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We Asked The One Fine Baby Community: What’s The One Item You Couldn’t Live Without?
You can read every checklist, buy all the 'must-haves' and still be caught off guard once your baby actually arrives. Because some of the most helpful baby items aren’t the obvious ones, they’re the things you only discover when you’re sleep deprived, learning on the fly, and deep in each stage of the ever evolving journey that is parenthood. We’ve got you covered with our Newborn essentials guide, but for the unexpected lifesavers they never knew they needed, we asked the One Fine Baby community.
As we figure, the best advice on what to buy always comes from other mums, especially recent mums who went through exactly what you’re experiencing, just a year or two earlier.
1. The lifesaver that lets you go hands free
A lot of community members raved about having a baby carrier. There were a lot of specific brands and styles, the most mentioned being the Ergobaby Omni Deluxe, the Portier Limitless, Baby Bjorn Harmony Carrier and Artipoppe’s Zeitgeist. But overall, it was the handy nature of babywearing that stood out for mums. “It means I can still get things done around the house when she doesn’t want to be put down,” one parent said of the Portier carrier. “In that first year, the Ergobaby was essential. It was stressful when we had to wash it because we relied on it so much!” said another parent.
2. The lifesaver that makes swaddling the easiest thing ever
We sang the praises of baby sleeping bags as hospital stay must-haves, and apparently all of you agree! The Ergopouch Cocoon is a genius invention that keeps newborns snug without the need to learn swaddling, and the TOG rating system Ergopouch uses helps new parents navigate how to dress their babies for bedtime, too. “I never mastered swaddling, and my baby slept so much better once I switched to this,” one parent told us.
3. The lifesaver that lets you shower / cook dinner / do your makeup
While there are many amazing baby bouncers out there, the Babybjorn Bouncer Bliss Air Mesh was the most mentioned by our One Fine Baby community. There are plenty of reasons why – it easily folds down for compact storage and transport, keeps babies cool in hot Aussie summers thanks to a mesh structure, and is easy to rock using your foot, with many parents saying they relied heavily on theirs for everything from doing makeup to preparing dinner. “We used ours every day until our baby could sit up,” one responder said.
4. The lifesaver that takes the stress out of settling to sleep
The SNOO is like the Batmobile of baby bassinets. It’s so fancy, you might think it’s totally unnecessary for your soon-to-be-Earthside baby. But, as many of the One Fine Baby community stressed, if you have an unsettled little one, it can be a complete game changer. Essentially a baby bassinet that rocks your newborn to sleep with varying levels of intensity that mimic the way babies move in the womb, it’s an expensive buy – but one many parents never regret. “I have twins, and a few items really helped us, but the SNOO was a total lifesaver,” said one parent.
5. The lifesaver that is an always-hot-coffee
Has a parent told you to enjoy your hot coffee, because once your baby arrives, you’ll never enjoy a piping hot latte again? They’re not entirely wrong about that, which is why several One Fine Baby community members shouted-out insulated coffee cups as their “can’t live without it” newborn item. Some days, you’ll get lucky and your coffee run will be perfectly timed with a nap. Most days, something will come up, meaning that coffee gets put down for just a second, except “just a second” becomes thirty minutes. Another hot (pun intended) tip? Ask for your takeaway coffee to be “extra hot”. That way, if you get sidetracked, it’ll still be drinkable.
6. The lifesaver that makes changes easy and efficient changes (especially in the middle of the night)
There are some new parents who can master the art, that is, doing snap buttons at 3am in near darkness. For the rest of us, there are double zip onesies. These have a long zip that runs from the neck to one foot, and can be opened from both ends, so nappy changes don’t have to involve entire outfit changes, too. “I had a bunch of hand-me-down Bonds Zippys and treated myself to a few gorgeous snap-button onesies. Other brands include Kynd Baby with their day or night onesie. Guess what got used and what got left in the drawer until my daughter outgrew them,” one parent said.
7. The lifesaver that provides the joy of not having to tiptoe around your own house
You probably sleep without the need for constant noise to settle, but guess what? Your baby is hanging out in a really noisy womb all day and night, so when they finally enter the world, the dead silence of night can be really scary for them. That’s why so many parents recommend white noise machines. These will play noise that sounds like the static from a television set, mimicking the womb and masking sudden sounds like voices, thunderclaps and whatever you’re watching on Netflix. “We still use our white noise machine, because it takes the pressure off having to be really quiet in the living room once the baby is asleep,” said one responder.
8. The lifesaver that grows with your child - and looks good in the process
There’s a good chance you’ve already come across the Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair in your research. It’s one of the most popular baby high chairs in the market, because it grows with your child and looks good doing it. The Scandi design fits in with most interiors, so you don’t have to compromise on style while going through the solids era, and it has so many attachments and ways you can rework it that it really does go the distance, with many One Fine Baby community members saying their friends recommended the chair because their grown kids were still using it at the dining table. “We used ours with the newborn attachment first, then as our baby’s first high chair. It continues to be my best parenting purchase,” said one fan.
9. The lifesaver that makes days out with bub so much better
These adorable inventions look like a miniature version of what your Pop uses to sit in when fishing, and they’re really taking off as an essential baby item. Perfect for babies who are starting to sit up with minimal assistance, parents raved about these for travel and times when high chairs weren’t an option. “We took our Izimini chair everywhere,” said one fan. “It was great for the beach, but it ended up being our high chair when we went to barbecues, picnics, parties… anywhere we needed a sitting space for our baby.” Similar style and colours are also available from Max & Koko with their portable baby chair also with the removal tray for easy pack down and clean up.
