As a mom of two boys I am asked all the time for recommendations on my favorite baby items. I have covered the internet for recommendations for “must have” items before having a baby and most of the time the articles talk about which stroller, crib, or car seat you need. I am here to share with you 10 things you may or may not have thought of – or even knew existed!
1. One of my favorite items is the changing pad liner. These make midnight diaper changes SOOOOO much easier! Put your cute changing pad cover on you changing pad, and then lay one of these down. Then when it gets dirty, quick whip it off into the hamper, and throw a new one down. Now you don’t have to worry about changing the full cover in the middle of the night or having to have so many full size covers!
2. The Rubber Ducky Thermometer.
This adorable rubber duck serves a second purpose: it tells you if the bath is too cold, too hot, or just right for baby. I love these for first time parents who are worried about bath time with their new baby. They also come in hippo, sting ray, alligator, seal, and more!
3. Diaper Pail Refills
For the parents that are planning to get a Diaper Genie diaper pail, use Mama Bear Diaper Pail Refills. These are the exact same as the Diaper Genie brand and so much cheaper! (I am almost positive that Diaper Genie makes them.) With all of the diapers we will go through, I will take any savings I can get!!!
Diaper Genie 8 pack – $47.99
Mama Bear 8 Pack – $33.99
I love this skip hop portable changing pad. It holds diapers, a pack of wipes, and a clean onesie, which makes it great for when you need to run and don’t need a full diaper bag.
5. Breast milk test strips for alcohol.
Please note: This is not a medical recommendation. Please speak with your child’s pediatrician regarding consuming alcohol and breastfeeding. I use these to get an idea of whether any alcohol has come through in the breast milk. They are nice when you have had a night out and had a drink or two and are not sure if you have waited long enough for the alcohol to filter out.
6-8. My next three recommendations are apart of a larger matching set.
The skip hop whale tub spout cover is perfect because it prevents your little one from smacking their heads on the metal spout.
The matching piece is a whale pourer to help rinse off your baby. While you can easily do this with a cup, it has a rounded opening that molds to the curve of your baby’s forehead so when you rinse babies hair, it does not go in their eyes. I found that the $10 was worth the piece of mind for the water pourer.
Plus, the is a matching baby tub (~$30) and whale kneeling pad that can all be purchased for under $70 for the set of 4 items. This makes a perfect cute set for a baby shower gift.
When we first decided to give my 2 year old a pillow, he never used it. It seemed almost as big as he was and put his neck at a funny angle everytime he laid on it. THERE HAD TO BE A BETTER WAY! Then I discovered there was a secret…They make a mini pillow for toddlers!
Pro tip: The photo is from amazon and costs $20 jut so it can have a cute design. If you go to Target, they have a plain one for just $6.
When we travel we take our pack and play along as a travel crib for our babies. Naturally after about 6-12 months baby starts to realize that hard pack and play bottom is just not as comfortable as their crib. We got this for our oldest, and now our babies sleep like a dream on vacation!
Bonus: This one comes with a carrying case and a sheets for these can be found at stores like Amazon and Target.
A Ginger Chemist 
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