Really this blog could easily be called "Must Have Baby Items for Parents," but I wanted to compile a list of favorite baby supplies from adoptive families. Any parents bringing home a new baby love to hear from others what worked for them and what they couldn't live without.
From my adoptive families, here's a list of some of their favs:
Feeding
A lot of parents were in agreement that these bottles were some of the best out there. Designed specifically to reduce feeding problems like gassiness and colic, my families agreed that these bottles led to some happy feeding.
Sara was thankful they were introduced to this bottle early on. "This bottle keeps the pre-measured formula on the bottom and the water on the top. We'd fill these before we went to bed and keep one on my night stand and one on my husbands. Then, when little E would wake up, we could just push the button on the bottom of the bottle, shake up the formula and feed. We didn't have to go downstairs, measure or pour, nor did we have to turn on the lights! We had 2 4oz ones, and they worked great for the diaper bag too." Sara also noted the Dr. Brown's Formula Pitcher allowed them to prep several bottles at once.
This fancy machine sterilizes baby's bottles in 8 minutes and dries them in your choices of 30, 45, or 60 minute cycles.. Brand new adoptive mama, Kristen said, "We have found the Baby Brezza sterilizer to be a lifesaver. We thoroughly rinse our bottles and just pop them in the sterilizer and they are sterilized and DRIED in 45 minutes. Saves us so much time and headaches and sink space."
Katie, two time adoptive mama, shared this is one of her secrets: diapers and wipes delivered to her door. "No having to run out in the middle of the night for diapers and wipes! We've had very little diaper rash with either of our littles, and I think the diaper choice was one reason why!"
Sleeping
These blankets should be at the top of every mama's wish list. Soft, versatile, and coming in adorable prints, Shelley notes they are worth every penny. Elyse used these blankets for all of her three boys. "We love he Aden and Anais Muslin Blankets. We have a different print for each child. They are great for swaddling and can be used as a comfort item as the baby get older. I also love them because they are light weight and do a great job at blocking sunlight when we are outside."
This was a huge favorite with lots of adoptive moms. It's especially great for travel and perfect to have in the hotel if you're waiting out approval to head home after the baby is born. Joy shared "The Rock 'n Play was a life saver for her "bed" while away from home. She slept in it for a few months after we got home." Colleen had the same thoughts: "The newborn rock and play sleeper was perfect for travel. Easy to fold and carry. We loved it!'
*Make sure to get the newest model that locks into place for stationary use.
This sound machine is a stable for a lot of adoptive families in the nursery. It creates the sound of soothing natural air to help babies fall and stay asleep. One mom noted it helped baby sleep while the older kids create a racket!
Corey, an adoptive mama of twins who just welcomed baby number three says "These swaddles were a life saver with the twins. They loved being swaddled up tight like little burritos." Sara commented that these helped with their son's transition to the crib. Lindsey also likes SwaddleMe's Sleep Sacks. "It zips top to bottom for easy diaper changes and is available in muslin for hot Texas nights."
Lesley, new mama to twin boys said this was a lifesaver! "I had to hunt these down and the boys and I finally got some sleep with these (times two!)"
Baby Wearing
*Baby wraps are personally one of my favorite baby items for adoptive families because they do so much to promote bonding and attachment.
Many mamas noted these their all time favorite carriers for their littles. Shelley shared, "Solly Baby wrap has been a life saver with three under three!" I love the design choices (even ones for children for their dolls!) and the price point is great for a baby wrap.
Beth, a foster mama, shared how well this worked for her: "This soothe shirt is amazing! Looks like a cute tank top but has a pouch to easily slip your baby into without the hassle of a wrap. It is just tight enough to snuggle your baby perfectly. At first it fit a little tight but after a few wears it stretched out to be perfectly comfortable. I loved it for my newborn I was taking care of and I was so sad when he grew out of it. I literally wore it every day and I never had a problem with him slipping down." Another perk? A portion of all sales go to mother's in Africa.
Nursery
Corey said, "We love our wubbanub pacis. LG can grab and snuggle them, and if it drops, there's more to catch. Harder to lose, too."
Ruthie shared "The best baby product ever...the Boppy lounger! I get it for all my new mama friends now. It's the perfect little pod to lay baby in for the first three months and set it on the bed, table, ground, couch." Shelley, mama to three under three, agreed. "The Boppy Company Newborn lounger is amazing (I'm also a big fan of the original Boppy pillow, but recently discovered the lounger and love it)!" Another favorite was the Galt Toys Playnest.
Lots of parents noted this in their "must have" list. Melissa is balancing her newly adopted daughter and their six older children and found her Pack 'n Play to be a lifesaver. "My mom and Grandma went in on this together for us, after I debated them about not needing it! Turns out it's my go to to. I use the changing table part all day long, and the bouncer seat turned into a HUGE life saver as it was the only place little girl would sleep for the first couple months. She plays in the bassinet part now and the bouncer seat is still used sometimes at night, but we are transitioning her to her bed now."
Another favorite play yard and portable crib is the Nuna Sena. Amy notes "it's truly as easy to work and take along as it claims to be! It's AMAZING!"
Sara shared "We didn't think we'd use a video monitor, but we love it. We have the Summer Infant In View Digital Video Monitor. (We also added a noise machine and room darkening curtains.) These have been some of our favorite things to help establish a great sleep routine."
Traveling
If adopting out of state, adoptive families often need to wait it out in a hotel for a week or two while waiting for clearance to come home. In addition to the Rock n' Play noted above (perfect for a portable crib while traveling), here's a few other favorite things.
Although this isn't a baby item, this is a great resource for adoptive families, allowing you to rent a house for half the price of a hotel. Sara noted, "The house was amazing, and bringing help was a life saver."
Similar to VRBO, this site allows you to book a home from a local host. Kate and her family used this service when their son was born and it was a huge blessing. "We knew Brendan was going to have a long NICU stay, and we really didn't want to live in a hotel for a month. We used airbnb. It saved our sanity! We brought my mom with us on our trip to help with our girls, and I could not imagine life cramped in two tiny hotel rooms. We rented a 3 bedroom house for less than a hotel. We were able to cook our own food, and basically live life as normally as possible. It was a LONG three weeks, and renting the house was one of the best decisions we made. Totally worth it."
So there you have it. A good list to get your baby registry and wish list started. Anything you would add to the list that you can't live without? Add it to the comments and share!
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