This past month has been absolutely crazy to say the least, but there were some products that made our days just a little bit easier. Those are the products I’m sharing with you today! If you have any questions, leave me a comment or reach out via Instagram.
Feeding
My Brest Friend: After struggling to use the Boppy, I purchased My Brest Friend. Vienna kept slipping through the gap between my stomach and the Boppy, and I couldn’t get her balanced properly to nurse. I’m not the only one with this problem, because I’ve read reviews online from other moms who’ve said the same. If you are struggling with breastfeeding, I highly recommend trying My Brest Friend. I actually heard about it from my lactation consultant! I love how the pillow is like an island around your body. It has a back pillow which helps with good posture and prevents back aches.
Medela Pump in Style Advanced breast pump: Ahh, the breast pump. Does anyone actually enjoy pumping? I started pumping when Vienna was a week old, because we found out she wasn’t getting enough milk directly from the breast. Currently, I give her a bottle with 1-2oz of breastmilk after feeds, but I’m hoping to stop doing this once our pediatrician tells us her weight is stable. The Medela Pump in Style Advanced is a great pump and is covered by many insurance companies. I paid extra to get the tote bag and cooler since I’ll be lugging it back and forth to work.
Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags: Since I don’t like loading the dishwasher 20x a day, I wash bottles and pump parts by hand after I use them. Once a day, usually in the morning, I’ll sanitize everything using the Medela micro-steam bags. You just place the pieces in the bag, add 2-3oz of water, seal, and microwave for a few minutes.
Dr. Brown’s Options Wide Neck 5oz bottles: While pregnant, I did a LOT of research about bottles. There’s so many options on the market, which makes things very overwhelming. I decided on Dr. Brown’s Options Wide-Neck bottles, because they are proven to help reduce colic, spit-up and gas. Plus, they are BPA, PVC, lead and phthalate free.
Aden + Anais Burpy Bibs: We love these bibs because you can use them as burp cloths or actual bibs. We have probably a half dozen, but I’m contemplating buying even more because we can never have enough! They’re a lot larger than most bibs and are super soft {believe it or not, they actually get softer after each wash}. They fit perfectly over the shoulder and provide a ton of coverage for spit ups.
Bath
Pottery Barn Kids Hooded Towel: PB Kids has some of my favorite products for baby, so I have to mention their hooded towels in this post. I love how large they are and the little animals on the hoods are so cute. We have the pink bunny towel and I’m constantly taking photos of Vienna in it!
Angelcare Bathtub: Instead of buying a bathtub that only works in the sink, I wanted to get something that would get a lot of use as Vienna grows. We love the Angelcare tub because its mesh material allows water to drain through it, minimizing the risk of mold. Although we just keep her tub inside our guest bathroom tub when we’re not using it, it could also be hung on a wall.
Babyganics Shampoo and Body Wash: There’s lots of organic baby products out there, but we chose Babyganics to try first. Their products are non-allergenic, pediatrician and dermatologist tested, and do not contain any parabens, sulfates, or artificial fragrances or dyes. I’m definitely interested in trying other brands though, so if you have a personal favorite, please let me know!
Sleep
Halo Fleece Sleep Sack: Vienna loves being swaddled, so we put her in a sleep sack every night. It has a velcro closure which makes swaddling so easy. She hasn’t broken out of it yet! In fact… when we were in the hospital, Bryan drove home to get ours to use while we were there. Vienna kept popping her arm out of the blanket that the hospital provided.
Aden & Anais swaddle blankets: Although I just told you that we hate swaddling Vienna in normal blankets, we actually double swaddle her every night. It’s a tip we learned from a nurse at the hospital. If your baby is cold and needs a little more support, swaddle her with a sleep sack and then a second swaddle on top using a lightweight blanket. I know it seems excessive, but I’ll do whatever to get her to sleep through the night.
Hatch Baby Rest: I’ve mentioned this product in previous posts, but I’ll talk about it again because it’s THAT awesome. The Hatch Baby Rest is a sound machine and a nightlight. We ordered one for Vienna’s nursery, but ended up using it in our own bedroom before she was born. Now we have two! I like that I can use it via bluetooth, so when I’m lying in bed and forget to turn it on, I can do so directly from my iPhone.
Fisher Price Rock ‘n Play: Hands down, this is our most used baby item. If Vienna isn’t eating, sleeping at night in the bassinet, or playing in her nursery, she’s in the Rock ‘n Play. It has a vibration setting which helps put her right to sleep during nap time.
Halo Bassinest: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies sleep in the same room as parents for at least 6 months to reduce the risk of SIDS. Because of this, Vienna sleeps in the Halo Bassinest right next to our bed. I love that this bassinet swivels 360 degrees, so I can pull her close to me if needed. The side wall bends down which makes picking her up super easy. This was a huge deal the first few days home after my c-section!
White onesies: Before having Vienna, I never understood why people stocked up on white onesies. They seemed so boring. Little did I know that they are the perfect base layer. To make sure she’s cozy, we dress her in a onesie underneath her sleepers. Not only does it keep her warm, but it also prevents her sleepers from getting ruined if she has a blowout!
Zip sleepers: If you only buy one thing from this list, you HAVE to get sleepers with zippers. When Bryan and I first went shopping for the baby, we bought sleepers with snaps. #rookiemistake. I posted photos of them on Instagram Stories and so many people messaged me saying that they’d be a huge pain to put on, especially during diaper changes if baby is fussy. Zip sleepers are a lifesaver. These from Target zipper up from the feet, so you don’t have to completely undress your baby when changing her diaper. It’s seriously genius! When Vienna grows out of her newborn sleepers, we’ll be buying more in a larger size.
Diapering
Pampers Swaddlers: We’re definitely a Pampers family. We’ve tried Huggies and Honest Company and they just didn’t work for us {although I know many families who like both}. In my opinion, Pampers are the most absorbent, and I like how high they go up in the back.
Water Wipes: We’ve tried a few different brands of wipes, but always go back to Water Wipes. They stay wet and clean really well! Even better is that they are made with 99.9% purified water and a drop of fruit extract – no nasty chemicals or fragrances. I keep a pack in my diaper bag, on our changing table, in my living room… basically anywhere Vienna will be.
Changing table pad liners: This is a pretty straightforward product that doesn’t need much explanation. We have a really nice changing pad from PB Kids, but we use cheaper liners on top so we don’t have to wash the PB one as often.
Ubbi Diaper Pail: My sister-in-law raved about the Ubbi, so I had to buy one myself to see what all the hype was about. OMG you guys this thing is amazing. I didn’t think I’d ever say that about a product that holds dirty diapers. The Ubbi does a great job hiding odors and looks very sleek. It comes in a bunch of different colors, so I’m sure you’ll find one that matches your nursery decor. It’s 100% worth the money!
Travel
Nuna Pipa car seat: I am borderline obsessed with the Nuna Pipa. It’s only 7.9 pounds – one of the lightest car seats on the market! We live on the second floor of our apartment building, so a lightweight car seat was very important. I also love this car seat because it has a dream drape that protects baby’s eyes from the sun.
Nuna Mixx 2 stroller: A stroller was one of the items that I spent a LOT of time researching and testing out. Originally I had my heart set on the Uppa Baby Vista, but it was just way too bulky for me. The Nuna Mixx 2 is lightweight, folds flat and can be used with the Nuna Pipa car seat. I highly recommend that you go and try out strollers in person before buying one.
Moby wrap: I’m a huge fan of the Moby wrap, but it took me a few tries to figure out how to put it on – even after watching Youtube tutorials. But now I use it at least a few times each week. I wear it when Vienna is fussy and she absolutely loves it! It calms her down almost immediately. I like that it allows me to carry her around hands-free so I can get things done around our apartment.
ErgoBaby 360 carrier: The Ergo is really easy to put on, is adjustable to most body types, and provides good back support. We chose this carrier in particular because it allows us to carry Vienna a variety of ways {in, out, on hip, on back}. The Ergo fits babies 12-33 pounds, but we bought the newborn infant insert {7-12 pounds} so we could use it right away. If you have a slightly larger baby, you might want to save money and pass on the newborn insert and just wait until your little one can fit comfortably.
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Very helpful post for this mama to be! I’ll be referencing this when making my registry and shopping lists!