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Let’s be honest here, I am no expert on things that are needed being a first time mom, however, I am going to share my top 10 must haves that I used to help me get through the (almost full year) 9 months with my baby.
#1. Silicone bibs
Now, we didn’t start using silicone bibs until my son was about 8 months old and honestly my sons daycare are the ones who first requested them. I ended up buying them online from Amazon. Let me just say, these were very inexpensive and being that we were now onto eating “baby food” and snacks, this made clean up so much easier! You can literally just wipe the bibs off and then they’re clean which is a huge time saver! These silicone bibs are the ones I ended up buying for my son, and he loves them!
#2. Portable fan for on the go
If you read my “about me” page, then you know that my husband and I spend a lot of our time at the race tracks during the weekend in the summer. The summers here are hot and humid, therefore, a portable fan was definitely a must for our son. These portable fans are really game changers for hot nights at the tracks.. or if you’re in Disney during the hottest months of the year. It’s not an air conditioner, so it won’t take away all of the heat, but it definitely makes a difference. We got ours here on Amazon!
#3. Grippy socks
These are a must! Especially if your little one is on the go. When my son first started crawling, it was no big deal of what kind of socks we put on his little feet, but once he started climbing on things and trying to pull himself up to stand, these were a necessity. There have been many times where he almost fell due to slipping with his regular non-grippy socks. Here are the socks we found to work best for us.
#4. Large Playpen
This playpen was a huge game changer for us. When our son was very little (around 5-6 months) we had a small ball pit for him which he really enjoyed, but he outgrew that very quickly. We ended up putting up this playpen around the time he was 10 months old and he absolutely loved it. While he was at that age where he just wanted to crawl and roam around, sometimes it was nice to also have him in his large playpen and be able to play but also helped him to learn how to pull himself up and try walking without getting hurt. Ours came with a foam mat that can be placed on the bottom of the playpen so the little babes aren’t moving on the hard floor. Trust me when I say.. you’re going to want this hands down.
#5. Large Play Mat
Being on the go with a little one that is also very much on the go can be tough. We started taking our little guy to the race track at around 4 months old and aside from having his stroller, I needed something else that would provide some freedom for him and myself. While the large play mat was convenient for having at home, it was also very convenient for when we traveled, especially when we were at the race tracks. I could just set his mat up either in the grass or in the trailer and allow him to be able to play with his toys without any issues. These play mats come in handy for going pretty much anywhere with your little one. You just fold them up and bring them with you wherever you need. The other nice part is they are able to be wiped down very easily with no hassle. You can buy ones that are a more “cloth” like material, but these are a nice cushiony foam material that can be wiped down after every use.
#6. Plastic Bags
I know most of you are probably like.. plastic bags? But hear me out. When I had my baby shower, one of my guests gifted me these plastic organization bags. At first, I was a little confused by them but she did write a note with every single gift and how each of the items gifted had helped her when she had her baby. These plastic bags were used strictly for organizing. When I pack the diaper bag, I organize most of the baby’s items into these plastic bags. For example, diapers in one, medication in one, socks in another, etc. It makes it so much easier to just be able to grab the plastic bag and know exactly where everything is rather than digging through the whole diaper bag to try to find whatever it is you need. The other nice thing is that these bags come in different sizes as well as different zipper colors so you can get as organized as you need.
#7. Disposable Blue Pads
I don’t have much to say here besides just get these. Almost every diaper bag today comes with a complimentary changing pad which is great, however, it’s not so great when you’re in a public restroom and need to use the changing table for your child and keep using the same changing pad or not use one at all. Germ city right there. Do yourself a favor and grab these disposable blue pads (chucks) and pack a few in the diaper bag each time you go out somewhere. It makes it much easier and somewhat cleaner to just throw one of them on the changing table and throw it away once you’re done with it.
#8. Decent thermometer
I know this one might seem a little silly, but there are plenty of thermometers out there that are just not great and if they leave you second guessing if the numbers are accurate, then it’s probably time to invest in a new one. We decided to go with this one. It has several different ways of taking the temperature such as tympanic and temporally as well as the settings can be changed to check the temperature on an infant/child, an adult and even check the temperature of your home.
#9. Stroller net
Most strollers if not all strollers come with the the visor that opens over top and gives the child some shade during sunny days, however, not many strollers (not that I’ve seen anyways) come with a net. We use the net for warm summer days especially when it’s super muggy and the bugs are annoying. We just put the net right over top of the stroller, giving our son a nice barrier so he doesn’t get eaten alive by mosquitos and flies when it’s humid outside. It’s light enough too where it allows the breeze to still go through the netting as well as he can see out through it. If you live in a place where it gets warm and humid, this net is a must have.
#10. Portable chair
I never knew this one would be a must have until we started using it. My one friend gifted us this chair for our baby shower and it has to be hands down one of our favorite items (obviously, it made it to this list). Once our son was old enough to start sitting up on his own, we started bringing this chair pretty much everywhere with us. Right now, we use it at my parents house when we go and visit. Rather than having a big clunky high chair at their house, we just set up this little chair and it has a tray on it, so it’s perfect for feeding time. We just set the chair up either on the table, on the floor, in the grass, wherever is most convenient for the specific place we’re at. I will also note my son loves his chair, so it’s a win for all of us.