I found quick and honest articles like these extremely helpful when I was trying to navigate this insane baby product industry. Every baby and their needs are unique, but this is what worked best for us in the first crazy 6 months of Langley’s life.

Stuff for Sensitive Skin

Since birth we have been very aware of how sensitive Langley’s skin is. From intense diaper rash, to eczema, to dryness, this girl’s skin needs the most nourishing yet gentle stuff. Here’s my essentials list:

• Bum Balm by Rocky Mountain Soap Co. This incredible stuff smells so good and gives your babe the softest skin! I love that is is all natural and local. This bum balm also doubles as a great oil for removing cradle cap with a makeup brush.
• HelloBello Diapers and Wipes. We received many different brands of diapers at our baby shower so we tried them all after Langley was born. Langley got the absolute WORST diaper when wearing any Huggies or Pampers branded diapers (almost like a chemical burn) that we had to give those diapers away. We then tried Honest Company, which was great on her sensitive skin but fit so small on her chunky thighs that Langley was blowing out of them every day. We also like Seventh Generation for sensitivity, but they couldn’t absorb a whole night’s worth of pee, so she was waking up soaked and upset. Finally, HelloBello started delivering to Canada right when I had lost all hope on finding a diaper, and we have never been happier! They fit amazing, absorb everything, we don’t have blowouts anymore, and her bum is cute and happy.
• Baby Lotion by Burts Bees. I love that this product is sold at my local Shoppers Drug Mart because we run out of it all the time since we use it everyday! We use this soft and sweet smelling lotion on Langley’s eczema on her cheeks as well as her whole body after every bath. I have found a lot of baby lotions smell really strong, Burts Bees Original and Lavender both smell light and delicious, perfect for baby snuggles.

The Best Carriers for Newborns

• BabyBjorn Carrier Mini (Jersey material). We originally got the Ergo Baby carrier, which has been great after Langley grew to be over 15 pounds, but prior to that size she was just too small for it. And because it was too small, she didn’t feel comfortable in the carrier and we could never use it. I finally gave in to getting a second carrier and I’m so glad I did. Langley loved the BabyBjorn Carrier Mini right away. She fit great (you can adjust it based on her length), the Jersey material is so soft and cozy, and I felt great carrying her in this. As she did get heavier I noticed the back support isn’t great on this carrier so I recommend it up to 15 pounds or just for short carries when your babe is bigger.
• Beluga Wrap. While I loved my beluga wrap for hands-free carrying at home when Langley was first born, it just wasn’t breathable enough for long walks on hot summer days (The BabyBjorn was better for those occasions). While I didn’t actually get to use the wrap as much as I would have liked to since Langley was born just before the summer, I did enjoy my wrap for cozy carrying while I cooked and she slept snuggled against me.

Sleepsacks/Sleepers/Bibs

• Kyte Sleepsacks. These sleepsacks are expensive but are incredible quality. We love that they are the coziest yet most breathable sleepsacks, so they’re great for warm and cool nights! We have two that we rotate between every few nights, one being a 1.0 and the other being 2.5 (bigger the number, the thicker/warmer they are).
• Wondersuit Sleeper. We were gifted a Poodlette Wondersuit Sleeper and it is our absolute favourite. It’s cozy for Canadian winters, but still breathable for everyday wear. There are built in foot-covers and hand-covers too which are great for travel as well as kiddos that love pulling off their socks. We are on the search for more in larger sizes but since they are Australian they’re hard to come by in Canada.
• Bumkins Bandana Bips. (Langley is wearing one in the blog post photo) Langley had reflux and is also a drool machine, so we are constantly replacing her bib every hour to keep her chin from getting a rash. So we needed affordable but also very absorptive bibs! These bandana bibs are cute in all their colours and also great quality for drool catching.

Toys/Teethers/Books

• Baby Banana Teething Toothbrush. This was and still remains one of Langley’s favourite things to suck/soothe/chew on. We gave her her Banana Toothbrush when she was about 2 months old and ever since then she has been obsessed with it. It is especially helpful for making her feel better when a tooth is about to come through the gums.
• Sophie the Giraffe. (Langley is chewing hers in the blog post photo) While Sophie is expensive, it is honestly the best. I was sceptical of all the hype, like many new parents are, but it has truly been incredible as a toy and as a teething tool. Langley plays with Sophie’s spots and squeaker, and she loves to chew on Sophie’s ears and hooves. Sometimes Sophie is truly the only thing that will make Langley happy!
• WubbaNub Pacifiers. We have not one, not two, but FIVE Wubbanubs! That is because Langley loves pacifiers to soothe, and Wubbanubs made it easy right away for her to self-soothe with them by the stuffy keeping the soother on her chest/near her. The stuffy has also been amazing at helping us hold on to the soother when we are out and about so that we don’t drop them/loose them. We have five because this way we always have one or two in the wash, one in her diaper bag and one upstairs and downstairs. As she has gotten older, she loves to play with the stuffy as well as the pacifier, so they have become a comfort toy for Langley too.
• If I Were a Bunny Book. This touch and feel book is Langley’s absolute favourite. And there are so many fun stories to choose from!
• Indestructible Books. These books are exactly what they are titled: Indestructible. So great for bringing along to travel because you can throw them in the wash if they get dirty! They are also great for young babies trying to chew on everything because they don’t rip or tear!\

Good luck mama’s and dada’s! And happy baby shopping!