Essential Baby Gear for Mom's and Babies

1. Big Diaper Bag

2. Baby Bouncer

3. Nursing Pillow--the kind that wraps around your belly and under your elbows when you are sitting nursing your baby.

4. Car and/or electric home bottle warmer. These are great. Helpful also when you are so sleepy that you fall asleep warming a bottle --at least there won't be a major fire, the water in the warmer will just evaporate. However, we will have to caution you that it is never recommended to take a nap while heating any foods. Good luck, new parents!

5. Food Grinder, manual or electric.

6. Rest EZ Elevation Wedge. Specially designed flat cushion to place on top of the crib mattress, but under the baby fitted sheet, when your baby is congested and needs a little elevation. ToysRUs carries these as well as Safety Matters and Baby Universe. A blessing!

7. Baby monitor. Gotta get one. Crank the volume up high to hear that baby breathe.

8. Big bulb syringe. To get the mucous out since the baby can't do it alone. If your child is congested, don't forget to raise the mattress up a little with a "the wedge", under his/her head so that congestion will flow downwards, and use a humidifier. Some parents even place the car seat in parent's room with Baby in it, to keep him/her elevated and breathing clearer during the night. Baby gets some restful sleep and so do you.

9. Humidifier.
We used Sassy Warm Mist Nursery Vaporizer. It was small, easy to handle, did not tip over, and worked for many years.

10. Contoured changing pad that you can move anywhere. We had the 2-sided pad, which worked just as well, and moved it to the floor. By moving the changing pad to the floor, we never had to worry about baby kicking and rolling off of the diaper changing table again!

11. Baby Backpack or Front Pack
Keep those hands free for opening the door, picking up mail, doing dishes and traveling in style!. Baby naps, stays with you and you get your chores and adventures completed! Worked for us! Belle Baby Carriers

12. Evenflo glass baby bottles. Available in 4 ounce and 8 ounce. Avoid the plastic and chemicals, go glass.

13. Digital Ear Thermometer What an invention! Imagine using a rectal thermometer or an underarm thermometer on a screaming, writhing baby for, what, 5 minutes! Yeah, right! Get a battery-powered ear thermometer, it is worth the expense!

14.
Flap Happy Hats--talk about sun protection. These hats fit snugly over the baby's head without pinching, over their ears, and out over their eyes. They protect little tiny shoulders and sensitive little faces. Don't get copy-cat hats. Find a Flap Happy, and you WILL be happy. :)
The Baby Bazaar has these.

15. Electrical Outlet Plugs
For probing fingers. We still use these. Plug these in to all the electrical outlets and latch all the cupboards to keep Baby safe from poisons under the sink. Best yet, get rid of all the poisons under the sink--See

17. Table Edge Guard & Four Corners
Neophite walkers stumble and trip and run faster than you can run after them, and those sharp-edged tables are always there to "block" their fall--stitches are no fun for anyone. You may wish to look into putting your tables with edges outside in the garage, or buy padding for your table, and probably fireplace, if it too has sharp edges. We didn't think it would happen to us, but it did, twice, same child. No more sharp tables.

18. Voice-Activated NightLight.
When baby cries, the light goes on as a soft glow, and you can see where you are going as you fumble in your heavy sleep.

19. Electric Steam Sterilizer
Sterilizes glass bottles in less than 10 minutes. No more burning nipples and/or pots because the water evaporated and you fell asleep.

20.
Shopping Cart Covers.
These are great. They fit over the cart child seat and "Baby" holds onto his/her own comfy seat. The only drool your baby will get on his/her hands is their own. This is a good mom feeling.

21. And lastly, of course, canopied strollers, natural wood cribs and properly-fitting car seats.

Here is a website that gives good advice on buying cribs--The Danny Foundation. For organic cribs and bedding, visit www.abundantearth.com

Make sure any car seat you purchase, fits in your car correctly.

To test:
Place car seat, (without Baby in it), in the back seat of the car that he/she will be riding in.
Secure car seat into place with seatbelt.
Once fastened, yank on car seat with all of your might, to either side, and forward and backward, to see if car seat moves at all. If it fits properly into your vehicle, it should not BUDGE.

A website that goes further into explaining the different types of car seats, and how to properly secure them, is the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Even though we do not carry any of the products mentioned on this particular page, most, if not all, of these products can be found on the very inclusive baby website, Bunny Berry
To go directly to Bunny Berry, click below :

Looking for the best natural and organic baby gifts? Discover Bunnyberry: The Web's unique baby boutique. Parenting Magazine's top baby gift site.
Good Luck!