Let’s talk about that ‘UHHH’ moment when you get your baby, or babies, home for the first time. You spent so much time registering for all the Pinterest perfect items, everything is perfectly organized (thnx nesting phase), and there isn’t a pinch of dust or dirt anywhere. So what are you ACTUALLY going to use? What are you ACTUALLY going to like? There’s a few things like bottles, swaddles, and monitors that we switched AFTER babies were here. All of these are my honest opinions on what worked best for US. I liked most things to Target being most moms have a registry there and well, we all love Target! Nothing from this post is sponsored or an ad. All items are linked to the image or my LIKEtokow.it HERE.
- BOTTLES! No not wine bottles, even though you will be really ready to indulge post baby. But baby bottles! We used the Boon Nursh bottles to start with because they were supposed to be easy for transition to nursing. Well these bottles were HUGE for our premies and we also found them to give the girls a lot of gas. I researched and found the Dr. Brown bottles. Let’s just say I will never use another bottle, we’ve used them for 8 months! There is a lot of parts to this bottle but the girls weren’t as fussy because it helped their colic (gas) so much!
2. The Ollie Swaddle, oh how I love this item! I noticed a huge difference in the girls sleep when we started using these. We started getting a couple hour stretches of sleep. The way it holds them in is so similar to the womb that it is the perfect transition from mama’s belly to the real world. They are not your cheapest swaddle but they are worth every penny! We only had 1 per baby, so no need to get a bundle! We had multiple swaddles to start with and never used another.
3. Owlet Monitors: This is the most important item on my list. This item gave me so much peace at night and at naps! There is a dock that I keep on my nightstand at all times which glows green if the girls have good oxygen and heart rates. It’s always such a peace of mind to look at it in the middle of the night and know they are safe. It will play a song on the dock and my phone if something is not right about their breathing and hearts. Even if you are not at the same location the baby is!
4. Hatch Sound Machine: We loved this product because white noise drowns out other noises for sleeping babies. Such as: dad yelling at football, twin sister crying, or the television from the other room. You can control this machine from your phone or the device! It has so many sounds as well as has a dimmable nightlight. We have also used our Alexa for white noise, so this was just a luxury to have. I could start it from my phone instead of saying “Alexa, play white noise” and waking up the babies!
5. Baby Nest: This was one of those purchases post baby because we needed something to set itty bitty babies on when on the couch, floor, crib, really anywhere! We didn’t want to splurge on a Dock A Tot but I’m sure they are just as great as this baby nest. We actually still use ours now when Hazel is in bed with us at night so we don’t roll on her. Cosleeping works great with baby nests!
6. Halo Twin Bassinet: This one is for you twin mamas! If you are not having twins, they also have a single one too! I highly recommend this because of the way it spins. You can turn it so either baby is facing you, making it easier to check on them from bed. It also has a mesh seporator so babies can see each other as well as mesh sides so they can see mama or their surroundings. It has sounds, a timer, and a vibrating movement to help sooth babies. The side even pushes down a bit too! I could go on and on about this basinet but we’re still using it after 8 months so you can imagine how much we love it!
7. Monitors.. So we actually use 2 monitors and I will explain why. The one I linked can have multiple cameras hooked up to one monitor, great for twins! It also stays on so you can always hear when a baby cries, zoom in on them, or rotate the camera. What I didn’t like? It has a range you must stay in. If I go outside on my patio, it disconnects! Leading me to the Owlet camera monitors we purchased post baby arrival! Pros of it: I can watch it anywhere! Even if the babies are home and i’m shopping, I can see them from my phone! I also get movement or sound notifications sent to my phone and apple watch when they are moving/awake. Cons: It doesn’t stay on if you want something for at night that you can hear if they cry. You will only get a ping on your phone. I know two monitors isn’t practical so hopefully my descriptions can help you decide!
8. Baby seats: you will use these more than you know! Feeding, tv watching, or just baby hang out time! We liked this Fisher Price one because it reclines back so the can sit it in as little bitty babies. As they grow we can prop it up to sit baby up more or even rock! It also has a vibrating/soothing setting to keep baby happy.
9. Twin Z/Boppy Pillow: Twin moms, Twin Z pillow is a must! Singleton moms, a Boppy pillow is a must! We used ours for nursing, bottle feeding, naps, and just lounging. We continued to use this to help Harper and Hazel sit up as they got older or even practice tummy time. We loved this and is something I would highly suggest if nursing!
10. Taking Cara Babies: This sleep training class is a must, must, MUST for any new mom. She taught us how to create sleeping habits that we can use for years and allowed us to gain control of our own sleep again. We also used it to plan out our daily schedule so we could get the most out of our nighttime sleeps. From 2 months on, babies were sleeping twelve hours a night! Her videos are great and an easy watch.