When you have a baby, it is surprisingly easy to accumulate a lot of stuff.
There are products for sleeping, feeding, changing, bathing, travelling, playing… and then there are the products that seemed essential before your baby arrived but have barely left the cupboard.
After the excitement of preparing for a baby wears off, you quickly discover which things genuinely make everyday life easier.
So, rather than sharing a huge list of everything you could buy, here are the baby products we actually use every day — the practical things that have earned their place in our home.
1. A Good Changing Mat
A changing mat is one of those baby essentials that gets used far more than you might expect.
During the newborn stage, there are countless nappy changes throughout the day. Even as your baby gets older, you’ll still be using it regularly.
We prefer a changing mat that is:
- Easy to wipe clean
- Comfortable for baby
- Waterproof
- Easy to move around
- Not covered in lots of unnecessary fabric
- Ideally with an edge to wrap baby and wee and poo
A simple, practical changing mat is more useful than something complicated.
Recommended products:
Little Living Notes tip: Keep your changing essentials within easy reach, like in a caddy. Babies have an impressive ability to make nappy changes unexpectedly exciting!
2. Muslin Squares
If we had to choose one baby item that gets used everywhere, it would probably be muslin squares.
They are useful for:
- Milk spills
- Mealtimes
- Drooling
- Wiping little faces
- Protecting your clothes
- Putting underneath baby during messy activities
- Quick clean-ups around the house
They are inexpensive, washable and incredibly versatile.
You can never seem to have too many.
Brands: John Lewis, M&S
3. Nappies
An obvious one — but nappies are obviously one of the baby products we use every single day.
Whether you choose disposable or reusable nappies, finding a system that works well for your family is much more important than choosing whatever happens to be most popular.
For us, the key things are comfort, reliability and having a good supply ready when needed.
And if you’re using reusable nappies, having enough reusable wet bags and somewhere practical to store used nappies can make the routine much easier.
Little Living Notes tip: To save some money, we use Aldi nappies day time and Pampers (a size up) during night time since 3 months old.
4. Baby Wipes
Baby wipes have become one of those everyday essentials that are useful for far more than nappy changes.
We use them for little hands, messy faces and all the unexpected moments that come with having a baby.
If you’re choosing wipes, look for ones that are suitable for your baby’s skin and contain as few unnecessary ingredients as possible.
At home, washable reusable cloths can also be a great option for many everyday messes.
Little Living Notes tip: Comparing all the brands, we love Aldi wipes the most. It's not soapy and fragrance free.
5. Baby Sleepsuits
For the first few months especially, sleepsuits are basically a baby’s everyday uniform.
They’re comfortable, practical and much easier to deal with than complicated outfits when you’re changing a baby several times a day.
As a bonus, sleepsuits with easy fastenings make those middle-of-the-night changes much less painful for everyone.
Little Living Notes tip: buy the zippy ones!
6. Sleeping Bags
Baby sleeping bags have become one of our everyday sleep essentials.
Instead of worrying about loose blankets moving around during sleep, a suitable baby sleeping bag can help keep your baby comfortably covered.
Choose one appropriate for your baby’s age, size and room temperature, and always follow safe-sleep guidance.
We also find that having a couple of sleeping bags means there is always a clean one available when the inevitable milk or nappy accident happens.
Little Living Notes tip: There are at least 5 types of sleeping bags on the market, and we've tried them all on our baby.
7. Baby Monitor
A baby monitor is one of those products that becomes particularly useful once your baby isn’t sleeping right beside you.
It allows you to keep an eye — and often an ear — on your baby while you are elsewhere in the house.
A basic audio monitor may be all you need. Video monitors can be useful if you want to check whether your baby has actually fallen asleep or is simply quietly playing in their cot.
The best monitor isn’t necessarily the one with the most features. It is the one that gives you useful information without making you constantly check it.
Little Living Notes tip: There are online/ offline monitors on the market, it's totally up to you on whichever you prefer. We started with a sound only monitor, and moved onto a flexible set up.
8. A Baby Carrier
We didn’t realise how useful a baby carrier could be until we actually started using one.
It is particularly handy when:
- Your baby wants to be close to you
- You’re doing something around the house
- You’re travelling
- You’re somewhere a pram isn’t practical
- You want both hands free
It’s also useful for those moments when your baby wants to be held but you still need to get something done.
Little Living Notes tip: With our experience, sling and carrier are VERY different, and our baby has preference on which carrier he likes more. When our baby is getting heavy and we're using it almost everyday. It's worth to try a few if you have the budget, to make your baby the most comfortable.
9. A Pram
Of course, a pram gets plenty of use too.
It isn’t just for going out. A pram can become part of your everyday routine for walks, errands, naps and getting some fresh air.
When choosing a pram, think beyond how it looks. Consider its weight, storage space, how easily it folds and how practical it is for your actual lifestyle.
A beautiful pram that is difficult to get in and out of the car can quickly become less appealing!
Little Living Notes tip: We eventually got 3 prams. Not that you need 3, but they're for different purposes.
10. Baby Sippy Cups
Once your baby starts exploring food and drinks, small baby-friendly spoons and cups become part of everyday life.
At this stage, simple is usually best.
You don’t need an entire collection of feeding gadgets. A few good spoons, a suitable cup and some easy-to-clean bowls can be enough to get started.
11. A High Chair
A high chair becomes one of the most-used pieces of furniture once your baby starts eating solids.
We use ours not only for meals but also for sitting at the table with us and being part of family mealtimes.
When choosing a high chair, think carefully about how easy it is to clean.
Food will get everywhere.
A chair that looks beautiful but has lots of tiny gaps and difficult-to-clean fabric may not be your favourite after a few months!
12. Baby Bath …
Bath time doesn’t necessarily require a huge collection of products.
A gentle baby wash, a couple of towels and somewhere safe to bathe your baby are generally much more useful than a bathroom full of specialised gadgets.
We particularly like having a dedicated baby towel with a hood — simple, but incredibly practical after bath time.
14. A Soft Baby Blanket
Even though we don’t use blankets as loose bedding for sleep, a soft blanket is still useful in everyday life.
It can be used when you’re sitting together, during supervised tummy time, outdoors or while travelling.
A familiar blanket can also become a comforting part of your baby’s routine.
15. A Play Mat
A play mat is another product that gets plenty of use.
It gives your baby a dedicated space for:
- Tummy time
- Rolling
- Reaching for toys
- Playing
- Exploring
You don’t need an enormous collection of toys either. A few age-appropriate toys on a comfortable play mat can provide plenty of entertainment.
What We Don’t Use as Much as We Expected
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learnt is that baby products don’t have to be complicated to be useful.
Some products looked brilliant when we were preparing for our baby but ended up being used very rarely.
That is why we now prefer buying something because it solves a specific problem rather than because it is labelled a “must-have”.
Before buying a new baby product, ask yourself:
Will this make everyday life easier, or will it simply give us another thing to store?
Sometimes the simplest products become the ones you reach for every day.
Our Baby Essentials: The Short Version
If you’re trying to keep your baby shopping list manageable, these are the everyday essentials we’d prioritise:
- Changing mat
- Muslin squares
- Nappies
- Baby wipes
- Sleepsuits
- Sleeping bags
- Baby monitor
- Baby carrier
- Pram
- Bibs
- Baby spoons and cup
- High chair
- Basic bath products
- Baby blanket
- Play mat
- Storage baskets
You don’t need everything before your baby arrives, either.
Some products only become useful at a particular stage, so buying things gradually can save money, space and a lot of unnecessary clutter.
Final Thoughts
Having a baby doesn’t mean you need to fill your home with baby equipment.
The products we use most are generally the simple, practical things that make everyday routines easier.
A few good essentials can be much more valuable than a house full of gadgets.
And as your baby grows, your list of genuinely useful products will change too. What you use every day with a newborn may be completely different six months later.
So if you’re preparing for a baby, don’t feel pressured to buy everything at once.
Start with the essentials, see what works for your family, and add things when you actually need them.
Because the best baby products aren’t necessarily the most exciting ones — they’re the ones you reach for every single day.
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Little Living Notes is about making family life a little simpler — with practical ideas, honest experiences and things that are genuinely worth your time, money and space.
