I remember asking friends and family for recommendations on what to get baby as a first time mom and what were the best baby products. I really wish someone would have shared with me these 5 baby products that has made life easier this second time around. If you are looking for recommendations on overall best products that you need to pack in your hospital bag you can find those recommendations here.
Owelet Monitoring sock and monitor duo.
I actually heard about this one with my first son. And honestly I have no idea why I went without it. So what is it? It’s a sock that you place on your baby’s foot that provides you with your baby’s heart beats per minute as well as oxygen percentages.
You view them via app on your cell phone and it will provide you with alerts if your babys heart beats or oxygen levels are below where they should be. It has given me HUGE peace of mind. I can see in real time what his vitals are and can see him through the camera as well. Furthermore the camera will read the temperature in the room and inform you if it’s too cold or hot for the baby.
Last thing I want to point out about this awesome product is that it will work even without WiFi! Our internet went out one weekend and I was so concerned. Tech informed me that the base (it comes with) will still alert you even without WiFi as long as it was plugged in. The same way you can take it in the car! You just simply plug it in and you have peace of mind even when your baby naps on the road. It definitely is a you cannot be without baby products.
The DockAtot
I discovered this when my first son was 9 months unfortunately so I didn’t take advantage of the smaller size until baby number 2. The DockATot is a lounger that comes in two sizes, deluxe and grand. It’s a very soft lounger that hugs your baby for play, changing and supervised sleep. Not one day has gone by that I haven’t used it.
I’ve had my baby nap in it for all supervised naps and to lay him down around the house in a safe place. It’s in almost all of my stories with baby! Ha! Hand down you need both sizes for when your baby outgrows the smaller one. Mine did very quickly because of how huge he was (18+ lbs at 4 months.)
The smaller one, deluxe makes a great bed on the plane also! Definitely a traveling companion.
The Halo Bassinet
We are a co-sleeping family and bed shared with our first. We follow La Leche Leagues Safe 7 Sleep and to this day our toddler hasn’t left our bed. Now whether he starts in his own bed and ends up in ours or from the get go, it’s not safe to have a toddler and a baby on the same bed.
For that reason I needed a compromise that would keep baby as close to me as possible yet in his own safe space. This bassinet was perfect for that! It swivels 360 degrees which is amazing when you’re trying to put baby down asleep and not wake him up. It’s also perfect for c-section recovering mamas because it adjusts to the height of your bed to pick baby up without getting up!
The newer versions come with some fancy features such night light, vibration and noise but I didn’t personally use them. I also loved that the mesh walls serve as a more quaint place for baby to help settle. I used the bassinet of a pack and play for our first and it was so big and open for him that he had a hard time staying asleep especially with the newborn reflexes. Which brings me to my next best baby products recommendation.
The Halo swaddle and swaddle transition sack.
I have to confess I was NOT on board with swaddling with my first. I naively thought it was forcing him in a position he didn’t want to be in. Little did I know quite the opposite that they found comfort in being swaddled.
It wasn’t until my 6 week post partum check that my OB highly recommended it after I told her he was a bit fussy. She said studies suggested a lot of fussiness derives from lack of or poor sleep. She recommended a good swaddle to combat the startle reflex in addition to.
That same night I purchased several types of swaddles and by far the Halo was the best one. It fit the best. Quality remained the best even after washing. My baby looked comfortable and peaceful.
What you should also know is that Halo also makes transitional sacks for when they outgrown their swaddle. I love that they are made with excellent thicker cotton that resembles a quilt. Since you have to make sure babies don’t overheat, you have to keep the room temperature pretty low, like around 73 degrees (ours was perfect at 75.) Well this sack was perfect to keep him nice and cozy without overheating. Love their longer sleeves that allowed a regular onesie underneath the sack.
The Boppy Pillow
I bring this pillow everywhere! Since delivery at the hospital. You can read that post here. To trips to grandma’s house. It makes a world of a difference.
It provides a comfort and stability for both you and baby at feedings. You don’t have to worry about your arms going numb if baby falls asleep or baby being in an awkward position.
You can also use it to prop baby up! My baby loves to lay on it next to me while playing with a teether for quite some time. Lastly you can also use it to assist with tummy time those first few months!
I truly use these baby products daily. They are worth every penny and would not be able to be without them. Do you have one or more? Are you wanting one? Leave me a comment or head over to my Instagram to send me a message.
Love,
Angelica