since becoming a mom A LOT has changed & now that atlas is 7 weeks old i feel like i’ve gotten a handle on what’s working best for us. i wanted to share the top 10 newborn baby items we’re using on a regular basis that really help & i’d love to hear if you have any items i didn’t mention so i can check them out!
1. dock-a-tot
this is the most expensive of all the items but we use it daily and in the beginning, we used it nightly, too! it runs close to $200 but can be used for months and we plan on having another baby in the future so we would keep it for him/her as well. it’s literally a safe place to “dock” your baby. in those first 2 weeks home from the hospital, we didn’t have a sleeping routine and baby atlas slept in this thing in between us in the bed, on top of the covers of course, but it was a life-saver because we didn’t know how to properly swaddle him and he seemed scared and alone in his bassinet next to our bed so we used this. he is now 7 weeks old and sleeping swaddled in his bassinet and this dock-a-tot product is mainly on the coffee table or kitchen island and i lay him in it while i make a cup of coffee, eat breakfast, work on the computer, etc… well worth the money!
2. hatch baby sound machine & night light
before having the baby dek & i slept in complete silence, but we received this from our registry and started using it before we even had atlas and LOVE it! we fall asleep to the sound of rain every night & i think the baby likes having background “white noise” too. the machine also has more sound options like nature, waves, a dryer, static, etc. and it also has customizable nightlight so you can have it be lit up in any color you want…bonus you can turn it on/off and volume up/down from an app on your phone. i don’t even use all of the features on this thing yet, but we really like having it in our room and when we need to move atlas to his own room i think we will get our own hatch baby, ha!
3. wubbanub pacifier
keeping a pacifier in baby atlas’s mouth is not so easy, he didn’t really want to take one at first and now that he’s kinda gotten used to it he likes this one. i like it because the weight of the little animal helps keep it on his chest/in his mouth when we lay him down for bed.
4. graco glider swing
this thing is awesome! it vibrates, glides in 6 different speeds/settings and has music/sound options. baby atlas loves chillin in it when i am doing things around the kitchen/living room and stays pretty content for a while so i can be hands-free. it is a little on the bulky side like it doesn’t fold up to be tucked away anywhere but we just keep it in the living room by the tv and find ourselves using it a few times a day.
5. nested bean swaddle
like i mentioned above when we got home from the hospital we didn’t know how to properly swaddle atlas to keep him from getting out of it so we kind of “gave up” on swaddling those first few weeks. but this one (which was gifted to us from a friend) was a game-changer because it velcros AND has little weights on the chest and the sides to make him feel like he’s being hugged. genius! it works like a charm and helps him stay asleep longer.
6. baby shusher
this product was recommended to us by someone my mom works with and it really helps soothe baby A to sleep much faster. it literally mimicks the shushing you would do to help your baby fall asleep but it has volume adjusters and a timer for either 15 or 30 minutes. we keep this in his bassinet and use it nightly and also take it when we go on walks to the park if he gets fussy and needs help calming down.
7. skip hop activity mat
this is a little playmat that is appealing to the eye. i really don’t like primary colored baby toys and things and this one is grey and doesn’t scream BABY in your face. it’s just as functional with a little cloud pillow to help prop baby up on for tummy time and then when he’s done with that i flip him over and let him gaze at the hanging toys, he loves it and i love how it looks. win-win.
8. pee pee teepees
so i have a boy & he pees on himself when i change him. i’ve learned that every time i change him i need to cover his wee wee with a pee pee teepee otherwise it sprays everywhere, including his own face! these were a gift from a friend at work and it seemed like a kind of gag gift at first but i seriously use one of these every time i change his diaper. they come in a pack of 5 so i keep a few at his changing station and one in the diaper bag.
9. tuck & bundle baby wrap
babywearing is amazing…it helps you stay close with your little one while you get shit done! i like to think of him in a little kangaroo pouch when i wear him in this wrap because it’s such a lightweight & comfortable fabric we both enjoy it. he falls right to sleep when i wear him and it makes my heart swoon. it took a few practice trys for me to wrap it around my body right and tight, but once you get the hang of it it’s super easy.
10. my breast friend nursing pillow
so i’ve been breastfeeding and this pillow is so comfortable and helpful to keep his body near mine and my arm from falling asleep during feedings, which can take up to an hour (or at least they did in the beginning!)…even if you are bottle feeding i think this would be a great product to have to help you with feedings. i recommend this pillow vs the boppy because it velcros around you so it stays put and doesn’t slide away from you & it also has a little pouch to keep chapstick, nipple cream, the tv remote, your cell phone, etc. in while you are feeding baby so you have what you need nearby. plus the slipcover is removable for easy washing.
hopefully this post was helpful to any soon-to-be or other new mommas out there 🙂
if you have any products you think i should know about please leave them in the comments below!!
