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1. A tried-and-true snot extractor that will save you sleep and stress when little one has a stuffy nose. This set includes saline and extra filters to keep baby's nose clear and your nerves less frayed.
2. A full-sleeved bib because you are not going to have time for more laundry. And *bonus* — it also doubles as an apron for arts, crafts, or whatever messy mischief your little one gets into. Learning to eat is a years-long messy business, so covering their entire outfit will make serving yogurt less of an ordeal.
3. A roll of bags and a dispenser for storing those extra smelly diapers on the go. If you're not near a trash can, these help keep odors under control until you can dispose of the diaper. They fit easily into the diaper bag and while you may not always need them, you're going to be really happy when you DO.
4. A manual breast pump that's great for travel or for collecting extra milk from your letdown. Every ounce of that ~liquid gold~ matters and this pump is an awesome way to keep every drop of your milk.
5. A low-profile milk catcher for moments you might want to be more discreet. This one is great for travel since it's small, easy to stow, and simple to use. It also protects your shirt from the dreaded aggressive letdown — a win-win!
6. A set of pacifier wipes that will cleanse anything from teething toys to bottles to basically anything else your child drops. These wipes are alcohol and chemical-free and made of food-grade materials, which means you can cut the number of spare pacifiers you need to buy AND avoid the dreaded "popping it in your mouth first" method.
7. A set of washable changing pad liners that will turn late night blowouts into a quick cleanup and get you back to bed ASAP. These liners go right on top of the changing pad cover and protect the cover from stains. If the liner gets soiled, just grab it, put it into the laundry, and place another one right under baby to continue getting the job done. It's much less expensive to toss soiled liners than destroyed changing pad covers.
8. A strap for cups that prevents the cup, teether, pacifier, etc. from flying to the ground 100 times over. They're also textured in case your teething child decides that the strap is just too good to resist. Believe me, your baby throwing a cup is cute and adorable precisely ONE time — this thing is golden.
9. A bouncer and seat that's a must-have to save you from hours of bouncing in desperation. Along with bouncing *magic,* a bouncer also allows you to safely set the baby down off the floor for bathroom breaks for you. For added value, it even has a toy bar *and* is super durable. Your knees will thank you!
10. A sling carrier that's easy to use, washable, and carries children up to 35 pounds. Reviewers praise its durability, ease-of-use, and breathable material — get ready to get full use of those arms back!
11. A Halo sleep sack that doubles as a swaddle *and* blanket. Getting a tight swaddle in the middle of the night is a near-impossible task. This brand has perfected the swaddle and blanket dilemma and this particular model is temperature regulating, so you can rest easy — for an hour or two — knowing baby is at least comfortable. It also grows with your baby because it's designed to help the swaddle transition by allowing for hands up and then arms out. Yes, please!
12. A bath cushion that's perfect for sink baths. Pro-tip: sinks are awesome and often easier than the actual bathtub as you're getting the hang of managing a slippery baby. This cushion is a comfy way to ease both you and your baby into bath time!
13. And this shampoo rinser that contours to your child's head to help avoid water in their eyes. It's made out of a soft material, cleans easily, and has a handle that makes it easy to pour and hold even small babies. It's also great for toddlers and big kids! We've had ours for five years!
14. A cradle cap system that helps remove the flakes that inevitably happen. While severity of cradle cap differs from kid to kid, it's just something that happens to many. Managing it can really help you have a little more peace of mind.
15. A Tushbaby Hip Seat Baby Carrier that will give you tons of extra support for all of that hip carrying you'll find yourself doing. Along with evenly distributing baby's weight, it also has storage for diapers, wipes, keys, a wallet, and a phone, AND includes a bottle holder. Give your back a break and enjoy so many more baby snuggles.
16. A booger extractor to make picking those stubborn boogers quick, easy, and secretly satisfying. Parents praise the Oogiebear for how effective it is, with many of them placing them strategically throughout the house for boogie emergencies.
17. A parent-loved infant play mat that actually grows with your baby throughout the year. This mat can be used for "lay and play," tummy time, as well as sit and playtime, and can travel easily. Since it configures in several ways, it'll last much longer than most play gyms that bore babies once they can sit up.
18. An excellent set of starter blocks and balls with bonus sensory elements! These blocks, balls, and animals are perfect for babies to both gum and start stacking, meaning they'll grow with your baby throughout infancy and into toddlerhood. My 3-year-old who loves stacking still occasionally pulls out these blocks to build towers!
19. A silicone feeding set because it can steam food that can then be eaten from the same bowl! It also comes with two soft spoons: a long one for the adult and a small one for baby to try out self-feeding. Finding the right tools for the feeding journey can be a headache, but reviewers LOVE this set, making it a safe bet for a first-time parent!
20. A formula mixing pitcher, aka an absolute game changer for avoiding gas and getting formula ready, like, ~yesterday.~ I didn't have this for my first baby and when I had my second, I couldn't believe how much time I'd wasted the first go around. Now I send this to every parent I know when they start their formula journey.
21. A portable sound machine great for kids who need a little white noise to settle into nap time. I used a portable sound machine as the only sound machine for the entirety of both my kids' first years, and we still bring one when we travel in case they have a hard time sleeping.
22. An electric nail buffer because there is nothing more nerve-shattering than trying to trim those tiny paper nails. Not only can you save the drama of actual clippers, it includes an LED precision light, has a quiet motor in case you do the job while baby is sleeping, and it stores easily. Say goodbye to sobbing uncontrollably for pinching baby's finger AND scratch marks all over your chest because you CAN have both.
23. A cool mist humidifier that'll help soothe when your little one comes down with a cold. That extra moisture in the air can help with some desperately-needed relief from some of their symptoms — which can allow more opportunities for sleep for you.
24. And an easy-to-use no-touch thermometer for when you want to obsessively check for a fever ("Are they warm? They're warm. Let me just check — oh wait, no they're fine. But ARE they? Let me check.") This thermometer reads in two seconds and can even be used to check bath water temperature, making it even more useful!
25. A gentle moisturizing cream that and effective for helping treat baby eczema. This hypoallergenic lotion can help babies with sensitive skin, but don't be surprised if you find yourself loving it, too. Taking away itchy baby skin? Make it as easy as possible.
26. An instant smartphone photo printer that allows you to edit pictures and print them instantly. Sure you can sift through a literal THOUSAND pictures of your newborn — OR you could print out the cutest ones and give them to grandparents, keep them in an album, or just keep them close. There's nothing quite like having physical pictures of your little one.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.
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