m u s t haves. Theres a phrase we all want to hear. What in the world are your must haves for baby?? I was completely lost when I registered for the first time around, and after having the girls and actually learning what I liked and disliked and what worked for us, this second time around was much easier to figure out what I knew I needed.
The must haves, if you will.
This list is definitely limited + a few repeats, as I am basically including what I've gotten of greatest use out of in Baker's 3 months of life thus far.
Nail clippers terrify me - especially after listening to the nurse in our birthing class talk about risk and infections and I still to this day have not clipped Parker and Jolie's nails! We use a nail file instead:) Saves me the heartache of clipping their teeny fingers.. After reading about this product on another blog I was convinced that I needed it, and honestly I LOVE this thing!
When we were registering for the twins we saw a display in the middle of buy buy baby of about 300 nose frida's. One glimpse at the words 'snot sucker' and we were saying NO WAY. Never. Nuh-Ugh. Okay. Truth. We caved when the twins were about 3 months old and I bought it off amazon at 3am when Parker hadn't slept the entire night because she was congested with her first runny nose. I promise, hands down one of the most genius inventions ever. Trust me. You will be so glad you bought this!
My babies start their teething early! Parker and Jolie started the while drooling + fist chewing around 4 months and Baker has already started the thrashing while she nurses and wincing in pain when she chews her hands. Teethers are great to have on hand because you never know when you need to bring them out.
I am a huge fan of Carter's during this stage of life - I loved that brand and the way it fit the twins up until they were probably 15 months old. Having a teeny baby again reminded me of what an awesome brand it is -- they have no idea who I am:) That being said- Old Navy has become another newborn favorite as far as having something for Baker to sleep and play in (hence the name, right??) The floral patterns have me purchasing these one pieces in every single size, and not to mention how perfect the color block ones are, too! Fit and style - the best of both. Oh..and.. long live zipper sleepers.
This particular bottle is designed to grow with your baby and to be used with or without the vent system, not to mention a vent system with much fewer parts than the original bottles by Dr. Brown's. Just what I was looking for - a bottle with little assembly required, but with promises that it won't exacerbate any gassy issues (as well as any issues of colic + spit-up). Once she is older and past the slower-paced feedings (and hopefully has grown out of sucking in too much air when she eats) I have the option (get it?) of using the bottle without the vent and using the paced nipple flow alone. using the Dr. Brown's Dishwashing Basket makes dishwashing the loose parts of the options bottle easy peasy, too!
These are a little more expensive than the more popular milk storage bags, but I think they are worth it. Have you ever heard the phrase - no use crying over spilt milk? OBVIOUSLY whoever said that never spilt their breastmilk. These are a little more sturdy and will stand on their own- making them less likely to tip over.
We never used a bottle warmer with the twins and after 12 months of warming water in two huge cups for 3 minutes in the microwave only to set the bottles into for another 5 minutes, we said over and over again we would definitely splurge on a bottle warmer for the next one. I actually have somehow ended up with a couple warmers and Dr. Brown's is by far my favorite. It is 100% digital and comes with an easy warming chart based on your bottle type (glass or plastic) and the amount of milk/formula you have in the bottle. You also don't have to use Dr. Brown's specific bottles - it is made to fit many varieties, which is a plus. Set the timer for your recommend warming time and the bottle comes out to optimal temperature. Warm enough to mimic coming from the breast. We use it often and it's going to be really handy when Baker takes a bottle a few times a day while I am at work - so easy for her daddy and BB to use! Thats the very best part about it - how easy it is to use.
I once purchased disposable pads in bulk on amazon (thank you, prime) and quickly realized my mistake. I still suffer from the 'extra fluid' here and there and having these washable pads makes it easy to keep it under control. Yes. I still have 251 disposable nursing pads sitting in the bottom of my closet.
..because holy free hands, baby wearing is amazing. As I sit here and type out this post remembering the long day before of cluster feeds and cranky babies (x3) I have Baker wrapped to my chest sleeping soundly. I also made dinner, bathed, and put the girls to bed all whilst wearing her. Grocery shopping, strolling the mall, going for walks around the neighborhood- she loves it and I love it. I wish I would have worn the twins- but I am so thankful for it now!
These are our favorite pacifiers. They are small enough to stay put in Baker's mouth and not to mention the 'air channel' that collapsed to the roof of her mouth reducing pressure on her palate. You need these for every surface of your house - just to keep them well enough on hand.
Nursing Pillow + Pillow Cover - Dr. Brown's Gia + Cover
This go-round with a singleton I have gotten great use out of these nursing pillows! I keep one in the bedroom and one in the living room so I don't have to move one from room to room. The Dr. Brown's nursing pillow is designed to put the baby at an angle while nursing to help with digestion. Anything to assist with my baby girl's tummy, especially when nursing at night.
Floor (box) Fan
Yes, yes, yes, we have the sound machines, but the greatest form of white noise would have to be the box floor fan.
I keep these in a few places: my diaper bag, the kitchen, and in my pump bag. While the label says 'pacifier and bottle wipes' I also use these for a quick wipe clean of my breast pump parts.
A MUST have! This lounger is semi-elevated for easing a baby's tummy after nursing at night, and a huge plus is that its affordable comparative to other options on the market. Even better is that it folds up and travels super easily. During the early weeks we brought it almost everywhere we went!
Baby Jogger City Select (with second seat)
We LOVE this stroller. I wouldn't change a thing about it, except maybe the price. But, it is definitely worth the investment. The City Select itself is in fact a single rider stroller that can manipulated to being a double stroller with the addition of parts. When we were buying/registering for the stroller and all the parts, we went ahead and got the second seat so we wouldn't have to worry with buying it later. The second seat comes with the mounting brackets, so we didn't have to purchase those separate since we registered (and received it). You could definitely skip the second seat and get the brackets separate to save a little money. Either way you do it, you'll need the brackets for the car seat adapters. Now that I have a third babe, I still use the second seat here and there, but I will say that pushing one baby is much easier than two!
When the twins grew out of the Pampers Swaddlers, we tried the Cruisers and hated them. They just didn't fit right. We decided on a whim to take up the advice of all my mama friends and try the Target brand diapers - Up+Up. I had never tried anything 'store brand' regarding my babes and definitely had low expectations. Jordan was PUMPED when I told him how many diapers there were in a box for just $28 vs. what we were spending at Sams on Pampers. We LOVE them and still actually us them for the twins at nighttime. When Baker was born, we came home from the hospital with Pampers and planned to eventually move into the Target brand because they are WAY cheaper. UNTIL the little miss started having a weird reaction to the Pampers (pretty severe redness and irritation wherever the diaper touches). After being gifted a sleeve of honest diapers to try out before we started a subscription because they are a little more pricey than what we are used to spending, we were convinced that they were the best choice for Baker (the rash and irritation is gone since we started using them). So it is worth the extra expense to our family right now. As far as wipes go- we use the honest brand wipes and love their quilted texture.
I am SO excited to be partnering with Dr. Brown's for a fun giveaway to one of my lucky readers/followers! We would love to fulfill your Dr. Brown's must have registry items!
Follow along on Instagram (@masseya + @drbrowns) and keep an eye out for your chance to win ALL of the following!
Dr. Brown's Nursing Pillow + Cover // Dr. Brown's PreVent Pacifier + the glow in the dark // Dr. Brown's Options Bottle (3 pack) // Dr. Brown's Milk Storage Bags // Dr. Brown's Dishwashing Rack // Dr. Brown's Reusable Breast Pads //
Dr. Brown's Bottle Warmer // Dr. Brown's Soothers Coolees + Ridgees
I wrote this post while participating in the Dr. Brown's Baby Ambassador program and received monetary compensation and/or free products during. All opinions expressed are my own.
Dr. Brown's Bottle Warmer // Dr. Brown's Soothers Coolees + Ridgees
I wrote this post while participating in the Dr. Brown's Baby Ambassador program and received monetary compensation and/or free products during. All opinions expressed are my own.
3 comments:
It is amazing how much the list lessens for the 2nd one! I know what works and what doesn't now. Lots of your lists is on my list too! I will say the Nose Frida was a let down. I felt like I was going to pass out when I'd suck the snot and it really didn't pull out a lot. Maybe I got a defective one? Who knows!
Going through IVF and we transfer soon. Keeping this in my favorites to come back too. Thanks for posting!
Great read and couldn't agree more with these products! Thank you for the opportunity to win. Can't wait to find out who won. I'm due November 5th and would LOVE to win. :)
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