Some of these items are pricy but honestly, as a first-time mom I am SO grateful that I had them. None of these items are truly necessary but they do make life a whole lot easier with a newborn! Eden is now over 5 months old and is growing quickly. We have said goodbye to many of these items we used in her newborn phase and have transitioned her to "big girl" things. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post for all my latest 6-month must-haves!
Disclaimer: This post is in no way intended to be used for medical or safe sleep advice. Always consult a doctor or pediatrician for medical, sleeping, feeding, and questions of the like. All opinions are my own and all products have their own safety rules, regulations, and guidelines. Please refer to each company for usage info.
The SNOO - I couldn't live without The Snoo Smart Bassinet from Happiest Baby. We rented it at 4 weeks and wish we had it for those 4 weeks. By 6 weeks Eden slept through the night and by 4 months she transitioned to her crib with NO issues. She is a great baby and a good sleeper, but we swear by The Snoo. Worth every penny! We rented but you can also buy them from their site - or look around on Facebook Marketplace. It also happens to be the safest bassinet on the market which gave me peace of mind when it came to safe sleep. Look how sad Eden was to say goodbye to The SNOO but look how happy she is in her crib (pics below)!
**Disclaimer: The AAP states that "Infants should be placed on a firm sleep surface (eg, mattress in a safety-approved crib) covered by a fitted sheet with no other bedding or soft objects to reduce the risk of SIDS and suffocation." The option to place the mat underneath our baby was at the discretion of us the parents and our child's doctor. The quilt and stuffed animals are removed from her crib and were only there for this photo lol.
SNOO Rental / Purchasing Options - link here!
Snuggle Me Organic Infant Lounger- The Snuggle Me Organic is a less expensive version of the DockATot (and in my opinion - prettier looking. I bought the Infant Lounger in a random color that was on sale and it came with the tan coverlet. I love the color of the lounger on its own too! We used this a TON when Eden was 0-2 months old. We would lay it on our couch and bed and let Eden nap next to us. Babies love it because it feels so snuggly and resembles being held. Eden is older now but we still put her on her "couch" (what we call it lol) all the time. It makes for a safe space to lay her when we need to free our hands.
Snuggle Me Organic Lounger from $72.00 - Link here!
Swing / Chair - Babies love to be in motion. I was so grateful my cousin gave me a swing she used with her boys. We set it up in our living room and not a day goes by that we don't use it. I put Eden in it in the evening when I cook dinner and she takes her last cat-nap of the day in it. It plays music and has tons of speeds. BUT you don't have to have a fancy swing. My mom got her the swing on the right to keep at her house and it's super cute and portable (also less expensive)!
$79.99 Fisher-Price Deluxe Take-Along Swing & Seat from Target - Link Here
Baby Brezza: After I got over the mental and social stigma around formula feeding I bought the Baby Brezza to keep Eden's formula water nice and body temp at the push of a button. They also have a machine that dispenses the formula already mixed (like a baby Keurig) but I went the cheaper route and got the one that dispenses room temp, body temp, or a tad warmer than body temp water! It makes feeding so much easier since I can get everything ready with one hand and use my other hand to hold Eden! It's also so lightweight that we take it on trips too! If you want to hear more of our journey with feeding check out this post!
FED IS BEST!!
Baby Brezza $43.99 at Target- Link here!
Baby Carrier: A friend of mine gave me the Moby Wrap and it was crucial those first few weeks. We still use it but not as much as we did when Eden was firstborn. She wanted to be held all the time so in order to get things done I would wrap her up and she would fall right asleep on me!
$44.95 at Target - Link here!
Zipper Pajamas/ Sleep N' Play's: I never knew babies wore PJ's lol. So I didn't register or buy any jammies for Eden. Luckily a sweet friend gave me tons of clothes - including zipper jammies for Eden from her daughter. Zipper jammies are amazing. Not only do they keep your baby nice and warm but they allow for easy access to diaper changes in the middle of the night. Bonus if you find ones with double zippers that allow you to unzip from the feet!
$9.99 for two at Target- Link here!
Bath Seat: We were gifted a durable and comfortable bathtub seat from Amazon and it makes bathtime so easy and fun! I love that it does not mesh so it dries super quick and leaves no smells or mold. Eden loves the bath. I mean loves it. She can spend hours in her bath seat and play in the water. She has used the seat since the start (after her umbilical cord fell off) and she is just now moving onto one that lets her sit up. It's gonna be a sad day for Momma when we pack this trusty seat up for storage.
$16.99 on Amazon - Link here!
Avent Soothie Pacifiers - In the NICU Eden was given her first pacifier. It happened to be Avent. While they aren't the cutest, they are the easiest for her to hold. I feel like she must have gotten used to them and now she loves them the best. I will say she isn't picky at all with pacifiers and will literally take any version. So for photo ops and traveling out in public, I use the cute Bibbs or the Cutie Pat pacifiers but for nighttime and day-to-day, we use the good old Avent one she got in the NICU (but I have purchased the more girly looking colors)!
$3.19 from Target - Link here!
Swaddles - Hands down the best baby swaddles/blankets. Florida Kid Co has the cutest and softest swaddles. Eden has like 6 patterns and we use them daily! You can find them locally in Brevard County at Coastal Cloth Baby & Co or order from the Florida Kid Co site. They make great gifts too! Eden is 5 months old now and still loves to cuddle with and lay on these swaddles while she does tummy time.
