Must Haves for New Moms
Must Haves for New Moms
It's been 2 months since we welcomed our newest additions, boy / girl twins Gus & Hannah. And although it had been slightly over 2 years since the quadruplets' birth, it's amazing to see how much has changed in the baby space.
With each pregnancy I'm amazed how many more useful products are available for parents of new babies...and each time I discover a new product we use daily, I can't help but think, "How did we ever survive before THIS came along?"
Today on the blog I want to share a few of my favorite products that I think are MUST HAVES for new moms. As a disclosure, these are products we use and love in our house with 7 kids and 2 newborns. I did receive free product for a number of these reviews although none of these are paid reviews and the thoughts and comments presented below are wholly my own.
So here's a quick rundown of my current Must Haves for New Moms!
Dock-A-Tot
DockATot is a really neat product designed as an in-bed co-sleeper. While we don't use it solely as a co-sleeper, the DockATot design is so unique that I find myself dragging them with the twins in them all over our house!
DockATot is billed as a "sleep enhancer" and is intended to somewhat resemble the snug and cozy environment of the womb. We have 2 DockATot Deluxe+ for the infants and 5 of the Grands for the bigger kids. I haven't yet transitioned the quadruplets to big kid beds - but once they move out of their cribs, the DockATot Grands will make a great "trainer" for them and help prevent falls and promote safety.
With the twins in their DockATot Deluxe+ I find that they do tend to sleep better for naps and at night in their docks and I love all of the beautiful designs that the covers are available in. You can learn more about DockATot on their website.
Lorena Canals Rugs
With 2 new babies at home, our 5 older kids spend a LOT of time oohing and aahing over them. And I want them to be able to be close and play with them, so we spend a lot of the time on the floor.
Right now I am LOVING the Lorena Canals rugs, which are not only beautiful but also totally machine washable. I'm a little bit of a clean freak when it coms to the babies, so when I think about how much I would have been paying to have their play rug cleaned, it makes me so happy just to be able to throw in the wash!
You can check out Lorena Canals entire line of washable rugs over on their website.
Bumbleride Indie Twin Stroller
With the birth of Gus and Hannah we officially became a 3 double stroller family. We have always been huge fans of Bumbleride, a San Diego company that makes durable, all-terrain strollers with eco fabrics made of 100% recycled polyester from recycled plastic water bottles.
We have 3 of Bumbleride's Indie Twin strollers and this time for Gus and Hannah are using the Indie Twin with the double bassinet setup. This stroller is infant ready with adjustable footrests, backrests and large UPF 45+ canopies that have a pop out extension. Everything is machine washable, which is key for our large messy family.
Molly likes to cruise around on the Mini Board toddler board on the back, so as long as we have 3 adults with us we can pretty much get anywhere! You can get Bumbleride products in San Diego at Wonderful & Wild or online at Bumbleride.com.
Monte Design Rockwell Bassinet
When we brought Gus and Hannah home it was becoming pretty evident that we are short on space as far as bedrooms go. Currently babies #6 and 7 are sleeping with Charlie and I in our room, and we chose the Monte Design Rockwell Bassinets for them.
I've always loved Monte's rocking chairs - we have 2 of them in the other kids' rooms - but these bassinets are key for really stylish, space-saving sleeping. The chrome stand has walnut rocking feet and is a gorgeous contrast to the soft upholstered basket (that you can remove and clean or transport to different rooms!)
The Monte Design Rockwell Bassinets are designed for babies up to 18 pounds, so I like that they're a good investment for our growing babies. You can find the Rockwell Bassinets on the Monte website.
Baby Bjorn Bouncer Bliss
I was familiar with the Baby Bjorn company from their infant carriers and some of their feeding gear. But I saw a friend who had their Bouncer Bliss bouncy chair and I knew we had to have 2 of these!
I always struggle with "where" to put the babies when they're not napping or sleeping. We do a fair bit of tummy time on the ground and in the DockATots but if I'm in the kitchen or playing with the bigger kids, I love to have the twins close by and the Bouncer Bliss chairs make that happen.
Compared to other bouncer chairs this ergonomic design with its natural rocking built in is fara ahead! I do have to step in at times to get the bigger kids to stop bouncing the babies, but they honestly seem to enjoy the chairs if they're sitting still or being bounced by a sibling. You can find the Baby Bjorn Bouncer Bliss chairs on their website.
EzPz Mini Mats
As a dietitian working in the infant feeding space, I try out a LOT of feeding gear. But nothing gets more use in our house than our EzPz mats. These are all-in-one placemats and plates that suction to the table.
I recently learned that they are also the number one baby registry item in the US - and I can see why! The MiniMat is a great introductory portion plate made of 100% silicone that is BPA, BPS, PVC, latex and phthalate free. It's designed for infants and toddlers 4+ months but we use ours with 2 and 3 year olds
The portions in the plate are 2, 2 and 4 ounces and the mat fits most high chair trays. It helps promote self-feeding and the development of fine motor skills. Plus they're compact and lightweight and come in a really cool reusable wet bag.
You can check out the full line of EzPz products at ezpzfun.com.
Primary.com
When it comes to baby and kids clothes, there is nothing that bothers me more than inane slogans, silly logos or garish sequins. Which is EXACTLY why I love the brand Primary.com.
Primary makes clothes that "celebrate the best parts of childhood" including simplicity, comfort and vibrant colors for self-expression without logos, slogans and sequins.
Our kids LIVE in their primary clothes (and their swim line is FABULOUS!) and I love that all of their pieces are $25 or under. You can check out the full line of great, durable, stylish clothes for babies and kids at Primary.com.
