My Essential Baby Products As A New Mom
Infant Lounger: The SnuggleMe Organic fits perfectly into the base of the rattan bassinet we got from Crate & Barrel. It also has amazing reviews online for having a safe and comfortable place for your baby to hang out in. It is not recommended for babies to sleep overnight in the lounger because of the soft sides. However she does nap in this sometimes since we are watching the monitor the whole time when she takes naps & she doesn’t roll yet so she can’t really move around when laying in it. We love this to set her in when she is hanging out, getting sleepy or just chillin’ but doesn’t need to be held. It is also easy to transport for travel, lightweight, and you can purchase covers for it that are washable. We used this product from newborn to about 3 months!
Bink: I went into motherhood thinking I was not going to give Taya a pacifier, not really for any specific reason, I just never used one as a baby myself and thought I wouldn’t need one. The first few weeks with Taya she would get soo fussy after eating and before bed, and at the time I didn’t realize it was because she was getting sleepy. You learn those queues over time, and eventually we realized that when she gets sleepy she kinda starts to thrash around a lot haha she would try to eat her hands & suck on them but being so little she would be frustrated when she couldn’t get them in her mouth. I gave her a bink (what we call it) out of desperation one night at like 3am; Matt had been rocking her for hours trying to settle her down after eating and it felt like she wasn’t ever going to fall asleep. Every time we set her down in her bassinet she would scream and I was about to pass out I was so tired. I ran into the nursery & grabbed a random pacifier we were gifted from someone that was in her changing table drawer, and in total desperation gave it to her hoping it would do someeething. It totally helped her self-sooth and after literally hours of fighting sleep she fell asleep almost instantly. It obviously doesn’t always work like a charm haha but we can tell when she is getting super sleepy she will sometimes like to suck on it to sooth her & help fall asleep. I also love it because for whatever reason, she typically spits it out if/when she doesn’t need it! I have no idea where that instinct came from haha but she will either grab it and sort of smack it out of her mouth or spit it out typically once she’s almost asleep. Also, when you try to give it to her and she is actually still hungry she will spit it out and of course will cry too, so she is great at communicating with it still which is important to me! I never want to use it just to ‘stop crying’ but rather to literally pacify her to help calm her/fall asleep. *update! When I first wrote this blog post Taya has just started taking the pacifier at about a month old, but it only lasted probably a month! She now currently chews on it to sooth sometimes at night haha!
Bottles: For whatever reason Taya has loved these bottles so much - she took to them right away. I personally like that they are soft silicone and feel similar to a breast IMO so I think when her hands are on the bottle I think it probably feels really similar to her. She drinks about 5oz. each time she eats so these bottles are perfect. They can also take really hot heat which I love for cleaning them. They are actually really cute too, which is not quite as important but still a good thing haha! She now also uses them to drink water with the attachable straw as well at 8-10 months!
Nuna Leaf: This is a seat that sways on the ground, meant for babies to grow into with their toddler/kid years. It sits on a base that you can adjust the angle of & comes with an infant insert and straps to hold them in. I personally like that it has no cords & is not electronic; I did not want her getting used to being moved/rocked all the time because I was afraid she might grow to expect it when we hold her and I really wanted her to be able to just chill haha. I also love that it is aesthetically pleasing for any parents who may live in a smaller place like we do, or just like a more simple look with kids toys, it is simple enough to leave out and it still looks nice. Ours sits in the living room next to the couch and although the base is strong & metal, it can still be pretty easily lifted and moved into other rooms. One downside might be that it is bulky, does not collapse down, and is a bit more spendy. I think most of these baby swings are quite pricey though most have a automatic swinging motion, you are probably paying for the look of this specific one. When we first bought this when she was 1 month old I feel like she was almost too small for it and felt sad when we put her in it haha. We would just try to set her in it & interact with her while she was sitting in it so she would get used to how it felt. As she grows bigger she actually is great about just chillin’ and sitting in it for short periods of time. She likes the play bar on top & it gives her something to look at and each for as she sits in it. I like having this chair because it helps her be more independent instead of us always holding her, and is a different place to hangout than just her crib/bassinet. We used this product until she was about 4 months old & no longer would lay in it haha!
Sound Machine: We have both the Hatch and this smaller portable one from Amazon and I think truly both are such game changers. We love this small one from Amazon because it is portable & can attach to a carseat or bassinet for travel. It actually has great volume too & could be used to fill a room with sound. We use this every night. She has to sleep with a sound machine & it makes her room so peaceful!
Uppa Baby Vista V 2 Stroller + Mesa Carseat + Base: Maybe our number one favorite baby purchase - this combo for a newborn is absolutely incredible! I love that the carseat just clicks right into the stroller without any fuss. And it also clicks right into the base that stays in the car so you can transfer the carseat right from the car to the stroller and not have to move the baby at all. I can also carry and fold down the stroller by myself so that is really a plus for daily use. The stroller also has a ton of storage below where the carseat clicks in which we love. We use it to grocery shop or put packages in when our hands are full. It is really the best combo for te newborn stage and beyond.
Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier: This baby carrier is super straightforward to use & adjusts easily between adults using it. Matt and I can both easily use it to carry Taya with just a few adjustments that you can do by yourself. I love that we can use this around the house; like when I need to shower but she isn’t quite ready to be put down for a nap yet, Matt can hold her on his chest while still working/cooking/etc. I will also wear her sometimes if I need to make the bed, do laundry or vacuum. She is starting to like it even more the older she gets, and I think she will love it when she can face outward at 4 months. Right now she has to face our chests but it seems cozy for her honestly! We have also gone on some walks in the cold this Winter and we will just wear it on our chest then do a jacket over the top so she is covered. If anything, this can help a new mom/dad feeling like they can’t get anything done because they have to hold their child all day have a bit more freedom with their hands. We used this product until about 5 months or until she got too heavy to carry in the front!
