Top 6 Newborn Essentials (Bougie Edition)
#1. UPPABABY MESA (0-12mo) $299
Here is my #1 pick and what I ended up choosing! A major reason why I ended up choosing the Mesa is because I bought the Uppababy Vista V2 stroller to go along with it. Installation was simple enough after I watched a youtube video explaining the process. I have the 2015 Prius V and installed the seat in the center because I had researched that it was the safest position to install in the car. Because of this, it made it a bit difficult to get the base leveled at times since the middle seat was a bit raised and narrow. Once the base is installed and leveled, it is extremely easy to take the car seat in and out. I would recommend purchasing a second base if you intend to use multiple cars to avoid the repeated installation and transfer like I did.
My daughter looked like she was always comfortable in the seat and never had any issues with the 5 point harness system. The entire uppababy system is truly a great system and in the end, would definitely recommend this to friends and family.
#2. UPPABABY VISTA V2 (birth-50lb) $1099
Okay… I know this is on the high price point side. I debated about this for MONTHS and after I did the math, I reasoned it would save money and space in the end. The biggest selling point for this purchase was the ability to use it with future children in mind with the option to attach another rumble seat and the peggy board as well. When purchasing, the bassinet is also included whereas other luxury strollers are not.
Onto the functionality, I love it. The push is so smooth and easy to maneuver. My mother was mind blown how far strollers have come along since she raised my brothers and I. The lower basket is extremely spacious, I can fit a huge queen size blanket, baby bag, and purse. As well as some toys and water bottle. The frame is sturdy and I never had the thought that it was unstable. The rumble seat is able to fully recline when rear facing. This was extremely important for me so my daughter could nap comfortably while on the go. Going on walks 2-3 times a day in southern california, the sunshade is really useful. It is able to extend to block even sunset light and also has peek-a-boo windows to check on your little one as well as offer some airflow.
I love absolutely everything about this stroller except how bulky it is when folded. My husband and I both drive a prius (he drives a prius v) and the stroller takes up the entire trunk space. This makes going to the grocery store and making simple errands a bit tedious having to take the stroller in and out multiple times. I am also not the strongest person, so a 26.6lb stroller thats an awkward shape is difficult when alone and have a newborn. Another note is that the brake release does get stuck here and there to unlock. Sometimes I will press to unlock and I will have to jiggle the stroller a bit to get the brake to release. I would say this stroller is meant to have in the garage or the foyer and perfect to take on daily walks or day/weekend trips with the baby where your’e not flying.
#3. Hatch Rest+ Sound Machine $89
I love this damn thing. I opted for the rest+ instead of the original one because of the option to take it with me on the go. The original one needs to be constantly plugged in to work and I didn’t want to buy another sound machine just to take along with me. Although the + is also able to listen in and talk through, I found it completely unnecessary since my baby monitor already has that function.
It is completely customizable and easy to set up through the app. It is also extremely easy to use and my daughter can now turn it on/off on her own and switch sounds at about 10 months.
The clock function is also extremely important in the nursery and I originally thought it was bright compared to her blacked out room, but I realized it only bothered me and the baby was completely fine haha. I am now starting to play with the function to customize her wakeup time so she knows when it’s acceptable to get out of bed.
Overall, no complaints about this and would 1000% purchase again!
#4. Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor $379 $279 (26% off on Amazon now!)
The first 4 months, I actually used a non-wifi baby monitor (infant optix DXR-8 PRO $199) I had read so many stories of baby monitors getting hacked, I didn’t want to deal with the possible invasion of privacy. I also didn’t need anything crazy since either my husband and I would sleep in our daughter’s room to do the night feeds. Once my daughter was sleep trained at 4 months and started sleeping in her own room, having an upgraded baby monitor was more essential as time went on.
Because security was such an important factor for me, I researched that Nanit features a 256-bit encryption. This meant that the camera couldn’t be hacked and was therefore secure.
Another feature I like about this camera is the stats it records and the ability for family members to have limited access to the feed. My mom and MIL love this feature and love to check in on my daughter in the mornings when she’s rolling around and playing.
I wouldn’t buy the belly band accessory, I found the connection to be a little wonky and ended up giving me more anxiety. The grow sheet was nice at first since I could measure her height but she would often get distracted by the bold design and had trouble connecting her sleep cycles because of it.
All in all, love the camera and have no complaints of its actual functionality!
#5. Babyletto Kiwi Glider Recliner $999 $849 (12% off on Amazon now!)
I was originally extremely conflicted buying an entire new chair for the nursery after reading so many stories about some babies not liking the rocking chair. So we decided to wait on it to see if it was actually necessary once our daughter was born. This was a mistake. I held out for about 3 months before I caved and bought the damn chair. I kick myself for not caving sooner and saving myself the hassle haha.
It is a beautifully designed chair and comfortable to sit in for hours for all the contact naps and feeding sessions. The material is great and wipes off the milk (even dried!) easily. The recline is great and smooth, almost a near flat position.
The first chair I received did have a defect and made a huge clunking sound every time I reclined. I was able to get it exchanged fairly quickly and the replacement works perfectly.
The only complaint I have is that there are no pockets or cup holders which would have made this ultimately the perfect chair. To combat this, I bought this cover to add the side pockets to keep her bottle/toys in. It is also soft and comfortable and happy I found a cover that fit.
#6. Happiest Baby Snoo $1695 (0-6 months)
Probably one of the most controversial products on the market but my absolute favorite! I will say that each baby is different and not all babies love the snoo… BUT I have yet to meet a baby in person that did not love it (I have read some reviews online). We bought this when my daughter was 4 weeks old, and we had just had one of the roughest nights with her. It just so happened to be Father’s Day so it was on sale! After doing the math, it just didn’t make sense to rent it so we bought it instead and if our daughter didn’t love it, we would return it instead.
At first, the jiggling was extremely alarming but we soon found out that it absolutely worked. It calmed her down and kept her asleep longer. There was a learning curve and it was new, so she didn’t know what to make of it at first. CONSISTENCY IS KEY. After about a week, she used it for all naps and nighttime sleep as well! We started getting about 6 hour stretches around 2 months and we actually slowly weaned her off the snoo at 4 months! (I was terrified of the transition process to a crib) I let her nap in the crib one nap at a time, slowly increasing the frequency until all naps were done in the crib. We made the jump to nighttime seamlessly and she has been a 12hr nighttime sleeper since!
Obviously, I did my own sleep training. This isn’t a magical product that does it all for you. BUT it was a great tool to give you and your partner a much needed break. Some concerns I read online were of head shape and swaddling after the baby has the ability to roll. In my experience, head shape was not an issue and my daughter has a beautifully shaped head (we made sure her head was rotating sides every day).
With the swaddling, the snoo mechanism makes it very safe and I was able to transition my daughter out of the swaddle by slowly allowing one arm free. Eventually she had both arms out while still in the snoo and she even learned how to suck her thumb to self-soothe!
The app is intuitive and easy to use. You can customize some settings and limit the intensity to what your baby needs and what you are comfortable with. I would definitely give it a chance for it to do what it is designed to do though! I was so paranoid in the beginning I wouldn’t allow the snoo to increase the level to soothe her and I would instead pick her up. Once I allowed myself to let go a bit, the snoo worked just as it was supposed to!
CONS:
It is most definitely expensive. It’s not for everyone and there are other options like buying used or borrowing from a friend!
There are a lot of accessories I needed to buy (leg raisers, swaddles specifically for the snoo in various sizes)
Lifespan of only 6 months. It definitely is a lot of money for only a short time of use and I wish I could do something with it once my baby transitioned out.
Overall, I tell all my friends about it and anyone that asks me that they should definitely try it!