Monthly Favorites: Month One & Two

When it comes to being a new mom, "free time" no longer exists. And if by some amazing miracle you happen to somehow get a couple of minutes to yourself, I doubt researching baby products is on the top of your list. Whenever my son is coming to a new age and needing new products, I heavily rely on my fellow mommy bloggers' recommendations. No need to waste precious 'you time' trying to navigate through the thousands of products out there only to find out they're poor quality or useless. So I decided to jump on the monthly favorites bandwagon to help out my fellow mommies!

I will also let you in on any deals or money saving tips with each product!

Monthly Favorites: Months One & Two by julia-crystal

1. Lansinoh HPA Lanolin: I obviously bought this brand new. I normally don't buy things I'm not sure I will need, but when mommy after mommy recommended this stuff, I figured I should have it on hand. And thank my tatas I did! Lifesaver for your nipples for sure. No need to go crazy and buy a bunch though, as a little goes a long way with this cream. I never even finished the 1st bottle I bought, as I only needed it for the first few weeks. I don't think it is possible to not get super sore nipples at the start of breastfeeding, so this product is a must!

 2 .Pampers Swaddlers Diapers Newborn: I also buy my diapers brand new :) However there are tons of ways to get discounts on diapers. I use diapers.com to buy all my diapers. Free shipping on purchases $30+ and they deliver within 48 hours! You also get cash back rewards to use towards your next purchase. And of course the more you buy the more you save, so I buy the bulk 200 pack which comes out to be .30 cents a diaper. For the first 3 months, we used the Pamper Swaddlers. Mostly because that was what they hospital gave us and they worked good, so we stuck with them. I tried other brands but the Pampers are the best for us. (Also don't forget to take home the rest of the diapers they give you at the hospital! I mean you pay $1,000s to get your baby delivered; at least get some diapers out of it!)

 

3. Gerber Baby Flannel Receiving Blankets: I used these for burp cloths. Traditional burp cloths are not big enough for all the mess a newborn can make. And receiving blankets aren't big enough  to wrap a baby up with, so my solution was to use them as burp cloths. They are the perfect size and can be found super cheap at garage sales, so you can't feel bad when they are all stained and end up in the garbage. I got all my receiving blankets from garage sales and hand me downs.

4. Graco Pack 'N Play Playard with Reversible Napper and Changer: This pack 'n play I brought new. I found it at Burlington Coat Factory (where I bought a majority of my big items). They have 20% off one item coupons all the time. And if you get on their mailing list, they are sent right to your house. I purchased all the big baby needs separately; I would wait until I got a coupon then go buy one of the expensive items. The higher the price, the more money you save, so why not use it for the most expensive items you have to buy. I really liked this Pack 'n Play. It has an attachment that flips back and forth from a napper to a changer. It was so convenient for middle of the night changes as Myles 'slept' in the napper part in the living room with me for the first 6 or 7 weeks. I could just pick him up from sleeping and change him right there. It also has the ability to move the 'mattress' up to be a bassinet. We never used that part for sleeping, but it was perfect for keeping all the daily necessities. I had everything I needed right next to him at all times. I will say that it is not the easiest to pack up for travel. It's pretty bulky and a little time consuming to fold all up, but for newborn house usage, it's perfect.

 

5.Philips AVENT Soothie Pacifier: I received these at my baby shower. I had never seen or heard about this type of pacifier before. When Myles was about 2 weeks old, I decided to introduce a pacifier (read about it on my Breastfeeding Essentials post). I tried several different ones, including the more traditional shaped. Myles really took to the Soothie though. I think they are more akin to breast nipples, so they work well for breastfeeding babies. Sometimes I would even stick my finger in the nipple part so it would feel more real. It would also help to calm him down if he was so upset that he wouldn't suck.

6.Carters All Star Collection Bodysuit Set: Myles was born in August so he mostly lived in oneies for the first two months. We had many different brands from garage sales, gifts, etc. so I was able to try out most of them. Carters was by far my favorite. Myles was born 7 lbs 6 oz and the newborn size fit him perfectly. They are great quality (never had any holes or ripping) and are fairly inexpensive. We had many second hand ones, but I also bought one new 5-pack from the store. I got them at Burlington and they are only $10 for the 5-pack! For $2 a onesie, I definitely got my money's worth out of them. Although sometimes Carters can be a bit hokey, their onesies always have cute patterns and sayings. 

7.Graco Infant Snugride Car Seat Base, Tan: I found two of these on a resale site for $15 a piece, which is a great deal because brand new they are $40-$50 each. With the Graco brand of car seat, you don't need to have the bases to strap the car seat in, but with the infant seats it is very convenient. With the base, all you have to do it pull a lever and the seat pops out. Not having to deal with the seat belt and reaching over the car seat and trying to latch it in every time a lifesaver, especially for the first couple of postpartum weeks. I bought two: one for each vehicle we have. That way it was never an issue as to what car to take or who would be taking Myles. You can find these in great used condition almost anywhere that resells baby items!

 

8.Graco Travel System: This was one of the other bigger items that was bought brand new. It was my fathers gift to the baby. I picked this one out at Burlington as it was on clearance for being the last one. This travel system was a godsend when Myles was newborn. I had a tough time getting him to sleep during the day (read Monthly update One and Two for more details), and one of the only things I could always count on to knock him out was a walk in the stroller. It's really nice to have the travel system because you can just take the baby out of the car and put them right in the stroller without having to take them out of the car seat (and trust me if this helps in not waking your baby, it is a beautiful thing!) Although the stroller with this set is pretty big and bulky, it fit the car seat and has lots of room for the diaper bag, drinks, keys, phone, etc. 

What are/were you favorite newborn products?