Newborn Products We Love (+ Actually Use!)
I can’t believe we’ve been parents for three whole weeks! It simultaneously feels like it’s been so much longer than that and that time has flown by. They aren’t kidding when they say the first few weeks are a blur, but going into week four, it feels like we actually have the hang of this (on this particular day) & have somewhat found our rhythm!
When I was pregnant and building my registry / deciding what products we wanted, I (as I’m sure everyone is) was bombarded with a million recommendations & MUST HAVE items & frankly, as a first time mom, it was overwhelming, so while it’s fresh on my mind I wanted to share the top ten products that we’ve actually used & LOVED during these first few weeks. (Of course, every baby is different & will like different things, but these are what have worked for us + Patton!)
Snoo Bassinet: This bassinet has been a game changer for us getting sleep over the last few weeks. The Snoo is a “smart” bassinet that soothes the baby with motion + sound when it detects that the baby is fussy. It uses constant gentle rocking + white noise, & then has four levels of soothing when the baby is crying — each of which become a little faster + louder. If the baby is still crying after five minutes / cycling through each level, the Snoo turns off & your phone will alert you that you are needed. A couple of notes:
We love this product for a few reasons:
Both “Moms on Call” & "Bringing Up Bebe” recommend utilizing “The Pause” when it comes to a fussy / crying baby — don’t necessarily hop up to check on baby right away — give them a few minutes to self-soothe & give them the opportunity to go back to sleep on their own without parent intervention. This is exactly what the Snoo allows for — five minutes of soothing the baby & allowing them to go back to sleep on their own. Sometimes babies just cry — not necessarily because they are hungry or need to be changed & this can help parents get some extra sleep in those cases when baby will drift right back off to sleep if given the opportunity.
The app tracks sleep over the course of the night which is helpful to see.
We don’t plan on keeping Patton in our bedroom for long (likely 4-6 weeks), so investing in a bassinet didn’t make a lot of sense for us. That’s why the Snoo rental program works so perfectly! Buying the Snoo is pricey, but renting is only around $120/month. You just send back when you’re done using it & they completely refurbish.
I was a little hesitant about using this bassinet because I didn’t want Patton to become reliant on being soothed with motion + sound which would make the eventual transition to his crib much more difficult, but so far that hasn’t been an issue at all — he naps in his crib twice a day (beginning at two weeks) & has no issues falling asleep (or staying asleep) at all. That being said, I do keep the Snoo on “weaning” mode which means that the constant motion is turned off — motion only begins when he is fussy. I think this has helped with the transition to naps in the crib, & will definitely make the transition to nights in the crib (probably within the next 2-3 weeks) much easier.
Owlet Sock: This tiny little sock wraps around baby’s foot & tracks oxygen levels + heart rate & gives us SO MUCH peace of mind. This was a product that we went back & forth on a million times. In the beginning of my pregnancy I really wanted one, & then I talked to so many people with varying opinions & Nathan didn’t really think it was necessary, so we ended up not purchasing….and then Patton was born & everything changed. We slept in shifts in the hospital to keep an eye on him because both of us were so nervous about something happening to him while we slept. We Amazon Prime’d the Owlet to our house within about 12 hours of delivering him & we haven’t looked back once. We can (both! at the same time!) sleep peacefully knowing that if something is going on, we’ll be alerted. I can’t imagine not having this product!
The Doona Carseat + Stroller: This guy has been AMAZING. I was intrigued by the simplicity of this product + the perfect reviews & can confirm that the Doona deserves 5-stars. This product converts from a carseat to a stroller in seconds & although we haven’t been out of the house a ton since having Patton, we have loved using this for pediatrician appointments, quick car rides + walks, etc. It’s almost too easy to use & will be so handy for for future travel + trips. While I have the Uppababy Vista + Mesa system for my car (which I haven't driven once since having Patton — thanks Covid), the Doona lives in Nathan’s truck since that’s typically what we take if we’re going anywhere as a family. Highly recommend!
Snuggle Me Organic: Similar to the Dock-a-Tot, but this is a product that we have used every single day since we came home from the hospital. It serves as a soft, safe, cozy place to put the baby down & Patton loves it. We typically allow Patton to take one nap a day in it (usually beside me in bed or downstairs on the couch) & he also takes the naps in his crib in the Snuggle Me as it’s a more secure environment than the crib at his size. (Ask your pediatrician about this first — ours is ok with it!) Could not recommend more.
Moms on Call: We’ve all heard the amazing stories & all new parents want SLEEP. This book not only provides sleep schedules / training with the goal of stretching sleep through the night, but it also serves as a “Baby 101” guide with topics ranging from how to give your baby a bath to when to give your baby medicine. It’s only been a few weeks but I’ve probably referenced this book 50 times since we brought Patton home. VERY helpful. As for sleep training + scheduling, MOC doesn’t actually begin until baby is two weeks old, so for the first two weeks we kind of made our own schedule based on some MOC principles, but once he turned two weeks old, we’ve been following the schedule line by line & have already seen an improvement in his sleep patterns. At 3-weeks old, he’s already sleeping for four-hour stretches! Definitely recommend.
Sound Machines: I read recently that babies think silence is bizarre and it makes sense — they’ve lived in a LOUD environment for the past nine months. Hence, sound machines on alllll the time to promote a calm, relaxing environment. We have the Hatch Baby Rest Plus in his nursery that we use during naps, when I’m rocking him & during our bedtime routine & we use this portable sound machine everywhere else (our bedroom, car, stroller, etc.). Noise will be your bff & both of these are LOUD.
Solly Baby Wrap: A personal favorite. I could wear Patton all snuggled up on me 24/7 & I think we’d both be content. Not only do I get to have him as close to me as possible, but it’s also nice to be able to have both hands free. I’ve used this every single day (especially on walks) & don’t plan to stop anytime soon.
Eufy Baby Monitor: Nathan didn’t care about 95% of the baby products we got, but he REALLY cared about the baby monitor and spent hours researching to land on this one. So far so good! We like it & it definitely serves it’s purpose. I had originally registered for the Nanit, but after researching Nathan didn’t want one that was connected to our phones / via an app as wifi + connectivity issues can cause the monitor to not work. (We learned that every single monitor on the market has some sort of scary negative review, but overall people seemed pleased with this monitor — including us!)
Kiinde Breastfeeding System: Although I’m exclusively breastfeeding right now, I’ve started pumping to try to build a small supply & also to allow Nathan to feed Patton once a day (at bedtime). This system allows me to pump directly into a bag that can then either be stored or placed into a bottle casing for immediate feeding. Convenient! I haven’t ever tried another system, but this saves milk + saves us from using (& constantly washing) bottles. Love it so far!
Charlie Crane Levo Rocker: I haven’t actually received this item yet due to awful Covid shipping delays, but I am SO excited about this gorgeous. rocker. I imagine it being an heirloom piece that I can pass down to my children’s children one day. Will share more when I actually receive it (hopefully in the next week or two)!
I hope this helps! If you have any questions for this new mama, let me know! Always happy to share what I’ve learned so far.
xo-Heather