5 Baby Items For Minimalist Moms
We recently welcomed our third child into the world, a beautiful baby girl named Monet :)
Admittedly, with two older brothers underfoot, I did nothing to prepare for the arrival of our little girl. Truly. I sent my husband to BuyBuyBaby maybe two weeks before our little miss arrived to purchase a car seat.
I didn’t frantically clean everything, I didn’t set up a nursery (we co-sleep), I didn’t color coordinate her closet.
The third time around, I feel like you’re able to relax a bit more. I guess I know now that all I really need are boobs and lots of snuggle time...oh, and that car seat.
The point is: You don’t need a bunch of stuff. You probably don’t need 99.98% of the stuff lining the shelves at BuyBuyBaby.
That being said, there are several things that I use and love and today I wanted to share them with you:
1.) Haakkaa
I don’t know what wizard created this but I actually discovered this recently and want to shout from the rooftops about this wonderful product. Haakaa is a Scandinavian made breast pump.
Outside of a few months off, I have been breastfeeding for 5 1/2 years. One of the questions I often get is what breast pump I use. I have tried several: the super expensive and obtrusive Medela double electric pump and I actually found (and this is backed by science) that a manual pump works better. I was a big fan of my old trusty Avent manual pump (discontinued now) that was handed down to me from my sister. But I happened to come across the Haakaa and decided that for $13, I’d give it a whirl.
So, this is not a “pump”, but rather a suction cup with a bottle at the bottom for milk to funnel into. You don’t actually “pump” the breast. As many moms know, when your milk lets down and your baby begins nursing, oftentimes milk will come out of the opposite breast. I have soaked many a shirt due to this and I know I’m not alone. Instead of wasting that milk, you simply put the Haakaa on the opposite breast while your baby is nursing and let the Haakaa’s VERY gentle and constant suction do the work for you. You’ll capture the milk that comes out right away and the suction provides a continuous flow while you’re nursing baby on the other breast.
This little magical device has eliminated the need for me to pump. Instead, I put this on while my daughter nurses (did I mention that it’s hands free??) and I can sit back, relax and bond with baby girl while I’m filling up another bottle. Genius. So easy to use, so comfortable to use and so affordable. With almost 40,000 reviews on Amazon, it’s gained a lot of Mama fans.
2.) Baby Carrier-Ergo, Tula, Moby
I’m a big fan of baby wearing. Not only does it allow Mama to get some stuff done around the house, at the office, in the garden, etc., but I always felt it was a better alternative than putting my baby down away from me. The bond that is created when having your baby next to you is simply magic and research shows that there are significant benefits to baby-wearing. Baby-wearing makes babies less fussy, aids in their emotional and physical development, aids in their language development, reduces the risk of SIDS…the list goes on.
I’m going to share my three different carriers, but my advice is to put these on and try them before purchasing to see what is more comfortable for YOU.
The Ergo 360.
This is one of the most recognized names in babywearing and there’s good reason for that. The Ergo 360 is durable, comfortable and customizable. I’m 5’1” on a good day and my husband is 6’4”. We both use this carrier and adjust it accordingly. All three of my kids have used this carrier and the thing looks brand new. It comes with some nice features: a small pocket and a little sunguard to block the sun. The 360 feature allows you to wear baby facing you or facing out. Please do your own research on baby facing out as you should be aware of some of the issues with that.
The Tula
There is good reason for the Tula to have a cult following. Not only does the Tula come in tons of stylish patterns with options to add on a few bells and whistles, I find it to be extremely comfortable. Especially for those of us that are petite. I love my Ergo, but I do find that the Tula is a bit more comfortable once my baby is around 3 to 4 months old. Again, this is a personal preference based on my physical frame, but it’s worth sharing. It is less bulky than the Ergo but I feel just as comfortable going for a hike using the Tula as I do the Ergo. Also made of high quality fabric, it is durable and washes up nicely. Your baby will NOT be able to forward face in the Tula, but research indicates that you probably don’t want your baby in the forward facing position at certain ages and for any length of time anyway.
The Moby carrier is a cloth wrap. I love using this with young babies up to 3 months or so because it is so soft and cozy for them. I use this around the house but feel that I need the support of the Tula or Ergo when going on walks and bumming around our farm.The Moby is extremely versatile and there are many different ways you can hold your baby when using one.
There are a gazillion and one baby monitors out there. It’s overwhelming and can be daunting to choose the best option. My advice is to consider your baby’s sleeping arrangement and your concerns. As an example, we co-sleep (check out my blog on the benefits) but I still wanted to have the peace of mind that a baby monitor offers.
I had some other caveats, too:
I did not want harmful EMF signals being emitted in the room we sleep in, (that’s an entirely different future blog post), so I could eliminate anything that required wifi, Bluetooth or a connection to a phone or device.
My main concern was being notified if my baby stopped breathing for any reason. Some parents may need to be aware of oxygen levels, etc. so this is a personal decision to make.
I don’t recall how I stumbled upon the Snuza, but I’m so glad I did. The Snuza is an extremely small device, about the size of an orange slice, and clips onto the diaper near your child’s stomach. It detects breathing motions and will vibrate and alarm when it doesn’t sense movement for a set period of time. The factory setting is 10 seconds, but you can change this accordingly.
I love the Snuza because it’s easy to use, doesn’t emit harmful EMF’s while in use and is portable so I can easily bring it anywhere.
We have had some false alarms, but it is simply because I didn’t put the monitor on securely and it came off.
4.) Pure Fiber Bamboo Baby Blankets
Feel free to return, give away and donate ALL the other brands of baby blankets. Ya know those muslin blankets everyone raves about? They feel like sandpaper compared to Pure Fiber Bamboo Baby Blankets.
The difference in softness is unbelievable. I won’t even hold our new little baby using those muslin ones anymore. I use those as makeshift diaper changing cloths. No joke.
These are so soft, light and luxurious you will be wanting to buy some for yourself. Lucky for you, they also sell sheet sets which I highly recommend :)
5.) Bob Stroller
I am a BOB stroller gal through and through. I have a single and a double and I LOVE them.
I remember my Mom thinking I was crazy for spending that kind of money on a stroller, but after using another brand and then using mine, she completely understood it. She was shocked by how easy it was to steer, how smooth the ride was and how it handled itself in different terrain.
BOB strollers basically drive themselves. They take no effort to turn or push and since they’re built for more rugged terrain, you can take them anywhere and they will perform.
BOB’s are built to last and retain their value, which is why you can resell them for a pretty penny.
So there you have it. My Top 5 Favorite Baby Items.
Ok, I’ll share three more...
1.) Dock-a-Tot
If you are interested in co-sleeping, check out my post on why our family LOVES co-sleeping (like…more sleep) and all of its amazing benefits. Then, check out the Dock-a-Tot. This is what we use to co-sleep when our little ones are babies. It’s also great to use along with a baby gym.
2.) Dr. Bonner’s Unscented Castile Soap
Don’t fall for the gimmick of needing baby shampoo, baby wash, etc. If you look at most of the brands out there, they have junk in them, even if they market their product as a “natural” or “gentle on baby skin” brand. Read the ingredients and you will be shocked to discover what is found in some of these products.
You can’t go wrong with Dr. Bonner’s. In fact, it’s the only thing I’ll use for all three of my kids. It’s shampoo, it’s body wash. And....it has no junk in it.
3.) Nose Frida
Somewhere along the way, your little one is going to get a snotty nose. Little ones have a hard time expelling snot, but thanks to this device, you can relieve snotty nose symptoms. Baby will breathe, sleep and feel better. It’s a staple.
What are YOUR must-have baby items? Comment below to share.