5 Must-Have Baby Items for New Moms
Congratulations! You’re a mom now — or are soon to be one. Your baby means the world to you. Your little baby boy or girl is a precious addition to your family. But, as you know all too well, babies are a lot of work.
Diaper changing, nap times, feeding (whether you breastfeed or go with formula), sleeping, those little illnesses and fevers that inevitably happen at 2 a.m…. you’re going to be busy as a new mom night and day. You need all the help you can get! Luckily, there are plenty of items out there to help make your job easier, so you can focus more on showering love on your little one.
- Nursery Glider
One of the best ways to get even fussy babies to sleep is with a smooth rocking motion. Babies love to be swayed to sleep — perhaps it reminds them of when they were in the womb and you walked around. But forget about an old-fashioned wooden rocking chair. How uncomfortable!
Instead, try out a nursery glider. These heavily-padded chairs are a dream to sit on, and you’ll be doing a lot of that as a new mom.
They usually come with an ottoman/foot rest, so you can put your tired feet up. Most importantly, they glide smoothly back and forth. Your baby will love the motion. By the way, they come in a range of colors, so there’s sure to be a nursery glider that fits your decor.
- Co-Sleeper
No doubt about it, when your baby doesn’t sleep well, nobody else in the house does either. That’s why many parents use a co-sleeper. There are two types: in bed and bedside. A bedside co-sleeper consists of having your baby in a bassinet right next to your bed, so they can be sleeping comfortably by your side. This is completely safe, especially for infants and newborns, as they are secure, without a way for baby to roll out.
And in bed co-sleeper is like a small sleeping pad for the baby that goes in the middle of the bed, with a parent on either side. There are soft sides to the pad to prevent the baby from rolling out or parent from rolling on the baby.
Whichever type of co-sleeper you use they are very handy. If the baby starts to wake up or fuss, you can quickly calm them so they go back to sleep without bawling when they wake up. Or you can breastfeed them easily. Simply being so close to you helps the baby sleep more soundly.
- Baby Monitor
You love your baby. But after they’re down for a nap or they’ve gone to sleep for the night, you’re ready to get some “me time.” You want to relax, maybe watch some TV or catch up on social media.
There’s a handy way to do that and keep an ear — and sometimes even an eye — on your baby easily. No, you don’t have to wait outside the door! You do it with a baby monitor. There are two main types of baby monitor. The first is the one you might remember from when you were a kid.
An audio baby monitor. Basically, it’s a microphone you place in your baby’s room, near the crib. If they start to fuss or cry, you can hear it on the portable paired speaker wherever you happen to be. It’s like a walkie-talkie. A few years back, video baby monitors became popular.
With this safety device, you have a camera that you place in your baby’s room, usually pointed toward where they sleep. That way you can check on them as they doze. If any issues pop you can see it immediately and be ready to act.
With a video monitor, you might just want to gaze lovingly at your child — we’ve all done it!
- Thermometer
It’s 3 a.m. and your baby is crying and won’t stop. Often, with newborns, this is a sign of illness. The first thing you should do is check their temperature with a thermometer to see if they have a fever. You can’t just put your hand on their forehead!
A fever is a sign of infection, and if they do have a fever it’s important you seek medical treatment. If the fever is high enough, you should see a doctor right away for the sake of the baby’s health.
That’s why a good quality thermometer is so important to new moms. You should be able to take a temperature quickly, easily, and accurately. There are a lot of thermometers out there. Most of them available today have digital readouts for accuracy.
For newborns, many experts recommend rectal thermometers because they say they give the best readings. But also available are baby thermometers that take readings from the ear or the forehead. These can be less invasive and more comfortable for the baby.
Ear thermometers, known as tympanic thermometers, are safe to use on children older than six months. Forehead thermometers, aka temporal artery thermometers, are also for babies older than six months. They also tend to be more expensive.
- Diaper Bag
As a new mom on the go, there’s one tool that will help you navigate a busy trip to the grocery store, shopping mall, or park: a handy diaper bag.
Here you can put all your baby gear: diapers, changes of clothes for you and baby (trust me, you’re going to need them at some point), bottles, formula, breastfeeding smock, changing pad, and more.
If you don’t want to carry a purse too, you should make sure there’s room for your wallet and cellphone as well. Luckily, most diaper bags have plenty of storage space and pockets on the inside and outside. Some diaper bags have shoulder straps. Others are more like backpacks. Which you choose depends on your preference.
And these days diaper bags can have style too. No need to get a bright pink one with flowers. If you want to be more toned down bag, with neutral colors that go with any outfit, you’re all set. You’re going to do great as a new mom. And with this gear, you’ll be ready to go.
