Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items | 20 Top Baby Items Every Parent Is Missing

A note from Emily About Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items

It has been five-plus years since I originally wrote this post about “Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items”.  Not only am I well into the thick of parenting, but we have also had another baby!

A new baby in the house means we used most of our tried and true favorites, but we also bought new and changed some baby gear on our list in the three and a half years between kids! I am so excited to be adding to this post and having the ability to share some other things I have learned in the past five years of parenting!

Coterie Diapers

Our twins had very sensitive bottoms, we fought plenty of diaper rashes when they were babies, and the best thing out there at the time were Honest diapers. While they are conveniently found in Target and other stores, we have found another diaper we like even MORE! Coterie diapers are extremely soft, and we have never had a leak issue with them!

Best part? They get delivered right to your door, and you can easily change and manage your subscription through text. It may also sound crazy, but their wipes are ALSO the best on the market. They are durable, thicker, bigger in size, aren’t too wet or too dry, and are easily managed in their packaging. If you are interested in trying Coterie, use my code EMILY20 or link here! 

Weleda Diaper Cream

One of our tried and true favorites, and I use this stuff to heal skin irritations all over their bodies and have even used it on ourselves. This is a high priority on Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items list. 

Portable White Noise Machine

Next on Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items This one is the best. Not only do we use it on the go or in the car with kiddos, but I also bring it with me to all of my newborn sessions! 

Freda Mom Nursing Pillow 

I love this thing! It’s actually got foam strong enough to support baby while they are laying on it, and pockets for your phone, remote, etc! It has a buckle in the back to keep it in place and a washable cover!

Kyte Baby Sleepers 

I knew I would prefer zippers over buttons before we even had babies. But, knowing we had two on the way, ALL the diaper changes that came along with two meant zippers were non-negotiable! Kyte Baby has some of the softest baby pajamas, with the perfect amount of stretch to get more use out of them as the baby grows!

Kyte Baby Sleep Bags 

While the twins loved Zipadee Zip, and I still recommend them, our youngest is a thumb sucker and needed to have his hands free. I tried a few different sleep sacks, but the fit or material was never right. Kyte Baby changes all of that.

They have the prettiest colors and patterns, the softest fabric, and even offer different weights to the sleep bags based on your baby’s needs! I can’t say enough good things about these, making it a new addition to Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items.

Water Wipes

We planned on using the Honest wipes that came with the bundle that we get (we still use them, just not for diaper changes, but with sensitive bottoms, these were the best for our babes. They are a bit of a pain to get out of the package, but the gentleness is worth it! “Subscribe and Save” on Amazon is the most cost-effective way I’ve found to get them!

Honest Diaper Rash Cream

Did I mention our babies have sensitive bottoms? This has always been our go-to (and the Healing Balm). 

Munchkin Changing Pad Liners

We still use these! They’re easy to throw down wherever diaper changes are happening and can be thrown in the wash. A few of ours have sadly been retired after some major blow-outs, but they’re relatively inexpensive!

Wipe Warmer

I don’t know any newborns who like to get their diapers changed, plus cold wipes. I can’t blame them! We used this for the first three months or so. The one I linked we found to be the easiest to use and refill (which we did often with two kids!)

Pack N Play 

In our early parenting days, we lived in a townhouse, so I knew we wouldn’t want to go upstairs to a changing table to change diapers, so having a place to stand and change diapers (because bending over after delivery is no fun) on our main floor was a must.

Our pack n’ play also holds diapers and wipes and has (what we called) a bassinet seat that vibrates. This seat became a lifesaver for us, so much so that we bought a second pack n’ play just like this, and both of our babes would easily nap in these seats.

They have just the right amount of recline that we felt comfortable letting them nap in them. You can also easily lift the seat out and move it to the floor in another room if needed, as well as store extra blankets and baby things underneath the seat easily!

Zipper Sleepers

I knew I would prefer zippers over buttons before we even had babies, but knowing we had two on the way and ALL the diaper changes that came along with two meant zippers were non-negotiable! Target has some of the best and most reasonably priced options!

Swaddle-Me Swaddles

Even as often as I swaddled babies before having my own (I’d like to think I got pretty proficient at it!) I still preferred velcro swaddles over anything else (muslin swaddles are great for everything BUT swaddling.

We tried a few different brands but found these to be the most effective at keeping both babies swaddled in tight and used them for naps and bedtime until they learned to roll over. You can get them off Amazon, Buy Buy Baby, or if you are in a bind, Target carries them too! Definitely a must-have for “Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items”.

Zipadeezip

These are what our babies transitioned into after they learned to roll, and they are still wearing them! They are lightweight material, have held up well after several washes, and I believe are a big part of the reason our babies nap or sleep well anywhere! We put them into their zippies, and they know it’s time for sleeping!

Dock-A-Tot

Having twins, we knew we wanted them to sleep in their room in their cribs as early on as possible, but we wanted the option to have them in our room with us for the first few weeks and planned on using the dock-a-tot as a way to help smooth any transition that needed to happen.

White Noise Machine

White Noise is an absolute must-have for babies in my book! This particular sound machine is my favorite because it has a wide variety of sound options, but it also gets louder than most of them, in addition to being able to change the tone of each sound. This is a must-have off of Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items.

Baby Shusher

We got a baby shusher from a friend as a gift, and it was the BEST gift. We ended up purchasing a second one because they were so good for our babies as tiny newborns, and we could easily take them with us in their car seats or for sleeping in other places! A must-have on our “Can’t Live Without Baby Items” list. 

Wubanub

Every mom knows a good pacifier should be on Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items. These are great because the animal attached to the paci helps it stay in the baby’s mouth. It makes it easy to find in the middle of the night or in a dark room or car seat too.

Baby Wrap

We wore our babies A LOT in the beginning, so I knew a wrap needed to be on Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items list. It was the only way we could keep them happy some nights, especially during the witching hour, and the only way I could accomplish anything on a normal day.

We liked the Moby best for wrapping up both babies at once, but the Boba is very similar in material and worked well, also! I swear by baby-wearing, especially when nothing else seems to work to keep baby calm, happy, and sleeping!

Angel Care Baby Bath Support

We tried three different kinds of bathtubs and bath solutions. This saved us after a recommendation from a friend! It’s just the right amount of support for new babies, whereas we felt the sling insert inside of some of the other tubs caused both of our babies to slouch into uncomfortable positions. It dries out easily, and we used it for a full 8 months!

Burts Bees Burp Cloths

We got a few different types of burp cloths to try, and these were our favorite because they were the softest, most absorbent, and have held up the best over time after MANY washes.

My Brest Friend Breast Feeding Pillow

The best thing that ever happened to us was this pillow! There is no way I could have nursed our babies without it, and I used it every day 10-12 times a day in the first several weeks. We only just stopped using it around 7 months.

The Brest Friend is designed a bit better than the Boppy because it has a flat edge for the babies as opposed to being rounded, which always worked better for all three of us and is a needed addition to Our Cant Live Without Baby Items!

Medela Soft Shells

Our postpartum nurse in the hospital recommended these, and I am so thankful they allowed air to get to the nipple and let them “rest” in between feeds the first week or two, which makes a big difference during that adjustment period.

Belly Bandit

This was SO helpful postpartum, especially after having a c-section. Having the extra support in my abdomen (especially considering 16 pounds of babies gave me diastasis recti) was crucial for me to get back to feeling like myself (not from a vain standpoint, but actually being able to move around, sit, stand, lay, etc.) making it to our list of Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items.

A Few Extras

If you’re looking for a handful of other extras we loved, you can find the list for babies, mamas, and toddlers!

Our Cant Live Without Baby Items

Did you enjoy reading this post about Our Can’t Live Without Baby Items? Are you hoping to see more posts like it? You can find more newborn photography blog posts from a Northern Virginia Newborn Photographer here, here, and here. If you are looking for studio maternity photos or lifestyle newborn photography in your home, you can find those here and here!

Ever wondered what a newborn photographer recommends you pack for your newborn session? Find my packing list over on this blog post. If you are looking for more tips and tricks, you can find my Must Have Newborn Items From A Newborn Photographer here or Breastfeeding Must Haves From A Twin Mom Here. 

Looking for nursery inspiration as you decorate for your new little love? You can see our Gender Neutral Twin Nursery Here and our Gender Neutral Safari Theme Nursery here.

Please contact me if you’re looking for an in-studio lifestyle newborn photography session, an in-home lifestyle newborn photography session, a studio maternity session, or a milestone session with your baby and loved ones. I would love to work with you!

You can also visit my portfolio here or follow me on Instagram for updates on availability and upcoming events.

Santa sessions take place each fall in the studio, and all families are welcome to join the waitlist!  You can also visit my portfolio here or follow me on Instagram for updates on availability and upcoming events. Additionally, head over to my Pinterest for ideas and inspiration for our session together. Thank you again for reading Our Cant Live Without Baby Items.