Today marks exactly 5 weeks since we became parents… I have NO idea who told Zoe she could get so big, but I’m pretty sure she’s not looking for permission. 😉

The first two weeks of parenthood were honestly a blur, and the past few have been spent settling into a routine for eating, naps, and letting mom actually do some laundry and cook some meals.

Before she was born, I was honestly overwhelmed by all the options out there now when it comes to ANYthing baby related. I read tons of reviews and asked around to other moms, so now I’m sharing the top 10 baby items that have (so far) been my favorite and have helped us so much over the last month!

 

1. The Snuggle Me Pillow – We bought this about a week after she was born because she really didn’t enjoy sleeping in the bassinet and she hated being swaddled – she likes to be free. 😉 This pillow is designed to “hug” their body when they’re laid inside and she has loved it from day one! I bought ours on Amazon – but here is the link to the site where you can read all about it!

2. The Diaper Genie  – I heard mixed reviews about this one. Some people loved it, some people said it was totally unnecessary. I am SO glad someone gifted us with this! It sits by her changing table and I love that all the dirty diapers are in one place, and not in the open trash can in the kitchen or the bathroom. I know one “con” that I heard was that you have to buy specific liners for it, but one package lasts a long time and they’re super easy to use!

3. The Boppy Newborn Lounger – At first I thought this one wasn’t going to get a lot of use. I figured I could just lay her on the bed or the couch next to me and wouldn’t need a lounger specifically for that. But we have used this SO much. It gives her a little bit of structure on an otherwise uneven surface (like the couch cushions) – this has been awesome for supervised naps next to mom while I sit and get work done. 100% recommend!!

vv pic of Zoe enjoying said lounger…or directing a symphony/flying – not sure which.

4. Dr Brown’s Bottles – Early on, I struggled a lot with breastfeeding, and after my labor experience (which you can read about here if you want) it was so much added stress, so we switched to using bottles pretty quickly. Originally we were using Avent bottles, and though she drank from them just fine, she was taking in a LOT of air and burping/spitting up a lot after her feedings. I found a pack of Dr Brown’s at Marshall’s and decided to give them a try. She has done so much better! This is just our experience and I know everyone’s baby is different, but these have been awesome for us!

5. Infant Optics Video Baby Monitor DXR-8 – When shopping for a monitor, we wanted one that would allow us to hear AND see her, and I’m so glad we chose this one! (thanks, uncle Ryan!) We moved her to her room/crib at about 2 weeks, and this allowed us to do that because we could glance over and see how she was doing anytime! This monitor is also great because it comes with multiple lenses and you can adjust the angle to look all around the room!

6. The WubbaNub pacifier – The animal that’s attached to the pacifier is awesome because it can lay on their tummy, and keeps it near their mouth if it were to fall out. (and they’re cute, so there’s that.)

7. Mommy’s Bliss Gripe Water – We started using this in small, occasional doses when she was bout two weeks old for her hiccups (because they were just rough!) and occasional gassiness! Whatever herbal combination is in this is magical and it works wonders!!!

8. Hatch Baby Sound Machine – Because we moved her to her room early on, I started shopping around for a white noise machine to leave on in the background while she napped or slept at night. I bought this earlier this week and it’s lived up to all the 5 star reviews so far!! I didn’t want one that sounded electronic or obnoxious. This one has all kinds of sound options, nightlight colors, AND you can control it all from your phone via bluetooth. I want one for our room now. (ha)

9. Fisher Price Baby Bouncer – We were originally gifted with a Rock n’ Play, but with the recent recall I decided to look for something else. (psa if you visit Fisher Price’s website, you can get a voucher to return and be fully credited for your rock n’ play, even if you’ve had it for a while!) Originally, I was going to purchase a swing, but this bouncer had great reviews and also didn’t break the bank. win win! We’ve been using it the past few days and she loves it! It’s comfy, lightweight, and has options for music and vibration which is a plus!

10. Happy Baby Carrier – I wish I had known about this one sooner!! We just borrowed from friends and I can already tell we’re going to want our own! I also have the Moby baby wrap, but this one is SO easy to use, comfortable to wear (for mom/dad and baby), and it’s also linen, so it’s super lightweight and thin! The fabric is durable but also not so hot that baby turns into a sweat ball right away. I also love that it straps around the waist and behind the shoulders – I feel like it gives much better back support and I love that it’s not huge and bulky.

That’s all for now! I hope that this is helpful to someone out there – feel free to ask me any questions! 🙂

xoxo, Micaela