Having an eight month old daughter, I have become very familiar with baby products over the past year and a half. Here's a list I composed of some of the best and most useful baby products I've come across.
1. Bumbo infant seat.
My daughter started using this when she was about 4 months old and starting to sit up with support. The chair provides full support for your baby's back so as long as they can support their head and neck on their own, this is a great way for them to practice sitting up and to feel like they are grown-up! And I know that there has been some controversy on the safety of these seats but if you WATCH your baby (like you're supposed to unless they are safely contained in a crib or playpen) then nothing bad will happen. Don't put it on raised surfaces, don't leave them alone, take them out when they get fussy, be a parent and it is fine to use this chair.
2. Boppy nursing pillow.
Not just for nursing! My daughter napped on this, practiced sitting up in it, and had tummy time in it. Not to mention, it is a GREAT nursing pillow! There are all different sorts of covers available for these and we have used ours countless times.
3. Graco infant travel system.
We have been using this travel system since Sofi was born. It comes with a stroller, car seat, and car seat base. The car seat easily fits into the stroller when the baby is newborn so that your baby faces you and can be comfortably reclined. Sofi just recently out-grew the car seat but the stroller is going to last a really long time! Oh, also the straps in the stroller separate so, if your baby falls asleep on your walk you don't have to bother them slipping their arms through the straps. You just unbuckle and grab them out of there!
4. Halo Sleep Sack
Sofi loved this as a newborn! She wasn't so much a fan of the swaddles but the sleep sack provided the snuggness of a swaddle while allowing her to wiggle around inside of it. And her arms were free, which she really enjoyed. The only thing is, you can't use them in strollers. But we never had much of a problem with that.
5. Raz-berry infant teeth
Sofi is a pacifier using baby so this teether is really great for her. It is shaped like a pacifier but has teething bumps on it and is more durable to stand up to chewing. You can also stick it in the fridge or freezer to make it cold to help soothe the baby's gums. The sides and handle of this teether are also chewable and she plays with it and chews it. It is really nice to have a hands-free teether so that she can still play with other toys while soothing her gums. I read some reviews on-line of parents with babies who did not use pacifiers but their babies still loved these!
I will post some more products later because trust me, I have more!
