My Second Baby Must-Haves

There are a lot of things you think you need as a first time mom as far as baby gear is concerned. But, over time you realize which things are more useful than others. Obviously this list looks a little different for everyone, but I always love comparing to see what things people find to be truly essential. My “essentials” list might have looked a bit different when I only had one child, but now that I have two there are definitely a few things to add. I’m more busy and have less free hands these days, so I’m all about any product that frees me up just a little bit more and makes life easier. Here are my absolute favorite second baby must-haves.

My Second Baby Must-Haves // @ The Little Things We Do

1. Joovy Too Qool stroller

I actually didn’t use a stroller all that often when I just had Fern, because I was usually carrying her or holding her hand when we were out places. Because of this I wasn’t really sure if a double stroller would be worth having…just more gear to take up space. But I seriously use our Joovy double stroller all the time. I didn’t think I would like the tiered style, but it’s seriously perfect, because I can switch between using it as a single or a double stroller easily if I’m just out with one kid and it’s not hard to maneuver like some of the massive double wide strollers. You can read my full review here, but seriously…this stroller is a lifesaver.

2. Woombie

Swaddles are a major key to getting crying babies to calm down, but I’ve never been a great swaddler…especially when I have a screaming baby in front of me. I think I get performance anxiety from the stress of the situation and my swaddle techniques turn to crap. I used these “cheater swaddles” with Fern and loved them, but I wanted to try something different this time around, so I tried this Woombie and it was awesome! Even easier than the cheater swaddles because all you do is zip it up! Clive outgrew his far too quickly because he’s a massive baby, but it was the only swaddle he would tolerate. It’s just snug enough, but not overly constricting. Regular swaddles made him super pissed.

3. Solly Wrap

Baby wearing is pretty much ESSENTIAL when you have two kids and I carry Clive in my Solly ALL the time. I tried the Moby with Fern and I could never get the hang of it with all that fabric, but this is lightweight and super easy to use…way less fabric and it folds up nicely to fit in my purse. Makes life much easier when I can have my hands free on occasion with an always-wants-to-be-held infant and a toddler with a penchant for running off.

4. Covered Goods nursing cover

I tried a few nursing covers when I nursed Fern, but was never a big fan of any. I hated the ones with the big, awkward hoop in front and in the end just ended up using a swaddle blanket or whatever loose shirt I was wearing as a cover when I was out. But with two kids, the likelihood of being exposed is much greater since my toddler always wants to be in the baby’s business. I’m also nursing on-the-go (literally…like nursing while walking through the grocery store) way more often so it’s nice to be covered. I like that these nursing covers aren’t super conspicuous and can also double as a scarf and a carseat cover or blanket. I’ve actually been talking to people and then suddenly they’ll be like, “Oh! You’re nursing!” because they didn’t even realize it…the cover just looks like part of an outfit at first glance. They have a ton of cute fabric options and it’s nice and small for stashing in your purse. I use this every day. Probably on of my most-used baby items.

5. Lily Jade bag

In general, Lily Jade diaper bags are awesome, but more specifically this particular bag, because it can be worn on your shoulder, cross-body or as a backpack. Truly…I have no idea how I ever lived without a backpack diaper bag. I would never own any other option after having one. Holding a toddler’s hand, while holding a baby doesn’t really leave me a great way to carry a diaper bag. The backpack is awesome, because I can bring my diaper bag without it getting in the way. It’s also much better on my shoulders. It’s an investment, but it’s a bag I’ll totally still use long after my kids are out of actual diapers and don’t need me to schlep around their gear.

6. Bumbo chair

OK, so I know a lot of people aren’t #TeamBumbo, because it’s supposedly bad for their development. But, with two kids…sometimes a mama’s gotta do what she’s gotta do. Fern used one and she turned out fine, so I’m not too worried about it. Clive loves to be propped up so he can look out and when my arms feel like they’re about to fall off from holding him facing out, I can get a little break with this.

7. Infant Carry Car Seat

Babies don’t nap very predictably, but car naps are clutch. And since I’m not one to wake a sleeping baby, this infant carry car seat comes in handy quite often. Since Clive is the size of a 9-month-old I don’t just carry it around while I’m out (SO heavy!), but it’s nice to bring in the house without having to wake him up, or for bringing into restaurants if he’s asleep. It buys me a bit of much-needed quiet time since typically he’ll only nap in my arms or on car rides.

8. Sophie the Giraffe

I’ve realized that in general baby toys are pretty pointless, but Sophie is our BFF. Not only is she cute, but she’s great to chew on for teething babes. God bless Sophie.

What would you add to this list? Any “must-haves” that didn’t make my list?
Love,

Lauren

Comments

  1. Haha love Sophie!!

  2. Michele Frazier says:

    I love that bag!

  3. I love Sophie! I nanny for a 4.5 mth old and he loves it!

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