Baby Must Haves!
Okay, lots of you have messaged me and asked for a list of my must have baby items, so here we go! This is a compilation of items I have reached for most this go-round. Some of these things were clutch when I had my first baby and some things I wondered why I didn’t have them with my first, but am so thankful I’ve had them with this sweet boy.
Dock-A-Tot. This was so key for getting Finley to sleep, especially those first couple of weeks. Babies want to feel secure, and most love to be swaddled. This was perfect for allowing Finley to sleep (not on my chest) at night. I would nurse him, swaddle, and lay him in his bassinet in the dock and he would sleep so sound until the next feeding. This also helped us transition him to his bed a lot easier. We simply moved him in the dock from his bassinet in our room to his crib, and it went a lot smoother than I thought! We ditched the dock-a-tot when Finley started rolling over, but it is a must have for sure!
Owlet. I loved having this device, especially using it for the first couple of months. It helped me sleep so much more sound and at ease. Finley got pretty sick when he was about 2 weeks old. He got a bad cold that turned into RSV, and thank goodness we didn’t have to be admitted to the hospital and could treat him at home. The Owlet was a game changer during that time! I was so nervous and scared with his breathing and congestion, but having the Owlet helped a ton. This little device helps to monitor your baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels and will alarm when anything suspicious happens. It’s a small device that gently wraps around the baby’s foot and gives you real time data sent straight to your phone.
Newton Crib Mattress. We researched so many different crib mattresses you guys! Your mattress is what you lay on for a huge part of the day/night, so it’s so important to choose a good one. We were drawn to the newton mattress and were so impressed by the design: it’s breathable (independent tests show that a baby gets 97% more air while breathing through a Newton Crib Mattress than on a traditional crib mattress), Greenguard gold certified, made of safe food-grade polymer, free of off-gassing, free of biocides and toxic fire retardants, made in a clean, emissions free facility, 100% recyclable, no foam, latex, or adhesives, hypoallergenic, and completely washable. Check out this video to see how this mattress is made.
White Noise Machine. Ahhh, white noise from heaven, yes please. We couldn’t make it without a white noise machine; both my boys use one and they are straight magic. We also have a portable white noise machine that has been so clutch this go-round. Finley naps on the go often since big brother has school, swim lessons, soccer practices, etc.
Gathre Changing Mats. I love having little changing stations all over the house; it has made my life way easier especially with having two kiddos. I have little baskets with diapers, wipes, changing mats, and diaper cream in our living room, in our bedroom, and in the nursery. I even added pull-ups and underwear for Theo too. I’m loving the Gathre micro changing mats. They are compact, easy to clean, waterproof, non-toxic and made with vegan leather. They have all sizes so I will definitely be ordering the midi for when little Finley starts eating in his high-chair.
Haakaa Manual Pump. Okay friends, this pump is (liquid) GOLD, literally. It saved SO much milk for me, especially early on when your body is trying to figure out what the heck is going on and produces milk like cray cray. I would latch this pump on the opposite side Finley was nursing and would collect like 5-6oz of milk! It’s easy to use, doesn’t involve a ton of parts of clean, and saves so much of that good colostrum that your growing baby needs.
Diffuser + Essential Oils. I love Young Living’s new owl diffuser, it’s the CUTEST. I also love the Aria diffuser, it’s so nice, and we have it in Finley’s nursery. Some oils that are must haves for baby and mama are: Frankincense, Gentle Baby, Lavender, SleepyIze, and Peace and Calming. I love being able to diffuse these mild, sweet oils in our home to create a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere for all of us! I share a lot more about oils here.
Puj Tub. This tub is the BEST! Remember earlier when I said babies like to feel secure, this little tub is perfect for that. We loved using this when the boys were tiny. Then we transitioned them when they were sitting up. Well, Finley is like a mini linebacker, so we had to move him out sooner, but it was perfect while it lasted!
Moses Basket. The cutest and so functional too! We let Finley sleep in this basket by our bed until we transitioned him to his room. We were gifted the little stand for it, and we put the dock-a-tot in it, and Finley slept so sound! I love that it’s lightweight so it’s super easy to move from room to room also.
Zip sleepers + gowns. These are so necessary for middle of the night diaper changes. There’s nothing worse than a 2AM changing and having to snap 837282 buttons up, in the dark, half asleep. You can find these anywhere, Target has tons, but these shops also have super cutes ones: Lou Lou and Company, Posh Peanut, Hanna Anderson, Dwell & Slumber, Cozys, and Kate Quinn Organics.
Nose Frida. I didn’t get this with Theo, because I honestly thought it was weird. But, then I figured out how it works and how well it works and was SOLD. This is the best snot sucker EVER! Go ahead and throw that bulb syringe away that you got from the hospital, this thing is amazing!
Love to Dream Swaddle UP. These swaddles are the BEST! Finley wanted to keep his arms up when he rested, so this was a lifesaver for us! It provides the comfort of a swaddle but to his preference of hand placement. I also love that when baby is ready, they have zip sleeves so you can just take them right off; makes transitioning to no swaddle way easier.
Baby BJORN. Okay guys, one of my friend’s gave me this and it is definitely one that I use every single day. This makes everything so much easier…getting ready, eating lunch, going to the bathroom, this bouncer has got ya covered! Finley loves it so much, I swear he is going to be an incredible jumper because of it! He always laughs and smiles when he’s in it!
WildBird Ring Sling. One of my most loved and most used items! I absolutely ADORE baby wearing. It’s the best thing ever! Keeping my babe close enough to kiss and right next to me has been such a sweet bonding experience and bonus- I have my hands free to cook dinner, fold laundry, play cars with Theo, etc! It is a little tricky to get this sling down at first, but just keep practicing and using it and it will become second nature. Warning- you will get addicted and want to order all of them!
Okay mamas!! I don’t want you to get too overwhelmed! There are tons of products everywhere, and it can get a little crazy looking at it all. So, this is just my list of what I really love and use. I could think of more, but I just wanted to keep it short and sweet. As always, I am here if you have any questions or need any advice on other items!
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