MINNEAPOLIS — Parents, especially first-timers, can feel overwhelmed by the number of baby products on the market. But what's worth the investment? We connected with the folks at "What to Expect" to see what's new in 2023.
Leah Rocketto is not only the associate commerce director for "What to Expect," but also she's also a new mom who has navigated the flooded baby product market. "I'm a big fan of anything that makes my life a little more convenient and results in a little less crying from my daughter."
Super relatable for parents.
When "What to Expect" released its Baby Product Trends for 2023 report, a few stood out to Rocketto. "Wearable breast pumps. I can't speak enough to the convenience and ease of wearable breast pumps." In the most recent breastfeeding trends research, 60% of new and expecting moms agree that it's difficult to breastfeed in public and 45% said they feel judged by others when they breastfeed in public. That's why Rocketto says discrete wearable pumps are game changers. Plus, "you're not sitting in a chair plugged into a wall. You can wear it and walk around the house, do some light laundry or just switch rooms, or even sit while your child is playing nearby and still experience them."
Another trending product can help parents fight the battles that happen when they're getting ready to hit the road. Of course, we're talking about the contortionist acts parents often have to put on to get toddlers strapped in their car seats. "You're trying to manipulate your body and work in such a confined space," said Rocketto. According to "What to Expect," 2023 will be the year of the rotating car seat.
"What's beautiful about them is they swivel, so that way they are facing almost away from the car towards the car door, and that just gives you more space to put your child safely in the car seat to check and make sure all the straps are aligned, the tightness is there and make sure they're safe before you simply swivel and lock them back in and put them in the regular positions," explained Rocketto.
A third trend for the year is parents ditching name brands. "Parents really are going to be turning to the generic and alternative brands, especially with things like formula and medication."
The complete list of trending products from "What to Expect" is available here.
Watch more KARE11 Sunrise:
Watch the latest coverage from KARE11 Sunrise in our YouTube playlist: