Huffington Post names essential baby items for parents

On February 14, the editors of The Huffington Post's Parents section took time from their usual reporting duties to write a group post praising some essential baby items that have helped them raise their children in the past year. Due to the usefulness of these items, those shopping for the perfect first birthday gift for a newborn may want to consider purchasing these products for parents.

While some of the listed things, such as good neighbors, aren't available from discount online stores, many of the 15 items named by these parents - broken into three categories below - can be purchased as part of comprehensive gift baskets that are capable of taking the burden off busy moms and dads.

1) Food: The parents at The Huffington Post cited coffee, bananas and baby carrots as essential baby items they couldn't do without. "I've learned - the hard way - that in order to properly mother, I must be caffeinated," Lori Leibovich said in the article, citing her favorite coffee - Peet's Coffee - for its ability to get her ready to face the day.

2) Disposable items: While some items - like a blanket for instance - can be purchased once, other products may send new moms and dads to the store late in the night, when they awake to find they're out of these necessities. As such, thoughtful gift givers may want to purchase a gift basket containing tissues, Ziploc bags, band aids and stain remover, which were cited as some of the most versatile products appreciated by the parents.

3) Unusual items: Cited among the top baby products used by the staff were the Miracle blanket - for its ability to put babies to sleep and low cost - and Swiss army knives - since they can be used to fix and repair most small items, provided they are used safely and kept out of children's reach.