2011 Must Have Baby Products!

Here it is! The long awaited 2011 Must Have Baby Products list! This list includes all of my top picks for baby. These are all products that I’ve either bought, received as gifts or reviewed. They are my personal favorites and the products that I wouldn’t want to be without. With Carson being just 2 months old these are all my favorites for the first few months home with baby with a surprising winner.

The winner of 2010 Must Have Baby Product of the year went to the BabyBjorn Travel Crib Light. This year’s winner was a surprise, to me at least. It wasn’t a product that I anticipated would become something that was at my side 24/7 when I came home from the hospital with Carson. The 2011 Must Have Baby Product of the year is the Itzbeen baby care timer! This little puppy is like the nanny I never had. When I would wake up at 2 am and wonder if it had been 10 minutes or 3 hours since the last time I nursed all I had to do was look at my Itzbeen and see exactly how long it had been since the last feeding, diaper change and more. Thanks to the back lit screen which lights up to display the numbers with the push of a button I could see all this important info without fumbling around to turn on the light. Thanks to the built in night light I could also nurse my baby without turning on any other lights. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this little tool. I also loved that it has a clock so I knew what time it was. It also helps you keep track of which side you last nursed on. The Itzbeen kept me sane and somewhat organized during those very groggy first months of taking care of a newborn. That’s why it is my #1 pick this year!

When it is time to take your baby home from the hospital there are many things you’ll need. This isn’t a list of required items to have at home, but rather a list of my favorites.

For Mom:
If you have a c-section then you NEED the C-Section Recovery Kit and more specifically the Bikini Belt. I used this with both of my c-sections and it made a huge difference in my recovery and pain level. Read my full review here.

Nursing Bra: I HIGHLY recommend the Bravado Body Silk Seamless nursing bra. It feels like you are wearing pajamas and is a must for those first weeks of engorgement and nursing!

Lansinoh nipple cream. Sore nipples = soothing relief. Enough said.

Medela Freestyle Breast Pump & Simple Wishes Bustier used together. I pumped once every morning for two months to build up a good supply in our freezer and to relieve engorgement.

Bebe au Lait Nursing Cover to nurse in public or when company comes over. I’ve tried half a dozen different nursing covers and this one is my favorite. Plus it comes in tons of great prints.

For Baby:
Car Seat-LOVE the Safety 1st onBoard Air Infant Car Seat-Great safety features and more user friendly than any other seat I’ve owned.

Diaper Bag-I have WAY too many favorites so I’ll just list a few. Isoki diaper bag and Kokopax diaper bag.

Burp Cloths-I love the Peapod burp cloths and the good ‘ol flat fold cloth diapers you can buy at Target or Wal Mart. aden + anais burpy bibs are great too!

Bath Time!

For infants I love the Bamboosa Towels. They are incredibly soft!

My favorite soap and shampoo that is also super mild on sensitive skin is Grandma El’s. It not only is gentle and safe but smells Amazing!!

Battle of the Diapers!

If you go the disposable route then we love the Huggies newborn diapers. I was a Pampers girl for a long time but we got Huggies to try at the hospital and the design is much better than Pampers. They have an elastic gathering at the back which has saved us a lot of blowouts where Pampers don’t have that and the poop goes up the back. Love the strip down the middle that shows when they are wet too!

If you are using cloth diapers then we love Softbums with bamboo mini pods. They adjust and fit great even on small babies. If you aren’t looking for a one size diaper as SoftbumsLittle Joeys. They fit great and keep in the leaks.

Battle of the Nursing Pillows!

I’m a bit of a nursing pillow junkie. I have 3 that I like and I use them in different areas of my house. In my bedroom I have the Gia nursing pillow, my living room is home to my good ‘ol Boppy pillow and in our family room I’ve got the Balboa nursing pillow. They are all great for different reasons and depends on your preference. I love them all 🙂

Baby Gear!

I have A LOT of baby gear. Let’s face it, I test baby products every day. So here are Carson’s favorites 🙂

Bright Starts Automatic Bouncer (amazing! It bounces your baby and soothes them) and Portable Swing. I’d never buy a full size swing again. They take up way too much room when a portable swing does the same job in half the space and can be folded up and put away.

Boppy Newborn Lounger Pillow This is great for setting baby down wherever you need to. I use it a lot!

There you have it! Those are my favorite picks and must have products for baby this year.

What’s your favorite pick?