9 innovative baby products you’re going to want, mama

Check ‘em out.

Nanit

Nothing gets us more excited than sharing the inside scoop with you on the most innovative baby products around. Fresh off the heels of this year's JPMA Baby Show—the industry's biggest baby gear show of the year—we are super excited to let you in on all the products we're obsessing over for 2018.

According to Kelly Mariotti, JPMA's executive director, this year's biggest trends feature products that encourage independence for babies, items that are convenient for parents, and transportation innovations. "Technology is more integrated in baby products than ever with advanced monitoring tools, car seat sensors and a lot more. It was an especially exciting year," Mariotti shares.

So let's get to it! From sound machines that respond to baby's cries to strollers that fold with the simple click of a button, we're sharing the hottest baby products of 2018 we know you're going to love!

1. Whisbear Baby Sound Machine

Magnets in the paws securely clip to the crib, keeping it safely out of baby's reach. But the best part? Cry sensor technology automatically switches the pink noise on at the sound of baby's cry, meaning you won't have to worry about the machine running all night or jumping out of bed every time you hear a whimper. Winning!

Whispear Baby Sound Machine
$49.99, Amazon

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2. Evenflo ExerSaucer 2-in-1 Activity Center + Art Table

A modern aesthetic + a baby product that grows with our little ones are two huge wins in our book—and this activity center scores big in both of those categories. Featuring 20+ activities, the Gleeful Sea seamlessly transitions from an exersaucer to a cruising playtime table and finally to an art table, making it ideal for your ever-changing little one. And the wooden accents and sophisticated color palette means it won't stick out like a sore thumb in your family room, either.

Evenflo ExerSaucer 2-in-1 Activity Center + Art Table, Gleeful Sea
$119.99, Walmart

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3. Summer Infant My Bath Seat

Your babe has outgrown the infant tub but is still way too squirmy for the adult tub—what's a mama to do? Enter this genius bath seat. With three sturdy arms for 360° of support, a high back rest, and a wide frame, it's perfect for helping secure baby while leaving you with two free hands to scrub and play.

Suction cups beneath the base and fully adjustable side and back arms provide a secure (and easy) installation in almost any tub. Just remember to always keep a bathing baby within your reach!

Summer Infant My Bath Seat
$39.99, Amazon

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4. Sleepea Swaddle

A 5-second swaddle that's easy to use, made from 100% organic cotton, and actually works? 🙌🏾🙌🏻🙌🏽 Designed by sleep expert and pediatrician extraordinaire Dr. Harvey Karp, this innovative swaddle is making all our baby burrito dreams come true. It's breathable, snug, super simple, and truly takes only 5 seconds to put on baby. (Trust us, we tried!) We couldn't love it more.

Sleepea
$23.95, Happiest Baby

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5. Diono Traverze

Traveling with kids is no small feat, but this stroller is out to change that. It's pretty much everything we could ever dream about in a travel stroller: less than 12.3 lbs, compact design, ridiculously easy fold, suitable from birth to 45 lbs, and great maneuverability.

It even fits in the overhead compartment on a plane! But best of all? When folded, a telescopic pull-along handle pops out, making it a breeze to pull through a busy airport, train station, or wherever life's adventures take you.

Diono Traverse
$249.00, available for pre-order now through Diono

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6. Curve Reusable Nursing Pads

Leave it to the French to make even the nursing pad beautiful. These are the ultimate nursing pad—designed from high performance fabrics, super absorbent, leakproof, antibacterial and anti-odor, and completely washable. They're also ergonomically designed to fit into any bra and provide a natural breast shape. Oui oui, please!

Curve Reusable Nursing Pads
$14.99, Amazon

BUY

7. Cybex Sirona M Convertible Car Seat

We love when tech is used in a smart way—and we can't think of a better use for it than keeping your little one safe. The Sirona M is the only smartphone-synched convertible car seat on the market that uses safety technology in the chest clip to alert users when an unsafe condition arises.

This includes when the driver has accidentally left the child behind, when a child has unbuckled himself while the vehicle is in motion, or when a car becomes to hot or too cold. TOTALLY. BRILLIANT.

Cybex Sirona M SensorSafe 2.0 Convertible Car Seat
$329.00, Bed Bath & Beyond

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8. Nanit Smart Baby Monitor

Nanit set out to "reinvent" the baby monitor, and we think they hit a home run. This ultra sleek, ultra smart baby monitor uses computer vision technology to measure baby's sleeping habits as well as their parent or caregiver's visit patterns, then sends personalized sleep tips based on real observations made by the camera's algorithms.

It helps parents spot issues and trends, empowering them to reinforce healthy sleep habits and making it easy to digest and share info. And for all you baby spies out there, it also offers the best view of your little one out of any monitor we've ever used! (We had the opportunity to take Nanit for a test run earlier this year; you can read our full review here!)

Nanit Smart Baby Monitor
$279.00 and up, Nanit

BUY

9. zenBaby Hybrid 2-in-1 Crib Mattress

Trying to regulate the temperature in your little one's room can be stressful for any new parent. Worry a little less with this breathable, supportive crib mattress that uses brand new technology to keep baby cool + comfortable throughout the night. This dual-firmness, infant-to-toddler mattress is made from eco foam and wrapped in a soft, organic cotton knit cover to ensure both you and baby can rest easy.

zenBaby Hybrid 2-in-1 Crib Mattress with KulKote
$273.99, Amazon

BUY

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Motherly is your daily #momlife manual; we are here to help you easily find the best, most beautiful products for your life that actually work. We share what we love—and we may receive a commission if you choose to buy. You've got this.

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I felt lost as a new mother, but babywearing helped me find myself again

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My first baby and I were alone in our Brooklyn apartment during a particularly cold spring with yet another day of no plans. My husband was back at work after a mere three weeks of parental leave (what a joke!) and all my friends were busy with their childless lives—which kept them too busy to stop by or check in (making me, at times, feel jealous).

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Then I would spend so much time figuring out where we could go with said stroller, because I wanted to avoid places with steps or narrow doors (I couldn't lift the stroller by myself and I was too embarrassed to ask strangers for help—also hi, New Yorkers, please help new moms when you see them huffing and puffing up the subway stairs, okay?). Then I would obsess about the weather, was it too cold to bring the baby out? And by the time I thought I had our adventure planned, the baby would wake up, I would still be in my PJs and it was time to pump yet again.

Slowly, but surely, and mostly thanks to sleep deprivation and isolation, I began to detest this whole new mom life. I've always been a social butterfly. I moved to New York because I craved that non-stop energy the city has and in the years before having my baby I amassed new friends I made through my daily adventures. I would never stop. I would walk everywhere just to take in the scenery and was always on the move.

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Motherly editors’ 7 favorite hacks for organizing their diaper bags

Make frantically fishing around for a diaper a thing of the past!

As any parent knows, the term "diaper bag" only scratches the surface. In reality, this catchall holds so much more: a change of clothes, bottles, snacks, wipes and probably about a dozen more essential items.

Which makes finding the exact item you need, when you need it (read: A diaper when you're in public with a blowout on your hands) kind of tricky.

That's why organization is the name of the game when it comes to outings with your littles. We pooled the Motherly team of editors to learn some favorite hacks for organizing diaper bags. Here are our top tips.

1. Divide and conquer with small bags

Here's a tip we heard more than a few times: Use smaller storage bags to organize your stuff. Not only is this helpful for keeping related items together, but it can also help keep things from floating around in the expanse of the larger diaper bag. These bags don't have to be anything particularly fancy: an unused toiletry bag, pencil case or even plastic baggies will work.

2. Have an emergency changing kit

When you're dealing with a diaper blowout situation, it's not the time to go searching for a pack of wipes. Instead, assemble an emergency changing kit ahead of time by bundling a change of baby clothes, a fresh diaper, plenty of wipes and hand sanitizer in a bag you can quickly grab. We're partial to pop-top wipes that don't dry out or get dirty inside the diaper bag.

3. Simplify bottle prep

Organization isn't just being able to find what you need, but also having what you need. For formula-feeding on the go, keep an extra bottle with the formula you need measured out along with water to mix it up. You never know when your outing will take longer than expected—especially with a baby in the mix!

4. Get resealable snacks

When getting out with toddlers and older kids, snacks are the key to success. Still, it isn't fun to constantly dig crumbs out of the bottom of your diaper bag. Our editors love pouches with resealable caps and snacks that come in their own sealable containers. Travel-sized snacks like freeze-dried fruit crisps or meal-ready pouches can get an unfair reputation for being more expensive, but that isn't the case with the budget-friendly Comforts line.

5. Keep a carabiner on your keychain

You'll think a lot about what your child needs for an outing, but you can't forget this must-have: your keys. Add a carabiner to your keychain so you can hook them onto a loop inside your diaper bag. Trust us when we say it's a much better option than dumping out the bag's contents on your front step to find your house key!

6. Bundle your essentials

If your diaper bag doubles as your purse (and we bet it does) you're going to want easy access to your essentials, too. Dedicate a smaller storage bag of your diaper bag to items like your phone, wallet and lip balm. Then, when you're ready to transfer your items to a real purse, you don't have to look for them individually.

7. Keep wipes in an outer compartment

Baby wipes aren't just for diaper changes: They're also great for cleaning up messy faces, wiping off smudges, touching up your makeup and more. Since you'll be reaching for them time and time again, keep a container of sensitive baby wipes in an easily accessible outer compartment of your bag.

Another great tip? Shop the Comforts line on www.comfortsforbaby.com to find premium baby products for a fraction of competitors' prices. Or, follow @comfortsforbaby for more information!

This article was sponsored by The Kroger Co. Thank you for supporting the brands that supporting Motherly and mamas.

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What you need to know about President Trump's Supreme Court pick

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