This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ParentingWithPrimoH2o #CollectiveBias 

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I remember scouring Pinterest and looking at the recommended baby items that I would “need”. It was overwhelming! Of course, like many first time moms – I bought WAY too much because I thought I HAD to have some of these items. Yet, as I’m preparing for baby number two I’m finding packages of unopened white onesies, swaddles I never used and plethora of items my daughter hated. With that being said, every single baby is different. It’s hard to tell what one baby will love and what one will hate. I’ve put together a list of practical items that every mother NEEDS for her baby. And don’t worry, I didn’t include the 9-pack of white onesies I bought for every single size and never used. Primo® First Steps Bottom-Loading Water Dispenser.  

This is a product I will suggest to every single Mama out there. I was unable to breastfeed due to damaged milk ducts from a lumpectomy. Formula was our only option. Using tap water to mix formula can sometimes cause more harm than good. In Kodiak, where we currently live, we’re actually told not to drink tap water because the lead content is so high. I could not even imagine what harmful effects that could have on a baby! To families that want to live healthier lives, Primo is the home drinking water solution that helps you take a stand against the potentially unsafe tap! We used an older Primo water dispenser with my first baby, but we were still having to use a bottle warmer to warm the formula, which I HATED using. It always seemed to make the formula too hot and then I had an angry baby who had to wait for her food, which normally led to a stressed out Mama. The new Primo First Steps Bottom-Loading Water dispenser was designed with parents in mind.  The dispenser provides cold, warm and hot temperature options, with the warm option designed specifically for mixing formula. This means, no more angry impatient babies! Bottles are easily made within minutes. But even beyond the perks of the dispenser, Primo water is my go-to because it has gone through a multi-step water purification test to eliminate any harmful substances, ensuring that you have the safest and best water for your family that you can trust. I know our unsafe water in Kodiak is something that I worried about with my daughter, but thankfully Primo has given me the peace of mind and safe water my family needs. The Primo dispenser is too cool! Not only does it have a bottle function that you can press for formula ready water, there is also an extra self-sanitizing function in the warm reservoir (where your formula water would come from) to ensure quality. My new Primo dispenser even came with a baby formula feeding chart! I will definitely be saving that for when our little man is here in July. This dispenser has a new bottom loading design that uses pre-filled or refillable 3 or 5 gallon water bottles (sold separately at a retailer near you), which also makes changing out water bottles a million times easier. I’m even able to refill and exchange my used water bottles at my local retailer. BOOM. EASY. My favorite thing about the Primo First Steps Bottom Loading Water Dispenser is that it’s built with families in mind. In addition to the amazing formula features, this dispenser is able to grow with our families needs. There’s also a safety feature on the “hot” water feature, which is needed when you have curious toddlers!   The original Primo dispenser was vital in our formula feeding with Madison and I am so excited to use the new Primo dispenser to make formula feeding even easier once our little man is here!  

Multiple Bottle Brands  

My sister-in-law told me this tip with Madison, and I thought it was crazy at first. But I registered for multiple bottle brands and just like I was told – Madison choose one particular brand that she favored. We had three different bottle brands and she would only take one kind of bottle. Just like the rest of us, our babies favor certain things. They choose the bottle they like, not us. Having various bottles to try on hand saved both of us a lot of tears.  

Multiple Pacifiers  

Just like bottles, babies choose what kind of pacifier they like. Once again, Madison preferred a certain type over others. Finding the pacifier she preferred helped all of us get extra sleep, which is so needed during those first few months.  

Baby Carrier  

I was told to use a baby carrier when I was pregnant the first time, but I never really gave it a try until Madison was around 6 months old. This was a huge mistake on my part. I WISH I’d started using the carrier much earlier! My first baby loved to be held, like most babies do, so this made doing anything else extremely difficult. I initially started using a baby carrier when we would go on walks, but this quickly became what I used at social events and shopping. Now that I’m going to have a newborn and a three year old needing my attention, I know a baby carrier will be more important than ever. I’ve already purchased two and have full intention of using them from the start.  

Blackout Shades  

Madison was born in NC, but we moved to Alaska when she was 7 months old. She didn’t nap very well in her room in NC, but we did not have blackout shades in her room. When we moved to Alaska, we were experiencing about 18 hours of sunlight, so blackout shades were a MUST. Suddenly my baby was napping and sleeping just fine in her room!   Blackout shades make us more comfortable to sleep, so why wouldn’t they make your baby more comfortable? Being in a dark room helps them realize that darkness is for sleeping and light is for play!    

Go check out the Primo® First Steps Bottom-Loading Water Dispenser for yourself or add it to your registry if you’re expecting a baby! Simply use the zip code finder to find a retailer near you!