It’s been three years since this mama has had a baby in the house, and as any mom knows, the world of baby gear changes quickly! I’d love your input on what “new” things are worth buying—and what aren’t. Here are five baby items I’m thinking I might need. (?) If you have any experience with these, please fill me in!
- The Bumbo. I’ve never had one of these before, but I know many moms adore them. Do you like a particular model or feature? And has anyone been happy with a certain knock-off brand?
- The Woombie. I love the idea of these! Plus, they’re cute! I swaddled my boys like crazy, and this just looks one step easier, especially once Baby is old enough to break out and then be awakened by her own moving limbs. :) Baby Girl would be zipped up snug as a bug in the woombie. Some models even have netting to allow for better body temp regulation.
- The Carseat Cover. I’ve got this one covered! Thanks to my sister for making me one!
- The Muslin Blankets? I don’t know anything about these, but I see them all over. What are the advantages of muslin? It’s breathable?
- The Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle. (Not pictured) I did both bottle and breast feeding with the boys, and I’m interested in trying a bottle that attempts to mirror the breast. :) Has anyone tried this brand or another? Its amazon reviews are pretty convincing.
And if you have any other Baby Must-Have’s, please chime in! This overwhelmed mom thanks you!
Welcome! If you like being a mom, making a home, and living with purpose, you’ll fit right in! Like me on facebook for (non-obtrusive) updates or follow along in a reader. Grateful you’re here!
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Bottles= i used tommee tippee ‘closer to nature’, very similar, the shapes were great
But i always ended up going back to the Playtex drop-ins. When im done with the bottle just toss the insert and start fresh, its much simpler less cleaning, always sanitized and just saved sooo much time!!! And if i ever had to replace anything it would just be the nipples i can completely reuse the rest of the bottle with no worries. Oh and it completely takes the bubble problem out of the picture!
The bumbo, . . . For sophia i just propped her up with the boppy or used the playpen.
The muslin blankets are wonderful. They are awesome for swaddling, and they are great blankets for hot climates like the one I live in. I used mine all the time, until my baby was about 6 months, when the weather turned cold and I switched to flannel blankets that my mom made. (My other must-have!)
Bumbos are pretty easy to come by second hand. I used mine a lot with my first, but not as much with my second. You are not supposed to put them on elevated surfaces, which is always very tempting – but the baby can get out of it if he/she really wants to!
As far as the swaddle wrap, our local hospital stopped doing blankets and started just doing those, though they are made out of fleece. I can see their advantage and how they are “safer” but I prefer blankets.
Ellie was the only one I had a bumbo for and I loved it! So nice to be able to bring her around the house with me and let her sit up and be a part of things. She was never very content to lay down and watch! I have the BebePod (in pink) and you are more than welcome to borrow it. We’re definitely not using it any time soon. :)
You’ll have to fill me on what you decide about the other things. :) I do really want a carseat canopy the next time around. We always just used the cheap Gerber or Evenflo or whatever bottles and they worked great. My kids would have freaked out in the Woombie thing. They all HATED swaddling…had to have their arms up by their face or they couldn’t sleep. So funny how all babies are so different!
Sarah – Thank you for the offer; I’d love to borrow the BebePod!
Great! Jeana W. is borrowing it right now, but should be done with it by the time you need it. Just let me know when you’re ready for it!
We received a muslin blanket from a friend, and loved it. They seem to hold the swaddle well, they’re lightweight, and we ended up buying and receiving a nice collection of them (some in the washer, some in the dryer, and some getting dirty at all times!). Claire is now 2, and still carries them around and uses them at nighttime… Well worth the investment for us :). We have a Bumbo chair, which we thought would be great as a makeshift high chair when we started solids (until we got a real one). But, as with anything, Claire had other plans and never ate baby food. Plan foiled! Secondhand is a great idea, in case baby girl doesn’t love it :). So excited for you guys! Good luck with the remaining preparations!
Thanks, Alicia! I imagine it would be nice to carry such a lightweight blanket in the diaper bag, which can get pretty heavy! Oh little Claire – never ate baby food? They really do have minds of their own!
Yay glad I could help with the carseat cover! If you want me to make you another one with different material I can totally do that, just so you know.
We have the Mamas & Papas chair which is like the Bumbo, and we love it. I’ve never had a Bumbo but I like our chair better because baby can sit in it longer I think (with a removable insert to allow for more room) and it also comes with a tray. DEFINITELY get some kind of baby seat! I use mine all the time. Especially when in the kitchen cooking or in the bathroom getting ready.
We got three muslin blankets and Sierra uses them still for every nap! She loves them. And they are nice for summer swaddling when its hot. Yay for baby girl Nielsen!
The Woombie looks nice, do you know how long a typical baby will fit into it (are there sizes). I was so excited to start swaddling so my girl would go right down just like you would do with the boys, however she is not a huge fan of swaddling at all. She loves to sleep with her hands above her head, but she was a big baby and was probably sick of being squished. I got a bumbo but Arieana is still to young for it but the friend that gave it to me loves hers.
Yeah, there are sizes – incremental based on their weight. I think they go up to 25 pounds. I say if Arieana is sleeping fine without the swaddle, great! It’s one less thing to have to do every time you put them to sleep! I just did because it’s what my boys seemed to like from day 1. I like that the woombie allows them to have their arms up near their chest, rather than straight at their sides, like the boys’ arms would often be when I swaddled them. Missing you and little A so much!
I loved my Bumbo. Used it with both girls. They are amazing!! So excited for you!!
Ashley Ditto recently posted..A Very Merry Birthday
Whoa, I feel old…no experience! And, you turned out all right! XOX
I looked into the woombie and read some reviews on Amazon. Most of the reviews were favorable. However, there were a few that mentioned squirmy babies that could get the woombie up over their mouths and noses.
Thanks, Misty! I hadn’t thought to look up their product on amazon, and I always like to read independent reviews before buying. Off to check them out now!
What a great post! I’m in the same boat. Things change and new products come out. I have also been wondering about the muslin swaddling blankets, so it’s been fun reading all of the comments. I am adding a car seat blanket, car seat cover and a mesh bumper this time around.
Malerie recently posted..28 Weeks
I really like the idea of a car seat blanket! That’s the one that the straps can go through? I should look into that!
For bottles, I love the Avent “Natural Feeding” bottles. They only have 3 pieces, which makes them very easy to clean, and the shape definitely helps baby maintain a more natural latch. If you’re going to be bottle feeding a lot, I’d also recommend the Avent Microwave Steam Sterilizer.
We did like our Bumbo. The only drawback is that the babes use it for such a short period of time. A couple months, maybe, between about three months old and the time they’re able to sit well on their own. But for the interim, it sure came in handy as I was always in need of some apparatus or another to plop the baby in so I could cook dinner or fold laundry. And since my girls were never content in one place for too long, the Bumbo adds just another option. So exciting to be planning for the little one’s upcoming arrival!
Becky Kopitzke recently posted..What’s Better Than a Bed Full of Teddy Bears?
We have a bumbo seat only because it was a hand-me-down, but was nice to use…when the older kids weren’t trying to sit in it! I haven’t personally used them, but I’ve heard great things about the muslin wraps! Makes me want to get some myself!
Tricia recently posted..Blogo #2
I am so excited for you guys!! Little girls are fantastic, congratulations!!!