As a third time mom, I've gone through a lot of baby products. I've bought into the "can't live without" items that sat untouched, or the ones that were actually less convenient. I'm here to help you out with a short list of baby items that are actually useful. Pro tip, skip the $50 baby bath and get a $10 bath lounger. It folds up and out of the way, is inexpensive and easier to bathe baby in.
*I am in no way endorsed by any of these companies, they are just my tried and true favorites. But if anyone knows how to get me an endorsement deal, that would be cool too ;)
My Brest Friend- This is my very favorite nursing pillow, and they come in twin sizes! I have had the same one for 10 years, so obviously you get your moneys worth out of it! Skip the boppy (I HATE them for nursing) and go straight to this bad boy. It has a clip that buckles the pillow all the way around you and gives the best support. This is probably my most recommended baby item ever. Works fantastically for bottle feeding as well. https://www.mybrestfriend.com
Owlet Monitor-This is a product I was originally on the fence about, I mean it is quite a bit of money. Thankfully we have wonderful friends and family who gifted us this monitor and I could kiss them every single day. The peace of mind it gives is unbeatable. You can watch their heart rate and oxygen levels in real time on the app, and it's super simple to use. When my husband was on the rig he could even log into the app and check on our sleeping babe from 300+ miles away. It works with or without wifi (the app only works with wifi) and can be worn under sleepers, and inside swaddles. Those nights when baby sleeps longer than normal I don't wake up in a panic, I can see the green glow of the monitor and know she is just sleeping soundly... Which means I can sleep soundly. Hallelujah.
MamaRoo Swing- Okay take this one with a grain of salt because she likes her $5 secondhand bouncer just as much as this swing. I personally love this swing though because it has several different swing patterns/movements, as well as 5 speeds. It has an app that I can control with my phone, so if I'm in the kitchen and she doesn't like car ride, BAM, I can change it to kangaroo. It has built in white noise to play as well, or you can connect your phone and play your music. The ONLY oversight I see in this is that you have to use the audio jack to connect your phone. Since everything else about it connects via bluetooth, this doesn't make much sense to me. Also, save yourself some money and go for the plain black or grey vs the patterned. It's $30 cheaper to not have a pattern, and the infant insert isn't necessary either. Another bonus of this swing is it literally takes 5 minutes to put together, and takes 30 seconds to pull the swing part off to wash. Not a can't live without item, but definitely a good one. https://www.4moms.com/mamaroo
Breast Shells- These are AMAZING. If you plan to nurse, buy these! They are little hollow shells that sit in your bra and collect milk that would normally be wasted in a breast pad. They don't suction or pump milk, they just simply catch your let down. They don't hold very much, so you have to pay attention to how full they get, but its an easy way to collect milk and start a stash. Especially in the beginning when you have an over supply! I just insert one on the side I'm not feeding from and let it collect that liquid gold. Fair warning though, don't bend over with them in your bra... Milk EVERYWHERE. Not that that's ever happened to me... Twice. There are several different brands of these, I just bought mine off of Amazon. I got an "off brand" and paid $14 for them.
Baby K'tan- This one I would consider 100% an essential. Baby wearing is great for several different reasons, and there are SO MANY OPTIONS. This carrier is extremely simple to use and is a great starter for first timers (like me) but also great for seasoned wearers. K'tan has how to videos on their site that are easy to follow and show the several different positions you can wear in as well as tells you what age is appropriate for each. I have 3 kids and a busy life, the K'tan has been a lifesaver. It makes grocery shopping, cooking dinner, and just living life a breeze. Speaking of breeze, they have 5 different materials to choose from. Original, Active, Breeze, & Organic. They also have a print option, but it's exactly the same as the original, just with patterns. Living in Texas I opted for the Active since it's UV protected & moisture wicking, but I also own an original that I use for around the house. They have specific sizing so be sure to read their site to ensure optimal fit. Their website has a calculator to find your correct size, as well as a comparison chart for the different materials. https://www.babyktan.com/babycarriers
Of course there are several other baby products that I use on a regular daily basis, but these are definitely my top 5. These are the things I wouldn't want to live without. In the world of baby products there are millions of items to choose from, but my personal experience has been that basics is best. You don't REALLY need that bum wiper for diaper cream, binky wipes, or a pee-pee teepee. (A washcloth works WAY better in my opinion.) So be careful not to fall into the "must have" traps that are really a huge waste of money/space/sanity. I mean if you want to have every single baby item available then absolutely go for it, but for this old pro the "bare necessities" is the way to go.