3 Sanity-Saving Baby Products Every Parent Truly Needs

I’ve seen a number of lists detailing a host of “must-have” baby products for new moms. There’s quite a variety of items on these lists, and some of them are quite lengthy! However, I think a lot of them play a little too fast and loose with the term “must-have.”

When I think of the products that I absolutely would not want to go without, these three things come to mind. Of course these aren’t true necessities, like diapers, wipes, and a car seat. Those things go without saying. And there’s no guarantee that what works for one baby will work for another. But these are three things that have saved us from going completely insane during the infant stage for both of our babies.

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3 Truly Must-Have Baby Products

Halo sleep sack

Oh. my. goodness. Our HALO SleepSacks have been a godsend for us! Both our boys have been fussy babies, and have been difficult to put to sleep. These sleep sacks work miracles! With our first baby, as soon as we put him in his sack, he was out. Our second baby has been a little more difficult, but his sleep sack significantly improves the odds of him going to sleep and staying asleep.

We love them so much we have several! I like to have more than one so that I always have a spare, that’s how much I depend on them. The heavy ones are nice for the newborn stage because they provide a really snug swaddle. They’re also nice for keeping baby warm when he’s too young to have blankets in his crib. As Aidan outgrew his initial sack, we got the next size up, and we also got a lightweight one for summer.

Oh, and I would definitely go with a Halo over regular swaddlers. We’ve tried the swaddlers with both boys and they didn’t have much of an effect at all. When we put the babies in their Halos, however, they instantly started calming down. Definitely go with the Halo.
Baby carrier

I am a huge fan of baby wearing! It is such a lifesaver when grocery shopping or going places where you don’t want to lug around or maneuver a stroller. It is also wonderful for fussy babies that want to be held all the time! Baby carriers provide that close contact that the baby wants while enabling you to get some stuff done.

I have both an Ergobaby and a Baby K’tan, and I honestly love them both for different reasons. I use the Ergobaby when I’m going to be wearing the baby for an extended period of time or I’m going to be moving around a lot. This might just be me, but the Ergo seems to provide better support, both for me and the baby, so it feels more secure.

However, the Baby K’tan wrap offers many benefits, as well. It is my carrier of choice for grocery shopping and errands because it is much easier to put on myself, I can slip it into the diaper bag, and I can put it on before I even leave the house and I don’t have to take it on and off between stores.

They are both so handy, and I really would recommend either one or both!
Pacifier

I don’t think I need to go into much detail here, but pacifiers have been a huge sanity-saver for us. They have soothed our fussy babies, helped them fall asleep, and helped hold them off when I can’t nurse them right away. As an added bonus, pacifier use has been shown to decrease the risk of SIDS by more than 50%! Some researchers say that pacifier use can potentially interfere with breastfeeding, but so far I have not found that to be an issue.

While both my boys have liked pacifiers, they have differed in their preferred type. Our first, Aidan, would only take the Soothie pacifiers. He would spit out any other kind. Our second, Andrew, seems to prefer this type more, although he will also accept Soothies at least part of the time.

Those are the three things that I could not go without in the early baby days (other than the obvious necessities).

Here are some other products that I have really liked or found beneficial for one or both of our babies:

Recommended Baby Products

Swing – Aidan did not like the swing at all (except at the babysitter’s, go figure!), but it has been a life-saver for Andrew! This is the style we have. It’s simple, but it does the trick! Plus, it’s easy to take from room to room.
Diaper caddy – We have a changing table, but I have honestly never used it. We either use our bed or the floor, and this diaper caddy makes it easy to transport everything we need from one room to another.
Backpack diaper bag – Once you have two or more kids, a backpack style diaper bag is a must! (It has been for me, anyway.) When I have to carry the baby in one hand and hold onto my toddler’s hand with the other, that doesn’t leave any free for a diaper bag, and an over-the-shoulder bag slides down all the time and gets in the way. A backpack style bag stays out of the way and keeps my hands free. It may not be cutesy and fancy, but I love my bag! (Full disclosure: I got mine cheaper at Toys R Us, but I wanted to show you the one I use.)
Boppy pillow – These pillows are great for nursing, for propping during awake time, for tummy time, and for helping siblings hold the baby.

I hope that helps you survive and thrive during the early days of your new baby! Or, if you’re not a new or expectant parent, any of these would make great baby shower gifts! Save this list for future reference, and share it with all the new parents in your life.