As a new mother to baby number two I am suddenly reminded that life as a farmer, farm wife, work professional and mother of two is not so easy. We are constantly on the go so our baby is in turn then on the go with us. When I started this journey as a mother over two years ago I had no idea what I would need or what would be helpful at the barn. Recently a cousin contacted me asking what she needed as a new mother who also farms and I compiled this list for her! After putting the time into it I decided it was time I shared it with you too!
A few quick disclaimers. I am not compensated by any of these companies for my reviews or suggestions. They don’t even know I exist. However, some of the links are affiliate links through Amazon. Let’s be honest I buy nearly everything from Amazon. I don’t have time to shop. An affiliate link means if you purchase the item through the link I supply I get a small compensation from Amazon. I only signed up for this today so I do not know fully how it works yet.
Baby Carrier – This is one area that everyone is different and has their 
own favorites. I highly recommend the Ergobaby Four Position Carrier as the all around winner! This carrier can be used for an infant with the infant insert and can be used for a toddler up to 33 pounds! I carried our daughter in a similar Ergobaby until she was a year old and then decided we need a framed backpack because she got too heavy for me. I love any Ergobaby because they are comfortable to wear your baby for hours on your front or back while doing farm chores, walking through an airport, hiking or even shopping. It really is versatile and as a mother I got the most use out of this item!
There were a few other carriers I have used and liked. I enjoyed a wrap the 
first few weeks but they are cumbersome if you don’t know how
to wrap them properly or are in a rush to get the baby attached to you. Here are two I liked both are different but good – Baby K’tan Breeze Baby Carrier and Moby Wrap Baby Carrier. Also as Nora grew too heavy for the Ergo I liked a frame carrier. I looked hard and long for one that would be comfortable and found this one – Kelty Tour Carrier 1.0 Carrier. I did not pay full cost for this and found it on sale one day and scored it for nearly half off!
I am 100% aware that these carriers are all expensive but working on the farm nearly every day I found these were used often and well used! I appreciated each and every carrier for different reasons but the Ergobaby Four Position Carrier is the most versatile and useful and this is what I am using with baby number two.
Strollers – I’ll restate that everyone likes something different. 
And to be 100% honest I don’t use strollers a ton at the barn but they are necessary at moments you need to confine a toddler and good to have when you need them. I absolutely found that the big wheels are so much easier on gravel, etc.
I really love having my Graco Jogger Stroller for ease on gravel. I highly recommend finding a used Jogger Stroller for the barn but we use ours everywhere just not in the actual barn, I have an old used stroller with big wheels we found for that! I use this stroller anytime we are somewhere with gravel like the fair, animal park, tractor pull, or even to walk to the barn itself. And my infant car seat will click into it so it’s so helpful that way too. Find one that works for your needs!
Now be a little careful because cats will take over your strollers if you aren’t careful! 🙂
Pacifier Clips – With both children they were at the barn within a week of birth 
and both children managed to projectile spit their pacifiers into dirty water, milk replacer or onto the barn floor before they were a month old. SO we stated using these Ulubulu Universal Pacifier Clip and they seem to be one of the best clips I can find. They stay on and wash up easy and prevent us from having to throw away the unfortunate pacifier accident.
Activity Center – At about 6 months old Nora spent hours in
a Jumperoo like this one. However this was not the best for the barn because it did not have a bottom so I found a used ExerSaucer and we used this in the barn and in the barn office too. The ExerSaucer has a base for your childs feet and we found Nora wasn’t getting as dirty. But both are great and good entertainment!
Swing – This is something I know a lot of farm families use but for us it was a lifesaver! This kept Nora off the ground and safe in the barn office/parlor – a Little Tikes Outdoor Swing. At over 2 years of age Nora still asks to swing occasionally in the barn. While Nora was about 8 months to 16 months 
I used this nearly everyday while mixing milk replacer. It kept her secure and I knew where she was!
Pack ‘n Play – Around 6 months to 18 months when we needed to confine our daughter in the barn office and she didn’t want to swing we used a Pack ‘n Play. Now we were gifted an old style of the Pack ‘n Play Sport and it worked great for us. But if I was buying one for myself I would probably pick up an old one at a yardsale or a cheap one like this Pack ‘n Play. I also used this while working in our garden and needing to keep Nora in one place. The great thing with a Pack ‘n Play if you have the space, our space was a little tight for this, but toys can go in there and it’s a safe, slightly cleaner place for a baby to stay! Put a cover or sheet over it when not in use to keep clean.
Footie Pajamas (Blanket Sleepers) – For both children we have 
loved footie pajamas or blanket sleepers for girls or boys that I slide over a onesie to keep them covered at the barn. I really love these because I can have clean clothes on the baby underneath the footie pajamas or blanket sleeper and if we have to run somewhere where barn clothes may not be appropriate I don’t have to stop to change the baby at home. I also like that during the winter the baby is in one solid sleeper and not getting cold, I usually double up in winter! We also loved the JJ Cole Car Seat Cover for the winter months!
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