When you’re pregnant, especially with your first, the advice you get from well-meaning friends, family and even strangers is never-ending. If you listened to all the tips and bought every ‘must-have’, your home would be completely overrun with baby gear (which you soon find out is definitely not essential!).

So our Mouths of Mums team have taken that list, chopped it right down and highlighted all our favourite baby products. We’ve left out the strollers, bassinets and bottles ’cause you know about those already. These are tried and trusted products which we’ve stumbled upon during our journey, which we just couldn’t live without.

A Baby Swing

A good baby swing is an absolute lifesaver. When we got home from the hospital with our baby, we realised we didn’t even know where to put her, when she wasn’t lying on a mat or being held in our arms. For those early days, the baby swing was the ultimate soother. All three of our kids loved the relaxing side-by-side movement of the  swing and the soothing music that played. Many swings also have a fun mobile which kept our baby entranced. We loved the Fisher Price Cradle & Swings – they were top quality products and had a very good second-hand value as well.

Baby Bjorn Bouncer

We were so lucky that my sister donated her Baby Bjorn Bouncer to us and it seriously was one of our most-used baby products. When our twins were born, we bought another one and our babies spent so much time in their bouncers. We fed them in it, they played in it and it was simply a perfect place for them to hang out when they weren’t on the mat. These days you can get good imitation bouncer products which are cheaper but keep in mind that the re-sale value of a Bjorn product is good so you should be able to get some of your investment back when you no longer need it.

Kids Smart Vitamin D3 Drops

We want the best for our baby but it’s always difficult to know what supplements are suitable for little ones. We absolutely love the Kids Smart Vitamin D3 Drops as they come with a dosing dropper that makes it so easy to administer to bub. Vitamin D3 is so important for healthy growth and development. It helps support calcium absorption leading to strong bones and teeth, a healthy immunity, good digestive health and supports strong muscles. Babies can develop vitamin D deficiency from their mother, and this can continue while they are breastfed, as breast milk, despite its many benefits, is low in vitamin D.  These drops are the ideal way to top up your child’s vitamin D3 intake, especially if your bubs are not getting enough sun or who have darker skin. I really like that the drops are free from colours, flavours, preservatives and sweeteners. The taste is very mild so my kids have no issue taking the drops.

The Owlet Smart Sock

I believe that you can never be too careful….especially when it comes to your baby. That’s why The Owlet Smart Sock feels as it was designed just for me…and why it has made this list.

The Owlet Smart Sock was developed in 2013 by four passionate dads with a simple vision – to create products to help parents know their babies are ok.

The Owlet Smart Sock is a sock worn on a baby’s foot that tracks their heart rate and oxygen levels using clinically proven pulse oximetry. It notifies parents in real-time via an app if something appears to be wrong. Coupled with Owlet’s Connected Care platform, these products help parents view baby’s sleep trends and insights over time to be more proactive about their health – ultimately giving them greater piece of mind.

For more details and to buy The Owlet Smart Sock visit owletcare.com.au.

Baby Backpack

I know there is all this talk about nappy bags and for our first we got a more conventional bag with an over-shoulder strap. Some spend a fortune on leather and designer brand names, only to discover that milk stains, dirty nappies and pureed food do not mix well with uber-expensive materials. We found our first nappy bag to be cumbersome, heavy and hard on the shoulders. So we switched to an awesome Fisher Price sporty nappy backpack which had an easily accessible pocket for wipes and side pockets for bottles and plenty of internal space. Best of all, you can put it on your back leaving your hands free to hold bub or do the other million baby chores you have to do. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like our backpack is readily available but we do like this one by Bubs Warehouse and Baby Mel also has a good range.

Musical Doll Night Light

This one takes a bit of trial and error, but once you find a doll that your baby likes, it can be a miracle soother. Our kids were obsessed with their Playskool Lullaby Gloworm dolls which had a face that lit up and lullaby music played when you pressed its tummy. You can only seem to get hold of these on eBay or Amazon. However, these days there is the Lulla Doll which is supposed to be the ultimate sleep companion for little ones or Glow Dreaming which is a magic light which apparently sends kids off to slumber with no hassles.

Baby Monitor

Baby monitors are essential (at least in my books). Especially if you’re an anxious mum, like me, they are your lifeline (and video and audio line) to your child. I spent hours researching and reading reviews as to what baby monitor would be best for us. We ultimately went for the Angelcare Video and Movement Monitor for our first bub and then switched to a Uniden monitor when our twins were born so we could have a screen which showed up to three different cameras all at once. You don’t need a baby monitor with all the bells and whistles but just make sure that the sound and video are clear.

Swaddle Onesie

This swaddle can be life changing, especially if you have a little escape artist on your hands. Our babies were experts at getting out of their swaddles (or maybe I just wasn’t an expert at putting them into a swaddle) so this meant lots of interrupted sleep and frustration. But then I discovered Love To Dream swaddles and the clouds lifted. Our kids loved feeling warm and secure in their closed arm swaddles and when they were a bit older, we switched them to the 50/50 version with removable ‘wings’ when they were ready.

What were your essential baby products? Tell us in the comments below.

This article was commissioned by the team at Nature’s Way Kids Smart. The MoM editorial team compiled this article after using the Nature’s Way Kids Smart products and realising that these products can help in the health and wellbeing of our children.

Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your healthcare professional. Vitamins can only be of assistance if dietary intake is inadequate. Exclusive breastfeeding is normally recommended up to 6 months old.

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