Over the long holiday weekend, I got to hang out with my dear friend Laurie, who recently became a new mama. Her sweet girl Miri is about to turn 5 months old, so it was fun getting to know the babe and spending quality time with her little family of three. Laurie and I have been friends since college, and we like to joke our lives have always taken similar paths—from dating, careers, marriage and now kids. We each got married three months apart, so it was no surprise I got pregnant soon after she did (not orchestrated, either!). Walking this journey with her has been such a joy and comfort!
During our time together, I took full advantage of asking loads of parenting questions in hopes I’d get the inside scoop, and secret sauce to what makes a good Mom. Perhaps it’s the laid back SoCal influence, but Laurie and Brian (her hubs) are easy-going parents I hope to emulate. As a new Mom it can be overwhelming to decipher between necessary baby products, and those that are just nice to have (only left to create clutter in the house!). Therefore, getting advice from someone you trust is invaluable and extremely helpful. In today’s post, Laurie is sharing her top recommended products for new mamas.
10 Baby Products for new Mamas
recommended by Laurie
Stroller: There are so many stroller options and it’s definitely a personal preference, so I recommend going to a store and test driving a few. We picked the City Select Baby Jogger because I preferred its smooth stroll compared to other options and while it’s not technically a running stroller, I plan to jog with it on paved pathways. Also, it turns into a double stroller – an option we hope we will need in a couple of years! The other stroller that I liked was the Stokke Xplory. And the Uppa Baby Vista is a popular choice among my local mom-friends.
Car seat: My husband and I chose the Nuna Pipa car seat purely because of how lightweight it is compared to others and we love it! We were happy to read that it is highly ranked in the safety department as well. Parents are required to have the car seat before they leave the hospital, so I recommend purchasing your car seat no later than week 34-36 of pregnancy — just to be safe!
Bassinet: My husband and I spent a lot of time researching bassinets. We wanted something minimalist, but safe. We also didn’t want to overspend on sleeping arrangements that only last 3-6 months. A friend gifted us the Halo Bassinet and it has been great! It is a little bulky due to the wide base, but the bassinet is sturdy and works well. It has a vibrating option to soothe baby, as well as night lights that come in handy during the middle of the night changes. We placed it on my husband’s side of the bed because he can sleep through Miri’s squeaks a little better than me.
Diaper Bag: I wanted a stylish backpack for practical reasons. Your hands are always full, either carrying the baby or the carseat or pushing the stroller. It’s nice to not worry about a bag slipping off your shoulder. So after doing some research, I chose the Fawn Design bag in gray. It is a nice looking faux leather, which means if Miri (or let’s be honest.. it’s usually Mama) spills anything on the bag, it easily wipes clean. I receive compliments on my bag almost every time I’m out!
Swaddles: Stock-up on swaddles (I think we have ten.) We use them all day, everyday and they get dirty quickly (milk spit-up, diaper blow-outs, etc.) You will want several clean ones on hand. We love the bamboo silky ones because they are so soft! We also use the Miracle Blanket swaddle for Miri at night. She started sleeping through the night around 8-weeks and we credit the Miracle Blanket.
Sleepers: We were gifted a few sleepers that zip versus button and they are great! Middle of the night changes are so much quicker when you can zip baby right back up.
Rock-n-play: Miri loves to nap in her rock n play. Also, if she is a little fussy, we use this and our favorite Pandora station – Rockabye Baby – to calm her down. This is the one we have, but they have tons of different colors and styles.
Boppy lounger: Miri loves to lounge on her Boppy! We received this as a gift and it is one of our most used items.
Gathre Mat: Now that it’s summertime, I have been enjoying our Gathre mat (as seen in these photos) for sitting outside. It’s bonded leather, compact and a great option for our beach days and picnics in the park.
Little Nomad Play Mat: We have hardwood floors throughout our home, which makes cushy places for Miri to play a little tricky. We recently purchased the Little Nomad play mat and are loving it! It’s soft enough for Miri to lounge on, easily wipes clean, and does not look tacky laid out in our living room.
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My outfit: Dress | Hat | Sandals | Wicker Bag // Laurie’s outfit: Dress | Sandals | Diaper Bag // Miri’s outfit: Bonnet | Shoes