Baby Products I Love (or How I've Survived the First 6 Weeks of Parenting)

Wowsers! They really aren't exaggerating when they say the first stage of having a baby is a hard one! Between the sleepless nights, the constant feedings and diaper changes and doing your best to take the occasional shower, it's definitely enough to lose your mind! Luckily, there are some pretty awesome products out there that help make life easier. I'm going to share my favorites here.

10. Batteries. 

You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. Almost everything that comes into your house for baby has some feature that lights up, plays music or moves. Most of the time, they're powered by batteries. And nothing sucks more than when your baby starts crying because the vibration feature on her sleeper stopped working and woke her up. Stock up while you're still pregnant!

9. A bouncer. 

This was pretty high on the "why on Earth would we need that?" list. We had so much baby gear that we figured this was completely un-needed. Nope. Mia wouldn't go in her swing at first and I had no other option other than to hold her constantly. Not practical. Our pediatrician suggested a bouncer to help her have a place to go when I can't hold her. We ended up buying the Ingenuity Gentle Automatic Bouncer. It's awesome! She doesn't like being in it for too long, but it's long enough for a short shower, or dinner, or a quick run to the restroom!

8. Anything washable.

We learned this lesson well. Luckily, all of our baby gear is washable. Mia had an absolutely epic blowout in the above mentioned bouncer. Not a problem! Change the baby, then throw the fabric into the washing machine. Everything came out and looks brand new!

7. Pampers Diapers.

We've used a little bit of everything: Huggies, Pampers, Luvs and store brand. Pampers have us hooked! The inside is nice and quilted and helps lock in messes so much better than the others in our opinion. They're soft, quilted, and super absorbent. These are our favorite for sure!
(PS- Be sure to sign up for the Rewards  Programs with Pampers and/or Huggies! You earn points with each product you purchase.)

6. Free and Clear Laundry Detergent.

My poor daughter has inherited her mother's incredibly sensitive skin. Even if you're not ghostly white and break out with the smallest amount of dye or perfume, all babies have sensitive skin. At first we did the typical Dreft detergent, but the scent (or maybe lack thereof) was pretty gross. It also wasn't getting the formula stains out around baby girl's collar area of her onesies. I finally asked our pediatrician and she told me ANYTHING hypoallergenic or dye/fragrance-free is totally fine. We ended up getting the Target Brand Free and Clear jug and use our Method brand fabric softener. Clothes are clean, soft, smell great and most of all: perfect for baby's skin!

5. A swing.

At first, baby girl was NOT about the swing. Now, we've got a great routine where she spends about a half hour happy as a lightning bug in her swing each morning. It doesn't last much longer than that at this point, but it helps me have enough time in the mornings to wash some bottles, let the dogs out, feed the dogs and maybe even grab a bite to each myself. We have the Fischer  Price Moonlight Papasan Swing, and it has options for being battery operated or to plug into the wall. Some of the features include music, lights and a mobile. Mia stares at the mobile the entire time she's in there - well worth it for a happy baby! :) (Also, for what it's worth, the picture makes it look blue. It's absolutely purple. ;))

4. Dr. Brown's Bottles

These bottles worked so well for us! We also love the Playtex Nursers (the ones with the drop in area for the formula) but the Dr. Brown's really help reduce Mia's reflux. No spit up and less fussing during feeding time are worth the higher price.

3. Baby Brezza

This thing has been a Godsend. Since the RSD had spread to my arms and hands, we were concerned that it would make bottle feeding a little harder on me (especially with a baby on my hip!) Enter the Baby Brezza. It's essentially a Kurig for baby formula. Simply place your bottle under the nozzle, select how much you'd like (2 oz, 4 oz, 6 oz, 8 oz. or 10 oz) and the bottle will come out at the perfect temperature with the perfect amount each time. We had people kind of mock us for getting this before Mia was here, but after seeing it in action, they've all said what a fantastic idea it was. It's not cheap - $150, but worth every single penny in our minds. Even if you don't have a medical condition like RSD, I can't tell you how many nights it's helped us when baby's screaming and wants to eat right now. Excellent, excellent product!!

2. Ingenuity Moonlight Rocking Sleeper Deluxe (Emerson)

This was serendipity if I had ever heard of it. I had signed up online for a group that tests baby products during my 3rd trimester. They ask everyone to fill out a number of surveys to determine which people are best for each testing. Some are simply asked for opinions while other people are selected for in-home testing. I was lucky enough to be selected for the latter. This was the product we received.

Now, keep in mind that hubby and I had been praying for sleep for some time. Mia didn't want to sleep unless she was being held, and her bassinet that we had purchased was no good. It was obvious that she was unhappy being so out in the open and each time we tried to swaddle her, she was out in moments. We unboxed this bad boy, put her in it, and within minutes, MINUTES, she was out cold. Hubby and I were in shock. We used it that night to see if it was just a fluke. She slept so well - the only times she would wake up was when she had wiggled out of her swaddle, needed to eat, or needed to be changed.

It's been so fantastic that my parents purchased one to keep at their house as well. Had we not gotten one for free, we would've bought one right away. What a blessing! It's sold exclusively at Babies R Us right now and sells for $69.99. It has a few awesome features like being washable (AWESOME), a vibration function, music/white noise, and a projector that shoots a moon and stars on the ceiling. Mia doesn't care about the last one yet, but it's kinda nice for Hubby and I. This sleeper is also built more like a hammock and keeps the baby much more cozy that your basic sleepers. It's plush and has mesh siding to ensure baby is safe.

Seriously, this has been an amazing addition to our house. If you or someone you know is a new parent or is expecting, this is an awesome gift or registry item.

1. The Miracle Blanket

Remember how I mentioned before that Mia was a bit of a wiggler? She did so perfectly when swaddled, but she was her own worst enemy. She wiggled out every single time. Our pediatrician recommended that we look into the Miracle Blanket. We ended up ordering one online (apparently you can purchase them in stores as well though) and holy moly. Baby girl slept for hours at a time at night. And last night? She slept for 6 hours straight! 6 FREAKING HOURS!!!

This swaddling blanket is different from the others because it has places for little arms. It also wraps around the little one 3 times. No wiggling out of this one!! This is another AMAZING gift for any new or prospective parent out there. It's also pretty darn affordable at $29.99. You can find it at www.miracleblanket.com or Babies R Us.