Yesterday, I spent the (very rainy) day in NYC at the annual New York Baby Show. I got to see the latest  products and services available to parents in New York — and nationwide. These are my picks for the hottest things there — because they’re new, different and useful for new parents.

What’s your favorite baby gear item?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Top 10 Strollers

Wacky Baby Products That Work

The Bump Best of Baby Product Awards

It’s time to register for baby! Don’t you just love that bright pink, sparkly, flowery diaper bag? We do too! But, er, daddy might not. So, how do you decide between a bag you LOVE and a bag that you can both use? Do you go for one mutually agreed upon bag or one for each of you (OMG! I can have the sparkles?!)? Our Bumpies on the September 2013 Birth Month Board shared their thoughts on man bags.

“We almost got my husband his own (actually put it on the registry), but we ended up with one. It’s girly (it’s a Petunia Picklebottom), but he has no problem using it when needed.  t would be so much work to have two, I think. I keep an emergency diaper/wipe kit in each of our cars, but otherwise, we just use the one diaper bag.” – a2003tige*

“We registered for two and each picked out one. That said, the plan is to have one be the primary one and keep the other stashed in the car so we always have one.” – foxyroxy

“I saw an amazing “dad bag” at Burlington that we plan to register for him for. It’s made by fisher price and is actually a diaper back pack, it has a special slot for immediate diaper wipe access, it’s so cool!” -- LilPez

“We always two. You don’t want him to feel awkward if yours is frilly.” – luminousb

“We just have one. Mine is very girlie. My husband doesn’t really care. If he and our son are gong to go someplace for a long time where he would really need to be “carrying” my bag, he puts the stuff into something else. But a lot of times he will just take my bag and leave it in the car.” – RunningGal

“I would never want to try to keep 2 bags stocked and ready to go and switching stuff back and forth sounds like too much effort. My husband takes our one and only bag when he takes her places. It’s gray and yellow, but it is a more feminine print. He couldn’t care less.” – AshleyPT

“My husband will have a backpack with everything he needs. He would never carry a diaper bag!” – mgerman

“My husband is looking forward to his manbag!! I am going to going to get him one for father’s day this year.” – NicknShan

*Some names have been changed.

You tell us: Will you or do you have a daddy-friendly diaper bag?

Plus, more from The Bump:

How to Get Your Partner Involved (and Excited!) About Baby’s Registry

10 Fun Gifts for Your Registry

Skip and Splurge: What You Need and What You Don’t!

Kim Kardashian Reveals She’s Anxious About Motherhood — Us Weekly

15 Delicious (and Easy!) Baby Food Recipes to Try — POPSUGAR Moms

Morena Baccarin Expecting Her First Baby — People Moms & Babies

Does Britney Spears Want More Kids? — CelebrityBabyScoop

Tasteful and Traditional Nursery Inspiration — POPSUGAR Moms

How Billionaire Moms Balance Motherhood and Their Careers — MSN Living

Vanessa Manillo Lachey Says Nick “Broke Down” at Baby Camden’s Birth — People Moms & Babies

Penelope Cruz Shows Off Growing Baby Bump! — Us Weekly

This sponsored post was written by Deirdre Bell of Boba Inc. Boba designs products whose innovative features and intelligent design remove obstacles and make babywearing easy and fun.

Babywearing keeps baby close, warm, protected, and attached. At the same time, it gives you the freedom to live your life without leaving your baby behind. As babywearing experts at Boba Family, we understand that carriers need to be designed with a baby’s unique physiological needs in mind. Here’s our advice for how to select a great carrier you and baby will love!

Avoid forward-facing carriers

Baby carriers that hold a baby facing outward may be popular, but they’re not friendly to tiny bodies. Front-facing carriers force babies’ spines into a hollow-back or hyperextended position. This causes the infant to absorb the impact of each of his parent’s steps. Plus, the International Hip Dysplasia Institute warns that baby carriers that suspend children by the pelvis with no hip support increases the risk of hip deformity or dislocation.

Support baby as he grows

Look for a baby carrier that mimics the way a mother would hold her child at different stages of development. For a newborn, that means a carrier that holds baby close, in his natural, curled-up position (with knees and hips bent like a frog). As the baby grows, he’ll need something with a wide seat to take the weight off his spine and distribute it ergonomically. Then when your baby grows into a toddler, he will need some leg support to keep his long legs from dangling.

Here are a few of the baby-friendly features that make Boba unique.

1. Age-appropriate conversions included. Babies’ needs change as they grow. The Boba 3G Baby Carrier easily converts to a newborn carrier without an insert. Once baby is a toddler, attach the included foot rests to keep her knees and hips supported.
2. Breastfeeding-friendly design. Side straps allow you to easily pull your baby closer or create a bit more space. These quick and easy adjustments allow for spontaneous, no-fuss nursing while babywearing.
3. Parent-friendly adjustments. Babywearing needs to be comfortable for you, too! That’s why Boba 3G has adjustable chest, back, and side straps that create the perfect fit for parents of all shapes and sizes
4. Head protection. The Boba Carrier 3G comes with a removable, adjustable sleeping hood to support baby’s head. It also shields your child’s delicate head from the sun.

When you decide to buy a baby carrier, you’re creating closeness while opening the door to family adventures. Have fun!

The Huggies TweetPee, a little sensor created by Ogilvy Brazil, attaches to baby’s diaper and syncs to an app on your iPhone. Every time baby goes number 1 (and, okay fine, number two), the app will tweet directly at you, letting you know what’s up with baby’s derriere. The device knows to detect pee because of the heightened humidity level in baby’s diaper. What’s more is that the app actually keeps track of the number of diapers you go throw and even lets you know when you’re running low.

Curious to see more? Watch the video:

So moms, tell us: would you ever use an app to help you change baby’s diaper?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Wacky Baby Products That Actually Work

10 Fashionable But Totally Functional Baby Products

The Bump Best of Baby Awards

A shocking new study completed by Swedish researchers and published in the journal Pediatrics found that parents who pick up a dropped pacifier and suck it clean may be helping their infants become better germ fighters.

Crazy, right? We didn’t believe it at first either! But you can’t ignore the research. Here’s what they found:

Researchers in Sweden studied 184 infants at the age of four months old. Scientists collected saliva samples from each infant to determine which times of bacteria resided in baby’s guts. At six months old, parents were asked to report on whether their infants used pacifiers and how moms and dads cleaned them. At ages 18 and 36 months old, researchers checked back in with parents to see if the babies had developed allergies and when their first symptoms appeared.

By 18 months old, 25% of babies whose parents did not clean baby’s pacifier with their own saliva had eczema, 15% had developed some type of food allergy and 5% had been diagnosed with asthma. Compared to babies whose parents did suck baby’s pacifier clean, these infants were one-third less likely to develop eczema. At the age of 3 years old, these children were still less likely to develop eczema than their peers.

Beyond just cleaning off baby’s pacifier, researchers also looked for correlations between how a mother delivered baby and her tendency to suck the pacifiers clean. Moms who gave birth vaginally tended to favor the cleaning practice more than C-section moms. In a previous study, researchers concluded that vaginally-delivered babies are already exposed to more maternal bacteria as they traveled through the birth canal.

From the current study, researchers found that infants whose parents used their tongues to clean off baby’s binky were more likely to have different strands of bacteria, with more helpful bacteria in their intestines, than babies whose parents did not use their tongue to clean off baby’s bink. “Parental sucking of their infant’s pacifier is associated with a reduced risk of allergy development and an altered oral flora in their child,” researchers noted.

One of the main concerns of the study was whether or not parents who chose to sanitize baby’s binky with their own saliva were passing on more germs and harmful infections to their little ones, but it turns out that it was just the opposite. Researchers found that all of the babies involved in the study developed an average of one and a half colds in the first six months of life.
What do you think, mom and dad? How should you clean baby’s pacifier?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Top 10 Health Benefits of Breastfeeding

What’s Normal Baby Poop?

All Your New Mom Questions Answered!

1. Find a mom to shop with.

Registering is overwhelming. The best thing I did was plan to have a champion by my side — my sister-in-law, a three-time “Black Belt Mommy”. Having someone experienced there to give you thumbs up or thumbs down on key baby items melts away any anxiety you might have.

I’m so glad my husband and I didn’t go it alone; I shudder to think what my registry list might have been like. As an added bonus, your Black Belt Momma is there when you spread your wings and try out some jog strollers in the store, but can’t freaking figure out how the freaking thing folds and unfolds and you start to sweat, tears welling in your eyes when you think maybe you’re not cut out for this after all, and… well, you get the picture. Just watch your her fold and unfold any contraption with ease. She also pointed out things I never would have noticed.  Like scratchy fabrics in some car seats, versus soft breathable ones. Even though you’re not a Black Belt Momma yourself yet, at least you’ll have the registry of one, and that’s what you want.

2. Really do your research beforehand.

I hated hearing this in school too. But researching the pricier baby gear is essential before you register. Repeat after me: “I solemnly swear to refrain from registering for any product with complex parts and components, motors, electrical doo-dad, or any safety related gear without first checking multiple sites for user ratings and reviews.”

I failed to take this vow and realized when it was too late. Case in point: the jogging stroller I picked out was great in the store. I tried it out and it seemed smooth, comfy for baby, and oh, was it pretty. As a more expensive registry item, my parents agreed to purchase the stroller and all components. I pictured myself whipping my hiney back into prebaby shape as I jogged along the streets behind my fab new stroller. Well, one day I noticed in my online registry that the stroller had only gotten two stars. I started reading reviews there and then went to other sites (in the vain hope that the poor reviews could be contained) and learned that the stroller would shake it like a Polaroid picture at jog speeds. My mom had already bought it, given it to us and we’d already had it proudly assembled in our living room. When it was finally time to try it out, sure enough the shimmy was strong enough to jar the teeth out of my baby’s mouth (good thing he doesn’t have teeth).

Now, I review almost everything I buy for my baby. This could save you from having to return baby monitors, breast pumps and humidifiers. Check the reviews on the big-ticket items. It’s worth your time.

3. Stick to the basics.

I know, I know. You’re thinking, “Wait! I’m having a baby girl!  What d’ya mean, ‘no frills’?” I mean take a hard look at your registry list and comb it for things that you really don’t need. I know it’s hard. Who wouldn’t want a lady-bug light switch cover with matching lamp shade and valance? Well, actually there is someone — your baby — who doesn’t really care at this point if it’s lady bugs or tarantulas. I’m not saying you can’t have a cute nursery. I’m merely warning you that nursery decor adds up to lots of cash — cash that could go toward real necessities like spare breast pump parts, wipes, travel gear and pretty much anything else.

Have you priced a bedding set lately?  The cost is insane! Don’t waste your precious registry dollars on those items. Instead, watch for them to go on clearance and purchase them with one of numerous gift cards you will ultimately receive. Or purchase a bed skirt to coordinate with a sheet. Besides, you can’t even use half of what’s in a bedding set anyways.  Blankets and bumpers are a no-no. You can add plenty of personality to your baby’s space without the frills. Drawer organizers, closet organizers and crib sheets all come in cute patterns and bright colors and they are necessities.

Same thing with changing pad covers — they come in adorable patterns. By the time you have a tub organizer shaped like a frog, a green polka-dot crib sheet and you’ve replaced the hardware on your baby’s furniture with green knobs, voila! Cute and simple nursery. Don’t fall prey to artwork and lighting from a baby store unless it’s on super-clearance. Full price on these items is like dancing down the aisles, throwing cash playfully into the air.  If you put these items on your registry, it’s your friends and family throwing their cash in the air. I initially registered for a few frills myself, but went online and ended up taking them out completely or replacing them with more important items. And I’m glad I did! Oh, and the frills?  Trust me — regardless of whether you register for them or not, you’ll get plenty. Folks can’t resist lace socks, eyelet dresses and tulle any more than they can resist plaid newsboy caps, over-alls and mini-Converse shoes!

4. Be leery of upgrades.

It seems like a pack-n-play with lots of extra bells, whistles, hum-dings and attachments is a better value. But before you buy it, take time to weigh the options. We registered for a great pack-n-play that had a bassinet feature and a little seat attachment that vibrated and changing table component. Sounds awesome, right? Wrong. He outgrew the changing table and little vibrating seat in about three weeks. It wasn’t long before we took them down to our basement for storing and just used the pack-n-play as a bassinet only. Remember, your little one won’t stay that way for long. Ask yourself the golden question before committing: How long will I be able to use this?

5. Skip registering for clothes… at least at the beginning.

When folks buy clothing for your babe,  it’s the teeny-tiny stuff they can’t resist. We received adorable, snuggly outfits galore. Then, when my son turned 7 months and was fitting into 9-month clothing, we realized we didn’t have much. Eventually, you will have to buy clothing for your own baby, but having a few things to get you to that 12-24 month mark wouldn’t be half bad to have, right?  If you choose to keep clothes off the registry altogether, no worries.  That’s what gift cards are for!

Whatever you decide, relax and have fun! At this point, you deserve it!

What registry tips helped you?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Most Overrated Baby Items — Ever!

10 Fun Gifts for Your Registry

What to Buy (and What to Skip!) for Baby’s Registry

Last night, the CPSC, in conjunction with Land of Nod, announced a recall of more than 2,500 plush handmade baby dolls in five styles and colors. Each of the all fabric dolls measure out to be about 12 inches tall and 10 inches wide; they come dressed in a one-piece printed floral fabric outfit with white lace trim on the hood of the dolls.

The plush handmade dolls were recalled because the hands can detach, posing a choking hazard to young kids.

Here’s what you need to know:

The SKU number can be found on the sewn-in label attached to the right leg of the doll. It can also be found on a hang-tag fastened to baby’s right arm.

Here are the recalled dolls names, colors, SKU numbers and item numbers:

Clara:Yellow, 404543, 3710080-YE

Eleanor: Light blue, 404551, 3710080-LB

Hannah: Cream, 404608, 3710080-CR

Lila: Dark blue, 404756, 3710080-DB

Rose: Red, 404799, 3710080-RE

If you own the dolls, you should immediately take it away from children and return it to The Land of Nod for a full merchandise credit. The dolls were sold at Land of Nod stores and online from October 2012 to March 2013 for about $30.

Want to make sure you don’t have any recalled baby gear at home? Read more of the latest baby product recalls.

At the beginning of April, we announced all of the Best of Baby winners and so far this week, we’ve be giving very lucky mamas the chance to take home some incredible swag! Today, marks the final day of our Five Days of Freebies giveaway series and while we’re bummed all the free fun is over, we’ve got a juicy prize to go out in style with! Here’s what we’re giving away right this instant:

One very lucky mama will be proud new owner of  this incredible Babyhome ONFOUR Babysitter (valued at $129).  The Onfour gives mom (and dad!) the option to move the babysitter effortlessly and without hassle with its front wheels. We’re loving the four different positions that give baby reclining options! Added bonus? The lightweight babysitter can be used in winter or summer by simply removing the upper fabric and using the non-aggressive mesh to keep baby cool!

No purchase necessary. See official rules here. Now, here comes the fun part:

TO ENTER, please leave answer the following question by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. You can sign-in to leave a comment using your Facebook, Twitter, WordPress or email address.

Here’s the question: What’s your favorite baby shower theme?

Ready? Set? Start commenting! Good luck!

Follow @TheBump to be alerted of our giveaways with the hashtag #TBFreebies and make sure to stay in touch with us on Facebook by following The Bump!

Note: Winners will be announced next week.

You know what makes Tuesday taste a little sweeter, friends? Free stuff. 

Earlier this month we announced all of the Best of Baby winners and all this week we’ll be giving very lucky mamas the chance to take home some incredible swag! So, join us for our Five Days of Freebies giveaway series and win! Here’s what’s on tap today:

One of our lucky fans will be proud new owner of this luxurious, simple and stylish Land of Nod Grey Low Rise Crib (valued at $900). This gorgeous crib for baby is the perfect fit for every nursery! With three adjustable mattress heights, it’s easier than ever before to get baby in and out of his crib! We love it — and so will you!

No purchase necessary. See official rules here. Now, here comes the fun part:

TO ENTER, please leave answer the following question by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post. You can sign-in to leave a comment using your Facebook, Twitter, WordPress or email address.

Here’s the question: What’s your favorite bedtime book?

Ready? Set? Start commenting! Good luck!

Follow @TheBump to be alerted of our giveaways with the hashtag #TBFreebies and make sure to stay in touch with us on Facebook by following The Bump!

Note: Winners will be announced next week.