So, I always thought it would be fun to post the baby products that we have found to be most useful over the past four years. I'm not an expert, but after having three kiddos under three, I definitely know the products we couldn't live without! This obviously doesn't include every product that I've used or liked, but these are the ones that we have gotten the most use out of and worked for all three kids.
Babyhood:
Bouncer--We used a simple Fisher Price one for all three kids. It has a vibrations option. Bouncers are great because they are lightweight, relatively small, and easy to bring around the house with you. It is also very easy to remove the cover to wash it by machine!
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| Mary was the 3rd baby to use this bouncer! (Don't worry, she was always supervised on the table!) |
Dr. Brown's Bottles--We started out using these bottles on a recommendation from my cousin, and we honestly never had to even try out another kind of bottle. All three babies took these bottles without difficulty. Some people say they are difficult to clean, but we just separated the parts and put them in the dishwasher.
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| Blaise with a Dr. Brown's bottle in his first month. |
Summer (formerly Kiddopotamus) SwaddleMe Wraps--All three of our newborns needed to be swaddled. Tightly. It really makes sense when you think about where babies spent the first 9 months of their lives prior to birth! The boys used the swaddles longer than Mary, but they were so very necessary for our survival. I'd recommend the cotton ones, because our babies got too sweaty in the fleece, and we don't even live in a particularly warm climate!
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| Damien sleeping in his swaddle with Grammy's help! |
Boppy Noggin Nest--See this earlier
post. I'm just disappointed we didn't discover this earlier, because we certainly would have used this with all the kids!
Toddlers:
Magnet Safety Locks--Made by
Safety 1st. We've tried the "push latch" type, and our kids (well, Damien) figured them out within a month. I was the one against getting these at first, but I now love them. There's no way for the kids to get in the magnet locks unless they have the key, and so far, they have been unsuccessful with the key as well. In the last three years, we've had to replace a couple of these locks due to the latch breaking, but over all, these have been a worth-while investment for peace of mind.
Booster Seats--Our favorite is the
Fisher Price seat, but others work fine as well. All three of our kids use them at the table right now. We'd also recommend buckling the kids in while they sit at the table. With multiple young children, this has really helped to make mealtimes more pleasant, so we're not constantly chasing, telling someone to "sit down", or worried about someone falling off their chair.
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| Blaise and Damien finger painting while sitting in their Fisher Price booster seats. They are also sporting the "towel bibs" (also on my list)! |
Chicco Double Stroller--When we had our boys 16 months apart, we knew we would need a double stroller. We've been very happy with our Chicco one--I always say that I wish it had an odometer so we could see how many miles we've put on the thing. It's relatively lightweight, sturdy, and fits well in doors and aisles. It also works well for one baby and one toddler, although we now use it for a toddler and preschooler! I still use this almost every day with Blaise and Mary.
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| A trip to the zoo with my 3 kiddos, aged 2 (almost 3), 1, and 2 months. |
Sippy Cups--We've tried multiple kinds and like Playtex the most. Not completely leak-proof, but better than others we've tried. We've found that the kids do best with the transition from bottle to sippy cup with the Gerber brand, though, which may be because the nipple/spout part is softer.
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| Mary and Blaise at Easter dinner with their towel bibs, sippy cups, and booster seats! (Did I mention we use these things all the time?!) |
Towel Bibs--We still use these every day for meals and art projects. Both sides of grandparents also invested in these! (See above photo!)
Maybe this list will be helpful to someone out there! :) Or, just a good memory for me down the road...
