Our Top Ten Baby Items List

This is a list of ten of the most used baby items in our household during the boys’ first nine months (& beyond!).
In no particular order...

1) The Boppy Pillow. This was a lifesaver for me while breastfeeding in the early days. We continue to use it during the boys’ bottle feedings when there is only one adult to feed the two. It has also been a great tool to use for propping around the boys while they were practicing sitting. I would definitely recommend getting the protective water-proof cover that goes on under the decorative slip-cover as well; it saved us a number of times from staining the actual pillow.

2) Swaddling Blankets. The boys LOVED being swaddled. They settled down so much easier when they were swaddled. I know all babies don’t like being swaddled, but if yours does, these were the key.  I love these "stretchy" material ones the best!

3) Fisher Price Soothe n Play Bouncer. We actually have two of these because they worked so well for us. They vibrate, which was such a useful feature to help the boys sleep in the beginning. They spent a lot of time sleeping in their bouncers (mostly because of their reflux) since it was the only way we could get them to sleep for a longer stretch of time.

& Fisher Price Travel Swing. This is another great tool we used. It helped the boys sleep or relax. We didn’t want them to get too dependent on the motion to get themselves to sleep but it was a great calming tool. It is also the perfect size to pack up and bring right along with you when you go other places. (we had the ‘Precious Planet’ jungle theme one similar to the bouncer pattern, but the one pictured below is very similar)

4) Playtex Drop-Ins Bottles. After trying out the Tommee Tippee brand of bottles (which the boys actually did great with, even when transitioning from breast to bottle, they just seemed to drink too fast from them and spit up a lot more, even on the slowest flow nipples) and doing some research online we tried these out. The boys did great! The flow rate of the slowest nipple has been perfect for them, even in the early days. Cleanup is also such a breeze - we only have the nipples & rings to wash every night. The replaceable liners are very reasonably priced; we really prefer the design of Target’s Up & Up brand over the more expensive Playtex brand.

5) Sophie the Giraffe. If I wasn’t a frequent visitor to the most awesome site for expecting & new moms, www.thebump.com, I would have never found out about this awesome teether. The boys LOVE their Sophie Giraffes. She is their favorite thing to chew on (besides their own fingers) and has been a lifesaver during teething. She’s made of all natural rubber & food paint – which makes me feel better about them gnawing on her 24/7.

 
6) Carter's sleepers. Carter’s sleepers are our favorite jammies for the boys; we especially like the fleece ones during these cold winter months. Cory prefers the zipper ones over the ones with snaps but I don’t really have a preference. They come in so many super cute designs for boys & girls.

7) Pamper's Swaddler's. These are the diapers the boys started out in the hospital and they had also been highly recommended by many other moms. They are super absorbent and we’ve had the least number of leaks with these diapers. I never realized how finding the right diaper is more trial-and-error then anything. Some moms have problems with Pampers, some have troubles with Huggies and others have issues with the off brands. We were fairly lucky in that they boys seemed to do fairly well in most brands…but Pampers Swaddlers were by far, our favorite. I really wish they made them larger than a size 2, so unfortunately our time in them has come to an end.

8) Fisher Price Seahorse. We used this as part of the boys’ bedtime routine when they were very little. It was great at calming them down and putting them to sleep. We no longer use it during bedtime but use it when someone gets restless in the middle of the night, early morning and at naps – it still is great at soothing them. They LOVE it. It comes in both blue and pink.

9) Baby Trend Double Snap ‘n Go Stroller. This item is definitely twin specific (although they do make a single version) but I had to include it on the list as it was really the only way I could go anywhere alone with the boys. It is just a stroller frame on which the car seats snap onto but it a lightweight (if you can even say “lightweight” when you’re talking about a double stroller) way to push around two babies. It’s an added bonus that you can leave the little ones in their car seat when being out & about.

10) Exersaucer / Jumperoo. When your baby can hold their head up well, these things are the best. They are also something that are somewhat expensive, so if you can find one on sale or find a barely used one – it’ll save you a little bit of cash. We were lucky enough to find a good deal on a barely used one and also have a relative lend us a second one. We have 2 exersaucers as well as a Jumperoo. They are both great for getting your child some independent playtime – I think it just depends on your child’s personal preferences as to which is the best fit. Our boys love them both!

I also highly recommend the book Baby Bargains for researching all things baby related. I used this book while planning our registry and making those first important purchases. It combines great information on the safety, price and parental recommendations for all types of baby products.