Ah, Motherhood has been such a ride thus far! I have said this to the many people that have asked me, but no one can truly prepare you for the immense emotional and physical changes that comes with having a baby. Thanks to the help from our parents, siblings, and friends we have kept this little guy alive (and our sanity) for 2 months now! Despite the hormones and lack of sleep, our little fam is doing so well! Judah is the snuggliest and happiest little babe and I can't believe how blessed Matt + I are with the numerous gifts given to us in celebration of baby Judah being born.
As I was preparing for Judah I was on Pinterest and Instagram reading + taking note of what other moms claimed to be "the best baby products" out there. I did my research, added many items to my registry, and they sat in Judah's room patiently awaiting his arrival and to be used. Shortly after he was born it became very clear to me what our most used products were and which ones we hardly touched. Looking back on the first 6 weeks of Judah's life I am especially grateful for these 10 products and wanted to share with any new parent (and of course grandparents + other caregivers) what our favorite products were and I am positive YOU will love too!
1. SNUGGLE ME ORGANIC
Judah, 3 days old
On my registry I added a Boppy Newborn Lounger for Judah to lay on and look at us. However, on Instagram I saw so many mom influencers post + rave about the Snuggle Me Organic Pillow! I used some gift card money and purchased it last minute a week before Judah was born. When we came home from the hospital we were exhausted, of course. When Matt + I needed to give our arms a break we put him in this. Judah was sound asleep within minutes! The way that the pillow is shaped made him feel like he was still being held. Even when he was awake I could safely leave him in there while I got dressed and moved around the room. Another great use of this pillow was when we slept over at a grandparent's house and he needed to take a nap. He felt right at home and we were all able to rest!
You can find this pillow on Amazon or SnuggleMeOrganic.com for $99.
2. MUSLIN CLOTHS
I actually never saw this suggested by anyone other than Babylist.com. I added it, fully knowing he didn't really need another blanket (he was gifted SOO many quilts!) but figuring I might need it, who know!? Turns out it was one of our go-to products that we used EVERY DAY. Honestly, I didn't get him dressed everyday during those first few weeks at home. I wrapped him up him a muslin cloth and snuggled with him all day. We also took it on the go and it made a great extra blanket to have in the chilly days the midwest experiences March-April. We even used it for swaddling him at night. He was NOT having it with the velcro swaddles that the nurses and Taking Cara Babies recommended. So one day I started using the muslin cloths and he slept so soundly after that.
Judah at 3 weeks old
Purchase a 3 pack from Target for $19.99.
3. MAMAROO
This electric swing was a such a relaxing experience for everyone in the house. It make a soft hum, similar to a white noise, and has a variety of settings for swing patterns. Judah would fall asleep in this often, as well as entertain him when I needed to grab a bite to eat for myself! Closer to 6 weeks he figured out that if he kicked and wiggled enough that he could make the mobile shake and he would then hear a twinkling bell noise. Another fun perk is that I could control it on my phone though an app! I will admit it was on the pricier side for a swing, but a friend highly recommended it and I couldn't agree with him more!
Buy it from Amazon for $219.00.
4. WHITE NOISE MACHINE
A newborn is used to hearing constant noise when inside of its mom. So when they are out of the womb any bit of silence is so unnatural for them! This white noise machine has multiple settings, has a night lite feature, and can be controlled from your phone on an app! It started off in our room and then we moved it to Judah's room. When he cried in his sleep I turned up the volume from my phone and it helped soothe him back to sleep.
Buy it from Amazon for $59.99.
**Bonus: A stationary white noise machine is great, but so is having a travel one! Here's the one we used for multiple car rides and naps on the go:
5. BUM BRUSH
I didn't register for this but a friend gave it to me and swore I would love it, plus it would prevent diaper cream from getting stuck in my nails. Using this is super convenient and honestly more efficient than using my hands as well.
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
6. 3-IN-1 FRIDA HUMIDIFIER/DIFFUSER/NIGHTLIGHT
As an essential oily momma this was a huge win! Not only is a good humidifier for when he had a cold or when his nose was stuffy, but I could also diffuse Thieves at the same time. At nighttime I can use this night light for night feedings and diaper changes as well as diffuse Lavender and Peace + Calming to help put him to sleep.
Get it from Amazon for $49.99.
7. FRIDA NOSE
This was a surprise, because the way this works seems SUPER gross! But when I tried it on Judah it worked so much better compared to the snot sucker that the hospital gave us. Watch this YouTube video to see how it works.
Buy it from Amazon for $19.99.
8. BABY TUB
I don't know about you, but my back and knees hurt when I bend into a bathtub. I found this tub that fits perfectly for a sink, which made it easy for me to wash Judah and not hurt my back in the process! This tub has three different options for a baby to sit so we will be using this often through ages 12-18 months. PLUS, it has a hook on the back where so we can hang it in the shower to dry after each use.
Buy it from Amazon for $39.99.
9. GOOD BREAST PUMP
Now this may not be for everyone, but for us this was a life saver. Judah was struggling to latch so I chose to exclusively breast pump. I had originally gotten a Lansinoh breast pump but its suction wasn't great, plus I was stuck in one spot every 2-3 hours pumping all by myself. I was thinking of purchasing a Willow pump but the price was so high! A friend introduced me to Freemie, which worked similarly to a Willow, but had tubes and was WAY cheaper. The way it so easily fit into my bra and allowed me to still move around at the same time was so liberating! The only downside is that there are LOTS of parts to clean between each use. I'd give it a 8/10.
CLICK HERE to find all of the Freemie Breast Pump options.
10. DOONA CAR SEAT
This has to be my FAVORITE product! This car seat doubles as a stroller and made it incredibly convenient to take Judah everywhere with us. With a newborn you have to carry quite a bit of gear everywhere, so having a car seat + stroller combined allowed for more room in our car and less to carry around. There are only 2 downsides I found with it: 1) It's heavy and 2) it's E X P E N S I V E compared to other car seats that can adjust and last until your child is 8 years old. Matt + I were able to find a used one for much cheaper. But wow, for the convenience it gave us for these early weeks and the next 10 months to come it was worth every penny!
Watch this video to see more details of how it works:
Buy the Car Seat + Base from Amazon for $499.99.
Let's be real, we don't really *need* these products...
Millions of mamas have survived and raised their babies without them! But boy, doesn't it make it just a little easier to have products that help with the difficult transition of becoming a parent and raising a family? So if you're a new mama, add this to your registry! If you're a grandparent, godparent, family friend, or someone with the means to gift your friend that's expecting then here are great gift ideas to give!