Critical Baby Gear/Gizmos/Thingamajigs: Newborn to 3 Months

February | March | April

I started this blog post when Calvin was about a month old and just kept adding to it until he hit three months old this week, so be warned that it is rather lengthy, but worth the read. I also plan on posting an update every three months or so under this same title, and as they are created, I’ll link them at the bottom of correlating posts. Also, Calvin’s first three months of life were February, March, and April here in northern Utah, so some of these items are pretty seasonal.

SLEEP AND COMFORT

• VAVA Night Light – I came across this product while looking for a rechargeable and dimmable night light to keep for late night diaper changes and feedings. I love this thing. There are two color settings, it charges wirelessly and holds a charge for several nights of intermittent use, and has a gradual dimming function, so you can choose exactly how bright you want it to be.
• Hushh White Noise Machine – I have used this since the very first night we brought Calvin home from the hospital. It’s easy to use and I love that I can clip it to whatever I need to, wherever we go. I clip it right to his pack n’ play next to our bed and right above his head. The noise helps Calvin sleep longer and it helps mask some of the noises he makes in his sleep so I can actually sleep when he sleeps.
• SwaddleMe and Sleepea swaddle sacks – I’m pretty confident in my swaddling ability with blankets, but only during the day. For the nighttime sleep hours, I much prefer using one of these sleep sacks so I know that Calvin can’t wiggle out and end up with loose fabric in bed with him, possibly over his face. Both styles are pretty easy to use. I preferred the SwaddleMe sacks at first because they seemed warmer. As the weather changed, and Calvin got taller, I started to use the Sleepea instead and liked them both. I will say that the Sleepea was much easier to put on Cal when he was fussing, kicking his legs, and flailing his arms. He has a much harder time wiggling his hands up to his mouth to suck on when he’s in the Sleepea. He also started sleeping longer stretches at night about the same time we switched to the Sleepea, but that could be a total coincidence.
• Fleece Blanket – I used this handmade fleece blanket every single time we took Calvin out of the house for the freezing first five weeks of his life, which was when the weather started to warm up. Fleece holds germs more stubbornly than cotton does, so I would just tuck this blanket around Calvin while he was in his car seat and either leave it in the car or leave it in the car seat. If I needed to wrap him up while we were out about about, he either went into the sollybaby wrap or I used a stretchy cotton swaddling blanket.
• Sollybaby Wrap – The sollybaby wrap is a long, stretchy piece of fabric that you origami around yourself and your baby to carry them snugly on your chest. Calvin absolutely loves this wrap. I use it almost daily to free my hands up so I can get things done around the house, to help Cal to nap when he’s overtired and fussy, and to bond with him.
• BIBS pacifiers – I order these pacifiers from the company, Mushie. Their customer service and their products are great. I won a giveaway for a gift card, so I bought these pacifiers and Calvin loves them. He can keep them in his mouth easily and I can keep them clean. Win-win.
• Rafe and Moose Swaddling Blankets – my favorite swaddling blankets. They are so soft and stretchy and come in gorgeous colors. I much prefer these over my cotton muslin blankets, but maybe I’ll prefer the light muslin once we get into the summer months. They are made of a fabric similar to my sollybaby wrap. I actually used one just on Cal’s arms for a nap when it was unusually hot.
• Amelia Rose & Co. Baby Nest – during pregnancy I talked myself out of a Dock-A-Tot because it seemed unnecessary. For me and my baby, however, I realized I wanted one badly and bought a nest for Cal for my birthday. Rather than a name brand, I chose to support a small business in Oregon called Amelia Rose & Co. She hand makes every one of her products. The baby nests are similar to a Dock-A-Tot, but they are adorable and reversible. I love having a safe place to lay Cal down for a rest or a nap and having the comfort of knowing that he won’t roll off the couch. I love it and use it daily.

FEEDING AND NURSING

When Calvin was born, he immediately had issues latching on my left side and I started using a pump in the hospital, which wasn’t my plan at all. I was planning on exclusively nursing until I went back to work. I used a pump in the hospital to express colostrum, but I didn’t use my pump once we got home until Calvin’s two week checkup when we discovered that he wasn’t gaining weight like he needed to be. Since then I have used my pump multiple times per day, both at home and at work, to support my supply and to allow me to supplement Calvin with breastmilk. Because of all of this, Calvin nurses and takes a bottle of either expressed/pumped milk or formula each time he eats.

• Breast Pump – I love my SpeCtra S2. It works well for me, it is simple to dissemble and reassemble, the parts wash and sterilize easily, and I like the backflow protectors, so I don’t have to worry about breastmilk in my tubing.
• Pumping Bra – we consulted with a nurse practitioner with experience in lactation who recommended power pumping to boost my supply. After that appointment, we immediately drove to Target and purchased this hands-free pumping bra. It makes being hooked to my pump for 20-60 minutes 1-3 times per day much easier and more bearable.
• Boon Nursh bottles – I chose to use the Boon Nursh bottles because my son is not picky and they were my favorite of the ones I bought to try. They are so simple to wash and sterilize and I love that they are made of silicone. They come in a 4 oz. and a 8 oz size. When we need to bring a bottle with us, we can just bring one outer shell, ring, and lid. Then we throw several silicone pouches and nipples in ziploc and we have multiple bottles in much less space. They also have a sippy cup replacement nipple, so you can use the same system for bottles and sippy cups.
• Haakaa Manual Breast Pump – I, as a person, apparently leak a lot. Every time I nurse Calvin, I use this silicone breast pump to catch my letdown and leakage from the other side. If I don’t I will likely soak my nursing pad on that side and it’s such a waste. I can usually get an ounce to two ounces in the Haakaa at each feeding if I switch it back and forth as Calvin switches sides.
• Lanisoh Ultimate Nursing Pads – I had these disposable nursing pads in my bra at all times for the first several months of Cal’s life. The first 2-3 weeks were especially bad. These pads are super absorbent and I have yet to have a problem with them getting oversaturated and making a mess. However, once they have absorbed some breastmilk, you can smell it. The smell doesn’t bother me, but it is mildly noticeable to people around you. I would describe the smell as a buttery, fatty, rich smell. I honestly just ignore it and am grateful that I am producing milk at all. I tried Lanisoh’s reusable nursing pads, but they just got too soaked too fast for me. Now that my supply has regulated and I am leaking a lot less, I’ll give them another try.

HELPFUL AND CONVENIENT

• Diaper Cart – I’ll link my post on how I created my rolling diaper cart here. We have laminate flooring in most of our apartment and this cart is one of the most used items in our home. I love that I can roll it to wherever I am and that it has almost everything I ever need.
• Zippered Sleep N’ Plays – Calvin wore this style of clothing almost exclusively for the first 6 weeks of his life. They were simple to get on and off of him, I could cover his hands, and they were easy to launder and put away. Plus he looked super cute.
• Zutano Fleece Booties – baby socks are the worst. The absolute worst. Especially when your baby has the body type of a lollipop as my little boy does. But these booties stay on. I even put them on over footed sleep n’ plays when we would go on walks during the winter to spring transition.
• Fansidi Baby Nail Trimmer – I bought this on the recommendation of Kallie at But First, Coffee and it is way better than traditional nail clippers. There are six different attachments to use based on the age of your baby and the hardness of their nails. We didn’t trim Calvin’s nails until he was three weeks old, but this gadget makes it so simple and easy. We can even work on his fingernails when he’s wide awake as long as he isn’t hungry or in need of a diaper change.
• Baby Bum Brush – this product looked so gimicky and unnecessary to me while I was pregnant, but someone gifted me a set of two and I decided to use them. I love not having to get any sort of diaper cream or ointment all over my fingers and under my nails. I don’t have to hold two of my fingers out of the way while I try to diaper and redress my baby. It’s super nice.
• Drool Bibs – I have a slobbery baby. It’s ridiculous. Bibs seemed silly to me to use with a baby before they were eating food but I was wrong. Very glad of these, especially when I don’t want to be changing onesies all day long.