Hi friends! It has been a while since I have written a blog post, because you know…. mama life + quarantine and a pandemic is chaos! Today I am sharing our top 10 newborn essentials that we could not go without. I will link all of the items below.
1. Boppy Lounger | 2. Halo Bassinet | 3. Footed Sleepers | 4. Halo Swaddle | 5. Dr. Brown Bottles | 6. Muslin Blankets | 7. Owlet Smart Sock | 8. Evenflo Travel System | 9. Graco Swing | 10. Bibs Paci
1. Boppy Lounger | I originally registered for the “regular” boppy; however, this one is a GAME CHANGER. It has a middle part where your little one can easily sit in the seat with great support. I would definitely suggest getting this lounger versus the standard boppy.
2. Halo Bassinet | We have the swivel bassinet that has lots of features (vibrates, plays soothing sounds, has a light, etc.). We definitely love the bassinet and this is where our little one sleeps every night and she loves it. I love that the siding is mesh so that she can easily breathe if she gets up close to it, which she does a lot. However, we have never used all of the features of this bassinet. So, I would suggest just getting a basic halo bassinet that does not come with all of the buttons.
3. Footed Sleepers | Laura Beth sleeps in these every night. We use footed sleepers as part of our nighttime routine; we do not put her in footed sleepers unless it is bedtime. This helps her know that it is time for night night. There are SO many different brands out there that you can chose from. My personal favorites are Burt’s Bees, Target, and Kyte.
4. Halo Swaddle | When Laura Beth first came home, we did not swaddle her. Our reasoning behind this was, we thought she hated being swaddled because she wanted her hands to be by her face. Well, she was not a fan of being swaddled, but after taking Cara’s Taking Cara Babies Newborn course, I learned that most babies do not like to be swaddled and it matters what you do after you swaddle a baby to soothe them. So, we started with the Halo Swaddle. I love this swaddle & it is very easy to swaddle a fussy and flying arms around baby. We do have a few other swaddles that we love, but the Halo swaddle is definitely our favorite. I also, HIGHLY recommend taking the Taking Cara Babies Newborn class. There will be another blog post to come about my review of this class and sleep training from a new mama’s perspective.
5. Dr. Brown Bottles | As a new mama, we tried lots of different bottles, I mean LOTS, until we found the best ones that worked for our little one. All babies are different, but I must say that these Dr. Brown Bottles were hands down the best out of the ones that we tried!
6. Muslin Blankets | I love these blankets for a lightweight blanket on the go or at home. We do not use them as swaddle blankets (see above for swaddle recommendations).
7. Owlet Smart Sock | If I could recommend one baby product that I could not go without it would be the Owlet Smart Sock. Definitely splurge and pay the price for this product because it is wonderful. Laura Beth wears this every time she is sleeping. It gives you such an amazing piece of mind and reassurance. It helps me sleep better as well knowing that this sock is monitoring her heart rate and oxygen levels.
8. Evenflo Travel System | This travel system is amazing! It comes with the stroller (several pieces for the stroller - cupholder for you and baby, tray, ect.) as well as a carrier and a very functional stroller seat. This stroller seat can lay down, face forwards and backwards, and also transitions into a toddler seat. We LOVE our travel system!
9. Graco Swing | Laura Beth does not like her swing quit as much as I wish she did; however, it is great place for her to relax, get sensory time, and let’s be honest- for her to hangout while mama washes bottles!
10. Bibs Paci | Lastly, we love our Bibs Paci’s. Laura Beth really takes any kind of paci, but this is her favorite. They are super lightweight so she does not shoot these out of her mouth as often as she does some of the other ones that are heavier. We still offer her other paci’s, as needed, but this is the one that she always sleeps with. Some of the other paci’s we like are - WubbaNub and Itzy Ritzy. These paci’s are great for during the day, but they are a little heavier and tend to fall out easier at night.
