Violet is coming to the end of the newborn stage. She’ll be three months next week and we will be moving out of the newborn/fourth-trimester stage. In honor of that, I wanted to share some of my favorite baby products for the newborn stage.
Now for the giant caveat. All the “things you need when you have a baby” lists are mostly BS and a lot of it is personal preference (your and your baby’s). You don’t actually need that much for babies in the newborn stage. Mainly a safe place for them to sleep, a food source, and plenty of diapers.
However, these are products that made a significant difference in our lives these past three months. Some are repeat favorite products that we used when Teddy was a baby and some of these are new favorites.
Every baby is different but these are our tried and true products
Essential Products for the Newborn Baby Stage
Uppababy Bassinet
This is a new to us product but I’ve been loving the Uppababy stroller and bassinet for Violet. Now you don’t necessarily need this specific bassinet, just a safe place for baby to sleep, but this one worked well for us for a couple of reasons. First, It functions as a two-in-one for us: it’s both our bassinet at night but it also is part of a stroller system that becomes a double stroller. We have already traveled with it and it worked out perfectly.
Full disclosure, I bought our Uppababy stroller secondhand on Facebook marketplace for a steal.
Bassinet Stand
The second reason I was interested in using this bassinet for Violet is because it has a very small footprint and our bedroom doesn’t have much extra space. It has worked out that we use the bassinet from the stroller and this stand that they sell separately. It fits perfectly in our bedroom and can easily fold up when we want it put away.
However, you can easily just leave the bassinet attached to the stroller and have that next to your bed at night. When the baby fusses, just reach over and gently rock the stroller to calm them down. I have also done that a few times. Works like a charm.
Velcro Swaddles
Both my kids have done so well with swaddling. It helps calm them down and made them, especially Violet, sleep so much better. If you are just starting, I’d invest in the Ollie Swaddle and just get a couple of those. I didn’t hear about those until Teddy was done with swaddles so I tried just about every other velcro swaddle on the market. Aside from the Ollie swaddle, I really like the SwaddleMe velcro swaddle (these are the most affordable) and also the Happiest Baby swaddle (for ninja babies that fight their way out).
White Noise Machine
I never stop talking about this little white noise machine because it’s fantastic. We travel with it because it’s so small. You never have to worry about replacing batteries because it charges with a regular cable (compatible with Android). And it has three sound options and is plenty loud to drown out street noise or a tv (or a toddler). We have one for Teddy and Violet now has her own as well.
NoseFrida
FridaBaby is a company that makes the most functional baby products. Everything I’ve tried is excellent and the same goes for their nose aspirator. It’s disgusting if you think about it too hard but oh my gosh does it work well. Add a few drops of saline to baby’s nose before you go to town and congestion doesn’t stand a chance.
DockATot
For both babies, we used the DockATot in our bed, for naps, and will use it in the crib once they transition there. Lots of people use it in their bassinettes as well but sadly it is too big for ours (it fits in the Halo bassinet FYI). That being said, it’s really expensive so if you can get one secondhand do that instead of buying a brand new one. We were given one as a gift otherwise we wouldn’t have purchased one.
Carter’s Zipper Sleep & Play
Because both of my kids were born in the dead of winter, they both lived in these Carter’s sleep and play zipper jammies. Why do I love these ones specifically? Mainly because they are available in a microfleece fabric. It’s cold here and most baby clothing is cotton ie not nearly warm enough. These fleece pajamas are super soft but also give me peace of mind that they are warm enough, especially at night. Bonus points, they also have two way zippers which are ideal for diaper changes.
Comotomo Bottles
These are the same bottles we used with Teddy and they are still fantastic. They are really easy to clean and otherwise have no bells and whistles which is totally my jam when it comes to baby gear. I love how uncomplicated they are. Granted these were the only bottles I ever used so I don’t have anything to compare them to.
Haakaa Manual Breast Pump
I wish I’d had one of these when I had Teddy. This manual breast pump suctions onto your breast and will collect your breastmilk let down as you nurse on the opposite side. I managed to make my entire freezer stash just with this little device alone. It’s so simple but super effective. It has been a wonderful find and I’m so glad I have it this time around.
Newborn Pacifiers
I’m talking about the WubbaNub pacifier specifically. I thought these were gimmicky at first but then I saw them in action and now I’m a believer. When Teddy was little and still being swaddled, his little elephant friend would rest on his chest and gently weigh the paci to keep it in his mouth. Once he got older, the elephant was a bigger target to find when he woke up in the middle of the night. He just grabbed it, popped the paci in his mouth, and was back to sleep. We are having just as much good luck with them this time around too.
Silk Eye Mask
This is a must for all new moms. I have and love this one. Andrew also tried to steal it occasionally, it’s that nice. It doesn’t pull on my hair but puts just enough pressure on my eyes to encourage them to stay closed. I like the black color because it blocks out all the light, which makes mid-day naps seem like nighttime. I’ve started including it in gifts to all the new moms in my life because it’s essential for “sleep when the baby sleeps”
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