Baby advice—whether from books, friends, grandparents, or strangers—can be infinite and contradictory. However, there are a few truths that remain universal:
- It all comes down to soothing your baby, whichever way you see fit to do so.
- Soothing yourself will go a long way toward soothing your baby too because calm is contagious.
- Sometimes the best way to soothe the whole family is with a dose of laughter. Within just a few months, your baby can start laughing right along with you.
Take a look at these essentials to help you through your new parenthood adventures.
Books
Among the many guides out there is a series that responds to the classic joke that babies don’t come with instructions. Well, now they do. This unique series weaves humor and information, beginning with The Baby Owner’s Manual and progressing to the Baby Owner’s Maintenance Log and the Baby Owner’s Games and Activities Book. Look for “schematic diagrams, trouble-shooting tips and advice on lifelong maintenance.”
The Happiest Baby on the Block
Available as a book or DVD, this item isn’t particularly funny in itself but has made many parents smile by teaching its “five S’s.” These are five methods to soothe crying newborns, as well as get them to sleep and ensure that they stay asleep longer. A second book by the same author, Harvey Karp, M.D., adds more with The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep.
Fun Stuff
These combination stuffed animals/night lights project a beautiful starry sky onto your child’s ceiling and play peaceful sounds. It’ll be a toss-up who likes it more—the baby or the parents. Options include multiple light colors, volume control, and settings for auto shut-off in 15, 30, or 45 minutes.
This light-up developmental rattle is said to be easy to hold and to have interesting textures to touch. The lights change colors and a little mirror provides endless entertainment for newborns through 36 months. Pretty simple, but also effective. This toy received the 201 Creative Child Magazine Award and 2012 Gold Award from the National Parenting Publications Awards.
Buckteeth, mustaches, mute buttons… and the silliness goes on. Pop one of these in your baby’s mouth to lighten the mood, and you just might get a chuckle from others as well.
Gear and Gadgets
It’s not quite a swing and it’s not quite a bouncer. It’s a unique device designed to move like parents move, soothing babies with more natural swaying motions (plus an equally magical setting called Car Ride) that can be set to five different speeds. In addition, the seat includes pre-programmed nature sounds and MP3 player connectivity. This seat is possibly the most genius creation out there for babies who don’t want to be put down.
Fisher-Price Space Saver Swing
This contraption will please babies who want a lot of motion, and parents who don’t want an enormous piece of equipment. Parents rave that the space-saving swing is also easily portable from room to room and to grandma’s house. It does, of course, also include sounds, songs, and vibrations… that’s just about everything but bells and whistles (thankfully.)
Wraps and other types of baby carriers give parents the opportunity to hold their baby and have their hands free at the same time. They also offer a solution for times you’d rather leave your stroller at home (going on a bus? to the beach? You get the idea.) The Moby Wrap is a trendy option involving a long, tailored cloth that comes with instructions on how to place it on your body to hold your baby in a variety of positions.
Mei Tais are a traditional, Asian-inspired form of baby carrier that fall between the concepts of a wrap and a structured carrier like the well known Baby Bjorn or Ergo. These involve a square or rectangular piece of fabric with straps on all the corners, which are wrapped around the body to hold the baby in place. These carriers can be found in a variety of interesting fabrics and have an air of being hip, natural, and unusual.
Hoodie All Season Carrier Cover
This simple yet smart item snaps on to body-worn baby carriers to keep your baby warm while you’re out and about, and even has a front pocket to warm your hands. No more trying to get a blanket to stay in place, or awkwardly wiggling sweaters on and off your baby while wearing the carrier.
Swaddling is back as a recommended way to help babies sleep, and the Woombie aims to cocoon babies like they are in the womb—with extremities constrained but able to gently stretch and squirm. This little sleeping outfit is like a snug, comfy bag with a zipper, which frees parents from having to constantly re-wrap wiggly babies in a swaddling blanket. The arrangement also prevents a baby from accidentally scratching their face or working a loose blanket over their nose.
Traditional baby monitors are a thing of the past. Today, there are multiple options available that turn your smartphone into a baby monitor by streaming video and audio to you via WiFi. By streaming to your iPhone (or iPad or iPod Touch) with the iBaby, you’ll always have your monitor with you and you’ll never be out of range. A bonus with the iBaby system is that 2-way audio also allows you to talk and sing to your baby, whether you’re in your front yard or halfway around the world. Access can be shared with up to four caregivers or loved ones.
Picture a warm sleeping bag for a carseat or stroller, eliminating the need for loose blankets or coats. The Bundleme has Velcro openings that make it compatible with most child restraint systems, so your baby can be bundled all around and securely strapped into his or her seat at the same time.
Meal Time
Babies and small kids love to feed themselves from food pouches, and it’s far easier than spoon-feeding when on the go. These re-usuable food pouches replace the concept of disposable pouches, offering a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative—plus the ability to choose for yourself what pureed foods to place inside.
My Little Seat Travel High Chair
At home or away, eliminate the need for high chairs by carrying this portable fabric seat/harness that straps on to most regular round or square-backed chairs. This is a perfect solution for babies who can sit unassisted and who go to places where high chairs aren’t always available, such as restaurants and relatives’ homes.
Whether for entertainment or by accident, babies frequently drop their bottles, sippy cups, and toys, and the result is the same: you pick them up again and again. But now you have them foiled. With a SippyPal leash, you can save some sanity by strapping the item to the baby’s car seat, stroller, shopping cart, high chair, etc.