Baby’s Medicine Cabinet: 13 Must-Have Items

Guest Author: Caroline Lewis

When it comes to preparing your home for a newborn baby, there are a number of things on your mind and a slew of items you’ll have on your shopping list for when your little one comes home for the first time. When putting together your baby’s essentials, Caroline Lewis, creator of Swaddles n’ Bottles shares some of her favorite must-have items for baby’s medicine cabinet that you won’t want to forget.

Thermometer

Keeping an eye on baby’s temperature is important and you want to make sure you are getting an accurate reading. I waited to purchase my thermometer until I met with Emmy’s pediatrician and asked for his suggestion. He wrote down this brand and we have been very happy with it. It has both head and ear options and reads instantly. We also keep a cheap oral thermometer in the diaper bag in case we are out on the go and need to check her temp. I would suggest asking your pediatrician for a recommendation too!

Baby Sunscreen

While you want to keep itty bitty baby out of the sun in those early weeks, eventually they will venture out into the strong sun rays and we want to keep that porcelain skin in prime condition. There are a ton of options for sunscreens! I have liked using a baby sunscreen stick for Emmy’s face. Whichever brand you go with, make sure you’ve got it on hand!

Gum and Teething Gel

There are few things on this earth that are more unpleasant than a teething baby. Luckily, there is Orajel and similar products to save the day. My preference, Orajel, makes a natural kind that has rave reviews, mine included! I have also read that clove oil is a great natural remedy but have not personally tried it on Emmy just yet.

Diaper Ointment

Diaper rash is never fun for baby or mom. It can make for one cranky kid. There are alot of diaper rash creams on the market to choose from. I personally use Butt Paste but my best friend swears by this stuff. You can buy smaller sizes of a few types to try to see what works best for baby.

Nail Clippers

When it comes to nail clippers for baby, you can’t get just any ol’ pair. Baby’s nails are so thin that it can be very easy to clip their skin too.

Q-Tips & Alcohol or Wipes

These will come in handy when it comes time to clean baby’s umbilical cord. Emmy’s pediatrician at the hospital suggested using small wipes to make this a little easier.

Boogie Wipes

You will notice quiet a few items on this list are to help with runny noses. It’s a big issue for baby. Boogie wipes come in handy when things get a little messy. Why not just use a regular paper towel or tissue? Well, baby snot has a tendency to get…crusty. I know it’s gross, but it’s true. The boogie wipes have saline in them and it almost seems to soften the snot while cleaning it away. This keeps kiddos from constantly turning their head away in agony as you wipe! I grocery shop at Wal-mart and HEB and I have SUCH a hard time finding these, so I just buy them off of Amazon. Just like everything else in my life.

NoseFrida

To this day, Jay still thinks the NoseFrida is disgusting. Does he not see how much it helps baby girl out? For those of you who haven’t used them, a NoseFrida is basically a small tube that connects from baby’s snotty little nose to mama’s mouth so you can suck the snot out. There is a filter to keep any sort of buggies from entering your mouth!

Windi

The Windi is made by the same people that make the NoseFrida, so you know it’s legit. But if you think the idea of sucking snot out of your baby’s nose is just horrendous, then this might not be the product for you. The Windi has been called the “butt flute” by Jay since day 1. It’s a small insert that goes into baby’s behind to help get the gas out. It can literally calm a fussy baby in a matter of seconds. If you need more convincing, read the reviews. They make for a great laugh too!

Baby Pain Relief Drops

We are very fortunate that we have only had to use baby pain relief drops on Emmy twice (when she got her vaccinations) but I don’t know what we would have done if we didn’t have them in that moment! Her poor chubby thighs were so sore from the shots. We were not able to find the grape flavor in store so I ordered it here. Make sure you run this by your pediatrician before giving to baby.

Humidifier

Emmy came down with a cough mid-November and we went straight to the closet to fetch the humidifier. It’s great for helping clear out any congestion that can lead to a cough. It also comes in handy during the winter months while you are running the heat in your house. It helps put moisture back into the dry air that might otherwise irritate baby’s throat and sinuses.

Saline Drops

Again with the snot! This one goes hand in hand with the NoseFrida. I usually squirt a little saline before sucking to loosen everything up. I’ve tried a few brands but prefer the Little Remedies because of the ease squirt tube.

Caroline Lewis is a professional coffee-drinking, baby-wearing, breastfeeding mama to one spunky little girl named Emmy. She is also the creator of the mommy blog, Swaddles n’ Bottles.