Here’s the post I was promising. My favorite things for the first 3 months. Of course, this is what worked for my family, and you may have something you like better. (Please share if you do!)
1. Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Bouncer – She started liking this more after a couple of weeks. She still loves it now. I sometimes call it her “Pooping Chair,” because for one reason or another, things get moving in there and nothin’ wrong with that! Thankfully, the seat liner is washable and dries quickly on its own. She loves the vibrations, and she used to sleep in it sometimes. I do have one dislike – the legs of the seat have tripped me, my husband, mother, & mother-in-law on more than one occasion. It probably is the most cursed thing in our living room. (But we have a teeeeeniny living room, and the bouncer wouldn’t trip us if we had it in a larger room. Still wouldn’t trade it for another. It’s amazing how much smaller your house gets with a baby and all their equipment, right??)
2.Vacuum- ok ok. I know this sounds silly but one night in the beginning SHE WOULDN’T STOP CRYING. Actually, because I was sleep deprived and had tried everything I could think of, I was crying too! So we Googled it, and sure enough, the vacuum cleaner calmed her down. You just leave it on, and it’s louder than the white noise stuffed animals or radio static. I really wish I had known this sooner, but that’s why I’m sharing. I’ve only had to use it two times, thankfully. It immediately calmed her so she could sleep.
3. Aden+Anais Swaddling Blankets– I heard these were the best from a mom-friend when I was pregnant. Then I received these as a gift. THEY ARE AWESOME. They are big- much bigger than typical flannel cotton receiving blankets. So for the novice Swaddler, these are great. They are soft, breathable muslin. I never had to worry about her overheating at night. (Swaddled in her Rock n’ Play). Register for some, or buy some yourself. They are worth it!
4. Cloud B Sleep Sheep– We have this one, a travel one, and the Giraffe. And we use all of them . On the back are 4 buttons, with 4 different white noise sounds, and you can choose 26 or 45 minutes for the sound to play. We have one in our room, one in her room, and one for the diaper bag ready for nap time at Grammie’s or GiGi’s.
5. Fisher Price Rock n’ Play– We started with a bassinet that had been in the family for generations. Then we noticed she really slept better in things that were reclined or slanted. So after some research, we got this. We actually got the one pictured on sale at Target for about $20. But I think the one I linked to would be great for newborns, very snuggly with the pillow. As far as the recall goes, I think if baby produces any liquid in the rocker, you should CLEAN IT. We checked as soon as the recall happened, and we found nothing. (Common sense!) Mine is really easy to wipe down, or you can unbutton the liner and throw it in the wash. She slept in hers until the week she turned 4 months, when we transitioned to the crib.
6. Balboa Baby Sling– I got tangled up in the Moby Wrap, and trying to get it wrapped around me seemed a hassle. I know a lot of folks like them, but I returned that and found a sling I liked better. I can put her in easily. For safety – make sure you can “kiss her head.” You want her head to be visable. Make sure to read the instructions. There is a handy pocket on it so I can put my phone there if I need to. I must admit, I was not “wearing” her every day. I used it when I was having to do simple chores or out of the house. It’s not completely hands-free, but for someone who had carpal tunnel, the weight wasn’t on my hands/arms anymore.
Here I am at 38 weeks in the hospital and 2 weeks later with Lila in my sling.
7. Blooming Bath Flower– I received this as a gift at one of my showers. What a game changer! I had bought a tub from Babies R Us and it was a pain. Once I put it on the counter in my kitchen, I couldn’t get a great hold on her because I am short and I was extremely nervous. Also, the tub leaked at one point and was also a pain. So Blooming Bath to the rescue! I put it in our kitchen sink, and it is so much easier! Plus, it’s cushy so she likes the feel, and I can wash it in the washing machine. (Air dry though.)
Blooming Bath Flower
8. Taggies Activity Gym– Really, I think any gym would work. I like the Taggies brand because its colorful and there are a lot of toys and fun things for her to investigate. I like that I can remove or add toys to the loops. Also, it is big enough that she has been practicing rolling on it without leaving the mat. I also like the one with a Kick Piano, if I could have two, I’d get that one too. 🙂 Here is the Piano one.
9. Graco Pack ‘N Play– We used our Pack ‘N Play as a changing table and bed in our den the first two months. She slept really well in the Newborn Napper. Having a changing table in the den was really convenient in the beginning. At first, I wasn’t sure we should splurge on the newborn napper and such. Super glad we did.
Some things that didn’t make this list but we still love : Boppy Pillow & extra cover, & Pampers Swaddlers. Gotta love the stripe that changes colors when dirty or wet!
What baby product(s) from Months 1-3 do you recommend?
Lila says, “Good Night!”
Lil' Mama Nottingham 