The Mommy Panel – Must have baby accessory

Welcome to another Mommy Panel q & a!  Our question this week is:

Mommy: Cori

My must have accessory for Owen when he was a baby was his stroller.  It was just a small umbrella stroller but when he was fussy at night I would walk him in that and he would zonk right out.  We used it every single day inside our house until he was about 8 or 9 months.  It was a life saver so many times!  If I had something I needed to do on the computer and he needed a nap, I would pop him in the stroller and I could push it back and forth with my foot while I typed what I needed to on the computer!  You can buy umbrella strollers at any Target, Walmart, or baby store!

Mommy: Missy

After having 8 children I have had tons of different baby gadgets and items.

Number 1 for Health and Safety

I know this is gross but I have sent my father throughout the town at 3 am to find a nose sucker. It is a life saver literally for newborns with stuffy noses. They breathe through their noses not their mouths and it is very hard for them to breathe without their paths clear. They also tend to choke on saliva a lot and so when that little nose sucker got lost it was very hard getting my twins to  stop choking. James was really bad with choking.

A bassinet that goes up to your bed or can be near is a top priority when they come home from the hospital.  You know how we as new moms have a hard time sleeping because we suddenly develop a obsessive compulsive disorder with making sure our baby is breathing whey they are born. Well it helps to have them right next to me. I love the one that has sides and you can lay it in your bed with you so you or your husband doesn’t roll on the baby.

Mommy: Natalia

I loved the binkie – both my boys loved them.  I always needed a burp rag with my first baby boy!  Simpler the better was my motto! After a couple months I would try to cram things into my purse so I didn’t have to carry a diaper bag!

Mommy: Rachel

I love my baby sling.  My baby is happy to be close to me, and it saves my arms and back serious aching!  Plus I always have a free hand.  There is a huge variety of slings out there, and a mom sometimes has to try out different models until she finds one that works for her.  I’ve tried many kinds and I find they each have their pros and cons, but for me personally, I keep going back to my “”Over the Sholder Baby Holder””.  It’s machine washable and adjustable- for growing baby, and wearing baby in different positions.  I think this model was designed to be able to nurse while wearing your baby, but I never got the hang of that.  Though I find that the fabric of the sling works as a cover up while I sit to nurse.

https://www.babymain.com/slings

Mommy: Tonii

My absolute MUST have baby accessory is the Bumbo chair!  You can get these at any Target or WalMart.  This chair has been a total lifesaver for me with my last 3 babies.  It helps them sit up as early as just a few months, and I love it for when I am introducing solid foods.  My babies are still pretty unstable in that big highchair 🙂  As long as you make sure to ALWAYS keep it on the ground, it is a great way to give your baby one more alternative to laying on the ground (and it helps with those little flat heads too!)

Mommy: Karen

I would have to say the Ergo (or a similar) baby carrier. I can’t say enough good things about it. My baby ALWAYS wanted to be held and a baby carrier not only gives you free hands to do things, but gives those tired arms a break as well. Our son is turning 2 in a month and weighs 32 pounds but I still use it all the time though of course not for such extended periods as before. I like the Ergo because it can still be used even as your child grows unlike carriers such as Baby Bjorn. I didn’t get it until Eli was about 10 months old. The Baby Bjorn was giving me incredible back and shoulder pain and I had started reading that it wasn’t very healthy for the baby either. Once I made the change I was in heaven and was kicking myself for not having gotten one sooner. I have heard that the Becco carrier is about the same, but I haven’t tried it myself. To find one just do a quick google search. I found that it is carried everywhere from diapers.com to Barnes & Nobel to Target. Of course you can also find it at Amazon.com and get free shipping with your prime membership and amazon mom discounts. It is a bit pricey… a little over $100 depending upon where you find it. Craigslist is always worth a try for a good used and greatly discounted carrier!

Mommy: Anitra

The first thing that I thought of as a MUST HAVE is a baby swing.  My first son was one of those babies that constantly wanted to be held, and only slept when I held him.  Which is fine…except when I wanted to occasionally shower, eat, go to the bathroom…you get the picture.  Then my in-laws came to visit and I mentioned wanting to get a swing, so my mother-in-law decided she’d buy one for me as a gift.  We went and ended up with one just like this (it was Boppy brand though, which apparently they don’t have anymore) 

It was a LIFESAVER!!  He would finally just relax and swing.  I could actually have a little bit of time to do some things that I needed to.  AND he’d even doze off and sleep a little bit with out me having to hold him.  Being the travel size, it was perfect to move around the house to where we needed it.  When we had our second, we used it just as much.  I will forever love that swing!!

Mommy: Amanda

Right now my favorite baby accessory are chew beads.  It’s a teething necklace for mom to wear that baby can chew on.  They are awesome, they have a variety of cute necklaces and bracelets!  They are sold at some children’s/baby specialty store but you can order them directly online at https://store.chewbeads.com/Default.asp This is where I got mine!  Our daughter loves them and it’s a fun way for mom to be able to accessorize with out having to worry about baby trying to chew on something they shouldn’t.

Mommy: Michaela

Our swing was a life saver for the first couple of months. My little miss was not the best sleper out of the gate. The only place she would nap was her car seat {while we were driving} or in the swing. It was one of the few things that helped me stay sane during those sleepless days and night. We got the Fisher Price Space Saver Swing. It worked great until she was about five months old and decided that it was a fun game to wiggle herself out. Find it here

The Becco Gemini Carrier let me get out and moving once my little miss started staying awake during errand trips. I had the Ergo Sport first. But neither my husband nor I could get the darn thing snapped. So we ordered and Gemini and it is well worth the money! She hated being in any sling, Moby, wrap that kept her facing in. The Gemini allow for facing out. My little miss just loves looking at everyone. Also, even at 18 pounds I can carrier her for two hours at a time without feeing it. People stop me all the time to find out about the carrier. I got mine off Amazon. You can find out more about the Gemini here. 

The Baby Trend stroller frame was great! It is super light weight and really easy to fold. Unlike most strollers, it actually is one handed folding. We got ours used at a Just Between Friends sale and am so glad we had it. 

Mommy: Tricia

Car seat cover for winter babies!  This made a world of a difference when I was out and about with baby #3.  No snowsuit to hassle with and no blanket to be kicked off!

Mommy: Liz

My Moses basket was probably the one thing I used the most for my kids and always recommend to new Moms.  I think mine was from BRU online.

When my kids were newborns I swaddled them up in it in the crib to keep them snuggled up while they slept.  During the day I would bring it to whatever room I was in so I always had a soft warm place to put them if I had to put them down.  As they got older we used it as a basket for toys.

Mommy: Jill

My must have baby accessory would have to be the car seat cover. I didn’t have one with my first baby so we just used blankets over the car seat. It was so hard to carry and they would blow off if it was windy. I decided I could make my own for my second baby. It was the best thing ever!! It was so nice to have it attach on the handle so you could still carry the car seat and it kept the wind and sun off my little baby. I am so grateful to whoever invented them!!!

Mommy: Brittney

First I would have to say the Fisher Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker.  We have gotten so much use out of this.  I love it because is was a vibrating seat for my little girl as an infant.  I would put her in it where ever I was working in the house and she was sitting part way up and could see better what I was doing. And now as a toddler it’s a rocker that she loves to sit in it and chill in front of the t.v.  This chair is going to last us a long time and through many stages.

The second thing I would say is a swing.  There was a few months where it was the ONLY place my daughter would take a decent nap.  Don’t know what I would have done without it.

Mommy: Kelley

When I was pregnant with my daughter I was so excited to get a super cute diaper bag.  I wanted something that functioned as a purse but had tons of pockets for baby storage.  I also wanted to be ‘trendy’.  Let me tell you.. ‘trendy’ diaper bags are expensive!  I found this one from Skip Hop and it was reasonably priced.  It holds everything the babies need plus a few of my things.  

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