Everyone has opinions, especially new moms! This begins a series of posts recommending our favorite baby products for each age range, starting from 0-3 months. For more information on some of the products, click the link.
I received one of these as a gift and ordered more right away. You don't need any other receiving blankets at all. These are made of lightweight, breathable muslin and they are huge! I swaddled my daughter until 3 months old and these are the only blankets that were big enough to contain her squirming. Since I stopped swaddling, I have used these as a carrier cover during a nap, as a nursing cover in a pinch, and as a tummy time blanket. She is 8.5 months old, and when it gets colder I plan to start letting her sleep with these blankets in her crib.
You can buy a pack of 4 for approximately $44 on amazon.com. Keep a few for yourself and give some to other new moms!
Activity gym/play mat
This was my daughter's favorite "toy" from 3 weeks to 5 months old. She loved looking at the toys hanging over her head. I gradually watched her progress from looking to batting to reaching to chewing, etc. This makes a great tummy time or back time mat. They are very easy to spot clean and throw in the wash. Even after my daughter could roll around on the mat and sit up unassisted, she still enjoyed playing on the gym. I put it away when she started trying to pull herself up on it around 7 months old. Some of the toys are still in her toy bucket.
Note: I know there are a lot of options out there for play gyms. I recommend one that has plenty of dangling toys, including one that lights up and plays music. I had the Baby Einstein Seek and Discover Deluxe Activity Gym. My daughter loved it, but the company had to send me 4 different stars until we got one that worked well. The first star only lasted a month or so. Their customer service was great, but next time I would buy a different gym to avoid the hassle. I can't be too disappointed though because I only paid $24 for my gym when Target had a big sale. Check amazon.com for reviews before you buy.
I think this looks cool.
Baby Bjorn Babysitter 1-2-3 (Bouncer)
This is one of my very favorite baby purchases. I waited until after my daughter was born to buy this because I didn't know if she would prefer a bouncer or a swing. I borrowed a neighbor's swing for a few days after we came home from the hospital. She hated the motion but loved sleeping in it, so I nixed the idea of a swing and ordered this bouncer instead. It creates the same cuddly space that a swing creates and she will be able to use it as a regular seat even after she is walking. She took many, many naps in this during her newborn days. As she got older, she liked to sit in it and watch the world, play with the toy bar, kick to make herself bounce, and interact with me. I often kept this in my bathroom to use while taking a shower. It was my go-to "bring in the car" item for picnics, trips to the grandparents' houses, etc. She is 8.5 months old and creeps and cruises but still enjoys sitting in it. I love that it is plain and a welcome break from all of the bright baby items that fill the rest of my house. The cover is reversible and washable in the washing machine.
Note: The new version of these bouncers is called the "Bjorn Babysitter Balance". It comes in a bunch of cute colors but is more expensive than the Babysitter 1-2-3 (which got better reviews). I would try to find an online retailer that still carries the 1-2-3, or look on craigslist.org. I ordered mine online but I can't remember the retailer.
Travel System
Most people in this day and age buy a travel system, which is a combination infant car seat/stroller. This was a lifesaver during the first few months when you want to get out of the house. You can transfer a sleeping baby into the car, stroller, house, church, restaurant, etc without interrupting a nap. In the early months, I would plan my outings during a nap. She fell asleep in the car on the way to our destination, and we would run errands and return home where she could finish her nap in the living room. Since the car seat and stroller are meant to fit together, you can shade the baby from light and sun very easily.
Note: I had the Chicco Cortina Travel System in Discovery and I would recommend it. I chose it because it has the highest ratings in Consumer Reports. We used it exclusively until 6.5 months when she switched into a convertible car seat. Unlike some other brands of infant car seats, the Chicco does not fit well over the top of a shopping cart. This was a disappointment at first but then I decided that it wasn't a safe idea to do that anyway. During grocery trips, I either put the carrier in basket part of the shopping cart or used the Baby Bjorn (especially if I was buying a lot of items). The Chicco car seat installation using LATCH is much easier than some other brands. In hindsight, I would not buy a second base for another car because this one is so easy to switch. Save your money for a convertible car seat!
I wish I had bought one of these before my daughter was born. With pictures, videos, and my personal blog posts, I have kept track of her changes and milestones and recently began to fill in this calendar for her. It will be a great keepsake. There are stickers to mark important events and accomplishments. I will now plan to write in the calendar whenever I notice something new or have a funny story that I want to remember.
You can buy one on amazon.com for about $12. I bought two in order to take advantage of the super saver shipping (gets me every time!) so now I have one for a future child.
The sun rises in front of our house and shines right into my daughter's room. To make matters worse, the rectangular window is topped by a semicircle. Before she was born, I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and bought a double curtain rod, a blackout curtain, and a 95-inch drape that fit the color scheme of her room. It works perfectly! I am convinced that this is the only way she will sleep in until 9 am. The rest of the house is bright and her room is pitch dark. I am sure that it also contributes to her excellent napping during the day.
Note: The weight limit is 25 lbs, but your child may outgrow it before then. I tried to use it a few weeks after I ordered my new carrier and I couldn't fasten the top over my daughter's shoulders. She was about 20 pounds and 28-28.5 inches tall. Amazon.com sells this carrier for about $70 compared to $99 in Babies R Us and Target. Check craigslist.org. You can buy a used one in good condition at a fraction of the cost. It is easily washed in the washing machine.
Grandma's Spot Remover
I have a pooper. I can't tell you the number of times I had to wash poop out of clothes, car seats, blankets, etc. I wish I had tried Grandma's spot remover in the beginning! It works very well on new and old stains. You can buy a small bottle at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $3.99.
Bumbo
This is a great infant seat that helps babies build head and neck control. It allows them to sit assisted and observe the world. I started using this around 2 months old for just a few minutes at a time and then progressed from there. I believe that it helped my daughter build the muscles to help her sit unassisted about a week before she was 5 months old. I used it with a tray to help her learn to pick up toys.
Buy one used on craigslist.org for about half the price
Eurobath Primo Bath Tub
I didn't realize how much I liked my bath tub until my mom started searching for one to keep at her house. It is a bit larger than most baby bath tubs and my mom kept trying tubs that were smaller. The only problem was that my then 8-month-old daughter was getting close to outgrowing them! She ended up taking them all back and purchasing a Eurobath. She will have plenty of room in the Eurobath for a long time. I started using mine as soon as her umbilical cord fell off (2 weeks old). The baby can lay at an incline on one side of the tub and can sit up on the other side. There are many tubs that are created with this idea, but the Eurobath provides more leg room on the sitting side than the rest. I also like that the drain is located in a spot where the baby won't sit on it. It is very easy to clean and blends in with the typical white bath tub.
-Smart Shopper Mama
Since going back to work (part-time), I have LOVED my Medela double pump. It is easy and quick to get an extra bottle or two per day. I have an Avent sterilizer that goes in the microwave that makes clean-up pretty painless, too.
ReplyDelete~Lindsey Watson