Parenting

Best Baby Gear

As a new mom, you think your baby needs everything. From swings to clothes, you could spend thousands of dollars on baby stuff. But in reality, babies don’t really need all that much.

For me, here are the items that lived up to the hype:

Fisher-Price Rock N’ Play Sleeper

I was given a used Rock N’ Play (RNP) when I was pregnant with my first son. This was in 2014 so it didn’t have all the cool features the newer ones have, but let me tell you…this thing was a life saver. My older son had very bad reflux as a small baby. It was so bad that we couldn’t have him sleep on a flat surface. RNPs are not recommended for sleeping because they can cause flat head syndrome and they don’t adhere to the American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep guidelines. That all being said, I also use the RNP for my new baby. Same one by the way. They are washable, light weight and portable. The vibrate feature works wonders and the newer versions even rock on their own. https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Auto-Rock-Sleeper-Stone/dp/B00NEO5UTU?th=1

Fisher-Price Jumperoo

The Jumperoo is a bit pricey but it’s the best thing ever once the baby has good head control and is more into playing. My son is literally in his now as I type this. It’s surrounded by toys, lets the little guys jump and play and give mommy and daddy a few baby free minutes. My first son also had a Jumperoo and LOVED it. We actually had to replace the seat fabric 2 times because he wore it out. In fact, that would be my only complaint, but…Fisher-Price sent us a free replacement both times. https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-K6070-Rainforest-Jumperoo/dp/B000LXQVA4

Snuza Pico

The Snuza Pico is a wearable baby monitor. This may not be for everyone, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep without it. We also used a Snuza product with my first son. It was an older, less techy model, but still good. Essentially, it tracks the baby’s breathing and also senses skin temperature and position. If the monitor doesn’t sense breathing, it vibrates to stimulate the baby and sounds an alarm for the parents. This model is great because the clamp that holds it to the baby’s diaper really stays put and there are few false alarms. Another plus is that you can purchase expensive wearable monitors with your Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account. https://www.snuza.com/baby-monitors/movement-monitors/snuza-pico/