If you’re a mom with a soon-to-arrive or fresh-on-the-scene newborn, what I’m about to share with you is going to make your life easier.
Or, if you’re looking for the perfect, inexpensive (but super-helpful) baby shower gift, this is going to make your life easier, too.
Here’s a hint on the perfect gift. Now keep reading and see if you’re right.
It’s a pretty well-known fact that, when you have a newborn, there are two things you pretty much do all the time, right?
Watch Chopped reruns and fall asleep sitting up.
No? Just me? Well then, you at least do the other two things: feed the baby and change a lot of diapers.
Which, speaking of diapers, did you know you can get a $10 e-gift card to Sam’s Club just for buying diapers you need anyway? Check it out here!
The Changing Table Solution
In the olden days of feeding and diapering my firstborn (let’s call her Peach), it was pretty exhausting. There were countless trips to and from the changing table for diapers, wipes, burp rags, and fresh onesies (I’m looking at you, projectile spit-up and diaper blowouts).
It was exhausting. Especially in those first weeks following an unplanned C-section, when every little movement was painful. There was no quick dash to the changing table. It was a slow, ouchy, usually stinky hobble with a saturated-onesie-clad infant in tow. No bueno.
By the time baby #2 (Ginger) came on the scene, I got wise. Following yet another unplanned (albeit unsurprising) C-section, I was armed with an idea. I made a “baby station” for each room where Ginger might be hanging out. It contained all the usual supplies for quick diaper changes, nursing sessions, and uncontrollable deluges of spit-up and baby drool.
We had one in the living room, one in our bedroom, and one in Peach’s room. Even though she was still sleeping next to me, the diaper station in the second bedroom proved especially useful, since we would often spend time in there with Peach, playing with toys while Ginger stared quizzically at her big toe…and then spit up all over herself.
Since those days of Newborn 2.0, I’ve had some friends—some first-time moms, some repeat offenders—with whom I wanted to give a useful, thoughtful gift. Enter: the diaper caddy.
This little beauty delivers all of the convenience of the baby stations with added portability, so you only need one! When baby and you move from the bedroom to the living room in the morning, grab the caddy off the dresser and drop it by your couch. When it’s time to go work in your home office, Baby and the caddy come with. Boom. Easy.
The DIY Details
Awhile back, I bought several plastic shower caddies on clearance for $1.68 apiece (they retailed for around $6.00). You can usually find them in abundance when stores are clearing out their college dorm inventory (usually around September/October, but I’ve also seen it right before summer starts). That’s when I stock up, because—as I mentioned—this is my favorite thing to give new mamas at baby showers or when I’m bringing them something to eat after Baby’s arrival.
What should you include? Here’s a list of some ideas…
- A receiving blanket (One veteran mama I know calls them “towels” I don’t buy burp rags anymore because these do double duty wonderfully.)
- A sleeper or onesie (Believe me, it will be handy to keep one close.)
- Handheld snacks and bottled water for mama
- Hand sanitizer
- Hand lotion
- Baby wipes
- Lots of diapers
My caddy focused on diapers and lots of snacks that can be easily munched on while nursing. (You can see where my priorities lie.)
If you’re shopping for a new mom who doesn’t have a preferred diaper brand yet, these Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers are a great option. The thing I love about them is the wetness indicator. It’s a thin yellow line that goes down the front of the diaper and turns blue when Baby needs a change.
When my husband was brand-new to the diaper-changing experience, this little line was a huge help. Those barely-wet nappies are sometimes hard to detect without doing the timelessly awkward diaper-grab maneuver. (Parents, you KNOW what I’m talking about.)
And if you want to really bless the socks off of that mama, send the caddy along with a whole case of these guys. We recently made a family excursion to Sam’s Club and found that you can get a great, big box of Huggies for cheap.
Like, way cheap. So. Diaper discounts are a serious plus for Sam’s Club members!
Don’t forget to read about how to get a $10 Sam’s Club e-Gift Card here.
“But Wait, There’s More!”
Perhaps one of the best things about this caddy is that it’s so versatile, not only because you can swap out changing station accessories (burp rags won’t be a necessity forever…thank goodness), but that caddy makes a strictly AWESOME storage solution for preschool art supplies or small bath toys later on. Who doesn’t love storage that grows with your kid?
Did I miss anything good? What would you include in this caddy?
BY GUEST WRITER: Ashley Timberlake
Ashley Timberlake is a wife and mama of two children on earth and one in heaven. She writes over at Candor and Coffee, where she talks about about life, loss, and cold brew. Follow her on Twitter @CandorAndCoffee.
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AShlyn says
This is fabulous!! I love this idea to take in the car too!