5 Of The Best Baby Products For Disabled Parents

Navigating parenthood comes with a unique set of challenges, joys, and milestones. As a disabled parent, I know firsthand how overwhelming the challenge of caring for your newborn safely and independently can be. While no two disabilities require the exact same needs, the baby industry has come leaps and bounds in the options available for inclusive baby gear. Now that my baby is turning six months old next week, I’m sharing my five favorite baby products for disabled parents who use a wheelchair. 

Bedside Bassinet 

A bedside bassinet was one of the best things I was gifted during my pregnancy. Even though I had seen countless Tik Tok’s and reels poking fun at the bassinet becoming a glorified catch-all for clothes, diapers, and more, it quickly became the most important item in the room for me as a disabled parent. 

Choosing a bassinet designed for bedside sleeping doubles as a safe place for baby that a wheelchair can easily roll under. I could change diapers and outfits without interfering with my legs or the baby’s safety. It was also the best place for the baby to nap while still adhering to those crucial Sleep ABCs. If there were ever a product that gives disabled parents the confidence and independence to care for their baby, this would be my number one recommendation. 

While there are many bedside bassinets on the market, we personally used the HALO Baby Flex BassiNest. It is adjustable and folds up super easily for travel. It also comes with a nice travel bag. 

Hands-Free Baby Carrier 

Nothing gives a new mom more anxiety than leaving the house with a newborn baby. For me, that newborn showed up smack dab in the middle of RSV and Flu season, making me want to keep him close more than ever. While babywearing is practiced in numerous cultures around the world, it is vital for disabled parents. How do you push a manual wheel wheelchair or maneuver a powerchair’s joystick and hold a baby safely? Babywearing. 

As many cultures rely on baby carriers, there are tons of carrier styles to choose from. As someone in a powerchair with a shorter torso, the fabric babywrap reigned over the more structured baby carrier that my non-disabled husband preferred. After watching a tutorial video (or three), the wrap was easy to adjust to fit snugly against my body. It’s also held up to modifying to tie on the sides instead of having a fabric knot digging into my back. I purchased an off-brand that worked well, but if I could do it again, I’d pay for the higher quality product like the Moby Babywrap for the extra fabric length alone. 

Zipper and Magnetic Sleepers

One of the best parts of preparing for a new baby is registering and buying all the adorable outfits your little one will wear over the first year of their life. As a parent with limited upper body strength, I underestimated my archnemesis in the baby clothing aisle: onesie snaps. 

When you’re in the throws of newborn zombie-mode from the sheer lack of sleep, functioning in general is a lot to ask of new parents. I found myself unable to snap and unsnap sleepers during diaper, and outfit changes more times than I’d like to admit. Eventually, in a fit of frustrated rage, I tossed every outfit without a zipper into a laundry basket and stuck with the handful of easy options that saved my strength and my sanity. 

If I could do it again, I would spend the money on sleepers with magnetic closures and donate everything else, no matter how cute. Life’s too short to fight with buttons and snaps. 

Booster Seat 

While there are tons of options for high chairs, it isn’t easy to find something that works cohesively with the width of my power wheelchair. The traditional highchair I have at home comes as close as they get, but I still have to angle my wheels to get close enough for feedings, and it’s an interesting tango to perform multiple times a day. 

Once my kiddo gets a little bit bigger, I can switch him to our solution for this issue: a booster seat with a highchair tray. Securing the booster chair to another chair in the house means I can choose an existing piece of furniture that I know will work with my wheelchair. Based on online reviews and Amazon’s ratings, I went with the Ingenuity Baby Base 2-in-1 Booster Feeding and Floor Seat, and I think it will fit both my and my baby’s needs perfectly. 

Adjustable Desk

This one may not automatically scream “baby product” to the average person, but if you’re a disabled parent who has limited upper body strength, this one should be high on your registry list. Truthfully, I’ve had my adjustable desk from IKEA for years to make working from home as comfortable as possible, but it has doubled into a pretty badass baby station. 

If I’m having a day where my strength is less than usual, the desk does the heavy lifting to lower and elevate to whatever I need: a waist-level changing station, knee height for a feeding spot, or anything in between. Since this is not a traditional baby item, parents should never leave babies unattended and always proceed with their own best judgment. 

Baby Products For Disabled Parents: My Wishlist

It’s safe to say that anyone who lives with mobility needs understands the phrase “adapt and overcome.” For disabled parents, that means learning what products work with your specific situation and disability and figuring it out as you go. Here are some of the baby products I will be looking into next. 

Adaptive Stroller

If you find yourself Googling adaptive strollers, you’ll find products designed for children with special needs. And while those are incredibly pivotal for parents of children with different mobility requirements, they don’t do much for a wheelchair-using parent. So, from my very scientific research methods of rolling my chair up to every stroller I came across in every store possible, I’ve concluded that the average stroller on the market is not going to cut it. 

What I’ve been able to find so far is geared solely towards manual wheelchairs and won’t work with a powerchair, but I’m certainly open to suggestions. Until then, the best solution I’ve found is jogger-style strollers. The three-wheel design gives a wider space for castor wheels, allowing for better control and maneuverability of the stroller. 

Swivel Carseat 

Once my son has graduated out of his infant car seat, one of the final big baby purchases we’ll make is a five-point harness car seat. Thanks to technology aimed at saving the lower backs of able-bodied parents everywhere, wheelchair-using parents like myself will have more independence to travel with their kiddos now that multiple swivel car seats are on the market. 

Final Thoughts

Parenting brings new challenges every day, no matter your physical ability. These five products have greatly enhanced my independence as a wheelchair-using parent. The thoughtful design of each item, from the practical bedside bassinet to the innovative swivel car seat, has increased my ability to care for my child independently and boosted my confidence in handling the daily responsibilities of parenthood. However, there is still much work to be done. Companies must continue developing and expanding their accessible and inclusive products. This ensures that parents of all mobility levels are supported and empowered to provide the best care for their children. This commitment to inclusivity will improve individual experiences and enrich the broader parenting community.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links for baby products for disabled parents that I have used, are interested in trying, or recommend to other wheelchair-using parents. We may receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.