Nursery Necessities: Newborn to 8 months!
7:23 AMI've always found reviews and mommy blogs to be a huge-mongous help when it came to buying baby gear. As a first time mom I have ALOT of questions on baby gear - what works, what is a waste of money - should I spend just a little extra one this...what is even out there???. . . and the questions went on and on. All Chloe's baby gear was very carefully selected. I didn't want an over abundance of items filling my house that she would never use. For this reason I tried to get multi purposed items - for example, instead of getting the door jumper and the a stationary jumper - I bought the jumparoo, which accomplished both entertainment AND jumping. In an effort to share what worked for us, here is the list of items that we dub "GREAT must have's" for this lil household.
1. Snuza. I was worried sick about SIDS when Chloe was born. It still worries me today. But we go to bed each night knowing we have an alarm to sound if Chloe stops breathing. The Snuza and the AngelCare Pad are similar devices that prevent SIDS. With the snuza if no movement is picked up within 15 seconds, it will vibrate the baby gently to nudge them to breathe. If the slight vibration does not trigger a breath then the alarm will sound to alert the parents. I LOVED the snuza. It's pricey - but 100% worth it as it takes away the worry.
2. Soothies Gel Pads. This is an absolute must have for breastfeeding moms. I learned about this product on a mommy blog - and I will be eternally grateful!
3. Boppy Pillow. This pillow was especially handy during tummy time as it propped Chloe up enough to be able to see her surroundings when she was still too little to hold her head up for long. I bought a white minky case off etsy - figured the white was bleachable - so easier to keep clean. And it was.
4. Angelcare pad. We still use the angelcare pad today. Once Chloe decided she was a tummy sleeper, we put the snuza up and used this instead. It, like the snuza, monitors their breathing. In the 10 months we've used it, the alarm has sounded 4 times...meaning breathing was not detected for 15 seconds. The alarm is SO LOUD that its woken Chloe up enough to get her breathing again. As it doubles as a monitor...this will be on her bed til she's 12!
5. Colic Calm. Chloe had terrible colic her first 7 weeks of life. You'll recall some of my posts on this. Most babies only have colic at night - we dealt with colic 24/7. There was very little sleep...however this colic calm worked WONDERS. It's a natural option - and a very effective one at that - we went through 4 bottles! Downside? Its charcoal so everything, and I mean everything, ends up black...including mommy's clothes.
6. the Moby Wrap. Oh how I loved the moby wrap. My older sister gave this to me before we had Chloe. It was nothing short of a mission learning how to get it on the first time, or ten. But it was an absolute MUST HAVE for us. I carried Chloe around in this ALL DAY every day when she had her colic. Once we were over it, and she got a little bigger, we graduated to the Ergo Baby Carrier.
7. Medela Breastpump. Another must must must have for breastfeeding mommies. This one is easy to clean, easy to operate and easy to transport. I especially appreciated the ice pack and bottle case...made life SO much easier.
8. Nap Nanny. Our pediatrician raised his eyebrows at the nap nanny..but then again he wasn't the one tending to the baby at 2am. Chloe slept in her nap nanny for the first 2 weeks. It was easy to carry around the house, easy to put her in...and she loved the angle. Later on, we would bring it out when she was sick and needed to be elevated for breathing purposes. It worked WONDERS for that!
Then the bubs grows..and changes...and develops and they need different stuff. So we developed a new MUST HAVE list...
1. Baltic Amber Necklace. I've written a lot about this. Read more here.
2. Tommy Tippee Sippy Cups. By the time we found a sippy cup that Chloe liked - we had just about bought every single kind sold in stores. Every brand, every color, every type of nipple. These are the only ones she took to.
3. Squirt Spoon. Chloe was a picky eater initially...and I had to use just about every trick up my sleeve to get her to eat stage one foods. She thought this squirt spoon was out of this world!! She likes unusual gadgets, like her daddy :)
4. Fisher Price EZ Clean Highchair. Need I say more with that name? EZ Clean is exactly what this high chair is! It has different height adjustments and angle adjustments...perfecto for a bubba who is learning to sit in a chair.
5. I bought the Maxi Cosi car seat when Chloe grew out of her first seat. We've had it for a few months now...and I 100% recommend this car seat!! It is amazing..and comfortable...and holds the baby securely in place. It sits a lot higher too, so Chloe can see out the windows - she still thinks that makes for a pretty awesome car ride experience.
6. The Fisher Price Jumparoo. We still use this today. It allows the baby to jump which strengthens their legs...Chloe has ADORED her jumparoo. I'll be sad to see it packed up - and that time is almost here.
7. Britax B-Agile Stroller. This was another product recommended on a mommy blog. I love love love this stroller. It's easy to push and steer, even with one hand. You can also flip a thingy on the front wheel that turns it into a running stroller. It's easy to fold up, and easy to set up. Recommend 100%!
Each baby has their own likes and dislikes - and the items listed within this post is what worked for us. We're currently working on our 9 months plus MUST HAVE list...check back for that!
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