I spent countless hours researching baby products and gear. I think I was pretty prepared for what we would need but I didn't know that I would use some of these products as much as I have. I asked all my mommy friends what their must-haves were so I thought it would help to share mine with you! Here is my list of must-have baby items:

1. Swaddle Me baby swaddle sacks- I think these are a huge part of why Juliet sleeps well at night! They keep her wrapped nice and tight and she can't wiggle herself out of them! I have THIS one from Amazon.

2. The Dockatot- I know this one is really controversial since it is pretty pricey. We only got it because I was able to use my store credit at Buy Buy Baby. I'm going to do a short post about why I love it so much and what all we use it for. In the meantime feel free to comment below if you have questions & I will answer them!

3. The Dockatot extra cover- The cover is what holds the Dockatot together. Without the cover on you can't use the Dockatot. Since your baby will be laying down in it they are guaranteed to spit up in it! Once you go to wash the cover you will find that it has to be air-dried! So if you plan on using the Dockatot every night to sleep in, you are definitely going to need an extra cover to use while the dirty one is being cleaned and dried!

4. Burp Cloths / Cloth Diapers- I had no idea how many of these we would use! We use the Gerber Cloth Diapers like THESE and the Gerber Burp Cloths like THESE and go through them like crazy! We use them to clean up spit-up, wipe off her mouth while she is eating ( she spills everywhere!), and as a burp cloth. I also have THESE nicer burp cloths that are thicker and really cute! I use them when we are going out and I want something that looks nicer.

5. Bibs- If you aren't going to bottle feed or your baby keeps all their milk in their mouth then you won't need these. We use one for every feeding because she spills milk out of her mouth while she is eating! I use THESE and THESE which are super cute and come in a bunch of different patterns! I'm so glad we have both sets because she goes through all of them within a week! I'm actually considering buying more!

6. WubbaNubs- Okay I have to admit. I absolutely hated these and swore I wouldn't use them. Juliet has a really hard time keeping a pacifier in her mouth. We tried every pacifier brand and the one she liked the best was the Soothies. The problem was that she couldn't keep it in her mouth for long so I had to hold it in her mouth with my finger. We finally tried to WubbaNub and it works the best. It weighs down the pacifier so she can keep it in her mouth easier. She also LOVES to cuddle with it, which is adorable. ( Do yourself a favor and get at least 2 of them! ) We have THIS one.

7. Gas drops- I much prefer these to gripe water. The two times we tried to give her gripe water, she choked on it. She seems to really enjoy the taste of the gas drops and it helps her with her tummy aches and gas pain. Buy these before your baby is born! I tried to wait to see if we would need them which ended up being a hassle. YOU WILL NEED THEM! Babies are gassy and they have to learn to digest their food. We have THIS one.

8. A good bouncey seat- Juliet absolutely loves her bouncy seat. She sits in it while I shower, get ready, eat, and pack up the diaper bag for the day. She loves to coo and smile at the little toy bar, we call it "talking to her friends!" We have one like THIS.

9. The PUJ tub- I bought this because it could hang flat in the shower to dry so it wouldn't get moldy or take up space. It also fits right in to the sink which is perfect since we don't have a bathtub at our house. If you are tight on space, or don't want something extra to clean then you need this! We have THIS one. It works best in a small sink with the sink plugged up, it is more of a padding for the sink than an actual tub that holds shape. She will probably grow out of this soon but it's been perfect for her first few months! If you have questions please ask!

10. Baby Carrier- We actually have 3 of these. I used THIS one for the first few weeks. It is a wrap style and keeps her head nice and tight. She loved to be inside it because she was cuddled up to me. However, they take some time to put on and take off. I also have THIS one which is an Ergo baby carrier. I'm sure we will use this once she is older but even with the infant insert, it seemed big and bulky for what we needed. The one I use the most is THIS one. My mother-in-law bought it for us and we use it all the time! It is small and light weight and super easy to use. I've been wanting to try a sling carrier and will let you know if I find one she likes!

11. Changing Pad Cover- Get THIS one. The top middle part is waterproof and super easy to wipe up any accidents. I can't tell you how many times Juliet went to the bathroom as soon as we got her diaper off! This saved me from doing multiple loads of laundry! (We have two of these.)

12. BabyBum Diaper Cream Brush- Okay I know it sounds silly. Everyone at my baby shower thought it was ridiculous but I honestly use this EVERY time I put diaper cream on! Diaper cream isn't easy to get off your hands and out from under your finger nails. With this, I just wipe it off the brush with a wipe after I use it to keep it clean. Trust me, you want it! I'm even considering buying a travel one to keep in the diaper bag!

13. Footies- Juliet spends 90% of her time wearing little footies like THESE. They are super easy for diaper changes. They are really easy to put on and off. Instead of needing a onesie, leggings and socks, you just put on a footie!

14. Activity Gym- Juliet absolutely loves her activity gym! We have THIS one from bright stars. It's great because it comes with so many detachable toys so I can take the ones she likes with us when we leave the house. The sides come up so she can kick her feet and there is a light up elephant that plays music. It's also great for tummy time! And when she can sit up on her own it turns in to a ball pit!

15. The Baby Shusher- Again everyone thought I was crazy for wanting this. If you read the book, Happiest Baby On the Block, the author talks about the 5 S you need to calm colic. One of them is the "SHHH" sound. And it actually works to calm Juliet down! The problem is that whenever we stopped making the noise she would start crying again! With the Baby Shusher we just turn it on and it plays a recorded track that says "SHH." It is on a timer too so you can use it in the car and it will automatically turn itself off. Now that Juliet is older we don't use it very often anymore, but I am so thankful we had it for the first 2 months!

16. Boppy- Even after I stopped breastfeeding, we used the Boppy every day! We use it to prop Juliet up in her activity gym so that she can see everything better. We also use it for tummy time everyday. It keeps her from being face planted into the ground and instead allows her to see farther in front of her, encouraging her to lift her head up more to look around.

17. A good quality stroller- This is just my personal opinion, but I think it is worth it to spend more money on a good stroller. You use it everyday! Having the ability to quickly get it in and out of the car makes such a difference! You already have so many other things to worry about while you're loading and unloading that this will make it easier. Since you are the most vulnerable while getting in and out of the car, you want to be as quick as possible so you can keep yourself and your baby safe. We have the Nuna Mixx2 and absolutely love it!

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