While I was pregnant, I shared my My Baby Registry List which was based off of recommendations from my brother and sister-in-laws. Thankfully, that list came through and saved us for when we came home from the hospital. Thanks fam!
Now that I've been a full time Mama for the past 6 weeks, I thought it would be helpful to other first-time Mama's if I shared my top 5 recommended baby products. When I was putting my list together for this blog post, I asked my Hubby (David) to put a list together as well. I wanted to make sure I didn't forget anything for you guys... and of course I did. It was actually fun comparing our lists because it brought us back to the first few nights at home with baby. We ended up having the EXACT same items on our list, except for one. I went back and forth on which was more of a necessity when coming home for the first time with baby, but I just couldn't decide! So that is how I came up with 5ish. lol Explaining more below.
DockATot Deluxe+: What a brilliant invention. This gave us such a piece of mind at night when putting her down to sleep, as we felt safe knowing she was secure and wouldn't roll over. You can literally use this anywhere you want your baby to sleep. I 100% recommend this to any new parent. The bonus? They have super cute covers to suit you and your baby. And once your baby grows out of the Deluxe (0-8 months), you can transition him/her to the DockATot Grand (9-36 months). Win-Win.
Lectrofan Sound Therapy Machine: If I'm keepin' it real over here, David & I were really not looking forward to using the white noise machine unless we had to. In fact, we listened to spa music the first few nights with baby home until we finally gave it a try. Let me tell you, GAME CHANGER. I read that in the womb, the sound of the blood flow is a shush louder than a vacuum cleaner. Which is why you NEED a white noise machine with a newborn. It gives them that soothing sound of being in the womb and now that we have Olivia on a schedule, the second we turn it on she knows it's bedtime. Funny enough, we love it so much that we plan on getting one for our room once we transition Olivia to her crib. It also comes in black to meet your home aesthetic needs.
Love To Dream Swaddle Up: In the beginning we stuck with traditional swaddles or the ones that keep baby's arms down by their side with the velcro. Olivia was not a fan. She somehow became an escape artist and we would limbs coming out from all sides. Truth be told, I still haven't learned how to swaddle and David has become the expert swaddler over here. Which is why the Swaddle Up is my dream come true! Not only is it super easy to swaddle her (as in a single zipper!) but it allows Olivia to sleep with her arms up (which if you've seen my Instagram, you know she likes to do) without startling herself. Oh and that zipper also zips up from the bottom too, ideal for easy late night diaper changes. Hallelujah! You can watch a video to learn more about the Love To Dream Swaddle Up here.
My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow: My sister-in-law, Maribel swore by this pillow and actually gifted me hers while I was pregnant. I also received The Boppy Nursing Pillow as a gift off our registry. After trying out both, this one for sure took the win. I love that it has a snap closure to secure around the waist (with a lumbar pillow in the back!) and that I can rest my arm or the entire baby on the pillow during/after nursing because let's be real...your arms and wrist get sore AF.
Alright, these are the two that I just couldn't decide upon..
David's MUST-HAVE (.5) ---> Baby Mittens: When you finally get home with your baby, all you really want to do is take a long, hot shower, eat a good, home cooked meal and SLEEP! If your lucky, you can get two outta three of those in. The last thing you'll be thinking about doing is trimming your baby's nails. Insert baby mittens. These are perfect for protecting your baby from scratching his/her face and keeping their little hands warm while their body is learning to regulate it's temperature in this new world. Because Olivia did scratch her face when we took her mittens off for a short time, I HAD to include this to the list. It broke my heart seeing that little scratch that I wanted to make sure all other parents were prepared with some on hand.
My MUST-HAVE ---> Lotus Bassinet + Crib: Annnd, finally my pick is this bassinet! So, the bassinet + DockATot actually go hand-in-hand. David felt that parents could use the DockATot anywhere (which they can) and didn't necessarily need the bassinet. But, I like how the DockATot fits perfectly inside here and even has the option to turn the legs flat on the ground or rounded so you can rock the baby. This is currently next to our bed and gives us both the peace of mind knowing that Olivia is safe, while allowing her to get comfortable sleeping in her own space. Whats great is that it grows with your baby! Once she/he gets too big for the bassinet, it converts into an "everywhere crib". It also comes with a compact travel bag, perfect to take to friends + family house if they are baby sitting and/or just visiting.
Check out more baby products I use and love, here!
Xx,
Tabitha