Baby Must Haves, Purchases & Product Review

Good Morning Everyone!

So today's post is going to be kind of a mash-up of a few things.

First I'll start out by talking about some of the main purchases we have invested in thus far, and out of those what are considered our "must-have" items and how they rate on our top list so far!

I will then talk a little bit more detail on each product mentioned, and our review on each.

I will also be mentioning some other products- not necessarily considered "must haves" and our opinion and experience with them.

After reading many many posts, and reviews on different items - it is so hard to decipher what you really are going to need. Because each baby is different, and we were uncertain which to invest in until he was here to get a feel for what items would be the best choice for him. We also wanted to ensure that the products we chose made the most sense for both our lifestyle and wallet.

If I can at least help out a friend or two who may be on this same journey as us... I'll consider it a job well done, and success in my book! I know it is monotonous to read through list after list -- but I thank the ones who I've read reviews by, and helped us to choose which products. And many being life savers so far..
So if I can do the same to help others out there, by sharing what we've gone through so far and our experiences along the way-- that is my ultimate goal.

It is also an opportunity for me to diary our experiences as we go along on this crazy first journey through parenthood.

OK...lets dive in!

MUST HAVES

1. Wipe Warmer: We actually have two wipe warmers. We keep one up in the nursery by the changing pad, and one downstairs for during the day/night before heading upstairs to go to bed. They are a for sure game changer! I invested in a second one, so that we would not have to unplug it and bring it up and down the stairs every night for bed time. The comfort of a warm wipe on baby's tush helps to make the entire experience of changing diapers - more calming and enjoyable for everyone.

2. Diaper Caddy: This is similar to the same situation as above. Instead of bringing all of the diapers, powders, balms, nuks, etc. up and down the stairs constantly.. we added one of these to the registry! This has been amazing! We keep it downstairs on our coffee table, and it holds everything you could possibly need for diaper changes and more. We keep some baby lotion for after bath time (since we are using the kitchen sink for the baby tub), extra nuks, noseFrida, baby comb, etc. in the small front sliding drawer! Believe me..if you have a two story house -- this one helps a ton to load up with baby items, and carry it from room to room, or keep it in one central location downstairs like we do! It is lightweight, and fits A LOT. We love the separate compartments for everything, so it stays organized.

3. Keekaroo Peanut changing pad: This one is a HUGE one. I knew that I wanted a changing pad that did not require a changing pad cover/linen. To me, the thought of having a messy diaper change meant changing that linen more often than not. So-- if we do encounter a messy diaper change, all we have to do is wipe it down, and get on with our day. I LOVE the sleek, simple look of the Keekaroo. I know a lot of people like to match the cute linens with the room and that is perfectly fine. I just knew that wasn't for me. This changing pad is also soft pliable foam, so it is still comfortable and fits to the baby. It also comes with a security strap, once the baby is big enough to wiggle around more.

4. myBaby Soundspa(Sound Machine): This little machine is seriously a godsend. Wesley LOVES this sound machine. We use it when he takes naps and goes to bed at night. We normally have it on the 'White Noise' setting. However, it comes with multiple other sounds, such as : Thunder, Brook, Ocean, Rain and Summer Night. It is also small and lightweight, which means moving it around or traveling with it is easy.

5. Ubbi Diaper Pail: This is nice, because again -- we have a two story home. So having to go downstairs to throw diapers away in the middle of the night, didn't seem like an option (especially when half asleep). So we keep this right next to the changing table in the nursery. It is able to hold a decent amount of trash, and is light weight to move around. It also has a lock in setting, that doesn't allow any odors to get out. Another nice feature, is that it does not require special 'Ubbi' brand trash bags, so you can use whatever you have on hand. I did however get the Ubbi bags, so that I could keep a box in the nursery closet when we change it. But you definitely do not have to do that. Again - I love the size of this and the sleek, simple design. It went well with the neutrals and look of our nursery.

6. Infant Optics Baby Monitor: This one is a bit of a splurge, but we were fortunate enough to have been gifted this from our registry. This is a great product and allows peace of mind. Until he is alone in his nursery, we use it now when he is sleeping and we are in other rooms of the house. The lens can be customized for different angles and zooming. You are also able to talk through the camera, which is a neat feature.
This is not an internet camera -- so can only be viewed within a certain range (up to 700ft) and allows for digital privacy.

7. Fisher Price Rock N' Play Sleeper: The one linked here, is a slightly different version from the one we use. We actually have two of these. We have the newer version, but use one that is a year old that we received from a family member - since it has more settings included (rocks and vibrates and has sounds and music). We use this to have him nap / sleep in throughout the night right next to our bed. We keep it on the softest rocking setting. He loves it. As it rocks back and forth it also has a soft sound of the motor..which I think helps to soothe him to sleep. This again is very lightweight, and portable (which I cant stress enough, when thinking about moving products and baby furniture around the house or to take to other homes and travel)!!

8. DockaTot: This one is also more of a splurge, and is a newer purchase for us. I did not know if he would like it or not. He naps in this, and seems to feel enclosed and snug. It is also handy when I have to set him down to go run and make a bottle, or doing housework throughout the day. It has handles on it, so makes it easy to carry. It also has a snap buckle at the bottom, so as he grows, it can unbuckle, and becomes longer for his legs.

9. SwaddleMe Orignal swaddle: These are SO nice, because they wrap easily and velcro. The other one that we like is the Halo sleepsack swaddle. Wes does not like his arms swaddled in, but we still use this to wrap around him when he's napping and sleeping at night. When babies nerves are maturing and adjusting, they do a lot of twitching. A lot of times he would do a full body twitch, and then wake himself up as his arms and legs would fly into the air!..this helps to keep him snuggled and secure as he sleeps.

10. Earth Mama organic diaper balm: This stuff is THE BEST! Let me just say, we have used both Desitin and also Aquaphor Ointment, and although I lean more towards the ointment over creams... nothing beats this Earth Mama Organic Diaper balm. When we brought Wes home, he had no diaper rash at all. As the weeks went on, he started to get bad diaper rash as his skin became more accustom to being in diapers, and adjusting. Nothing seemed to be making a difference. So per the doctors recommendation, we started to use antibiotic ointment as well on those areas, such as neosporin, etc. with no luck... However, IMMEDIATELY after using Earth Mama his diaper rash disappeared completely overnight. The ingredients are natural and good, and it really works. To keep him dry in between diaper changes, we also use Baby Powder to dry the area, and absorb some of the extra moisture. It also has a cooling sensation to the skin and he really enjoys when we put the powder on. I purchased some pure cornstarch powder (Well Beginnings) brand from Walgreens.

11. Blooming Bath: This has been wonderful to use instead of a 'bath tub'. As he is still so tiny, this plush bath makes it so easy to put into the sink and keep him cushy and warm. I set him in this and he absolutely LOVES it. I will say the one downfall, is that after use, you have to dry it. Right now, he is only taking baths every few days..so I don't mind throwing it in with a load of baby wash every couple days.

12.Fisher-Price swing: Wesley loves this swing, and we like to put him in this throughout the day so that we can have some arms-free time. It soothes him and has multiple settings for seat adjustment, speed, music and noises. The mobile also circles, and has a light for him to look at. He enjoys the swinging motion, and stays pretty content once in here.

13. Boon Lawn Drying Rack: We use this constantly. We hand wash all the bottles, and let them air dry on here. We also bought some of the lawn attachments for smaller parts. We have the white/clear color lawn to blend in a little better with the kitchen.

Other purchases we enjoy:

1. Honest Company Diapers: This has by far been our favorite diaper brand. They have fit the best through his (Newborn) size. They also come in a TON of cute patterns. The reason I love these so much is because they are hypoallergenic, super absorbent and have the perfect elasticity and fit for him. A lot of the other diapers we tried just did not fit him properly, which means, they would leak out or seemed like they were squashing him. The Target brand diapers (Cloud Island) have been our other runner up. They fit nicely, although he is sort of inbetween newborn and size 1 fit..so they run a tad big even for the NB sizing. What is nice, is that they have a yellow line on the front of the diaper that turns blue if the diaper has been soiled. It is funny that they say 'front' and 'back' on the diaper...but I suppose this could be nice if youre extremely sleep deprived or changing diapers in the dark!! HA. I have them pictured down below.

2. Water Wipes: With infant sensitive skin, I wanted to be more mindful of the products I was using when possible.. so these are a great option. They contain 99.9% purified water and a drop of fruit extract, and are fragrance and alcohol free. A lot of other wipes leave a residue... or after being used on the face and hands leave a bitter smell and taste.. these do not! I highhhhly recommend.

3. Dr. Brown's bottles: We have only tried one other brand besides this one..and we have really enjoyed these so far. Our little man battled some eating issues, so these were really important in trying to beat that. The slow flow options are great and help with spit-up and colic.

4.Electronic Nail File: I do not trust myself to use a nail clippers, and not knick or cut that precious baby skin. So this electronic file, softly buffs the nail down. I did try it on myself first, to make sure the friction wasn't too hot or sensitive to him. This works SO nice.

5. Wraps: I have two different wraps that I have used so far. The Baby K'Tan and the Bambini & ME. We have not used these a lot yet, but I can see where some people use them constantly. They allow to be hands free, and get more done throughout the day. It is also a safe way to carry baby right on you, and have them feel the closeness, but also stay mobile. I also think that this is a good alternative to a carrier for now, while he's still tiny and fragile -- and loves to be cuddled all day long.

6. Nuks: We use both Soothie / WubbaNub and also BIBS! He seems to favor the soothie and wubbanub, but the BIBS stays in his mouth better, and is not as heavy. The BIBS pacis also come in a ton of muted colors. Luckily,he is not really a pacifier baby yet. He uses it to quick soothe and then spits it out right away.

7. Spotify: The Lullaby Baby playlist has been a life saver when Wes is fussy.... he LOVES the music, and we also enjoy this playlist because it has newer / current songs - just in instrumental version. We honestly have this playing 24/7!

As the days, weeks and months go on.. I'm sure this list will change and evolve. A lot of the bigger items we have not used yet, like the high chair, stroller, and more. As we use those.. I can look to do a more current update.
As I said before, every baby and pregnancy is so different, but these are the items I can’t imagine not having for Wesley and also for us. They have been helpful these past few weeks and I know I’ll be grateful to have this list for any future babies. I know parenthood can be overwhelming and it can be hard to know what you need and what works or doesn’t work, so I hope this post helped provide insight and guidance on your search a little bit!

Love, Emma Luna