What can I get my friend who is expecting that she probably won’t receive at her shower? I get asked this question quite a bit from relatives and friends looking to buy gifts for someone they know who is expecting. Rest assured the typical mommy to be did not forget to add diapers and wipes to her registry, but she probably did not think about ear protection from music at the family reunion she plans to bring baby to. Here I list 10 baby items that were either not listed on my registry or received as a gift, but things that I found useful as a new mom.
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10 Baby Items You Didn’t Know You Needed Until You Needed Them
1. Night Light
I received a night light as a gift from one of my mommy friends, but it was not a gift I thought to register for on my registry. It’s functional for both safety and comfort. I can see at night when I am checking on my little one without the worry of tripping over a toy that did not get put up. Imagine checking on your baby only to set off the singing monkey that she plays with causing a once peacefully sleeping baby to awake. The intensity of light is usually low which creates a nice ambience and calming environment for your baby. It creates a gradient that allows baby to differentiate between wake time and sleep time. Night lights come in different shapes, colors, and have varying features.
2. Nursery Organization
The items in this category fall into the “you don’t know you need it until you need it.” After your baby shower, you will have a plethora of things to include baby items, clothes, and other miscellaneous items. At that point, you will recognize the need to organize and put things away but you will only have your nursery furniture to work with. In many cases, that will not be enough. Below are a few I recommend that will help you organize and prepare for the arrival of your baby. We used door organizers and installed shelves for easy access to items we needed for our baby.
- Closet Dividers
- Back of Door Organizers
- Cubicles
- Storage bins
3. Winterwear
I live in the south and it snows rarely. However, we received a baby jumpsuit that I affectionately call her snow suit. During our short winters, it gets cold and we enjoy having a suit that we could snap her in and know that she was warm. This would be a great gift for anyone, but I warn you to consider how old the baby will be when it is winter in their area so that you know what size to buy. Those who live in the north will love this gift. Be sure to check out the suits that are compatible with car seats, as that feature will be an amazing help to the new parents. Out of the 10 baby items listed, I would vote this item as the most warm. It was supposed to be a joke…laugh!
4. Sound Reducing Ear Muffs
I did not even know these existed until it was suggested by one of my mommy friends. Since we attended a mega church, we knew that bringing our baby would be an issue due to the volume of the music. These ear muffs are designed to reduce the amount of noise that enters the baby’s ears. Once I discovered these, I immediately bought them and our baby wore them for the first time to my college graduation.
The box indicated that they were designed to fit babies at least 3 months old. I took a chance and bought them even though she was only a few weeks old. They were a tad bit big but for the most part they fit comfortably. She slept through most of the ceremony if that is any indication of how well they worked. We still use them when we go to church or any function that will have loud speaking or music.
5. Breast Care Items
I am not sure why these items are underestimated. To be honest, moms may not even be thinking of this yet. I know that the breasts are a sensitive area on a women’s body, but once she becomes a mother, they undergo changes. It is a natural process and whether a mom plans to breastfeed or not, she needs care in this area.
6. Books
My child loves books and she is just a baby. They learn so much at a young age and this is such a great learning experience for them. Not to mention, the wonderful bond you and baby will share. These do not necessarily have to be added to a registry, but there are creative ways to let your family and friends know that you are interested in them.
7. Disposable Diaper Sacks & Wet/Dry Bags
Learned about these super late in my mommy game, but I wanted to share with you. These bags keep the mess contained when you are out and about and are not near an accessible trashcan. I am conscious because dirty diapers smell horrible and if you put them in a regular trashcan, it might be necessary to go ahead and take that trash to the dumpster. I want to give a special shout out to my diaper pail that keeps our house smelling fresh. Also, your baby may have an occasional blowout or spits up accident and the wet/dry bags can contain those items until you get home to launder them. If you are expecting, go ahead and add these to your registry so that you are prepared just in case.
8. Stroller Fan
One of my favorite things to do last summer was to go walking at the park with my daughter. It gets pretty hot where I live so our walks would be short as I was afraid of her becoming ill due to the heat. That was until one of my mommy friends showed up to the walk with a stroller fan. They conveniently clip to the stroller and can adjust to meet the needs of your baby. Keep that baby cool.
9. Small Tupperware Storage Containers
We invested in a small set of tupperware to store food that we had made for our daughter. It is convenient to pack on the go. You may already has this, but if you do not I just wanted to get you thinking about it. Also, I’ll mention here that ice trays are good for food storage too. The amount of food that can fit in one cube on the tray is equivalent to one ounce. That helped me know what to offer Zariah when it was time to feed her.
10. Sterilization Bags
This is an affordable and quick way to clean your bottles and binkies. You just put your items to be sterilized in these bags, add a little bit of water, pop that baby in the microwave, and 3 minutes later you have sterilized your items. It is so much easier than using the stovetop and much more affordable than buying the bulky machine sold in stores.
If you have questions or comments, we would love to hear from you!
10 Baby Items You Didn’t Know You Needed Until You Needed Them
How cool! This is a unique idea for a blog post. I’m sure it’ll be super helpful when I have my first baby! Thanks for throwing this together.
You are welcome!
What an awesome list! Every one of these items would be extremely useful to a newborn and the mommy! My favorite gift for a baby shower always includes a little bag for Mom and Dad’s hospital stay. A pretty notepad and pen, for jotting notes, lists, or visitors, some goodies like soft Kleenex, chapstick, candy, magazines, or a favorite puzzle book.
Yes, those items are helpful as well and something you don’t think about until you get there. Unfortunately most stays are so short that once you do realize what you need, its time to go home. That is awesome that you share those items with your moms to be. <3
This is an awesome list! Definitely night light – we got that as a gift and my daughter lived it. Stroller fan – that’s an awesome idea, never heard of that before.
Thank you! Yeah, I am learning there are so many other things that could have been added to this list. But that’s how it goes…as moms we know that we will learn as we go. <3
Love it! I would also include Boogie Wipes! I was gifted these with other products I never thought of and was in heaven. They have saline so they get the boogers without too much digging. Omg that and Nose Frida!
Oh yes! I forgot about he Boogie Wipes. Those flavored smelling pieces of greatness. Perfect for the new mom as babies hate those aspirators you are provided in the hospital. Funny story, now that my infant is a little older she actually likes the nose sucker. Weird…I know! 🙂
Yes to all of this! I especially love the night light, headphones, and mommy care items. Totally things you don’t think about until you need them, but they’re so handy! And you can never have too many books for baby!
Yes, at first my baby was not interested in books but loved to hear mommy sing. Now she enjoys listening to stories and picking her own books. Books definitely a great attention grabber when they are older.
Great post! Of course, some of things you may not want to just buy for a new mom unless you know her well ( achem breast care stuff…)
True!
I’m loving these unique gift ideas! My kids loved the touch & feel books… & how cute is the stroller fan!
Wow this is a really great list! I love those sterilizing bags and the stroller fan! Really helpful! Thanks for sharing your list!
This all looks great and useful. I will be so happy to receive such thoughful items. Great selections and advices.
I wouldn’t have thought to add a night light to the list. But now that I think about it, I am sure that we had one in the kid’s room. Looks a great list to help moms.
Night light! This was something I didn’t have on my list. Thanks!