Below is a list of all the stuff we’ve gotten for P with a short blurb about my thoughts on each.
- Google Sheets: We didn’t use any baby apps to track stuff…I found Google Sheets on the desktop and mobile to be more flexible and perfect for multiple users
- Wool Dryer Balls – We got these as a natural alternative for dryer sheets for P. They supposedly help things dry faster and do remove static cling.
- Lasko Ceramic Heater – It’s quiet and heats up P’s room pretty fast during the winter. I don’t care that it’s not automatic because we turn it off when we leave the room.
- Spectra Breast Pump – It’s less known than the big brands, but if your insurance covers this seriously consider it. It’s quiet and pretty light. It has features like dual-phase pumping (letdown mode). It’s also got a closed system which means no milk flows into the pumping mechanism and helps prevent bacteria/mold from growing in the pump. It also costs less than much of the competition. I personally didn’t use this, but from a sample size of 3 women that did, they all recommended this pump over others. The corded version is ~$120 and the cordless version is ~$170. It’s priced well enough that you could go for a Medala with your insurance and just straight up purchase a Spectra to compare.
- Swaddles – Ah…they are highly flexible blankets for your baby. You can wrap your kiddo up like a burrito early on so they can sleep. They are also great sun shades and light blankets. We really like the Aden + Anais muslin swaddles. Be sure you’re getting the 47″ x 47″ Aden and Anais ones. There are slightly smaller and cheaper ones by their Aden by Aden + Anais brand (yes…that’s confusing) that we felt were a little less soft and about 3″ smaller. We found we missed the 3″ so I’d just stick to the slightly pricier set.
- Infant Car Seat + Base – We got the Chicco Keyfit 30 seat and base. There are a lot of other brands that are great in this category. We also highly considered the Britax Travel System because it comes with a stroller for when the kid gets older. What broke the tie? We got a Keyfit from a friend. Seriously try to get a used one in good condition from a friend if possible (The base and seats each have separate expiration dates so check them!) Your kid is in these for only about a year before they’re too tall (it’s unlikely they’ll hit the weight limit before the height limit) so it’s usually easy to find used ones that have another 3 years before they expire.
- Travel Car Seat – We’re using the Diono Radian RXT for our travel seat. It’s not particularly light, but does fold up small and the steel frame makes it really sturdy. It supposedly has straps that let you carry it like a backpack, but doesn’t come with them. They’re a separate purchase. TBH I think they just should have included a set.
- ThinkSport Sunscreen – We tried California Baby, Badger, and ThinkBaby. We liked ThinkBaby the most. It was easiest to put on of the 3. All 3 are zinc base blocking types, so we went with the most convenient one knowing that the more convenient ones are the ones I’m more likely to put on and if I’m not using it, it doesn’t matter how good it is. Note that the ThinkSport is the same as ThinkBaby minus scents. I get whatever’s cheaper.