Favorite Items for Baby and Mama

Favorite Items for Baby and Mama

Being a new mom can be so overwhelming especially when you walk into a baby store and think you need to buy the whole store. 9/10 times you don’t even need all that stuff. So here is a list of my favorite baby and mama items that I am using or have used and found useful. I put links to everything at the bottom of the post!

JJ Cole head support

This was a lifesaver! The cool thing is that it came with two head support cushions. One preemie size and one normal size. When we brought Hoda home, she was so tiny the car seat belt was bigger than her entire body. Her head was flopping from side to side and the preemie size head support fit perfectly around her head.


 

JJ Cole car seat cover

I really liked this car seat cover. It’s not the one that goes inside the carseat and the baby lays on top of it. It is just a cover that goes over the carseat. Although I do have one of those but the reason I prefer this car seat cover is because I am always worried if the baby gets too hot. This carseat cover worked great with rain and snow, it is weather proof so it didn’t soak up any water. The only thing I disliked about it was the fact that the cover was so lightweight that with the wind it would just fly open. Other than that it was great for the winter months and I didn’t have to worry about layering the baby in warm clothes.


 

Woombie

The Woombie is the best thing on this planet! My husband and I first saw this on Shark Tank before we were even thinking about getting pregnant and we thought ‘wow what a cool idea,’ so when we had our baby, we knew we wanted to try it out and it was the best decision ever! She slept so well when she was in it. It works way better than a regular swaddle blanket.

With a blanket, Hoda always figured out a way to get her arms out and would end up scratching herself and waking up. Because Hoda was a preemie, the Woombie was way to big for her until she was about 3 months. When we started using the Woombie, she would fall asleep instantly wherever we were, it’s like she knew that once she is in the Woombie it’s bed time.

It also has 2 zippers on the same line so you don’t have to unzip the whole thing to change their diaper. You just un-zip half the Woombie. She used it for about 6 months, just until she started rolling onto her belly. I definitely recommend this if blanket swaddling is too difficult or annoying to deal with.

 

Graco Duet Soothe Swing and Rocker

This is just like any other swing but what I like about it is that you can take the seat off and use it as a rocker. If I wanted to take a nap while the baby slept, I would pick up the rocker and take it upstairs to my room. So, it’s has a good 2 in 1 functionality. She still uses it today for her naps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Baby SoundSpa

White noise machine = baby calming magic! White noise works like a charm to calm babies if they are crying for no apparent reason. A friend of mine introduced me to the whole white noise concept when I couldn’t figure out how to get Hoda to calm down after feeding her, burping her, changing her diaper, etc. She told me that white noise calms babies because the sound is similar to what they used to hear in the womb for nine months.

Every since I tried it, I don’t go anywhere without it. I clip it to her carseat so I can take it with me anywhere. If she ends up falling asleep in the car and I’m out and about, I’ll make sure it is still clipped on and it completely washes out any noise. I can be at the loudest place ever but it won’t bother her. Hoda used to cry her eyes out as soon as we put her in the carseat to go anywhere, as soon as I turn on this white noise machine, she calms down and falls asleep immediately.

I recommended it to a friend recently who has a newborn and she LOVES it! It’s only $10 and totally worth it!

Comotomo Bottles

I wish I had gotten these sooner, I used Dr Brown bottles in the beginning and was having a hard time transitioning her to and from breast. The Comotomo bottles look and feel so much like the breast that it was super easy for her to go back and forth from breast to bottle.


Boba Wrap

I used the Boba wrap for the first 6 months. Its great because you can adjust it to any position you want. It barely weighs anything and the material is so light and airy that you don’t get hot from wrapping it around you. I would just strap her on to me and go about my day, she would sleep on me as soon as I put her in it.

Lilliebaby Carrier

I ended up having two baby carriers, the Boba wrap and the Lilliebaby because I wanted something with more support for my back when Hoda got older and heavier. I now carry her forward facing whenever I go for a walk or to the store. It has just the right amount of support on the lower back that you can’t feel the weight of the baby. I didn’t use the Lilliebaby carrier earlier because it was too big for my 3 pounder. Once she could hold her own head I started using it. It has an extra piece you can pull over onto the head if it is raining or snowing and there also an option to un-zip a layer to reveal the breathable mesh if it’s getting too hot. My friend Bismah recommended this to me and I love it!


Wubba Nub

Hoda never really took a pacifier but she loved this thing for when she started teething at around 4 months. She would occasionally suck on it but she was mostly interested in the frog that was attached to it. When we would go on car rides, I would put it in her carseat with her and she would either suck on it or play with the frog. It definitely was her favorite toy and kept her occupied.

 

Boon Pulp Teething Feeder

The boon pulp teething feeder is amazing! Hoda’s teeth are coming in real hard and this feeder keeps her occupied for a good 15-20 minutes. I just put frozen fruits in there and she just bites the heck out of it until she sucks all the juices out. It helps with numbing her gums because I don’t use numbing gel or teething tablets. Sometimes I put non frozen fruits like oranges or grapes and she goes to town with it.

Skip Hop Foam Tiles

Now that Hoda is crawling and trying to stand up, I wanted soft foam tiles to go over our hardwood floors so she can run around and fall as much as she likes. The skip hop foam tiles are so cute and come in different colors, it’s super soft and sturdy. I knew I didn’t want to get the typical ‘ABC’ colorful foam boards for my somewhat sophisticated looking family room so I found these stylish foam tiles that are peach, orange, grey and white that goes with the color theme of our house. Also, the best part is that you can make whatever design you want with the triangle pieces. I made mine a chevron design. I also bought 2 packs from Amazon so it can cover a bigger space. I believe it ended up being a 9ft x6ft.


Ju-Ju-be Legacy BFF Diaper Bag

The Ju-Ju-Be BFF diaper bag is my favorite ever! First of all, its a backpack which is great because when you have a car seat to carry, anything else in your hand just weighs you down. I just put it on my back whenever we go out and just forget about it. No shoulder pain from carrying a shoulder bag. It has enough compartments for diapers, wipes, bottles, your wallet and keys, extra pair of clothes, and pretty much anything. It’s not too big and not to small either, it fits everything I would need. It also comes in pretty prints and I always get compliments when I’m wearing it!

**Now that my daughter is 13 months, I’ve added a few more products to this list that I am currently using and find useful**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graco 4ever All In One Convertible Carseat 

I found this to be a perfect transition carseat. We pulled it out when we went on a 5 hour road trip so Hoda can be comfortable and have enough space. What I like about it is that you can start using it at 4 lbs with all the inserts it comes with and the carseat can be in recline position or straight up. There are 6 different positions and 3 of them are rear facing and 3 are forward facing. Also the best part about this carseat is that it can be rear facing for as long as you want. Once the child is older, a lot of the pieces can detach to become a a booster seat. It is definitely a good investment as it will last several years. The double cup holders is also a plus. Overall, I give this carseat a thumbs up.

** Disclaimer: Make sure you do your own research on what types of car seat will be a perfect fit for your child as well as which carseats are compatible with your car. **

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Munchkin Miracle 360 Sippy Cup 

All kids love drinking from adult cups. Every time they see you drinking something from a cup they always want it. I have tried the Nuby sippy cups with the spouts from 4 months to 12 months and every time Hoda would drink from it, she would somehow end up taking in too much and coughing. When I saw the Munchkin sippy cup, I thought it was a unique idea so I got it and tested it out on Hoda. She figured out very quickly how to drink from it and it actually seems she prefers the cup over the other Nuby ones she’s had. It’s such a genius invention and works great!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Happy Mat 

I came across this mat when I was browsing at Nordstrom and thought I’d give it a try since Hoda was just learning to feed herself. It’s such a cute way to introduce different foods in each compartment and it sticks very well on the highchair tray.We have the IKEA highchair and it fits perfectly on it. The suction is pretty good so when she is done eating, she can’t pick up the tray and throw it. It’s great in avoiding the mess Hoda likes to make all over the highchair tray. It’s dishwasher safe which is great because I hate washing dishes!  I only have one but now that I know it’s a success, I will grab a couple more to alternate when the others are dirty!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mommy Hook 

This hanger hooks on to your stroller for all your shopping bags. It’s so ideal if you don’t want to be squishing all of your shopping bags in the compartment under the stroller. The stroller compartment I have is relatively small so it doesn’t fit my diaper bag or shopping bags so I use this hook to hold everything. Be sure to check the weight limit of your stroller handles because you don’t want your stroller to be flying backward. I keep my Mommy Hook attached to my stroller at all times.


Check out my ‘Baby Items Not Worth Buying‘ post where I talk about the junk that has accumulated in my house because I thought it was a cool idea at the time.

Leave a comment below and let me know of some of your favorite baby or mama items!

XOXO