I Wish I Had These 12 Things When My Kids Were Babies (Plus 5 Things I Never Needed) Healthpluser

One of my biggest regrets as a mom of five is how I unknowingly made my life harder than necessary during the early days of parenthood. Unfortunately, I was good at downplaying purchases that eased my new daily routine and made life easier. After 16 years of parenting, though, my older, wiser version is here to tell you, new parents, to knock it off. 

The early stages of parenting are rewarding but also fleeting and challenging, so you deserve everything to make this new stage of life easier. Below, I’ve included 12 must-have baby items I wish I had when my kids were babies, along with five things I should have skipped. From a Dr. Brown’s formula pitcher that preps a day’s worth of feedings to the Doona Car Seat & Stroller Combo for quick in-and-outs of the car, these baby items start at just $10.

Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper Bassinet

I’ve heard of babies who slept through the night, but unfortunately, none of my five children got that memo. However, my sister recently entered the parenting game in a far more tech-savvy era than I did and snatched up the Snoo Smart Bassinet for her first baby—and it worked like a charm. My niece slept through the night as a newborn, and my sister swears it’s thanks to the Snoo’s smart capabilities, like auto-soothing, rocking, and built-in white noise that senses when your baby is fussy and adjusts to calm them.

It’s like having a very perceptive night nanny with you; frankly, I would pay triple the cost to go back in time and give this to my new mom self and regain years of lost sleep. 

Doona Car Seat & Stroller Travel System

If I could go back in time, this would be my #1 parenting product pick to buy. I had my first four kids within six years and spent endless hours schlepping an infant car seat on my arm through grocery stores, school drop-offs and pick-ups, random errands, and appointments. While I developed an impressive bicep, the Doona would have completely changed my life with the instant car seat to stroller transformation. 

“I had an emergency C-section, and having to [go to] the doctor’s office all the time [for] my son’s and my appointments, the Doona makes it so easy from transitioning from the car to wherever,” raved one parent on Amazon. “If my son was sleeping I did not have to disturb him or ever go into the trunk and get the stroller out. You just take out the car seat, and pull the button, and plop it into a stroller.”

Mockingbird High Chair

As a naive first-time mom, I insisted that I register for an all-white high chair for my daughter. I eventually found the one I envisioned, but I spent hours trying to clean it and gave up. Looking back, I would definitely swap out that terrible pick for the Mockingbird High Chair. In addition to a removable dishwasher-safe tray liner, this high chair features silicone straps that allow parents to wipe off food and spills easily—literally genius. 

Cooluli 10L Mini Fridge for Bedroom

Forget the social media influencers stocking mini fridges with snacks and skincare; new parents need to consider adding mini-fridges to their bedrooms for baby feeding supplies. Honestly, I hesitated for months before finally buying myself a wearable breast pump—and I’m not exaggerating when I say it saved my life.

As a pumping parent and formula-feeding mom, I wish I had picked up a small fridge to stash my pumping parts. While it’s best to clean your parts ASAP, it’s safe to keep your pump parts in a refrigerator for a few hours instead of cleaning in the middle of the night or during a busy day. (OK, fine, a few snacks for myself would have been nice too.) “We have loved having this in our room for easy bottle storage and pump parts!” shared one new mom, adding the mini fridge “fits several bottles comfortably and is quiet as well.” 

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite 

You might feel sorry for me when I tell you that there were some nights as a new mom when I tried to stay awake by reading a physical book while rocking my baby. Honestly, I didn’t think I deserved the splurge of an e-reader like an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. If you’re like me, let me assure you: no one on this planet deserves an e-reader more than a new parent (especially if it helps you during those long nights). 

The Kindle Paperwhite features a 7-inch screen, 32 GB of storage, a glare-free screen, and instant access to over 15 million books in Amazon’s Kindle Store.

PhoneSoap XL HomeSoap UV Light Sanitizer 

Your phone is basically your lifeline as a new parent, but it’s also incredibly gross and germy. As a former nurse, I see germs everywhere I look, so as much as I love my phone, I’m also horrified when I think of the microbial activity that passes between parents’ phones and their new babies. I would have loved to invest in this UV sanitizer early in the game to keep things clean. 

Bonus: You can also use it for baby items like pacifiers, toys, and bottle nipples. 

Dr. Brown’s Baby Formula Mixing Pitcher

Any parent who has fed their baby formula needs to consider adding this pitcher to their lives—you can mix it up once and have clump-free formula that’s good for 32 ounces of feeding. Breastfeeding parents will love it, too, because you can store breastmilk in the pitcher for easy access.

“I am able to prep all the formula for the next day, which makes prepping bottles so much easier,” gushed one Amazon shopper. The pitcher is easy to use, easy to clean, and compact! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for any and every parent who doesn’t want to bother counting scoops 50 times (not really, but it feels like it) a day.”

Babylist Pacifier Box

As a new mom, I wish I had known sooner how beneficial pacifiers can be for babies. The AAP says they can reduce the risk of SIDS and are not associated with a decrease in breastfeeding rates. This Babylist Pacifier Box would have helped because it includes six different pacifiers to try (because even babies have their preferences). 

“I am so glad I bought this,” shared one parent. “I was overwhelmed trying to decide. Our little one tried each one until we found the one for her. This saved us so much money! Do yourself a favor – grab it!”

Nutribullet Personal Blender

A blender might not seem like a traditional baby item, but I wish I had invested in a high-quality blender early in my parenting life. Not only is a blender helpful for making fresh baby food, but it would also have been super helpful for feeding myself. With a good blender, making everything from smoothies to pasta sauce to preparing snacks like egg bites or protein pancakes could have been as easy as pressing a button.

Onco LED Baby Car Mirror with Light

How did I raise five children without this LED baby car mirror? I constantly worried about not being able to see my baby while driving, and this mirror eliminates that stress. It includes two LED lights on the side and a remote, so you can choose between brightness options and turn it on and off easily. It’s universal, too, so it should fit nearly any vehicle headrest. 

“I feel so relieved to be able to sneak a peek at my infant while driving,” wrote one parent, adding that it “feels so much better being able to see that he is okay.”

Everweekend Car Seat Poncho

Every cold-weather parent knows the struggle of keeping a baby warm while going in and out of vehicles during the winter. It’s not safe to keep them in a coat in their car seat, but you also want to keep them warm when you take them out of their car seats. Enter a car seat poncho, which can drape over a car seat harness instead of fitting underneath it like a traditional coat. This pick from Everweekend is 40% wool and 60% polyester, so you know it’s warm and cozy for those chilly temps.

Evenflo Revolve360 Extend Rotational All-in-1 Convertible Car Seat

I’ll give myself a break with this one because rotating car seats simply didn’t exist when I first became a mom, but how great is this invention for parents of wriggly babies and toddlers everywhere? The Evenflo Revolve360 car seat can rotate 360 degrees for easy in-and-outs with your tot and transforms from a rear-facing to a forward-facing car seat and a booster. With a maximum weight limit of 50 pounds rear-facing and 120 pounds for the booster seat, your child will use this for years. 

5 Baby Items I Should Have Skipped

• High Chairs Without Silicone Straps: Some high chairs are really versatile, but now that I know silicone straps exist, I would totally choose those over harder-to-clean options. 
• Infant Changing Table: The truth? I never once changed a diaper on a changing table; mostly on the floor. 
• Tote-Style Diaper Bag: I registered for a tote-style diaper bag for my first baby, and I hated it. Backpack diaper bag styles are the way to go, hands-down. 
• Manual Breast Pump: Another mother convinced me that a manual breast pump was all I would need to pump at work, and it was the worst advice I ever received. A manual pump was no match for my overzealous supply, and once I discovered the wireless, wearable Elvie, my pumping game changed forever. However, one of our editors says a manual breast pump is all she could use for her low supply, so take that into consideration!
• Baby Food Maker: I am sure other parents out there have succeeded at making baby food, but I was not one of them. I’m more of a buy-baby-food-pouches mom, and I’m okay with that. 

Shop More Deals for Parents

Check out more of our editor-approved gifts and toys on Amazon.