One of the many fun things about adding another kiddo to the mix is getting to revisit the world of baby gear, which has changed a bit in the past four years! Those changes in what’s available + changes in what’s on my radar + a different baby (with different needs and preferences) = new products for us to use this time around. (Related: If you’re a first-time mom to be, check out this list of baby essentials I wrote for Zulily’s blog recently!)
Here are a few (mostly) new-to-me products we’ve especially been enjoying since Vance was born:
–Tula Baby Free-To-Grow Carrier: Okay, so this first one isn’t a new-to-me product, BUT I wish I’d known about it earlier in my parenthood journey with Maggie. You can use these carriers when babies are as small as seven pounds (so from birth for most babes) without any special infant insert, which is amazing. This time around, with an older child in the mix (and not having a maternity leave since I’m self employed), being hands free from the start was more essential than it was the first time around. I know there are some gorgeous wrap carriers, but those always make me a little nervous. I appreciate that my Tula is more structured while still being so comfy, and it snaps securely around my waist and at my upper back to keep both baby and me safe and comfy.
–Hushh Portable White Noise Machine: Y’all. This thing is incredible. It helps so much when we’re on the go with Vance, when we want him to calm down when we aren’t at home, or when we’re trying to transition him to a new environment without waking him up. With Maggie we just had a white noise machine in her room (this one, which we’re using for Vance and love!), and so it’s a game changer being able to pop this portable one onto the handle of his carseat and watching him calm down as a result. Definitely add this to your registry if you have a baby on the way.
–Philips Avent Breast Milk Storage Cups: These are so handy to have around to help organize the milk I pump each day. Since you have to bring breast milk to the same temperature before freezing it, I can pop milk in the fridge as I pump throughout the day and then combine the milk into freezer bags once it’s all chilled. (Speaking of breastfeeding, I’ve loved using Karrie Locher as a resource for that on Instagram. She’s a nurse as well as mom to three — soon to be four — and has the best tips and resources to share.)
–Pipette Baby Calming Shampoo + Wash: We used the Beautycounter baby products on Maggie, but that line has sadly been discontinued. (I’m grateful I stocked up on the amazing diaper rash cream before it sold out!) I did lots of research to find a new line of baby products to use with Vance, and we’ve loved this one! (We have the lotion as well.) It’s made of safe ingredients and has a pleasant, almost musky scent. (Kevin says it makes him smell like a hippie.) 🙂 It comes in a few different scents if hippie isn’t your jam, but I love it!
–Milkbarn Muslin Burp Cloths: I had a few of these when Maggie was a baby, but it was the rare occasion when we needed a burp cloth with her. Now that we go through a LOT each day with Vance, I’m much more well versed on the different styles of burp cloths out there, and the Milkbarn ones are by far my favorite. The lightweight muslin fabric is great, and I like that these are much bigger than a traditional burp cloth, although they can easily be folded or arranged to be a more standard size on your shoulder. For me, with Vance, they’re also doubling as a breastfeeding cover and it’s working so well!
–Otteroo Mini Neck Floatie: I’d seen pictures of babies in these before and thought they were hilarious, but then started thinking about how great they might be for baby #2. If Vance was wearing a float like this and could be upright in the tub, that meant he and Maggie could take a bath together (which she would LOVE), and I was pretty certain he’d enjoy being in the water this way, too. I was right! Both kids love this method. Maggie enjoys having a bath buddy, and Vance instantly gets happy and calm in the water, kicking away and obviously feeling very comfortable. I’m so glad we grabbed the Otteroo for him!
–Itzy Ritzy Pacifiers: We used the standard Avent pacis for Maggie (and have some for Vance as well), but I was so happy to find these silicone pacis that are extra cute, too! I also appreciate the handle, which makes one of these pacis much easier to hold on to and tote around the house than the Avents. They come in lots of fun colors, too.
–Lou Lou and Company Knotted Gowns: When Maggie was little, I learned how nice it is to avoid sleepers made with snaps or buttons. (Middle-of-the-night diaper changes are challenging enough without having to navigate a million tiny snaps, too.) We loved alllll the zippers with her, but a friend gifted me a Lou Lou and Company knotted gown for Vance, and that instantly got added to my list of acceptable baby sleeper styles. It’s so easy to unknot, change a diaper, and then tie closed again, and the fabric is SO soft and breathable. I know I’ll be gifting these a lot in the future!
–Lifefactory Glass Bottles: With Maggie, we used the Medela bottles, but I wanted a safer option than plastic so we went with these. I love that they are wrapped in silicone to make them a bit more durable, too! (If you’d like to do a bit more research about baby bottles, which might be right for your family, and some top-recommended brands, check out this post I wrote for Zulily’s blog!)
–XL Water Wipes: Babies don’t need to be bathed daily (in fact, it can dry out their skin), so finding these large wipes for a quick and easy cleaning between baths was a big win! Water Wipes are super safe, too, so you don’t have to worry about any suspect ingredients in these.
–Frida Baby DermaFrida: Both our babies have had a bit of cradle cap, but this time around there’s a new silicone Frida Baby tool to help clear it up for Vance! I think this is a great item to add to a baby registry because it’s a wonderful bath tool even if your kiddo doesn’t end up with cradle cap or eczema. Vance seems to think it feels wonderful, too!
–Royal Angels Baby Nail Clippers: I mentioned that Karrie Locher has been an amazingly helpful resource with baby #2, and this is another example of that! She has tons of great breastfeeding resources and information, but she also just has wonderful recommendations when it comes to pregnancy, postpartum, and babies in general. This nail clipper kit is one she loves, and now we do, too! I’d always been super nervous about clipping baby nails, but this takes the anxiety out of the mix. (We can use it on Maggie, too!)
