When it came time to pick out products I did a ton of research and felt so overwhelmed by the vast variety of options and opinions out there. As I have a handful of friends and family who are currently going through this struggle I hope my review of what has worked for us will help.
Travel:
UPPAbaby Vista Stroller: This was the item I did the most research on. I wanted to be absolutely sure that it was worth the money before investing in it so after doing a ton of research online we went to Snuggle Bugz and test drove a few different options before ultimately deciding on the Vista. Knowing we want to have more than one child it really makes the most sense to get a stroller that converts to hold another child. I love how quickly it converts to hold the bassinet or car seat, that it comes with the bassinet and regular seat, how easy it is to fold down and pops up for getting it in and out of the car, and how easy the set up was!
If we were just planning on having one, or having them far enough apart that Everleigh wouldn’t need a stroller we would have either bought the BabyZen Yoyo or UPPAbaby Minu since we do a fair amount of travel and those two are awesome compact options.
UPPAbaby Mesa Car Seat: This was another item I did a ton of research on as it’s essential for the safety of your baby, especially nowadays when we have such go-go-go lives where babies are spending a lot more time in their car seats. So far we have loved this car seat. It’s REALLY easy to instal the base,which we do at least a couple times per week since we switch between vehicles pretty often. I also love that if Josh happens to forget to take the base out of his car before he leaves for work I can still use the seat without the base. My only minor complaint about this item is that it is a fairly heavy car seat (part of why it’s so highly rated for safety) and with Everleigh growing so quickly it’s getting tougher to carry her in it for any extended period of time.
SKIP*HOP Style Driven Backseat Mirror: Since our vehicle is often packed tight with the stroller, car seat, diaper bag, and our two big dogs I don’t have room to sit in the back seat so I love having this mirror to be able to keep an eye on Everleigh. Often when she cries in the car its just because she has lost her WubbaNub Lamb (another item we can’t live without. If we lose this thing its going to be meltdown central until we get a new one) and needs a hand getting it back and having the mirror makes it so much easier for me to help her while Josh drives. It’s also nice to have the peace of mind that she’s not in any trouble back there. Any time I drive in a vehicle without the mirror I am kicking myself that I haven’t bought another one, and five more WubbaNubs, yet.
Copper Pearl 5-in-1 Multi-Use Cover: So great for keeping the sun and wind from bothering her and I love it for nursing in public places (or around my dad/father-in-law haha). Plus they are just SO cute! I’m also obsessed with the Copper Pearl swaddle blankets, they’re incredibly soft & stretchy – perfect for getting babies swaddled tight.
Sleep:
Sleep, oh sweet sweet sleep! Before getting into this section I wanted to mention something I wish someone had mentioned to me before I gave birth.
If you’re like me and need at least six hours of sleep to function properly, do some research on sleep training/schedules/routines before you give birth. I had NO clue what I was doing for the first few weeks and I was totally exhausted and stressed. Another mom recommended Sleep Sense to me and it changed everything! Since she’s so young we just started a bedtime routine and for the past six weeks we have all been sleeping so much better.
Halo Bassinest Swivel Sleeper: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a number of Canadian sources, babies should sleep in their parents room – but not in their bed, so we decided to look for a bassinet option before we end up moving her to the crib in her nursery. After looking into a few options and various price points I felt like the Halo Bassinest was the best choice for us. While the SNOO seems awesome, it’s just way too expensive for us. I love that the Halo Bassinest swings around so I can easily pull her up close to the bed when I need to get her out to nurse her in the middle of the night, then move her back so I have some room to get out of bed or put a little distance between us when I want her to fall back to sleep on her own. Another feature I really like about the Bassinest is how the front folds down to make it easier to get her out, and the side pockets where I can keep wipes, diapers, and a burp cloth or other essentials.
Ollie Swaddle: Everleigh is a little ninja who sneaks her arms out of all other swaddles! We initially bought the Halo Sleep Sacks to go with the Bassinest but she would always manage to get her arms out and would wake herself up all the time. A friend of mine gave us a second hand Ollie Swaddle and it’s amazing! She sleeps so much better in it and usually goes right back down after the night feed(s).
Snuggle Me Organic Lounger: This is the most expensive pillow I have ever purchased and I have zero regrets. She has used it every day since she was born, aside from when I had to go back to the hospital (more on that in another post), and loves it! I debated between this and the Doc-a-tot but decided on this after reading a ton of great reviews. For the first month she would take her naps in this beside us on the couch as well as sleeping in it in the Bassinest at night, now we just use it at night and will use it to ease the transition into her crib. I love that I can pop her down in it for a few minutes while I get changed without having to worry about her rolling.
Marpac Rohm Portable Sound Machine: For the first month Everleigh would nap during the day without any problem, the dogs would bark and we would make noise and she would be out cold. That ended a few weeks ago. For a while we were using white noise on Youtube on our phones or the iPad but it was such a pain to carry around and try to connect to Wifi everywhere. This portable little machine has been amazing so far, she’s currently out cold with it near her while there is music playing, the dish washer running and both our dogs are barking.
Hatch Baby Rest: Another sound machine but this one is way more high tech. Right now we use it in her nursery mostly as a night light for those middle of the night changes, and to settle her down during her nighttime routine. When I started using it Josh asked if we could bring it into our room because its so peaceful! I love that I can control this with the app on my phone and can set different light and sound settings for nap time vs. nighttime sleep. I am really looking forward to using it more when she moves into her nursery full time.
Bath:
Stokke Felxi Bath: Josh and I are both people who love a clean and orderly home so when we looked for baby products we always kept in mind how things would look and function in our home. I absolutely love that this bath folds up and tucks away into our bathroom cupboard, it’s easy to set up and use and the newborn insert makes it really convenient to use now and later.
Munchkin White Hot Safety Bath Duck: This cheap and cheerful duck was a gift from our friends at Babyganics and I am so glad we have it. It’s easy to forget that babies only need lukewarm water; this little duck shows when the water is too hot for baby, plus it’s adorable.
Babyganics Shampoo & Daily Moisturizer: Babyganics reached out when I was pregnant because they were about to launch their products in Canada. I did a bit of research on their products before accepting them (I always try to be very selective with anything I am gifted) and since the first package arrived (while I was in labour) we have been loving their products. Everleigh is obsessed with bath time and I love how gentle the products are on her skin, and mine. I use the Daily Moisturizer on my skin multiple times a day and used the shampoo yesterday after forgetting mine in our master bath and my hair feels great!
Feeding:
Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads: I’m going to get more into detail in a new mom essentials post but I will just say, save your clothes and buy yourself a box.
Medela Calma Bottle: I am exclusively breast feeding Everleigh right now but it is so nice to be able to have Josh feed her on occasion. We tried four other bottles before finding this one. Every time anyone tried to feed her from another bottle she would take in too much milk, gag, spit up and cry. It wasn’t a good experience for any of us. The Medela Calma Bottle works so well because it’s the only bottle where they don’t get any milk unless they suck, just like when they’re nursing so she doesn’t get too much of a flow and gag on milk anymore.
Hakka or Naturebond Silicone Pump: This was best $20 I’ve spent in a long time. I use it most days and can usually get another full feed collected from my let down. It’s also awesome for the times when she sleeps 5+ hours straight and I need a bit of relief. The advantage of this over a breast pump is that it won’t increase your supply like pumping after each feed will. It’s also really convenient to just suction it on and be able to walk around with it attached.
Play:
BabyBjorn Balance Soft Bouncer: I decided to wait until Everleigh was a few weeks old to buy a baby bouncer or swing so we could take her to try them before making a purchase since I had heard so many stories of moms investing in a 4moms mamaRoo only to discover their baby hated it (we also know a bunch who swear by it). We spent close to two hours in Snuggle Bugz testing out different options before deciding on this one. It was one of the few she really liked and I was sold on the fact that it folds up in seconds for easy storage and transportation. We have taken it to a few family dinners and she happily sat in it for hours. A couple other things I like about this particular product is that it helps her develop her muscles and understanding of cause and effect as she needs to move to make it bounce (one of the only ones that does this) and it quickly converts into a chair which can be used up to age two. Lastly, a friend of mine has used hers for all three of her children and it’s still in great shape so I know it was a good investment.
Tiny Love Sunny Stroll Arch: Another cheap and cheerful find. I love how easy it is to attach this to her BabyBjorn, UPPAbaby Bassinet or car seat and Everleigh is so entertained with all the different moving parts and sensory pieces.
Skip Hop Unicorn Activity Gym: There are so many activity gym options out there and I think any option from Skip Hop would be good. I picked this one because it is easy to fold up and tuck away, easy to take apart, and easy to wash. Everleigh has a great time laying on it and hitting the rainbow rattle and ice cream that plays You are my sunshine ,she’s not so into the mirror yet but I know that’s coming any day now.
Those are our favourites for now. If you have any questions or want a recommendation on other items please leave a comment or message me on Instagram
No comments:
Post a Comment