TOP BABY PRODUCTS (0-6 MONTHS)
/
Photo by: Leah Hardcastle featuring Noell Jane bow and Amazon romper
If you are a new momma coming here for tips, I am cheering you on! First time motherhood can be summed up by research ALL THE TIME as you are trying to figure out what the best products are, where to find them, how you want to raise your child, what do you really need, wondering how you will pursue your spouse in this new season, preparing for post partum life/healing, and all the in between. I was right there in your shoes 7 months ago! I wish I had a list like this from a trusted friend that could give me a starting point of the top baby products/resources that I would actually use…and love!
I have bucketed this list into three categories to make it a little easier to digest:
Post Partum Healing
Breastfeeding
All Things Baby
I hope this takes some of the guess work out of new motherhood for you on the practical resources side of things, and that you find these products/tools/tips helpful!
DISCLAIMER: Joshua and I are very low-tech when it comes to baby products, so if you are looking for the geekiest tech products for little one, you will not find that here. However, if simple, beautiful, high quality, and practical are your thing, you came to the right place! Last, I am not a medical professional, nor do I have any licensure to teach anything on post-partum healing, breastfeeding, medicine for babies, sleep training, or raising a grown adult. This is me simply sharing resources because I get the question all the time from new mommas of ‘What are your facvorite products?’
POST PARTUM HEALING
I did not have c-section, so these tips will not be helpful if you had a c-section. Let’s start off getting real…REAL quick.
POSTPARTUM CART (For your bathroom): I set this cart up before my daughter was born so that I was prepared for all the care that I would need. This makes it really easy and keeps your bathroom from exploding full of post partum things. I put everything that is listed below in this cart.
PERI BOTTLE: I wish I brought this to the hospital, but it is a must have item. It is not needed for a C-section.
DEPENDS: I brought a few of these to the hospital to leave the hospital in, and I am so glad I did. The mesh stuff is for the birds. (IMO) You can actually wear real clothes with these and they make you feel a little human again.
NURSING PADS: I personally loved these nursing pads to keep from leaking. They are comfortable, disposable, and make caring for your breasts easy to keep things clean and fresh after feeding. They hold alot and I did not have any leak issues even through the night.
DERMAPLAST: This will help numb the pain a little. You will want a few of these ready at home.
COLACE or MAGSOOTHE: This will help your stool soften for those first bathroom trips post partum. (Colace/Magsoothe)
WITCH HAZEL FOAM: Witch Hazel helps to tighten skin and reduce inflammation. This was all time favorite post partum healing product. These Tucks Witch Hazel Cooling Pads are also wonderful!
EPSOM SALT: I loved this Epsom Salt for baths to help heal and help my body relax. I highly recommend these.
BREASTFEEDING
I have grown a new passion for cheering on and encouraging other mommas in their breastfeeding journeys. It is hard work, but I truly believe the right tools can make a huge difference in making this hard thing a little easier…and full of more joy! Breastfeeding and pumping can be a lonely and isolating thing…but it does not have to be. I hope you feel less alone, and seen, with these tips to help you through!
IDAHO JONES PUMPING PRODUCTS: This is what I use for work, and it makes it really simple.
Ellerby Pump Bag: This one fits your cooler, spectra pump, laptop, wet bag, medela wipes, and snacks. It doesn’t look like a pump bag either, which helps when going back to work.
Wet Bag: One of my favorite parts of this set up. The wet bag is game changing.
Roxwell Cooler: This is really nice if there is not a fridge around, but you are on the go.
Ice packs: The cooler is pretty small, so the ice packs that fit this are worth it. I got 4, and they fit really well with two bottles.
SPECTRA (BATTERY CHARGED): For our next child, I would love to try the Elvie or Willow pump, but the battery charged Spectra worked great for where we are now. You can also purchase the wall plug in Spectra! *Some insurance covers breast pumps. Make sure you check with your insurance company before purchasing.
KINDRED BRAVELY HANDS FREE PUMPING BRAS: I purchased these when I went back to work (4.5 months), and I have no idea why I waited so long. Do yourself a favor and get 3 of these. One for wearing, one for washing, and one clean. I keep one in my pump bag for work just in case! They are the only pump bras that actually allow you to be hands free pumping. (Or you can purchase individually here: Pink, Tan, or Black)
MEDELA WIPES: I put these in my pump bag for work, and they make cleaning parts so easy on the fly.
COTTON ROBES: Spit up doesnt roll off a cotton robe like a silk one.
LACTATION COOKIE RECIPE (CLEAN - ALMOST PALEO): I started to pump to up my supply and add in lactation cookies around 7 weeks. That was when I noticed a drop. Since we are paleo, we homemake ours, and they are still not quite paleo, but much higher quality than the boxed ones. They truly make a difference for me, and I basically eat them as my breakfast.
LOOSE TSHIRTS: I wore these pregnant as well. They are very oversized and look great tucked after pregnancy. There is also a scoop neck version that I love!
MY BREAST FRIEND: Another one of my all time favorite nursing products. It has great back support, has a spot to hold things, and you can stand up and move around easily while your baby is little with this. You could never do that with a boppy. I would never use a boppy for breast feeding after using this. However, the boppy is great for baby sitting up or laying down, just not as practical for breastfeeding in my opinion.
TAKING CARA BABIES - BREASTFEEDING TIPS FROM A SUBWAY SANDWICH: There has never been a more accurate video on the internet than this gem full of gold. If you are breastfeeding, this is so good and so helpful. She also has great tips and tricks on time change, diapering, sleep, and more.
NURSING PADS: These work so well, especially for the first few months of nursing, to not have leaking happen through your bra. :)
ALL THINGS BABY
This list is random and ranges from toys to diapering to safety! There is SO much out there, so I hope this list helps you make a decision on products in a time where you can feel like decision fatigue is plaguing you.
BURP CLOTHS: The muslin material is so good at catching spit up from dripping off. I would never get any other type of burp cloth. I got a few buts bees brand, and the spit up just rolls right off. Stick with muslin material. White is classic anyways.
SOFT BOOKS: Everly absolutely loves her soft books and the crinkle pages. I highly recommend these.
Peter Rabbit: Favorite!
Hungry Hungry Caterpillar: I wish we had gotten this one instead of another one we got.
Guess How Much I Love You: Favorite!
KEEKAROO: I will never not love the Keekaroo. One of my all time favorite baby products. Saves time, laundry, messes. It is amazing.
AVENT BOTTLE PRODUCTS:
Bottle Sanitizer: We use this every night to sanitize the plastic bottles and the caps. It is very low-tech.
Bottle Warmer: We are super low tech. This works perfect if you are similar in that regard!
Glass Bottles: I love using glass bottles (8 oz) as they heat up faster and these are my favorite to pump into because of how tall they are. We can only use them at home though because daycare requires plastic.
Plastic Bottles: We only purchased these because daycare requires plastic bottles.
Sippy Cup: This is a great transition sippy cup from Avent Bottles, and can use the Avent nipples as well as the sippy cup nipple.
BOOGIE SPRAY: This stuff truly is magic when used with the Frida Baby Snot Sucker.
FAWN DESIGN PRODUCTS:
Diaper Bag: We use this one for daycare drop off. It is very durable and the material is so easy to wipe down. I dont worry about daycare workers ‘ruining’ it. We have this in gray.
Weekender Bag: We have traveled alot with Ever, and this hold every thing she needs for trips. It makes it really easy to pack for her.
Stroller Straps: If you want to hang your diaper bag from your stroller, these are perfect.
LULI BEBE DIAPER BAG: This is my everyday diaper bag that is more stylish and feels like ‘me’. I absolutely LOVE the size. It holds so much, and the material on the inside makes it really easy to pull things in and out of. Very different from the Fawn Design diaper bag, and I love that they are different.
FRIDA BABY NOSE SUCKER: I promise, you will get over how gross this is.
GRIPE WATER: I gave this to Ever at 3 AM on her first night home, and it was FINALLY the thing that helped her sleep that first night. This stuff is magic.
FIRDA BABY MEDICINE DISPENSER: This works amazing for gripe water (mainly what we use it for) and giving any medicine to your baby.
MERLIN SLEEP SUIT: We moved Everly to this around 12 weeks and she loved it. She had a bad startle reflex, so it was perfect for her.
MOMS ON CALL: We used this book to help navigate sleep schedules, sleep training, and food schedules. I would highly recommend getting all three for the different ages, And if you have a newborn and toddler, there is a schedule for both!
EXERSAUCER: There were two options on Amazon that were very similar. One has more options you can change out at different ages. You cannot go wrong with either. This was the one I got for Everly that includes the chairs for when it turns into a table. This is the one without the chairs.
ERGO BABY OMNI 360/NEWBORN CARRIER: I love everything about this product. I have taken Everly on long hikes in this, do housework with it, carry her at homegroup in this, grocery shop in this, go for walks in this, and all the in between. It is one of my favorite baby purchase. It is extremely comfortable for momma and Everly sleeps super well in it. I could not recommend this enough. Worth every penny. Comes with a pouch that attaches and fit my phone, chapstick, a paci, and an extra burp cloth. This is the newborn one that is amazing for the early days. I love that it is so secure.
GOUMI SLEEPER: I only had one of these sleepers, but wish I got more. The sweet spot is newborn or 0-3 months, as they are typically still swaddled for naps/night time sleep.
OLLIE SWADDLE: I have no words for this product because it is amazing and Everly slept so well in it. We wish we had two, but never pulled the trigger. She slept in this until about 12 weeks, when she transitioned to the Merlin Sleep Suit.
BUMBO: We still use this to feed her on the floor while she is doing purees.
NOELL JANE BOWS: They have my favorite bows, the school girl bow. Bows make great stocking stuffers, easter basket ideas, and fun purchases for baby girls.
UPPA BABY STROLLER VISTA V2: We absolutely love this stroller, and we use it almost everyday for walks. Everly loved the bassinet for for the first 3-4 months or so. We have the Jordan color, but they just came out with the Declan color, and had that been out when we were purchasing, we would have gone with that one. The mockingbird stroller is a great option if you are looking for something a little less expensive. We got the Uppa Baby car seat as well.
PACIS: They make the best little noises when they paci. These are the only ones we bought, and we had no issues with Ever liking them because it was all she knew.
PACI CLIP: These are really dainty, and not too bulky. The bubbles are a really soft silicon, so great for teething as well.
BIBS:
Muslin Bandana Bibs: These ones catch spit up so well and look really cute.
Muslin Triangle Bibs: Another great option in the muslin material.
Cotton Triangle Bibs: These ones are lightweight and really cute. I put Ever in these with dressier outfits at church or on hot days.
Mushie Silicon Bibs: These are amazing when you introduce food. We used them on road trips as well to minimize the mess in a car. So easy to clean and really comfortable.
BUBBLE ROMPERS (for little girls): Amazon has amazing prices on bubble rompers. I wish I could shop local more, but the prices are really hard to beat on Amazon, and babies just grow so fast!
SOUND MACHINES: Simple, cheap, plug in and battery options. We got three: two for her nursery, and one to leave at daycare. We love the battery powered option, as we used these on road trips to help ‘recreate’ her nursery while we were driving.
MONITOR: This one is easy, has. good range, and it really low tech. Comes with two monitors, and we have had zeros issues with it.
SNUGGLE ME ORGANIC: We loved this product to set Everly down in, and she used it early on when she was doing tummy time. We got the dark birch color, and then purchased two covers (Gumdrop and Natural colors) to help protect the inside long term for other kids. If she spit up on it, it was no big deal, as we could wash the cover.
KYTE BABY SLEEP SACK: We purchased this for Everly to transition out of her Merlin Sleep Suit. She has been using a hand me down Nested Bean in the meantime, but I want a simple sleep sack for her, and Kyte Baby is AH-MAZE-ING. We purchased the Cloud and Oat colors, and we will probably get the Cocoa color for daycare. The quality is incredible, and they are beyond soft. There is a ton of room for her to grow length wise in them as well. We are so pleased. I would have skipped the nested bean altogether, but since we move at the speed of cash, we used the hand me down nested bean while we waited for the next months budget. ;)
FRIDA BABY THERMOMETER: This was easy to use and has a stopper so you don’t go in too far accidentally. Worked great! We really wanted this one, but we were in the heat of 2020 thermometer shortages when Ever was born, so here we are!
Photo by: Leah Hardcastle featuring the Ergo Baby carrier
For tips on how I set up our nursery, and products that we used in our nursery, check out Everly’s nursery reveal for ALL of those details. I am biased, but her little nursery is my all time favorite space.
Sweet blessings,
