13 Baby Products That Might Not Be On Your Radar …But Totally Should Be!

You are thinking about your baby registry and you are stressing the heck out! The list you got from the store has approximately 1 billion suggestions on it. You know you don’t need all of it. You know they are trying to sell you stuff so of course they are telling you to register for 20 crib blankets. You know that much, but what you don’t know is what you actually need and what you don’t. So you are freaking out and having a breakdown in the Babies R Us bathroom. Oh wait. Maybe that was just me when I was pregnant with my first baby. True story.

I am here to take some of the mystery out of your baby registry. First of all, let me tell you what this is not.

This list is not…

• a master list of everything you need – hint: Diapers aren’t on my list. You need diapers.
• a bare bones list written by a minimalist – hint: You barely need anything, but that isn’t much fun.

This list is more focused on parenting hacks or the inside scoop on regular baby products. Just imagine that we are sitting on my couch and I’m sharing with you all the things I wish I had known when I was creating my baby registry. 

13 Baby Products That Might Not Be On Your Radar
…But Totally Should Be!

This post contains affiliate links.

1. Pacifier Hacks – Grace was in love with her pacifier and Noah was a thumb sucker. You never know what you are going to get and in moments of desperation, it is helpful to have one on hand. If your baby ends up loving their pacifier, here are two hacks you’ll want to look into: glow in the dark pacifiers and wubbanub pacifiers. I haven’t used either of these, but if we have more children I will definitely look check them out.

2. Umbrella Stroller – It is really nice to have a regular stroller. They have storage space underneath and an infant carseat can usually clip right in. However, the convenience of a small umbrella stroller should not be underestimated. Trust me, your little one will be big enough to sit in it a whole lot earlier than you think. The time of year that your baby is born can make a big difference in how much you use a regular stroller, so I’m not saying you shouldn’t get one. However, you’ll use your umbrella stroller a lot more than you think you will.

3. Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm – Of course diaper cream is on your radar, but have you considered buying an all natural brand? Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm actually smells good, unlike the popular conventional brands that have a strong medicine smell. For more recommendations for natural baby products, read 10 Safer Bath & Body Products for You and Your Kids.

4. Halo Sleepsack – This is my number one favorite baby product. With the threat of SIDS, it isn’t safe to have loose blankets in your baby’s crib. These wearable blankets keep your baby warm without needing extra blankets. They also come in large sizes that I used regularly with my toddlers along with loose blankets. I didn’t need to worry about my little ones kicking off their covers at night when I knew that at least the sleep sack was going to be there to keep them warm. BONUS TIP: These also come in organic cotton. Plus there are fleece ones for the winter and light cotton ones for warmer months.

5. Changing Table – I’m a big fan of changing tables, but you don’t have to use an actual changing table. I went to a used furniture store, took a changing table pad with me, and looked at different dressers to see if I could convert one into a changing table. I ended up buying a dry sink that I can use in my home when our diaper days are over. At the very least I would discourage you from buying a shelf style changing table. Your little one will pull every single thing off those shelves when they are about 6 months old.

Some parents will tell you that a changing table isn’t really necessary because you can just use the floor or a bed. That is true, but I have always found that my babies and toddlers responded better when I put them on the changing table. It was routine and they knew what to expect. I still had my share of kicking and fits, but it was much harder when they could roll over on the floor and try to crawl away. For more tips on setting up your nursery, read 10 Practical Tips for a Fabulous & Affordable Nursery.

6. Spirit-Led Parenting – If you are a momma who gets stressed out by schedules, rules, and wanting to make sure you are doing this parenting thing exactly right, then I highly recommend the book Spirit-Led Parenting. It is a breath of fresh air for a mom who is fearing that she isn’t doing it right. It provides great encouragement to take a deep breath, say a prayer, and go with your gut.

Psst! I want to interrupt just for a moment to let you know about the problem I had breastfeeding my children. The problem is called excess lipase activity and it caused my pumped breast milk to develop a bad taste over time. Because of this my children didn’t like to take a bottle of breast milk until I discovered the problem and was able to fix it.

I encourage all of you to taste your pumped breast milk to make sure you don’t have this problem! And if you do, I wrote an eBook all about my experience. I have all the answers you need to overcome excess lipase activity. I’ve got your back, mama!

7. Waterproof Pads – These little pads are fantastic! I used them on top of our changing table and in our diaper bag. When we had a diaper explosion, I could throw the waterproof pad into the laundry without having to wash the whole changing table pad cover. BONUS TIP: These also come in a crib length size, which is wonderful for leaky diapers as your baby gets older and for potty training toddlers. I keep one directly under the sheet in the crib.

8. Baby Carrier – I didn’t use my baby carrier very much with my first baby, but I used it a lot with my second one. How much you use a carrier will all depend on how much your baby likes to be held and how much time you have to simply sit and hold. Once you have more children, a carrier comes in quite handy so you can keep moving while still comforting your baby. For newborns, I liked using a Moby wrap, but there are tons of different carrier styles out there.  I also used an Ergo when my kids could be carried on my back. If you have the opportunity to borrow any kind of carrier from a friend to give it a test drive, go for it!

9. Portable Swing – Some babies love swings. Some hate them! You never know what kind of baby you are going to get, so I recommend opting for a cheaper portable swing. I loved being able to easily move our swing from room to room and even take it to grandma’s house. Plus it folds up, which made it really easy to store when we weren’t using it.

10. Space Saving High Chair – I can’t tell you how many times having a portable high chair has come in handy. We didn’t buy a regular stand-alone highchair at all. For both of our children we used this chair that we attached to a regular chair.

This one from Fisher Price is amazing because the tray does NOT stain. Spaghetti sauce will turn it bright orange, but then the next time you use it the thing will be white again! The padded cover comes off, which I always removed once my babies were a little bigger. It gets really gross under those things. The downside to this seat is that I couldn’t transition it to a regular booster seat  because the arm rests prevented it from sliding under my table. It couldn’t get close enough. (UPDATE: It looks like the armrests might have been removed from the design.) When my second baby was born, I got this seat that I was able to use with my toddler at the table.

11. Diaper Pail Without Special Bags – Diaper pails stink, but if you remove the dirty diapers regularly then it really isn’t bad. I loved having a diaper pail that didn’t require special bags and took regular trash bags instead. FULL DISCLOSURE: My husband takes care of all our dirty diaper trash. When he takes out the trash it stinks, but come on. It is a bag full of dirty diapers for pete’s sake!

12. Swaddle Blankets – Do you want to know the dirty truth about receiving blankets? They can be really hard to use when you are swaddling your baby. They just aren’t that big. I used a swaddling blanket with velcro, which made swaddling super easy. Other people have raved about Aden & Anais blankets. They are bigger than traditional receiving blankets. Plus their muslin fabric is really light and breathable, which is good for summer babies.

13. Baby’s First Year Calendar – Baby books are awesome, but they aren’t that easy to fill out. Milestones come and go and you think you’ll remember every little detail, but you just won’t. With both of my children I used a first year calendar along with a traditional baby book. It was much easier for me to write down day-to-day milestones and activities on the calendar and then use the calendar to help fill out the baby book later. For more information on how wonderful these calendars are, read Free Yourself From Baby Book Guilt!

Did you know you can create a baby registry on Amazon? You can easily add these items to your list!

Moms, what have I forgotten?  Have you used any of these baby products?

Did you enjoy this post?  Check these out!

• 14 Things You Need for Your Postpartum Body
• The Secret to Saving Money on a New Baby
• What the World Needs to Know About Pregnant Women
• A Simple Tip for Organizing Onesies
• My Fast and Natural Birth Story
• My Breech Baby’s Birth Story

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for supporting Simply Rebekah!