Hi Balanced Beauties!
Ask and you shall receive! I am finally writing a much requested post about my personal favorite newborn essentials. During my pregnancy, I think I googled “top rated” and “most useful” newborn essentials more than anything, so I can understand why this was the most common request in my inbox!
I am going to keep this post short and simple. From what I’ve experienced, whether you love an item for a baby, or if a certain item worked for someone else’s baby, doesn’t necessarily mean your little is going to love it too. From my experience, Brooklyn told us early on (in not so many words) what she loved, and what she could do without, however, we didn’t always give up. For example, baby items like the swing & the Snoo bassinet, Brooklyn grew to love by the time she reached three weeks of age. Prior to that, she was not a fan of either! I am going to list below my favorite and my “must have” newborn essentials which I personally swear by.
Baby wipe warmer: This is something you can find anywhere. We swear by the baby wipe warmer. Newborns get cold or a chill easily. We noticed that when we change Brooklyn’s diaper overnight, she doesn’t wake up or get startled from a warm wipe. MUST HAVE!
The Snoo: This bassinet is not cheap, but it is safe! You have the option to rent or buy this bassinet. The SNOO helped both Brooklyn and myself sleep better. One of my biggest concerns, if not the biggest concern of becoming a mother, was safe sleep. I wanted the best, most safest place for Brooklyn to sleep so that I could not only have more peace of mind, but both of us could sleep better at night. I would recommend this to anyone looking for the best sleeper for their baby. Brooklyn started to sleep in the SNOO at three weeks old. It has features that naturally calm your baby, and a sleep sack that clips them in place so they can’t roll over and jeopardize their breathing.
Uppa Baby Vista Stroller, Carseat & Bassinet: I did a lot of research on strollers and carseats. I was deciding between a few, but I am so glad we went with this set. Again, this set is on the pricey side, but worth every penny. It is easy to use, safe, and efficient. My favorite part about it is that you can put the carseat in the stroller which has been a lifesaver for us. It has been a great transitional carseat. If Brooklyn falls asleep in the car, we can easily transfer her to the stroller without moving her. I love this brand and not to mention, it is gorgeous too! There are a few colors to pick from, however, to keep it gender neutral, we decided to go with the light gray/white!
Baby Swing: Brooklyn loves her swing. She will take at least one nap in her swing each day, which is amazing. Although she didn’t start loving the swing until around three weeks old, she has been using it every single day for naps, after a feed, or just to hang. This is the swing we use, but I think as long as you read reviews, any swing with good reviews & ratings will do!
Snuggle Me Organic Lounger: This lounger has been amazing for us. Whether I have to put Brooklyn down in a safe place while I am folding clothes or cooking, this was her place. We also recently took the snuggle me organic to the beach and once she fell asleep, we had her sleep in it under the umbrella. It was amazing. I would highly recommend something cozy like this that you can take around the house and to other places with you easily!
Baby Activity Gym: Another MUST HAVE! Newborns can “play” too. From the moment we brought Brooklyn home, she loved her activity gym mat. She loved to observe everything around her, and soon started to engage in the hangings toys, mirrors and all of the other fun stuff on there. I would highly recommend any kind of activity gym for your little!
Activity INFANT Chair: I love going between the activity mat and infant chair during the day. The infant chair helps Brooklyn strengthen her neck muscles for potentially sitting up on her own! Plus, it has some fun toys connected to it that keeps her busy!
Baby Bjorn Bouncer: I love this! This comes in handy when I have to put Brooklyn down after feedings. I also use this to put her in while I make breakfast, coffee, dinner, clean the house or fold laundry! I absolutely love it and so does she!
Baby Bjorn Carrier: We love this carrier! I love the support and comfort it gives to Brooklyn. We use this when we are vacuuming, cooking, or going for a walk. I also highly recommend using this on the days your baby wants to be close to you at all times.
Other newborn essentials that I would recommend:
1. White noise machine for sleep
2. Variety of binky brands and bottles: We went through 4 different brands to find the nipple that Brooklyn preferred. I was so worried that she wasn’t going to take a binky to help her soothe, but after some process of elimination to binky brands, we finally found one that she loves! We currently use MAM binky brand.
These are my favorite and most useful baby items this far. I hope this blog post was helpful to any moms, mamas-to-be, or for anyone looking to buy a gift for someone having a baby.
Have a balanced day!
Love Always,
Sammie Reed
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