I gave birth to Landon over four years ago, and to say that baby tech has come a long way is a huge understatement. There is so much in the baby world that is shiny and new. The bassinets, the baby monitors, the random swings and baby carriers… all of it has changed so much for the better. We unfortunately do not have much leftover from when Landon was a baby. We have some old clothes and an old bassinet and that’s it. Everything else we had for Lan was damaged, broken or too stained to recover. So we’re basically starting from ground zero.
One thing that I have learned from being a second time mom is that not everything cute is practical. By this, I mean that sometimes the “cute” baby tech/ furniture/ clothes are just not practical… and in some ways these cute items make things more difficult for you as a parent. I’ve learned my lesson and will not be fooled by shiny things with this baby. I’m all about buying and using things that will make everyones life easier. Below, I’ve put together a bunch of items that I’m planning on purchasing for our baby that are both cute and practical.
CRIB/BASSINET/MATTRESS/DOCKATOT:
What I’ve been hearing and reading is that The Snoo is a must buy. Although I can’t exactly justify spending $1,300 for it, especially since the baby will only use it max 6 months and were still unsure if we’re going to have another baby after this one. At first I thought I would do the “rent” option for the snoo (about $130/month)… but then I got to researching and thinking about things long term. I have already had one baby and got by just fine without a fancy bassinet. I feel like social media and all the moms out there push so much stuff down our throats about “what is best” and “what we need”. Yes, I think the Snoo is a wonderful invention. But do I need it? No. I decided I’d rather save the money for more important things for long term use. I just ordered the HALO Bassinet Luxe Swivel Sleeper. This bassinet can vibrate baby, has a nightlight, adjusts to the height of our bed, has flexible mesh walls for easy access during night feedings. Plus its very safe. I’m really exciting all these features and its such a reasonable price. For $350, I think thats a wonderful deal. I’ve linked the one we got below!
We already have a bassinet from years back that we will use as a second bed for downstairs. The bassinet we have is from pottery barn (no longer available) it’s extremely cute but it just wasn’t practical for night feedings or moving around the house. I linked a similar one above. Like I said, sometimes “cute” is not the best option!
The next item I’m really excited about is a breathable crib mattress. I’m not sure this type of mattress was even around four years ago? I just ordered the 2 stage Lullaby Earth mattress. It’s breathable and perfect for newborns on one side… then the other side is more cushy and good for toddler years. Can’t wait to try this out.
When Landon was a baby I had a small little pillow thing that kept him in place when he was laying on the bed. It was crucial. So I’m definitely going to be purchasing a dockatot! I went with the white since it’ll match my home decor and I also just love neutrals lol. I did the smaller version for 0-9 months.
BABY CLOTHES:
Forget the frilly overpriced clothes that aren’t comfy. You don’t need a lot of those types of clothes in the first few months of baby’s life. Especially since it’s just easier and more comfy to keep baby in pj’s 24/7 since all they do is sleep. I found it easier to keep Landon in clothes that were easy to take on and off and be able to change his diaper quickly. Onesies, jumpsuits, footie pj’s, sleep sacks, etc. Plus most of the clothes from the first 3 months got stained and ruined from poop or throw up anyways. This is just my personal stance on baby clothes. I’ve linked a bunch of shops I’ll be ordering from over the next few months.
Another thing to take into consideration is the type of jumpsuits you buy. I loved to put Landon in footies (at night) but soon realized that buttoning 15 buttons 10 times a night was not fun. Find some with a zipper! It makes life a lot easier I promise.
I just purchased a weighted sleep swaddle for baby from dreamland baby co. Heard really great things about this soothing babies to sleep better. I’ve linked their site below.
Swaddles are great, but I realized folding a swaddle up at night between changes and feedings was hard. Sleep sacks are life changing. You need to get sleep sacks, trust me. I used most of my swaddles for burp rags instead.
Baby/kids shops:
(Great sets for babies and toddlers/kids. Have some stuff for Lan from this company and love!)
(Just ordered about 10 shirt/pants sets from here. Great for easy changing and so soft! Also love their swaddle blankets, pacifiers, knotted gowns. Love this company.)
(Really cute stuff, ordered tons of random items from here)
(Love the price, quality and the uniqueness of all their clothes. Great for babies and kids.)
BABY CARRIERS/CARSEAT:
Have you seen all these moms in those cute wrap around baby carriers? Yeah I got one for Landon and it was hell lol. It’s basically this long piece of fabric that does not support your baby the way you need him to be supported. The wraps are flimsy and hard to put on and take off. My recommendation? Get a Baby Bjorn. They have multiple color options and are far more supportive that a wrap. I also found this brand “Artipoppe” On Instagram that has carriers that are more supportive (like Baby Bjorn) and have cute patterns and colors! So I def recommend checking out that company as well. Linked below.
Our old carseat we had for Landon was horrible – I forget the brand name. I didn’t like the shape of it or the way it slid around in my car. The base was not secure and it always made me nervous. I’m deciding between the Uppababy Mesa and the Nuna PIPA. Both are stylish and have wonderful reviews so that’s what I’m going on.
We ended up purchasing the Nuna Pipa Lite LX Carseat in color birch. Loved the safety features and especially how lightweight it is. Plus it has a hood that extended to cover the whole seat. This way you don’t have to buy a carseat cover (something I wish I had fro Lan a long time ago. I also love the cream/grey contrast colors. I’ve linked it below.
STROLLERS:
Since Landon no longer wants to ride in a stroller, I find it dumb to get a double seater. Our old stroller was okay… I never really loved it since it didn’t have a ton of storage underneath or any cupholders on the handle. It rode smoothly, but the wheels sometimes got stuck. I found a few new ones that have great reviews and I think would suit us well.
BABY MONITOR:
It’s between the Miku baby monitor and the Owlet baby monitor. I’m leaning towards the Miku since you pretty much get the same product as the owlet except without the sock involved. I love all the safety features about this monitor and can’t wait to give it a try. Being able to see the babies heart rate/ sleep schedule is so cool and will definitely put my mind to ease. You can read more about these monitors on their site.
Ended up purchasing the Miku monitor and really excited to set it up!
BOUNCERS/SWINGS/PORTACRIB:
It’s always nice to have different places around the house to be able to set your baby down. I had a 4moms bouncer thing that Landon loved. It soothed him when he was fussy too. This time around I’m looking into swings. I also love the bouncer seat as a comfy place to strap the baby into. This would come in handy if I’m in the kitchen or taking a shower. Soft play mats are also a must to keep around the house.
We used our portable crib so often I think it gave out. If you travel a lot or go over to friends houses, bring a portable travel crib. We often set it up in back bedrooms and put Landon to bed while we socialized with friends.
We had a bouncer that hooked onto any doorway that landon loved. We placed him in that and he could jump in that thing for hours. I think it’s called a Johnny Jumper. Such a good thing to have.
WHAT I DON’T WANT:
- Diaper Genie: I had one with Landon and used it for a couple weeks before realizing how much I hated it. They smell so bad. When it’s closed, there is no smell. Although the moment you open it, the dirty diaper smell escapes into the room. I’d rather take each diaper out to the trash the moment it comes off my babies butt. Then at night, I’ll probably keep a small trash can in the room and take that out each morning.
- Changing table: Honestly… what’s the point of these things? I changed Landon wherever we were at in the house. I usually put a blanket or swaddle down on the floor and changed him right there. I kept diapers handy in each room. I had a changing pad on a dresser and maybe used it 5 times. Such a waste in my opinion.