As an entrepreneur who just had a baby, I’ve been trying and testing LOTS of different baby items. This has given me the opportunity to find a few favorite mompreneur baby items–products and things that make my life as a work-from-home mompreneur so much easier.
Here is a roundup of essential baby products for all the other boss mammas (and mammas-to-be!) out there.
These are definitely not all of the products and baby items I use with my little guy. Instead, I focused this list and article on items that make my life as a mompreneur much easier. These are the things that help me so I can still put time and energy into my business. Enjoy!
Top Products for Baby
This first section is focused on things for baby. These are my favorite go-to baby products. I reach for these all the time while taking care of my little guy.
1. Halo Sleepsack Swaddles
We got a couple of Halo Sleepsack Swaddles at our baby shower and thank goodness! Swaddling was a life saver for the first several weeks. It was one of the best ways to help baby sleep longer than what seemed like 45 minutes or so. (Newborn parents will understand!)
Once your baby is a little older and you have to stop swaddling, Halo does have regular cotton Sleepsacks too. They even come in other materials, like this microfleece one to help keep baby warm, or these Early Walker versions with feet, which we have but haven’t tried yet.
Extra Pro Tip: We have a couple of Halo Sleepsacks with 2-way zip and a couple without. The ones WITH 2-way zip are even more convenient for late night diaper changes!
2. Sleepers with 2-Way Zippers
Ok so this isn’t a specific product recommendation, but I highly recommend getting as many of your sleepers as possible with 2-way zippers.
When I became a mom, I had already heard that zippers are far superior to snaps for middle of the night diaper changes. This is true! And I would go a step further and say that 2-way zip is the best way to go.
Many of the Carter’s and Carter’s sub-brand sleepers, like these, have 2-way zippers and are still pretty reasonably priced.
3. On The Go Baby Soother and Sound Machine
We got this specific sound machine from Cloud B and we use it all the time.
It’s great to clip onto baby’s bedside bassinet at night when he needs extra soothing to go to sleep, but it’s also great to take on-the-go since it can clip onto anything and it’s pretty small to transport. We like to use the same one at home as we use on-the-go. This helps create some consistency for baby when we’re not in a familiar environment.
It has 4 sounds and 4 lullabies to choose from. Best of all, we love that it has a smart sensor. The sensor will reactivate the sound machine if baby wakes up.
4. NoseFrida the Snotsucker by Frida Baby
Before I was a mom, the thought of using one of these things grossed me out. I can remember hearing some of my friends (who had kids before me) talk about how helpful this product is. Back then, I thought, no way no how was I EVER going to use one of these things. Well, here we are. 😉
Of course we got a regular bulb style baby nasal aspirator when we left the hospital with baby, and we still have it, but I’m so incredibly thankful we got the NoseFrida Snotsucker. I ordered it and it arrived just a day or two before baby had his first cold.
This was an essential part of our routine while caring for baby while he had a cold. Thanks to this and Vicks Babyrub, we were able to care for him at home and avoid extra doctors visits.
5. Pee-pee Teepees
Yep, I went there. If you have a baby boy, make sure you get these pee-pee teepees. Trust me! 😉
6. Wipe Warmer
I’ve heard some moms swear by their wipe warmers, and others not so much, so you’ll have to decide for yourself. We use our wipe warmer all.the.time.
This one seals really well and seems to keep the wipes not only warm but still plenty moist.
We did get a couple of extra replacement water pillows for the bottom to keep the wipes moist and we got a pillow case to help prevent the pillow from potentially sticking to the bottom of the warmer.
7. Diaper and Bath Caddies
We got a couple of different caddies at our baby shower and they have proved to be so useful! One of the ones we got was this one.
I use one for diapering. It has diapers, wipes, our changing pad, diaper rash cream, hand sanitizer, pee-pee teepees, an extra outfit, etc.
The other one is used for bath supplies and medical supplies. It has a couple of bath toys, a towel and wash cloth, baby soap, lotion, etc. And it also has his medical supplies, like a thermometer, nail files and clippers, Vicks Babyrub, and more.
They make my life so much easier so I never forget anything I need when it’s time for a bath or a diaper change.
8. Philips AVENT Bottle, Pacifiers, and Bottle Sterilizer
Ok so this is more of a suggestion for a group of items, but I’m just going to count it as one. We tried a few different bottles with baby, like these Dr. Brown’s bottles and a Lansinoh baby bottle like this too.
Baby will drink from pretty much any bottle if he’s hungry enough, but after some trial and testing, it seems like he really seems to like these Philips AVENT bottles best.
To go along with the AVENT bottles, baby also likes these Philips AVENT pacifiers.
We got them in a multi-pack like that, but we also got a couple of cute Philips AVENT Soothie Snuggles with animals on them, like a giraffe and an elephant.
Finally, we also have this Philips AVENT microwave steamer and it makes it super easy to keep everything clean and sanitary. The instructions say it can hold 4 bottles at once. But let’s be real, it can hold far more when you pack them in strategically. 😉
9. Baby Play Gym or Activity Mat
For the first few weeks, baby doesn’t play much. But now that our little guy is getting a bit older, we have to keep him entertained throughout the day. This Fisher-Price Play Piano Gym is one toy he loves to lay and play with while mom gets work done. It’s an essential part of my days as a mompreneur for sure!
10. Fold Out Black and White Board Books
Tummy time still isn’t a favorite around here. But, having something fun to look at seems to help lessen the pain for both momma and baby. That’s where fold out books come into play.
We have a couple of black and while fold out board books like this so we can change them out to give baby some variety.
11. Baby Carriers
We have what is likely and overabundance of baby carriers in our house. We have 3! But we do use all of them for different situations.
Would I recommend you get all 3? No. Just get what works for you and what you think you’ll use. We wouldn’t have 3 either but we got them as gifts or lent to us from friends and family.
That said, a baby carrier of some kind is an essential baby item for mompreneurs. Baby carriers allow you to bond with baby while still having free hands to do you work or other things around the house.
One of the baby carriers that we have and use often is the Ergobaby Omni 360 Baby Carrier.
This is the one my husband prefers to use most often. It seems to fit him better than the other baby carriers we have. It does a great job of really making baby snug and secure in the carrier. The downside to me is all of the straps and snaps. They are a little confusing until you get the hang of using it a few times.
We also have an Infantino Flip 4-in-1 Carrier that is pretty similar to the Ergobaby carrier but far less expensive. It doesn’t have as many straps or bells and whistles but it’s far easier on the budget too. 🙂
It seems to be a little bit smaller and also less bulky than the Ergobaby carrier. I tend to use this one vs the Ergobaby carrier if I’m carrying baby around in this kind of carrier.
Finally, we also have a Boba Wrap Baby Carrier.
This seems to fit better on me than on dad so I am the primary user of this baby carrier. I like that it’s fully adjustable for both the wearer and for baby since it’s just a fabric you wrap and tie around yourself before slipping baby inside.
That said, it feels a little “bouncier” when walking around with baby vs the other two carriers. I think this is because the other two carriers have more straps and supports on them.
12. Snugglebundl
The Snugglebundl is a product that my husband actually found via a Facebook ad and couldn’t pass up.
It is a baby transfer blanket that you can lay out and put baby on while in a swing or on the floor, etc. and then you can use the handles to easily pick baby back up when needed.
It has come in quite handy for moving baby from his swing to his bassinet for sleep and similar things like that.
13. Backpack Diaper Bag & Travel Changing Pad
When it comes to diaper bags, there are so many types and styles to choose from. We went with this nice but fairly plain gray backpack style for a few reasons.
First, I wanted a super functional diaper bag with lots of pockets for organizing and storing things. I also didn’t want one with only one strap as I figured it would get pretty heavy once full.
When it comes to color, I didn’t want a super feminine style if my husband would be carrying it around pretty regularly (which he does). The gray is a nice neutral so I’m hoping we can use it for a long time to come.
In addition to a diaper bag, we also got a nice travel changing pad clutch.
We do keep this inside the diaper bag most of the time so we can pull it out and use it while out and about. But I’ve also pulled it out of the diaper bag and added a few items to the small pocket on the side of the clutch and left the big backpack in the car for a quick run into the store with baby.
14. 4moms mamaRoo Baby Swing
The 4moms mamaRoo is a pretty pricey baby swing, I’ll admit, but it’s 100% worth it for us. Baby loves the “car ride” motion and the white noise it plays will lull him to sleep (almost) guaranteed.
This fancy baby swing has 5 different motions that are meant to mimic commons movements, like bounces and sways, that parents do naturally. It’s also Bluetooth enabled so you can control the sound and motion from your smartphone.
Plus, in addition to the four built-in sounds that come with the mamaRoo, you can also hook an MP3 player up to the swing to play your own music or sounds!
In order to use it from day one, make sure you get the newborn insert to give baby extra support.
15. Dream on Me Bedside Bassinet
Even though we have a nursery with a crib, baby still sleeps in our room in a bassinet for now. We got this bedside bassinet specifically because I wanted one that had a drop and zip down side so I could easily get to baby in the middle of the night to nurse. We have it right up against my side of the bed and it works great for us.
16. Peg Perego Car Seat & Travel System w/Pop-Up Bassinet
Ouch! Another expensive suggestion here, but we’ve found this Peg Perego travel system with a car seat and stroller system to be so useful!
The stroller seat can come off so the baby carrier/car seat can snap right on to the stroller base. This way you can take baby from the car (carrier and all) and snap right into the stroller base for on-the-go.
We have two extra car seat bases (3 total) so we can have one in each vehicle and we have one we can take with us for other family members to use if they will be baby sitting for any length of time and might need to take baby with them in their car. (Think grandparents, etc.)
In addition to the travel system, we also have the pop-up bassinet which is great for travel and walks but we also use this around the house sometimes too. We have it snapped onto the stroller base and we can use it keep baby close by while he naps during the day and I’m working at my desk.
17. Kiinde Twist Universal Direct-Pump Feeding System
This is one of my best baby product suggestions if you’re going to be pumping to feed your baby. The Kiinde pumping system allows you to pump directly into the storage bags. No more pouring your milk from pumping bottles into bags or pouches and spilling.
Plus, when you get ready to feed baby, you can heat the milk storage bag in the Kiinde warmer, snap it right into a plastic holder, and add a nipple to make a bottle for baby. This creates way fewer dishes to wash as you only have to wash the nipple (and recycle the bag) after feeding baby.
You can get a free Kiinde starter set here! It’s a $50 value and lets you try out their products to see if they’ll be helpful for you.
Then when you decide to use them, I recommend the starter kit with warmer. It has everything you need to get started for just under $100!
I tried other brands of milk storage bags and some of them leaked when I thawed the milk to use it but now I use the Kiinde storage bags exclusively and I’ve never had one leak.
The one downside I found to this system is that we weren’t able to use it right away. It took a few weeks before baby was strong enough or had a good enough latch to use the Kiinde bottles. That’s why and when we used the Philips AVENT bottles I mentioned above.
Kiinde has also come out with the Kiinde Foodii Baby Food Maker system that you can use to make and feed purees and baby food too using the same storage bags. I haven’t tried this yet since our little guy isn’t eating food yet, but I plan to try some of it out when the times comes.
Top Products for Mompreneurs
Let’s be honest here, some of the best baby products are the ones for us mammas, not really for the babies. Am I right?! Here are some of my favorite baby items for mompreneurs.
18. Talli Baby Tracker
I found this helpful little tracking device thanks to a Facebook ad and it is one thing that has brought me a lot of peace of mind. This device can be used to track feedings, diapers, pumping, sleep, and it even has a button you can customize and use to track events of your choice, like baths, tummy time, medicine, etc.
All of the events you log with the device will then show up in the app when you use it on your smartphone. From there you can add more details to events if you want, like ounces per feeding, etc.
This way you have all of that data available when you need it for doctors visits, lactation consults, and more. It also helps us see and stay on track with our routine when we get busy and forget what day it is or when we last gave baby a bath.
If you have an Alexa device, like the Echo Dot, you can also use voice commands to track events with Talli. Which is a cool feature to have.
I also like that because the Talli device uses Wi-Fi, your phone doesn’t have to be nearby in order for the app to get data. This means you can check in on the app anywhere, anytime and see everything in real time. For example, if grandma is babysitting and she feeds baby and presses the bottle button, you can see that feeding in the Talli app right away no matter where you are.
19. My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow
If you’re a nursing mompreneur, you will 100% want one of these My Brest Friend nursing pillows.
I wish I had heard more about these and less about the Boppy nursing pillow.
The Boppy is pretty much the only nursing pillow I had heard about before having baby and it’s the one I added to my baby registry and got as a gift at my baby shower.
Unfortunately, the Boppy doesn’t work for me. I don’t like that it’s rounded on top, which makes baby roll and kind of get stuck in between the pillow and my body when I tried to use it for nursing. Plus the pillow itself just didn’t want to stay in place on my body and didn’t really feel like it fit me.
My Brest Friend is just the opposite. It’s flat on top so baby doesn’t roll while nursing and stays right where I want or need him to be to for a good latch.
I like that it has a strap that goes all the way around your body so the pillow always stays in place. The buckle is easy to use with one hand while holding baby too, so no worries there.
Finally, the My Brest Friend has a pocket attached to the washable cover. I often use the pocket for a bottled drink, my phone, or even my Talli device.
20. Hands Free Pumping Bras
Bras always seem to be so expensive and pumping and nursing bras don’t seem to be any different. That’s why I was on the hunt for some affordable hands free pumping bras.
In addition to being affordable, I wanted them to be comfortable enough to just wear most of the time since I knew I was going to be pumping a lot of the time (at least at first). Thus, I knew one of these old style strapless, zippered hands free pumping bras wouldn’t work well for me. (Those were pretty much the only ones I had ever seen before I started shopping around and looking into these things for myself. Ha!)
That’s when I found these hands free pumping and nursing bras from Kindred Bravely. While I really like the look of them and they seem like they would work great for me, especially since they could be used for pumping or nursing, I didn’t want to pay this much. So it was back to the drawing board.
Finally, I found these Momcozy Hands Free pumping and nursing bras that were similar to the Kindred ones but at a much more reasonable price. I have 3 of these and wear them as my primary bras these days. They are fairly comfortable but I would recommend going with a size larger than you might normally order as they seem to be a bit snug in my regular size.
21. Wearable Breast Pumps
After I started back to work when baby was about 6 weeks old, one of the biggest things I struggled with was taking time to pump throughout the day when all I wanted to do was work on my business.
I hated taking time to pump because I felt like I couldn’t do much of anything else while I was pumping. Losing all those hours pumping and not being productive in other ways at the same time was killing me!
Even though I work from home and my Medela pump wasn’t that far away, it wasn’t convenient to use. I don’t have an outlet nearby my computer desk so I couldn’t work while pumping and my pump wasn’t on a cart of anything to make it easier to move around from place to place anyway.
Because it wasn’t convenient to pump, I wasn’t doing often enough when I first went back to work and my supply took a bit of a dip. This is why I wanted to get a wearable breast pump so I could more easily pump while working and doing other things around the house, or even on the go.
Unfortunately many popular wearable breast pumps, like the Willow or the Elvie, would be over $500 for a double breast pump and I didn’t want to spend that much. (Sensing a theme here?)
Instead, I did some research and found the Momcozy Electric Wearable Breast Pump. These are much more affordable at about $130 for a double breast pump.
In doing some research, I’ve read that some women don’t get as much milk with a wearable breast pump as they would with a regular pump. In my experience, I usually get about the same amount with the Momcozy wearable pumps as I would with my regular pump.
Another compliant some women have is that wearable pumps aren’t as quiet and discreet as they are advertised to be. I would say that this pump is loud enough that someone would hear if you were pumping at an office and it’s not totally discreet as it does make your chest appear lumpy if you wear them under your shirt. But it’s pretty comfortable and not too loud in my opinion.
It’s also small enough and doesn’t stick out near as far in the front as my regular Medela pump, so I’m able to walk around some and do other things while pumping, as well as being able to easily type and work on my business without bumping it, knocking it loose, or having a spill.
It was also easy to assemble and disassemble to wash and the milk didn’t spill while pumping or putting into one of my Kiinde storage bags.
Overall, I really like it and I use it when life gets in the way and I don’t want to be stuck with cords and needing an outlet to pump. If you’re concerned that this isn’t removing as much milk as a regular pump, perhaps you can do like I am and use it part of the time and still use a regular pump the rest of the time too to keep your supply stable.
Note also that there is a newer model of the Momcozy wearable pump, the S12, that I didn’t test. It has more modes it says and a timer that looks helpful, but its $15 more for each breast pump (so $30 more total if you want to double pump). I decided that I can just set my own alarm and I got enough suction with the 3rd or 4th power level out of 5 on the ones I bought, so I didn’t think I needed the newer version.
22. Frida Mom Instant Heat Reusable Breast Warmers
Remember how I said above that I didn’t pump as often as I should have when I went back to work after maternity leave? Well, that resulted in some plugged ducts. Ouch!
Luckily I had a friend recommend these Frida Mom Instant Heat Reusable Breast Warmers. They are awesome!
You just click a small metal button inside the warming pouch. This creates a chemical reaction and makes it heat up. No microwave is needed!
And they are shaped perfectly so you can use them while pumping to help relieve clogged ducts.
After you use them, just give them a quick boil on the stove and they are good to go to be used again.
Baby Products I Haven’t Tested (But That Look Awesome!)
There are so many awesome baby products out there to help moms, including mompreneurs, be able to care for baby in easier and more convenient ways than ever before. Here are a few other baby items I haven’t used myself but that I think look awesome for mompreneurs.
23. Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base
As I mentioned above, we have the Peg Perego travel system already and we really like it. We were lucky enough to be able to borrow the system we have from a family member. But if we were buying our own travel system, I would be highly considering the Doona Infant Car Seat & Latch Base.
It converts from a car seat to a stroller in seconds with nothing extra needed to hook on or off or store in your car.
A friend of mine has this and it looks awesome! Again, if we didn’t already have the set we have, I’d be very interested in this as it looks super helpful and convenient.
24. Bonsie Skin to Skin Babywear
I saw these Bonsie sleepers on another Facebook ad and they look really cool!
Basically, Bonsie has sleepers and onesies that overlap on the front and velcro close to one side. Then you can un-velcro the front and open up the flaps. This will expose baby’s chest and abdomen for easy skin to skin bonding time. This seems like it could be helpful so busy mompreneurs can get work done and still get some easy skin to skin time with baby.
25. Skin to Skin Tops for Mom
Thanks again for this one Facebook! There are a few companies out there that make tops for moms (and dads) to be able to wear their babies and do skin to skin more easily.
One company is Seraphine. They have several maternity tops, like this one, that can then be used postpartum for baby wearing and kangaroo care.
26. A Baby Wearing Coat
I haven’t invested in a baby wearing coat for myself (yet?) but I have been eyeing them. I’ve also heard from a friend that she loves hers!
There are several different styles of baby wearing coats and jackets available now, like this zip up hoodie or this fleece zip up jacket.
I also found this coat extender that you can use with your current coat or jacket instead of buying a new maternity or baby wearing coat.
27. Owlet Smart Sock
There was a recent controversy with the FDA and the Owlet Smart Sock and because of that, the Smart Sock is not currently able to be purchased new at retailers in the US. It sounds like Owlet is planning to create and release a new version of this after submitting an application to the FDA.
That said, since the Owlet Smart Sock and FDA issue is not safety-related, I’ve still considered getting one to help track baby’s sleep stats and more.
There are several other types of smart baby monitors and trackers available online but I haven’t looked into them as much. If you’re interested in the Owlet Smart Sock you might have to try and find it used for now.
28. FridaBaby Electric NoseFrida
As I mentioned above, we have the regular NoseFrida already and when I ordered it, I didn’t realize they make an electric version.
This sounds like it could be pretty helpful. I’d be interested in trying it if I hadn’t already bought the one I have.
29. FridaBaby 3-in-1 Nose, Nail, and Ear Picker
Again, although we have the NoseFrida already, it seems like this FridaBaby 3-in-1 Nose, Nail, and Ear Picker could be good for getting some of those dried boogies that are just inside of babies nose from time to time, as well as getting rid of ear wax and dirt from under baby’s nails.
30. Halo Sleepsack Swaddle Ideal Temp
Again, we already have the regular Halo Sleepsacks and Sleepsack Swaddles but Halo recently came out with a new “Ideal Temp” sleepsack that has a new type of material.
The material has “IntelliThread Technology” which Halo says will help regular baby’s temperature. It works by absorbing, storing, and releasing heat to help ensure baby is safe and comfortable. I’d be curious to try these out to see if I notice a different between them and the sleepsacks we already have.
31. Baby Shusher
I have heard great things about this Baby Shusher sound machine from friends who have it.
The sound machine has a real, human voice making a calming shush noise to help soothe baby so you don’t have to always do it yourself. The shusher has 15 and 30 minute timers to help baby get to sleep. It’s also got a wrist strap to make it easy to carry with you when your hards are full.
32. Warmies Microwavable Scented Plush
My mom actually showed me these microwavable plush stuffed animals. They are microwavable and release a scent, like Fresh Lavender, to provide soothing and comfort to baby.
Several friends have these for their babes and have reported they are well loved. We’re still thinking about getting one of these for our little man.
The Bottom Line
Well, there you have it. A comprehensive list of the most helpful products that I use all the time with my little guy.
Again, this is not every product we use. This list is just the ones that help me the most so I can focus on my business and keep rocking it as a mompreneur.
What are your must-have baby items for mompreneurs?