Celebrity moms list their infant and child essentials

People.com recently asked 10 celebrity mothers to share their infant and child essentials, and share they did. Everything from gear to night nannies were mentioned! Here’s what they said — share your own personal favorites in the comments.

Trista Sutter, mom to Maxwell, 9 months:

Cloudsandstars.com have these sheets — when you’rechanging sheets on a crib that has a bumper, you have to remove thebumper. It takes half an hour to change a stupid sheet! It’s sofrustrating. So they made these sheets that zip off the top. Genius!

For any mother, it takes years off of your life — especially if youhave a late-night change where they spit up, then you can just zip offthe sheet and put a new one on!

Nicole Richie, mom to Harlow, 4 months on Sunday:

I use Seventh Generation diapers and we don’t use baby wipes — we usecloth with water. Wewash all of her clothes and my clothes in Seventh Generation organicwash.

Holly Robinson Peete, mom to twins Ryan and Rodney, 10 ½, Robinson,5 ½, and Roman, 3:

The thing that I love the most is called a TravelJohn Jr. It’s aportable potty. It’s rolled up into an O-shaped funnel. If kids haveto go it’s shaped so that a girl can use it, too. TravelJohn Jr. is thebest-kept secret because every time you get ready to drive somewhereyour kids have to pee.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, mom to Grace, 3, and Taylor, 6 months:

I actually like a lot of baby carriers. I use an Ergo baby carrier right now and a Moby [wrap]. I think it’s nice. You just have to wrap the baby in it — like a big Band-Aid –and you can kind of walk the baby around.

Click below for Ming-Na, Tori Spelling, Lisa Rinna, Jessica Alba, Kelly Preston, and Heidi Klum’s essentials.

Ming-Na, mom to Michaela, 7, and Cooper, 2 ½:

Aveeno baby cream. My sonhad a little bit of eczema and it’s really wonderful lotion that I usefor his skin.

Tori Spelling, mom to Liam, 14 months next week, and baby girl due in about four weeks:

TheOrbit stroller. It’s the best thing since sliced bread, because it’s sofunctional. It turns 360º, it’s portable and as a car seat, it’svery secure in the car.

Lisa Rinna, mom to Delilah, 9 ½, and Amelia, 6 ½:

Rescue Remedy drops. It’s homeopathic. Ifthey’re wound up, a couple of drops calms ‘em right down. That’s whatall moms should have.

Jessica Alba, mom-to-be expecting baby girl in next three weeks:

A night nanny! Or someone to take care of the baby at night when the baby first comes home, to help you get acclimated.

Kelly Preston, mom to Jett, 16, and Ella, 8:

[A wipes warmer.] The wipes are warm and don’t really wake the baby up in the middle ofthe night, because when they’re all cozy and toasty-warmand you wipe them with a freezing cold wipe, they start crying.

Heidi Klum, mom to Leni, 4, Henry, 2 ½, and Johan, 17 months:

When they were really small it was this Fisher-Price baby swing thatruns on batteries. It has music and a mobile that wasreally hypnotizing for them. Every time they wouldn’t sleep at night,I’d just put them in that and they would sleep.

Source: People; Photos by Splash News, Frank Micelotta for Getty Images, PacificCoastNewsOnline.com

What is your mom essential?

Comments

The SwaddleMe infant wrap by Kiddotamus (you can get at babiesrus–I couldn’t swaddle tightly and this wrap takes all the work out of it. My son slept in his swaddle blanket until he was 4 months old- it was the only way to keep him asleep!

- Ashley on May 9th, 2008

I can’t beleive jessica alba is already considering a night nanny. Moms do it all the time and that is part of being a new mother. Why have a child if you don’t want to make the sacrifices that come along with it? Unfortunately lost sleep is one of them.

- kaydence's mommy on May 9th, 2008

my mommy must have is my double maclaren stroller. its compact, fits through doors, seats recline, both seats have storage under them, easy to steer and its an umbrella stroller so it folds so small!

- sara on May 9th, 2008

Sounds like jessica alba is looking forward to a nanny, especially for the nights. Tori’s right the orbit stroller is great. I like the bugaboo a lot too. And the baby bjorn carrier, is great to carry the babies in

- brooke on May 9th, 2008

I have so many things..my travel system, mylican drops and candy necklace pacifier holder and bay swing are my absolute must haves.

- L on May 9th, 2008

i wonder if nicole richie is really the one washing all those yicky diapers and “cloths” or if it’s the job of their poor maid/housekeeper – i wouldn’t mind using cloth diapers and wipes if someone else was doing all the cleaning

and i know celebs all seem to use night nannies/nurses, but even though the nights are hard and long and sleepless (my son was colicky and didn’t sleep more than 2 hours at a time til he was 8 months old) i wouldn’t have traded that time with him for all the night nurses in the world. that was our snuggly/bonding time.

i agree with the wipes warmer and baby swing – must haves!

- amandamay on May 9th, 2008

we didn’t use wipes with my brother either.. we used cotton balls, warm water and baby oil..
the same my mom used with me.. we compared them with the wipes and it turned out that the cotton cleaned stuff that the wipes did not cleanor even showed to be dirty..

And as for the nanny.. what is so wrong with having one. I see no problem at all with having someone to help you with the baby.
I would rather have a nanny and be rested to be with my baby than be cranky and sleep deprived.. I’ve had that with my cousins and it was not fun.
and whatsmore she said the nanny would help with nights when the baby first gets home.. not forever.

Having a nanny is not this crazy thing people make it out to be.. I had one and she was just another person to be with me.. my mom was still the lady of the house and had a lot more time to spend with us, having the help. And no we were not rich.

- Adila on May 9th, 2008

My mom essential was/is my La-Z-Boy rocker/recliner! I seriously lived in that thing for the first few weeks. It made it so much easier to nap with my newborn, and even now it still helps when we’re having teething insomnia.

- Natalie W on May 9th, 2008

About the bumper pads……sorry everybody, but they are not recommended, or necessary. My nephew just died of SIDS and the sids.org webiste states that the ONLY thing that belongs in the crib is the child. Please take this seriously. I used bumper pads with my children, but looking back(it was 10+ years ago)….did I really think they would roll SO FAST that they would do themselves any harm??? Not really! BTW, my nephew passed in his sleep and bumper pads were not a factor. Just stating what the website recommends………..

- Nan on May 9th, 2008

I was turned off by Jessica Alba’s comment. I hope she’s kidding…I never took care of an infant before my son came and I had to learn everything on my own…it’s a lot of work but that’s what motherhood is all about. Sure she has the resources for a nanny but I hope she tries staying up with the baby and really being hands on. I hope she’s ready for all the work that comes with being a mommy.

- mika on May 9th, 2008

Two of my favorite celeb moms. Holly Robinson-Peete and Heidi Klum. The both of them and their family seem so natural.

- bearcakes on May 9th, 2008

Colic Calm.
GlamourMom Tank Tops.
Moby Wrap.

Those are my top three.

- Lisa on May 9th, 2008

amandamay-just to let you know the seventh generation diapers nicole uses are a disposable diaper–not cloth.I use cloth diapers and wipes with my daughter.they are not “yicky” at all.they are an easy, soft and gorgeous way to keep all those thousands of dipaers out of the land land fills.now that my daughter is talking i know she prefers them to her occational disposable diaper too

- cam on May 9th, 2008

Mika, why does it matter if Jessica has a nanny? It doesn’t make her less of a mom for having one. Also, she has said plenty of times she is going to be breast-feeding and both of them work, so they would have hired a nanny anyway. Anyhow, I don’t have kids myself yet but it’s always interesting to read tips like this around the site.

- Renee on May 9th, 2008

My one item that I couldn’t have lived without when my boys were newborns is The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg. I think it saved my sanity.

- ben and gavins momma on May 9th, 2008

I’ll be the honest mommy here- if we had the money I would have hired a night nanny.

I loved the wipes warmer, and hope to use the travel one with our next baby.

Other must haves:

A Bumbo Seat!
Arms Reach Co-Sleeper
Medela Symphony breastpump

- Em on May 9th, 2008

Amen to the honest mommy! I loved bonding with my daughter, but there were also 15 or 16 other hours during the day to do that. Some sleep those first six weeks would probably have helped me remember that time more clearly. Now most of it is a sleep-deprived-but-loving blur.

I LOVE my Bugaboo Frog, my Maclaren Triumph and my Seventh Generation diapers. The wipes warmer was something I should have purchased, looking back on it. And I did have a great Fisher Price swing….:)

- Morgan on May 9th, 2008

My top three are: swaddleme, baby bjorn, and selsum blue (recommended by the doctor, all my babies had bad cradle cap)

If I had the resources, I would get a night nanny too! Though I think I’d rather get a chef and housekeeper or may be even an assistant to help with the day to day stuff so I can spend time with the new baby and recover from the birth.

- jochuaz on May 10th, 2008

We LOVE cloth diapering. Even my husband is on board and will speak up about how it’s really not that much work when someone is critical of them. I can’t imagine my 4 month old daughter in disposables. So much better for baby’s bum and the environment.
I agree with Nicole about the cloth wipes. They are 100x better at cleaning dirty bums! Plus I like that only warm water is going on her skin versus all the extra stuff in wipe solution.

- Lorus on May 10th, 2008

I LOVED my Miracle Blankets, Fisher Price Papasan Swing, Boudreaux’s Butt Paste and California Baby Super Sensitive Hair and Body Wash!

- IGNYC on May 10th, 2008

My top baby item would be my Fisher-Price Baby papsan swing. I only wish the swing ran on electricity and not batteries. The other item I couldn’t live without would be my Medela Pump in Style breast pump.

As for Jessica hiring a night nanny, well I think if you have the means go for it. I was very fortunate when I had my daughter, as my mom came and stayed with me for a week. My mother took care of my daughter at night so I could sleep, and that made a huge difference. Even if she does hire a night nanny, she will have to be up to feed her baby, but at least she can sleep for an hour and a half between feedings, and while someone else changes the diapers.

- Jenny on May 10th, 2008

i guess as jessica’s baby wasn’t planned (according to the ellen interview) she isn’t ready to sacrifice the things that have to be sacrificed when you have a baby – i.e Sleep!

- emma on May 10th, 2008

I personally would not have wanted a nanny to help at night (or other times of the day), but that is just my personal preferences. I see no problem whatsoever with a mom needing help. Just as some are cut out to be stay-at-home moms, others are not (like myself– tried it for 3 years).

My mommy must-haves:

Playtex Drop-ins (I was not able to breast feed, even though I really wanted to.)
Wipes warmer
Sights and Sounds Aquarium that attached to the outside of the crib (I had one for my youngest, and she never wanted out of her crib!)
A Kick Gym (Looked everywhere for one for my niece, and they don’t make the kind I had for my daughters anymore.)
Baby Swing
Bouncy Seat (My youngest had RSV at 6 weeks. It was the only way I could lay her down for almost 2 months for fear of her choking at night.)
Swim Diapers
Temperature Change Spoons
Boppy (Only way I could sit down for 2 weeks post-partum.)

- Dana on May 10th, 2008

My personal faves are:

1) Medela Symphony breast pump
2) It-z-been (I wish I had invented it myself!)
3) Those warm zip-up sleepsacks
4) Playtex DropIns bottles
5) Bugaboo Chameleon + MacLaren Sport for shorter trips

As to the night nanny, I didn’t like her comment not because I’m opposed to using one, I just feel since she hasn’t had a baby yet and hasn’t tried doing it on her own, she shouldn’t list a nanny as the “best thing.”

- sesame on May 10th, 2008

I agree with sesame…that’s my whole point…she should at least try it out first instead of the best thing is having a nanny..please

- mika on May 10th, 2008

My mom musthaves are:

Cloth diapers. Right now my favorites are WAHMies one size pockets and Drybee’s hybrid AIOs. We also use the old fashioned prefolds and pull-on covers, though. I am not raising my child’s risk of asthma and other illnesses, and harming the environment for a perceived (and false, imo, having used both kinds of diapers) convenience.

Playtex Embrace double pump- I’ve used the big three (Playtex, Medela, and Avent) and this is the most comfortable and efficient of them. And cheapest, too! I work around 30 hours a week and this pump makes sure my baby only gets my milk while I’m gone!

Slings. I love them. I have ring slings, pouches, a wrap, and soft structured carriers (ergo, beco, chunei). My favorite is the Korean podeagi, though. I wish more celebs were using traditional or at least safe carriers. Bjorns are so bad for poor baby’s spinal development!

And the absolute hands down thing I couldn’t live without:

breasts! LOL

- Emily on May 10th, 2008

Even though Jessica Alba says she’s planning on breastfeeding how is she going to establish a good supply if she isn’t getting up with baby in the middle of the night those first few weeks? Even if she’s not putting baby to breast (night nanny giving expressed milk) she needs to be pumping at night. I think she’s setting herself up to fail by having a night nanny, unless the nanny is there to bring baby to Jessica to eat, then change diapers and bring baby back to the crib, and if that’s the case why not cosleep and keep some diapers and wipes on the bedside table?

- Rebecca on May 10th, 2008

Rebecca and Mika, it’s her decision and not ours. We shouldn’t judge her for not doing things you approve of. Also, she doesn’t owe any of us an explanation of how and why when it comes to her baby. I don’t see how having a nanny makes her a bad mom. Really it’s not a big deal. It doesn’t mean she won’t love her baby any less than those who don’t have night nannies. I feel sorry for Jessica, one comment and people feel the need to judge that she is a bad, lazy mother just for wanting a nanny as she adjusts to handling a newborn

- Renee on May 10th, 2008

Love the honest Jessica…. I wish i could’ve had a night nanny , day nanny , weekend nanny either one could’ve helped LOL!!

One of my children was a NO SLEEP EVER child,I promise I didn’t sleep for almost 3 years!! I had a baby when he was 22 months and guess who I had to stay up with, and no not the newborn LOL~~

My mom essential was onsies when I just really hated when their little shirts roll up and show their skin , and when they got older a backpack, They wore a backpack everywhere until they were like 10 LOL( Thats the spot you could carry all the essentials in without making them feel like ‘a baby’.

- Kema on May 10th, 2008

I think that the point that the other moms were trying to explain about Jessica is—WHY would you already be LAZY, good lord she hasn’t even has the baby yet! Money or no money, those ABSOLUTELY ARE IMPORTANT bonding moments with your baby and paying someone to do the actual work is selfish and lazy. Sorry but it must be said. Why even have children if you are going to have someone else “help” right off the bat!This is all part of it. Being tired,and yes sometimes being cranky. Welcome to motherhood Jessica.

- Allison on May 10th, 2008

1. lactation consultant. if i hadn’t had her in the first 48 hours i would have lost my mind.
2. baby sling — i wore my wee one everywhere.
3. rolling bassinet. better than an arm’s reach co-sleeper since it could go wherever i did.

and as far as jessica alba … as much as i appreciated the midnight bonding, there are some nights where i know i was so sleep-deprived and just at the end of my rope that having someone else to trust the wee one to for a few hours would have been a godsend.

- islaygirl on May 10th, 2008

thanks for those people that see my point…that is why I admire Keri Russel so much because it seems she’s pretty hands on and admitted that they didn’t leave her son with a sitter until he’s 5 or so months. Even if I had the resources, I wouldn’t have traded those sleepness nights to cater to my son’s needs.

- mika on May 10th, 2008

I want to point out that Jessica said that that the nanny will be for “when the baby first comes home” to “help her (Jessica) get acclimated”. In otherwords, it sounds like she only plans on having a night nanny for the first few weeks. Just about every mom I know who has a baby or a toddler has had help during the first few weeks. Granted, it’s usually their mom and/or mother-in-law, but the fact is that they do have some sort of help.

Also, who’s to say that Jessica won’t get up to nurse the baby at night? J-LO and Mark Anthony admitted to having round-the-clock baby nurses in People magazine when they introduced Max and Emme. However, they also said that they get up with Max and Emme every time they need to be fed (and Max and Emme are bottlefed to boot!)! True, Jessica DID say she’d have the nanny “take care of the baby at night”, but that doesn’t neccesarily mean the nanny will be doing ALL of the nighttime care. Keep in mind that Cash may very well want to help out as well!

- CelebBabyLover on May 11th, 2008

I think everyone needs to give Jessica Alba a break. Everyone says things BEFORE they have the baby that they will do or not do…and most of the time as soon as that baby is born ALL of those things change. And I mean that with every aspect of parenting….I use to say that my son WOULD be potty trained by two..(HAHA that flew out the window) And I also use to say that my child would not act like a wild animal like some children….I’m just trying to point out that before you meet your baby you have all these plans and expectations, and they do change when you finally have the baby!

- Kristen on May 11th, 2008

Jessica probably thinks like a non-parent right now, and has not yet had the chance to fall in love with her baby. I know I cahnged when I had my babies, *I* wanted to be there, I was driven to be there. She may well find that she wouldnt be able to sleep through the night, knowing they were up, anyway. People change so much when they become parents. Any sort of selfishness usually goes right out the window.
If she has a nanny, she will not be any different than the hundred and one other celebrities who do. But I would count on the fact that once that little one is here, who she is now will be gone in the blink of a teeny little eye.

- Michelle on May 11th, 2008

A sling and several “onesies.”

- Aitch on May 12th, 2008

Unpadded Ring sling (like Taylormade or sleepingbaby) and a plethora of other carriers. Right now I’m in love with my babyhawks!

Hyland’s Teething Tablets (homeopathic soothing tablets for teething pain)

Fuzzi Bunz (saved us a fortune! and I love how soft they are).

Me– I’m nursing and therefor indispensable

- Lindsey on May 30th, 2008

I totally disagree!!!!! I’m a mother (1st time) my son sleeps through the entire night, never gave me any sleepless nights, but YES, I had soooo much help. First two weeks from my mother in law, next two weeks from my mom!!! Then I hired a full-time nanny after I went back to work! So what??? A person does what she can, and what’s better than having a good rest before having to wake up at 5am only to get back home from work at 9pm???? Do you think it’s easy to not be able to spend every minuite with your child? oh, and also get a Masters Degree at the same time?? It sux! But you know what? Eventually I will be able to spend more time with him and he will know that everthing I do is for HIM! So, I believe that very opinionated people that assume Jessica Alba is a bad mother are STUPID! You wish you could get a nanny yourselves!

- Westchester, NY MOM on June 20th, 2008

I will be honest too…..night nanny, this is something I dream of specially working full time….I love my Frog, my Mico car seat along with Quinny Buzz frame, ADIRI BOTTLES (my lifesavers big time!)along with double electric breast pump, Seventh Generation Diapers and wipes warmer, Fisher Price Swing, my Petunia Pickle bottom Cake Society Diaper Bag, baby bjorn carrier (we have two types light summer version and thicker one original)

- Patricia on July 29th, 2008