Four just got to the three-month mark and I thought it might be helpful to share some of my favorite products I’ve used and loved thus far. I know how overwhelming it can feel to be a first-time mom, so I hope this post is helpful and insightful! There are *so* many products out there, it can feel daunting to pick which ones to get! I found it helpful to pick 2-3 moms I knew really well and leaned heavily on them for advice and suggestions.
One thing I had to keep reminding myself is that there are multiple ways to solve a problem (i.e., multiple products that will all work just fine!). I got caught up in making sure that I found/used the “best” product and then ultimately realized that they all work just FINE. The most important thing is finding products and systems that work best for YOU and your baby. And just remember that you can’t mess this up! 🙂
I listed out everything I could think of (even the stuff that we didn’t really end up using). Also, a lot of these things are to make your life easier but aren’t exactly necessary so keep that in mind.
Feeding & Cleaning
Bottles & Nipples – We tried a few bottles, but ended up sticking with Dr. Brown’s bottles. I heard they were the best for preventing gas. Compared to other bottles, they have a few more parts that can be a pain to clean, but it’s honestly all we know and they’ve worked great for us. We used the preemie nipples for several weeks and then transitioned into the newborn size that is actually in between the preemie and level 1.
Cleaning Supplies – We just used Dapple and the Dr. Brown’s cleaning brush to clean our bottles. I bought a Brezza sterilizer but returned it because I didn’t think it was necessary.
Basin for cleaning bottles – I love using this thing to hand wash bottles! I thought I’d use the dishwasher to clean bottles, but I just found that hand-washing was a lot simpler and quicker.
Drying rack – After hand-washing the bottles, I set them out on this drying rack.
Baby Brezza – For whenever (or I guess I should say *if*) you decide to incorporate or switch to formula, this thing is a game-changer! It’s like a Keurig for formula – you just press one button and BAM, you’re bottle is ready and at the perfect temperature!
Bibs – I love these bibs because they actually fit around his neck and have good coverage. You won’t need these if you’re exclusively breastfeeding, but I found that once we incorporated the bottle it was nice to have something to catch any leaking. Feeding was a bit of a struggle for us at first and it’s *always* a mess, so these are great to save his clothes!
Burp Cloths – I got these ones from Burt’s Bees and the muslin ones and use them both! You can never have too many of these in my opinion!
Boppy Pillow – I got the Boppy pillow AND the My Breast Friend pillow. I used them both, but the Boppy pillow has so many more uses so I’d recommend getting the Boppy. We now use the Boppy every single day for bottle feedings (it’s just nice to have the support) and tummy time.
La Vie Lactation Massagers – These were so amazing for me when I was pumping and breastfeeding. They vibrate and heat up (you stick them in your bra) – they helped with milk flow and were really helpful when I got clogged a few times.
Haaka Silicone breast pump – I think regardless of what works for you feeding-wise, it’s nice to have one of these on hand.
Spectra S1 Pump – I rented the Medela Symphony from the hospital and purchased the Spectra pump (or I got it through insurance I think). Anyway, I literally had NO idea what I was doing but definitely learned A LOT through my experience. I actually used both for 6 weeks – I kept one upstairs and one downstairs LOL. I thought the Spectra worked great and will probably only use this one next time. I liked that I didn’t have to be plugged into the wall with the Spectra. When I was carrying it around between upstairs and downstairs (along with the parts after cleaning them etc.), I kept everything in this caddy so everything was in one spot.
Bottle Warmer (you don’t need) – I got the Dr. Brown’s one but you totally don’t need this. I used it when we were still feeding Four bottles of my pumped milk. You could also just use a Yeti cup and warm water to warm the bottle. It felt a little extra to me, but we did actually use it.
Diapering
Keekaroo Changing Pad – This thing is amazing! I think every new mom should have one of these and can’t recommend it enough. It’s got plenty of padding and super easy to clean if you have any blowouts or accidents.
Diapers – I took a photo of the diapers they used in the hospital (Pamper’s Swaddlers), ordered them and have been using them ever since. I’m not particularly loyal to them, but it’s just what I got at first and I haven’t changed! They work great!
Wipes – We’ve mostly used Honest wipes and the Young Living seedling wipes.
Aquaphor – Someone told me at the beginning to use Aquaphor (or vaseline) for every diaper change to prevent a diaper rash. It’s worked like a charm – Four has never gotten a diaper rash. As such, I’ve never even used the diaper rash cream I bought.
Portable diaper caddy (not necessary, but we used) – For the first few weeks of his life, I found it really helpful to have a portable diaper caddy. We changed him all over the house and it was nice to be able to easily transport the essentials to wherever we were changing him. To be honest, we changed him a lot in our bed at first – I kept this portable caddy on our bedside table.
Wipe warmer (debatable if you need) – Absolutely not necessary but I got this one and use it. He actually doesn’t mind if I use room temp (or even cold) wipes. Since he was a preemie, I was nervous about everything and ordered all the things. I still use ours because it’s there and I have it, but I really don’t think it’s necessary. I know some people say this is a game-changer – I really think it just depends on your baby and maybe if they’re born in winter or summer?!
Bath Time & Grooming
Shampoo & body wash – we have been using the Young Living seedlings line and then sometimes I use Noodle & Boo.
Nail Clippers – I was too nervous to get actual clippers, so I got this electric baby nail trimmer and it has been great and easy to use. It’s a little less scary – I don’t worry about hurting him and he barely notices I’m even doing anything!
Hairbrush – I got him this one and we’ve loved it! It’s really gentle and gets the job done.
Bath Tub situation – We got this tub and then this whole little set by Skip Hop and it has been great!
Baby towels – We loved the little hooded ones that are extra soft! Duncan loves to use this little shark robe and it’s the cutest thing ever! He just uses it as a towel too when drying Four off.
Bath rags – We use these little soft rags for washing his skin. When he was still really little, we used them to rinse him off (like squeeze the towel instead of using a cup for pouring water).
Clothes & Organization
Magnetic Me Outfits – My sister told me I had to have these and I totally agree. They’re the easiest outfits to put on because they use magnets instead of buttons, snaps, or zippers. I don’t mind snaps and zippers actually, but it’s nice to have a few of these onesies around since they’re so easy!
Lou Lou Knotted sleep gown – My absolute favorite sleep gown for nighttime! It’s also so easy to change their diapers in the middle of the night when they sleep in a gown!
Angel Dear – I love how soft these little footed onesies are!
Newborn socks – I always wanted to make sure he was warm when he was first born because he was born in February during an insane snowstorm in Dallas!
Drawer organizers (for all his folded clothes) – You’ll have to measure and see what works best for you, but these drawer organizers have been AMAZING for us! I also like that I can easily remove them from the drawers when I’m folding laundry and put the clothes directly in them and then put them back in the drawers if that makes sense?
Wooden hangers – I went back and forth on whether to invest in these, but they still make me happy so I’m glad I did!
Sleeping
Sound machine – We somehow ended up with two sound machines (probably because I ordered everything in such a rush and hurry while at the hospital after he was born). We have the Hatch and this one. I love the idea of the Hatch but I actually haven’t used it as much as I use this simple one. If I had to choose between the two, I’d probably get the Hatch because I’ve heard it will come in handy as he gets older since I’ll be able to program night time and rise time from the app and use the little night light.
Shusher – Probably Duncan’s favorite baby product ever. He tells everyone about the baby shusher and loves it so much. This is a must-have in our opinion!
Crib sheets – I got one of the ones that zipped and cycled between that one and these from Solly baby. I hear people rave about the zipper sheets but I felt like they weren’t soft enough so ended up putting the Solly sheet on top of it. I’m sure that’s ridiculous, but that’s what I do LOL.
Swaddles – Four loves being swaddled and as of right now, we’re still swaddling. I know everyone does it differently, but here’s what we did. For the first few weeks, we used the Swaddle Me velcro swaddles while he was still really small. Then once he got a little stronger (probably around 5 weeks for us), we started double-swaddling and putting the Ollie Swaddle on top of the velcro one. BUT (!!) I know that double-swaddling is VERY controversial, so please do your own research. I’m just sharing what has worked for us.
Bassinet – I’ve had a few friends ask me if you *need* a bassinet (in addition to a crib) and I think it really depends on what your plans are and your circumstances. For the first few weeks, we had Four sleep in our room with us and used the halo bassinet. We then transitioned him into sleeping in his room at around 5 weeks and only really used the bassinet for some naps and sometimes on the weekends. I wanted him to get used to sleeping in his crib and we slept better when he wasn’t in the room with us. So for me, the bassinet felt a little pointless because we only used it for a bit. But at the same time, it was nice having the option for him to sleep in our room or just having the bassinet as a place to put him.
Other
Barefoot Dreams blanket – We LOVE our barefoot dreams blanket and definitely think it’s worth it! We also use it for playtime when we’re washing the playmate.
Playmat – We love this one for tummy time!
Nanit – I had the hardest time deciding which baby monitor to get. I even wrote an entire blog post on all the different ones (thanks to help from y’all!). I ended up going with the Nanit and we like it. I didn’t get the special sheets or even the special swaddle – we just use it as a camera. The thing to consider with the Nanit, though, is that you need the app on your phone. So if someone else is watching your babe, you’ll need to leave an iPad or allow them access to your app if that makes sense. It has worked great for us, but that’s just something I didn’t really think about before getting it.
Dock-a-Tot (not necessary but nice to have) – We used this at the beginning when he was super small. We put it in his crib/bassinet and then would even carry it around the house if we needed a place to put him. I had this and the Snuggle Me and while I liked them both, I used the Dock-a-tot more because it has padding in the center (the Snuggle Me is literally just material in the center). But that’s just me. Beware though that there are many conflicting opinions about this thing and many people are very against using it in the crib. I had an occupational therapist out to help with another issue and she suggested we stop using it. This was around 4 weeks and we haven’t really used it ever since.
Baby Bjorn – This is great for when I just need to set him down for a minute and want to allow him to see around. It’s also great for letting his tummy settle after eating.
Soothie pacifier – Every baby is different, but I heard these are the best for newborns – I didn’t even bother with the cute pacifiers. We used them more so when he was first born but have been using them less and less. He always spits it out, unfortunately.
Solly Baby Wrap – I love having this when he is fussy and I need to have both my hands. I’ve also enjoyed wearing him on walks using this!
Doona infant car seat – If you haven’t heard the raving reviews about this thing, let me introduce it to you. It’s literally the best thing ever and we use it almost every single day. The downside is that you can only use it for the first year of your baby’s life, but I personally think it’s worth it. It’s basically a car seat with wheels attached – so a car seat and stroller in ONE!
