Blog Series: Baby Buy Wins
Last week, I discussed some of my not so successful baby gear purchases. Hey, you can’t always nail it. Thankfully, we’ve also scored some items that ended up being pretty clutch. Here are a few of my faves:
The Owlet Baby Monitor: Yes, I’m a paranoid, first-time parent who continuously checks to see if my child is breathing. This is part of my process. But the Owlet gets that. It’s a sensor you connect to your baby (via a super cute little sock) and measures his oxygen level and heart rate. Not only can you visually see that all is well via the base station that emits a reassuring, pulsating green light if readings are normal (or sounds an alarm if there’s an issue), but you can also check your baby’s exact readings on the app that connects to your phone. This is parenting in the digital age. It may seem like a splurge that isn’t totally necessary, but if you’re like most parents and terrified of SIDS, that little light helps ease your worries (and grants a few more hours of restful sleep).
The Miracle Blanket: Swaddling is an art. When Flynn was born, we soon learned that everyone has his/her own technique, but mastering the art of swaddling wasn’t easy. The Miracle Blanket takes the guesswork out of the process through a predesigned pattern that allows you to get that perfect “baby burrito” swaddle every time. Genius.
Sleep Sacks: I have a friend who mentioned that sleep sacks were a must during her daughter’s first few months, and I’m glad I took the hint. Not only does a one-piece, zip-up sack seriously reduce sleepy confusion during 4am feedings, but the snuggly pj gown is ideal for crib sleeping. Once we transferred Flynn to his crib, I wanted to ensure he was warm at night but didn’t want to use loose blankets due to the SIDS correlation. Sleep sacks are a great way to streamline your bedtime routine and increase safety.
A Changing Table Attachment: We opted not to buy a changing table. It just didn’t make sense to buy an entire piece of furniture that would only be functional for a limited time – plus, we didn’t have the space. Instead, we attached a changing table base to my husband’s large dresser. The changing table is securely screwed to the dresser, the height is perfect and my husband can easily access his clothes.
Something Adorable & Useless: Everyone is going to tell you not to invest in newborn clothing – and you shouldn’t really since they’ll grow out of it in a day. But if you’re itching to purchase that ridiculously frilly going home outfit or that teeny pair of baby shoes, by all means do it. It’s easy to get caught up in only buying what is completely functional and forgetting that YOU HAD A BABY! Go ahead and celebrate the culmination of those long, hard pregnancy months with something silly and frivolous for your little one. I opted for a few personalized onesies (great for photo ops), a couple holiday-themed baby hats (Flynn was born right before Thanksgiving) and some baby sunglasses and I don’t regret a thing. Don’t go overboard, but do find a moment to throw functionality out the window and get stupid excited over something disgustingly cute and impractical. You earned it.
Jillian Gordon is the Managing Editor of Mamapedia.com. A Los Angeles-based lifestyle writer and editor, her work has appeared in Beauty Launchpad, Nailpro Magazine, Saturday Night Magazine and Westside Today. She is also the former Content Manager of Mom.me. Jillian welcomed her son Flynn in November, 2016.
