Can’t believe that the fourth trimester is officially behind us! These past thirteen (and a bit weeks)…damn, they’ve been exhausting. Parenthood is the most challenging thing we’ve ever faced. Definitely a veryyyyy steep learning curve. Like, the steepest.
Like every other parent, we’ve looked for any ways we possibly can to make things *slightly* easier for ourselves (lol like that’s even remotely possible). It’s involved a lot of questions to our parents, Google searches (lots of them), and just trial and error.
We’ve found a few baby products that have really helped us along the way so far. I know what works for one family won’t necessarily work for anther. These are some of the baby products that have helped us survive the fourth trimester and adjusting to parenthood.
Chicco Next2Me – We had originally planned on using a family heirloom crib passed down through Steve’s family. But lol, Aidan had different ideas. He absolutely hated the thing. Mind you, I could barely get him off me to begin with. But when I started finally being able to put him down in this crib he would not have it. He had (and still kind of does have) this habit of throwing his arms out to his sides, and would bang them against the crib, waking himself up. Plus, when I was laying in bed at night, I couldn’t see him, which freaked me out. We ordered this crib and it came on Christmas Eve. Not going to lie, we had no luck with it at first. It was just a very expensive night stand for me to throw all of my crap in. But after a few weeks, he took to it. And I have to say, it’s been a lifesaver. I can have him close to me, which makes us both feel better. And it’s so much easier to get him in and out of at night for feeds. And it has matching crib sheets!
Groegg2 – This thermometer is so handy! It’s actually one of the first baby products that we bought. It’s incredibly accurate, and changes color depending on the temperature of the room, so it’s so easy to tell when it’s too cold or hot for baby. And it doubles as a nightlight, with adjustable brightness.
Nanobébé Bottles – I saw these bottles all over Instagram and really wanted to try them out. These are the best bottles for breastfed babies! They’re designed to preserve nutrients, especially when heating up, and they’re great for babies that suffer from colic. I bought the starter set from John Lewis (much cheaper than on Amazon!), which also came with breast bump adapters, dummies, and a warming bowl.
Milton Cold Water Sterilizer – I HIGHLY recommend getting one of these! I was not about boiling teats and dummies, and I just didn’t really like the idea of using the sterilizing bags in the microwave. All you need to do is fill this up, pop in a sterilizing tablet (you can pick them up at boots for about two quid), and everything is sterilized in 15 minutes. And as long as you keep the lid on, the water is sterile for 24 hours, so you can pop things in as you need them. I sterilize everything in this – bottles, teats, dummies, and my breast pump bits.
Purflo Sleep Nest – So this was another item that we thought would have been a waste of money because Aidan hated it at first. We wanted something that we could stick him in when we’re downstairs. Like I said, at first he hated it but now, LOVES it. He naps in it, plays in it, etc. The 0-6 month size is half the price of the Sleepyhead, so if you’re unsure about whether to get one or not you could always give this a go! It was definitely well worth it, and we do plan on getting the next size up when the time comes. We got them at Mothercare, which obviously does not exist anymore. I’ve linked it to Amazon above, but you can also get them at Boots and Jo Jo Maman Bébé.
Infantino Baby Carrier – Okay so we’ve only used this a handful of times. But the times that we did? Absolute success. Steve carried Aidan around Hampton Court Palace in this, and he slept literally the entire time. With all of the cobblestones around the palace, poor kid was practically offroading in his pram (plus there were lots of stairs). So these are definitely great for a day out like that! I’ve also carried Aidan in a Boba wrap (given as a baby shower gift) – a bit tricky to get the hang of at first, but he loves snuggling against me in it.
Medela Breast Pump – I got this on sale on Amazon. Not gonna lie, I was a bit scared of pumping at first, but this pump is so comfortable to use! Though Aidan is primarily on the boob, I am building up a freezer stash for the times I have to be away from him. So a good breast pump was a must! Also bought extra storage bottles andstorage bags.
Dummies/Pacifiers – Dummies, pacifiers, whatever you call them. Aidan took to these instantly (thank god). I know a lot of kids don’t (apparently me and ALL of my siblings, and Steve and his didn’t). But these have seriously been a lifesaver. I linked the Nuk ones above, but MAM dummies are also great! Plus, both come in lots of cute designs. Tip: get the glow in the dark ones!
Baby Monitor – This baby monitor got such great reviews on Amazon. And I can see why because it is AMAZING. The picture is so clear, and it has so many different functions. It has a built in thermometer, can play music, and you can speak to baby using a microphone.
Silicone Breast Pump – I’m so glad I got one of these! I can further increase my freezer stash by catching all of the letdown from the side I’m not nursing on. Its very comfortable and easy to use.
Chicco Next2Moon Crib Projector – We use this at nap time when Aidan is especially hard to settle (which, yea okay, is all of the time). It projects cute little pictures, plays music and sounds, and can either attach to crib or be placed on your bedside table.
Infacol – This is a lifesaver at feedings. Aidan was very colicky in the beginning, and this stuff helped tremendously with his upset stomachs and gas. We don’t have to go it to him nearly as much anymore but we still always keep some on hand.
Like I said, these are just SOME of the baby products that have helped over these past few months. What are some of your favorite baby products?
xx Lauren
You brought back a lot of memories:) I had twin boys the first time around so as you can imagine every product that people told might help us feel a little less overwhelmed we were willing to try:) See-through cribs were lifesavers for us to, as a new mom I wanted to have my babies in my line of sight even while napping. Our huge success was the rain forest Swings. Funnily enough one of my boys loved the nook pacifier the other preferred the mum ones:) we had a LARGE stash of both:) Wishing you much joy (and sleeping hours) in your beautiful new journey.