easier to get it into his/her mouth independently.  Plus, there are so many adorable options! These are such fun gifts to give.

Which baby items did you use most as a new mom? What are your go-to gifts for baby showers?