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The Kids Stuff That Survived Year One (And What to Skip)
15
items Nobody warns you that the baby industry sells you four versions of the same thing. This is the shortlist of what actually got used every single day in year one: the diapers that did not leak, the one bottle my daughter accepted after four others, the...
Sections
3
🍼 Feeding & diapering
🛏️ Sleep & travel
🧸 Play & development
🍼 Feeding & diapering
The things you buy every month, and the ones you only buy once because they last.
The only diaper that did not leak overnight for us. We tried two cheaper brands and went back within a week, because a three in the morning sheet change costs more than the difference in price. Size 0 worked for the first three weeks, then we moved u...
Pampers Swaddlers Diapers Size 0, 84 Ct
The sensitive ones, because the fragranced version gave her a rash in two days. They pull out one at a time, which sounds trivial until you are holding a baby with one hand and a clump of twelve wipes with the other. We keep a pack in every bag and e...
Huggies Natural Care Sensitive Baby Wipes
The bottle she finally accepted after four others. The vent is annoying to clean but it is the only thing that stopped the evening gas, and by then I would have washed anything. Four bottles is the right number if you sterilise once a day, not the ei...
Dr. Brown's Anti-Colic Options+ Narrow 8oz 4-Pack
The cup that ended the spilled milk era. She had to learn to drink from the rim, which took about a week, and then no more leaks on the sofa. It is also the cup that survived being thrown down a staircase, which is why I bought a second one. The hand...
Miracle 360° Trainer Cup, 7oz
Expensive, and the only chair that grew with her. At six months it was a high chair, at two it is her seat at the table, and it still looks new after daily wiping. The newborn set is not necessary if you start at six months, which is exactly what I w...
Tripp Trapp® High Chair
The pillow that saved my wrists while feeding. It also became the tummy time prop and the back support for sitting practice, so it stayed out for a full year instead of going into the cupboard. Get a spare cover, because the first one gets milk on it...
New Boppy Nursing Pillow - Supportive Breastfeeding Pillow
The infant seat that clicks straight into the Vista, which is the whole reason to buy it in this system. It is heavy for what it is, but installing it with the base is genuinely simple, and it turned car to stroller into a five second movement instea...
UPPAbaby Mesa V2 Infant Car Seat Easy Install
The bouncer she lived in for the first five months. It folds flat for travel, the fabric washes, and unlike the vibrating ones it does not need batteries at all. The toy bar is the part that bought me twenty minutes of shower time, and the toddler co...
Bouncer Bliss 2-in-1 bouncer to toddler chair
🛏️ Sleep & travel
What got us through nights and airports without a second mortgage.
The sound machine and night light that became part of the routine. Red light at night, no blue, and the wake-up sound is gentle enough that it does not start the day with a scream. The app is optional; ninety percent of the time we use the buttons on...
Hatch Baby Sound Machine & Night Light Putty
The merino sleep sack we ended up buying in three sizes. It regulates temperature better than the polyester ones, which mattered in a flat with bad heating, and it survives washing without shrinking. One per size is enough, you do not need two. The f...
Woolino
The car seat that goes from newborn to booster, so we only bought one. It is heavy, and installing it properly takes twenty minutes the first time, but the alternative is three seats in five years. Get the install checked at a fitting station, it is ...
Graco 4Ever DLX 4-in-1 Convertible Car Seat
The stroller we used every single day for two years. The basket holds a full shop, it folds with one hand while holding a baby, and the second seat made it work when the second one came. It is heavy to lift into a boot, which is the only complaint I ...
Vista V3
🧸 Play & development
Toys that survived the chewing stage and kept being used after it.
The toy that outlasted every phase. At one she stacked them, at three she built towers, and now it is a castle with a garage. They cost more than the copies and the magnets are still strong after two years of daily use, which is the whole argument fo...
MAGNA-TILES Builder 32-Piece Set
The play gym that made tummy time tolerable. The cards and the mirror are what she actually looked at, and the whole thing folds flat when you need the living room floor back. Skip the subscription boxes and start with this one instead. It lasted unt...
The Play Gym | Baby Activity & Tummy Time Mat
The loudest toy we own and the one that taught her cause and effect. The keyboard detaches for floor play, and the volume switch is the first thing to find on the box. Batteries last about three months at our usage, so buy rechargeables. The colour v...
Fisher-Price Glow and Grow Kick & Play Piano Gym Baby Playmat