Being a first-time mom is really hard. And since you’ve never had a baby before, knowing exactly what you will and will not need for your baby is nearly impossible.

Now you can certainly get advice from other veteran moms about what baby items are great to have, but every mom is different. And in the same way, every single mom will parent different ways and have different needs.

Most moms don’t truly know what baby items are actually useful for them until they are getting prepared for their second baby.

So as a mom of two, here are some baby things that would have made motherhood a whole lot easier the first time around.

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1. Rocker Bassinet

One of the first baby items that I was given at my baby shower for my second baby was a rocker bassinet.

And since I hadn’t used one with my first baby, I figured that I probably would eventually put it up in a closet or give it away. However, once I came home from having my second c-section, I realized how much my son loved being in the rocker.

Plus, since I was spending most of my time on the first floor after having the surgery, it was nice to have a safe place to put him while I napped or took care of my toddler.

2. Cosleeper

Now I know that co-sleeping is not for everyone. And I did not cosleep with my first child, but I think if I had had a cosleeper next to our bed when she was a newborn that it would have been a lifesaver.

So if you aren’t into the idea of having your baby sleep in the bed with you, you can certainly try a cosleeper like this one to keep your baby close enough so you can reach them.

3. Sound Machine

In our first apartment, I remember having horribly noisy neighbors and was always worried that they would wake our baby up. She had such a difficult time getting to sleep and having a sound machine like this one would have helped us so much during those sleepless nights.

Our second baby did have a sound machine and it was so helpful in keeping him asleep while his big sister ran laps throughout the house.

4. Video Baby Monitor

At our baby shower, we were given an audio baby monitor as a gift and I was so thankful to have it. We knew about the video baby monitors but could not afford one then. But I remember worrying so many times about her sleeping since we couldn’t actually see her.

Later on, when we had our second baby, I had already experienced a miscarriage, so I wanted to keep a very close eye on him.

So we got a video baby monitor like this one. And let me tell you. I felt some much more comfortable being able to see him breathing.

5. Teething Necklace for Moms

Both of my babies were pretty average with teething pain, but I really wish I had known about these teething necklaces that moms can wear.

That would have been so helpful for my first baby to chew on instead of going for my hair or shirt.

6. ErgoBaby Carrier

Babywearing is a huge lifesaver.

I did give babywearing a try with my first baby, however, I only had a Moby Wrap which becomes a bit uncomfortable to wear once your baby gets heavier.

With my second baby, I still used the Moby Wrap, but then, later on, got the ErgoBaby Omni Carrier and loved it. I was able to use it up through the toddler years and it was so comfortable.

7. Baby Formula Mixer

Are you a formula feeding mom? I had to formula feed my first baby because breastfeeding just did not work out that time around.

And if you have ever made a bottle of baby formula, you know that sometimes the formula doesn’t get completely mixed in when you shake the bottle. This happened to me all of the time. I would have to squeeze excess powder out of the nipple and try to get it all mixed together.

Later once my baby was no longer taking a bottle, I saw another mom using this formula mixer. It mixes the water and formula together in the botle, which means no need to shake it up.

I wondered to myself – “Where was this when I needed it?”

8. Baby Sleep Sack

Both of my babies loved blankets. They absolutely loved having an extra comforting layer on them.

However, you have to be careful about having a blanket in the crib with your baby. So I always used a 100% cotton muslin blanket. The problem then was that my daughter would kick it off of her and then get cold in the middle of the night.

When my second baby was born, I found these sleep sacks that are made of 100% cotton muslin blanket. They go on the baby like a sleeper but have a sack at the bottom like a sleeping bag.

That would have been nice to have back with my first baby.

9. Breastfeeding Class

Okay, so I know that this isn’t exactly something for my baby, but in a way it is.

I had such a hard time breastfeeding the first time around, and I feel like if I had taken a breastfeeding class like this one, I would have successfully breastfed my first baby.

With a breastfeeding class, you can learn how to properly latch your baby and can look out for any breastfeeding problems that many new moms face.

I personally love the Milkology Breastfeeding Class that is taught exclusively by Stacey Stewart. She is a Certified Lactation Educator and also a mom of 3. She also has an extensive history of helping moms to learn how to breastfeed their babies from the start.

And by learning the ins an outs of breastfeeding by a certified lactation educator like Stacey, you’ll know that everything you learn there is vital to breastfeeding your baby all from the comfort of your home and at your own pace.

10. Double Electric Breast Pump

Another big part of breastfeeding for me was not knowing that I had enough breast milk. So one great baby item I wish I had had with my first baby was a double electric breast pump.

Now I had a cheap single breast pump but it barely had suction and did not work very well.

And later on, with my second baby, I had a really good double electric breast pump that made pumping much easier.

11. Baby Leg Warmers

This baby item may seem silly unless you live in colder areas, but it really was useful for my second baby.

I used baby leg warmers for my baby when he was starting to crawl to keep his knees from getting all red and bruised – especially on carpet.

My first baby would have benefited a lot from these because she crawled so early and never stopped.

12. Pacifier Clips

Both of my babies loved the pacifier. And both of them also loved dropping the pacifier.

With my first baby, I would just wash off the pacifier every time because I had no idea about the pacifier clips.

But when I had my second baby, I had several of these pacifier clips given to me along with pacifiers at my baby shower. And we used them every single day with my son.

13. Infinity Nursing Cover

Another huge problem that I had with breastfeeding my first baby was being discreet. I had a nursing cover but it was uncomfortable and very hard for me to see inside at what my baby was doing.

When I had my second pregnancy, I found these infinity nursing covers that are like a poncho and very comfy. They also have multiple uses for your baby.

14. Rear View Car Mirror

Once again, paranoid mom here. I was always concerned if I could not hear my first baby while she was in the back seat of the car. I wondered if she had fallen asleep or was not breathing.

So with my second baby, I get these rear view car mirrors so I could see him and know that he was safe.

15. Muslin Blankets

I’m sure if you’ve read up until now you know how much I love muslin blankets. But I honestly only had one with my first baby, and with my second I had many more. My second baby used them all the time.

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So did you make better baby purchases the second time around? What are some baby items you wish you’d had with your first baby?

5 Comments

Emily Adams The Planking Traveler on at 8:41 am
That teething necklace is neat! I haven’t had my own children yet but have been a nanny for my brother’s kids and wish I would have had some of these tools!
Dedicated mother on at 2:08 am
Baby monitor? Everyone knows baby should be in your room the first 6 to 12 months anyway so no need for that expensive nonsense.
geekydaddydave on at 7:37 pm
Our first baby was super colic. I mean bad. We learned quickly why governments use sleep deprivation as a torture technique. So with baby #2, my wife purchased an expensive bassinet called a Snoo. I thought she was nuts, but this baby was sleeping 6 hours a night within a few weeks. Baby #1 was over 4 months old before he started hitting 4 hours in a row. Moral of the story: Sometimes going all out is worth it.
kellykrebs50 on at 4:22 pm
I found this post very helpful! It’s definitely something I would recommend to women who are pregnant for the first time! I agree with all of these especially the sound machine, sleep sack, rocker bassinet, and the double electric pump. They are life savers!
Craige Hardel on at 2:14 pm
I think a lot of families need to take a class that teaches them about a baby’s sounds. This is why they cry uncontrollable and you can’t do anything about it.
The sounds have various meanings. Very fascinating but a life saver

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