Baby Gear

next
New Makeup Brushes: Sigma

 

 

babygrear2 copy

Shopping for baby items can be a little daunting at first. On one hand it’s really nice that there are a ton of options, but on the other hand it can be difficult to decide between two nearly similar items.
 
The items that I was the pickiest about were the stroller and the monitor. I would lay in bed in the middle of the night and read extensive reviews. One of my favorite resources for reviews is BabyGizmo.com
 
Upon reading tons of reviews I learned something: there is always going to be something that someone doesn’t like about a product. So, I learned to take reviews into consideration but also see what fits for Justin and I and just hang onto the receipt in case something doesn’t work out! 
 
1. The monitor was a tough decision for me. I strongly considered a monitor that would allow me to use my iPhone as the parent unit but I was apprehensive about draining the already worthless battery life.
 
We decided on the Motorola Digital Video Baby Monitor with a 3.5 inch LCD screen. We only use in when he naps (since he’s sleeping in the room with us), and so far we have enjoyed it! The screen is large and the picture is clear. I also like the pan and tilt options to get the best view of him that we can.
 
2. The 4moms MamaRoo was a product I was very excited about! My parents bought that for us as a gift, and we have really enjoyed it.  David likes to lay in it on the “kangaroo” setting. He also likes “car ride”.
We liked that this was a swing and had different movement options, but didn’t have a huge footprint and take up a bunch of space in our living room. We also like how cool it looked!

4mom’s products are like the Apple of baby products. Justin and I loved testing them out at the store. We also purchased the 4mom’s Breeze but since we haven’t really used it yet, I didn’t include it in this post.

3. David has slept in the little lamb rock n’ play sleeper from the day he came home from the hospital. He has taken a couple naps in his crib, but he spends the night’s in the lamb next to our bed.

 
He seems to like it, and we like having him in our room. We swaddle him at night when he goes to bed. He is content and happy when he’s wrapped up!

4. I’m breast-feeding, and pump occasionally to try and create a backup supply. We have given David a few bottles and he takes it like a champ!

 
I’ve enjoyed this breast pump so far, but I don’t have anything to compare it to. I feel like you probably can’t go wrong with anything from Medela. 
5. When we were shopping for a stroller we were looking for a few things specifically: not too heavy, not too bulky and clunky, and something that was a smooth ride. We wanted something that was streamlined and didn’t have unnecessary extras. We also wanted something that would fold and open easily. 
We decided on the Uppababy Cruz because it fits all of the things we were looking for. I liked the large basket below the seat and the adjustable handlebar.
 
I also really liked that I could remove the seat from the stroller and just click the car seat into the stroller base. David is a little too small for the stroller seat, so we’ve just been clicking the car seat in when we need to stroll with him. It couldn’t be easier. 
 
For a little while I thought I wanted the UppaBaby Vista, which can convert into a double  or triple stroller and comes with the bassinet, but I like the smaller size of the Cruz. The wheels of the Vista were a little larger than what I was looking for. I also didn’t find the need for a bassinet.

So far I have really enjoyed the Cruz. We’ve taken it on walks, taken it to stores, and even cruised around the mall with it. It isn’t obnoxiously huge and it’s a really smooth stroller.
6. For the car seat, we went with the Uppababy Mesa car seat. It clicks into the Cruz without the need of adapters. It’s an infant car seat, and can only be used up to 35 pounds/32”.

It’s safe, sturdy, and clicks into the car quickly and easily.

It is not the lightest car seat around town, so we may focus our search on a lighter one once David grows out of this one. Other than the weight, I really like it.

As I add more gear to my new mom-life, I’ll be sure to continually review it here on the blog! I really enjoyed reading what products other mom’s chose, so I hope this is helpful (or will be helpful) for you!

comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

twochickstoo says · 01.08.14

Love, love , love them all! But honestly, swaddling is genius. We didn’t quite get the concept at first, but when I asked the nurse at the hospital to come home with me ;), she gave us a good lesson.

Reply
Heather Hughes says · 01.08.14

I swaddled my baby boy and he loved but i honestly wished i wouldn’t have cause it took me till he was like 5 months old for him to sleep any other way. I was the only one that could get him to sleep and it was hard for ever one else since i had to go back to work

Reply
Heather Hughes says · 01.08.14

I swaddled my baby boy and he loved but i honestly wished i wouldn’t have cause it took me till he was like 5 months old for him to sleep any other way. I was the only one that could get him to sleep and it was hard for ever one else since i had to go back to work

Reply
Kim says · 01.08.14

You know that you can buy the newborn add-on for the seat of the cruz. So when you go shopping, you can put your baby in the stroller, better for their little back than being cramped in the car seat! 🙂 love mine also! get tons of compliements on the yellow color

Reply
bonnieshee says · 01.08.14

I didn’t know the Cruz had a newborn add-on option! We have some British ladies in my online mom’s group, and apparently leaving the baby in the car seat for more than 2 hours is something actively discouraged there b/c of the positioning. They think we Americans are a little strange for clicking the car seat onto a stroller…but newborn friendly strollers are not the norm here and only seem to be on the pricier systems!

Reply
Kate says · 01.08.14

I did know that but I forgot!

Reply
Meghan Fitz says · 01.08.14

I was the mom who agonized over what to get. We bought a cheaper carseat/stroller combo and I cried on the way home because I thought I was putting mh babys life at risk by not buying the safest one available with the best reviews! Oh hormones! Needless to say we returned it and got another one. My poor husband!

Reply
Kelley says · 01.08.14

Just want to say hello. I live about 45 mins from Raleigh and have been following you for a while. You have handled the motherhood transition like a champ. So graceful. I appreciate your fashion, hair and makeup advice especially since it is conservative, classic and not over the top. Keep up the good work. Oh, and if there is ever a triangle blogger meet-up, I would love to know about it! kelleyblogs.com

Reply
Kate says · 01.08.14

hi! Thanks for saying hey!

Reply
Marissa Lee says · 01.08.14

Love them! I’m not a mom myself yet but I find when I’m strolling around target and other department stores I find myself saying “if I ever have a boy/girl this is definitely what I would buy!” Haha kinda strange but its amazing what instincts a woman is born with when it comes to little ones.

Reply
Maria says · 01.08.14

Great reviews! Agree on the Medela comment!

You don’t need to worry about weight of car seats once he outgrows his infant seat. The next seat you buy will most likely be a convertible one that goes rear facing and forward facing. It installs to the car with the latch hooks or the seat belt and stays put.

Reply
Danielle says · 01.08.14

I bought the Motorola monitor when my daughter starting rolling over at 4 months and sleeping on her tummy. Now she is 17 months and it still works great and I love being able to see her especially at nap times. It’s so much fun to watch them. 🙂

Danielle

Reply
krs says · 01.08.14

I wouldn’t worry too much about the weight of his next carseat because once he is close to 30 lbs.. you are going to probably prefer leaving the seat in your vehicle and just taking him in and out of it… Trust me.. Once my daughter got to be around 25 lbs or so, it was just too much weight with everything else that you have to carry to include a carseat in the mix! LOL

Reply
Lady Bug says · 01.08.14

I was gonna say the same thing!!

Also check out The Car Seat Lady and/or Beyond Just Buckled for any and all car seat safety info (you’d be surprised what you’ll learn!!).

I recommend a convertible (can rear face AND forward face) because the height and weight requirements are much higher and allow for longer rear facing (500% safer!)

Reply
Anna Nordling says · 01.08.14

I love your reviews! I have a baby girl arriving in June and feel pretty lost on a lot of the baby items I will need to purchase. That Cruz stroller looks amazing and is just my style. I’ll definitely be checking in on more input from you, thanks!

Reply
Mrs. Schaaf says · 01.08.14

Carseats get you by the weight. Its the length that matters. 32 inches is on the taller side and probably David will hit that before the lbs. My son was well over two before he was 30 lbs.

Reply
Kelly @ turned UP to ELEVEN! says · 01.08.14

Thank you for posting this – I don’t have a little one yet but I’m thinking of trying this year and having all of this to refer to is a blessing!! 🙂

Reply
Traci Grimes says · 01.08.14

Loved seeing all the things you are enjoying! We just had our first baby 2 1/2 months ago and we have a lot of these same things! We received the mamaroo from my husbands parents and we love it and our little one does too! We also have that same monitor. It works really well! The rock and play is amazing too! Congrats to you and your new little family member!

Reply
Dana Santa says · 01.08.14

Good choice with the Cruz! I have the Vista, and while I love it, I hate it at the same time. It’s heavy and the wheels are so large that I constantly smash into things while trying to shop. For my second I’m going to sell the Vista and get the Cruz. I have heard that you shouldn’t let them sleep in the lamb rocker because it can cause the flat spot on the back of their head. Not 100% sure how true that it, but just something to check out. I think it was because there was a hard piece of plastic behind the head pillow. Check out the Halo Bassinest as an alternative. It’s brand new, but looks amazing. I also LOVE 4Moms, I heard their bathtub is great too. Love your baby posts!!

Reply
Sarah says · 01.08.14

That car seat/stroller combo is super mod and cute but dang, it’s expensive.

Reply
Sarah says · 01.10.14

That is exactly what I was thinking!!! Whoa!

Reply
Windy Lampson says · 01.08.14

Check out iBaby Feed Timer- an app that will let you time your feedings, it helps you remember which side to start with next (programmed by you) and analyzes a lot of your data. Over the course of time, it will give you averages on number of feedings, length of feedings, etc. You can also log when you pump and give a bottle, dirty/wet diapers and several other things. There is a timer, so you don’t have to always have a clock around when you feed. I love it!

Reply
Kaleena Raney says · 01.08.14

Great suggestions! I am a first time mom of a beautiful 7 month old baby girl and an item that I highly recommend that is not listed on your blog post is the Fisher Price, My little Lamb Platinum Edition Cradle and Swing. It saved my husband and I through those sleepless nights and my daughter Peyton it!! She napped in the swing until she was 5 months old! Here is the link…http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/babygear/products/66595.

Reply
Erin says · 01.08.14

We use the same monitor and we LOVE it. Ours is mounted near the ceiling so we got an extra camera to take with us when we visit family. It links up with the viewing screen so we have 2 monitors and one screen. AWESOME for this paranoid momma when traveling! And I also have the same breast pump and LOVE it as well! As it is hospital-grade, I have to agree that I don’t think you can go wrong with Medela. I struggled at the beginning with breastfeeding and mastitis and the pump was a lifesaver. 🙂

Reply
Morgan S. says · 01.08.14

I bought the MamaRoo from a mom that had only used it once with her kid because he hated it. Talk about a steal! It had the pink cover, which is perfect for my FIRST GIRL! I also used the Medela Pump you have there – it’s great, will use it again when this baby arrives.

Reply
tort(e) says · 01.08.14

All great products! I was always curious about the MamaRoo… I may have to invest in that when we have another kid. I hate to break it to you though… by the time Baby David grows out of his infant carrier, you will be switching him to a convertible seat, not another infant seat. Our daughter (who is on the small side for her age) grew out of her infant carrier by her first birthday… :/ On the bright side, instant weights! Here come toned arms! 🙂

Reply
Megan Cornelius says · 01.08.14

I love these lists! It’s so fun to see what other moms find useful. Oh yeah, and about the weight limit on the car seat…by the time David is 35 pounds, you won’t want to lug him around in it anymore! When my daughter hit about 20 pounds I started leaving the car seat in the car unless she was asleep and then soon after we switched her to a convertible car seat. She’s a chubby one though, and isn’t even a year old yet so you may well get more use out of your infant seat than we did!

Reply
TheDrivenWoman says · 01.08.14

Greetings! I’m a new mom of a four month old girl and I have had many of sleepless nights until my co-worker (an avid follower of this blog) recommended the Fisher Price My Little Lamb Rock & Play Sleeper. She sent me the link to the blog and I immediately researched prices for the sleeper right before Thanksgiving. I waited until Black Friday to purchase the sleeper (huge discount on Amazon), and it arrived in 2 days later. Once I swaddled her, we have slept soundly through the night ever since. Thank you so much for your sleeper recommendation, and now I’m curious about the 4Moms Mamaroo (going to research this now). I’m a new subscriber to your blog too. 🙂

Reply
M says · 01.08.14

I can definitely attest to the wonder that is the Rock n Play! It’s been a savior for getting my little guy to sleep through the night since he’s been about 2.5 months old – the only issue I’m facing is trying to transition him over to the crib! I dread the night he’s finally too big for it, but for now, I’m enjoying my rest while I can!
Great post of items – as a new mom I always love reading about what works for other mommas out there!

Reply
Kelly Miller says · 01.08.14

Love the Motorola monitor. Since we now have 2 kids I love that I can sync more than 1 camera to my handheld unit and see both my kiddos on the same screen!

Reply
Unknown says · 01.08.14

We also have (and love) the Motorolla monitor, the MamaRoo and the fisher price Lamb. Since your little one is a fan of swaddling you may want to check out the Aden & Anais muslin swaddle blankets! They are the best for swaddling and target now carries them!

Reply
valentinegirl says · 01.08.14

My boys are 10 and 12 now–wow, baby products change so much every few years. When my boys were little, we had a great bouncer that they loved (kind of the old, non-cool version of your Fisher price rock and play) and I know it’s tempting to let your baby sleep in it all the time (because they go to sleep so easily) but I would caution you not to train your baby to sleep ONLY that way. Soon, he will grow out of it, or you will be ready to transition to your crib more full time and it can be really difficult if he only likes to fall asleep that one way. I saw you wrote that he sometimes naps in his crib……so I think that’s very smart thinking on your part. Mix it up some so that he can adapt and self-soothe himself. You will be so glad that you did that! congratulations on your new baby, it’s fun to see your updates since I’m so far away from that little baby stage!

Reply
Vanessa says · 01.09.14

I do agree that it can be difficult to transition babies to a new way of doing things after they have gotten used to something, but the only way our oldest daughter would sleep at all was on someone’s chest or in her swing. We tried putting her in her bassinet constantly, but it never worked. She slept in her swing full-time until 11 weeks. Then we switched her over – no problems at all. I was shocked. I would say do what works for these first few weeks. However you can get sleep – do it! Now when they are a few months old… that is a different story.
I am currently watching a 6 month-old and her mom just admitted to me that she has never ever slept anywhere but in someone’s arms. She literally sleeps upright in bed, holding this little girl! Which really helps explain why she is a complete nightmare of a child during the day with me. Ugh…

Reply
Erin Mason says · 01.08.14

This comment has been removed by the author.

Reply
Christina Warren says · 01.09.14

Oh YEAH! I need posts like these! I’m 19 weeks along. Someone already bought us that motorola monitor and then when a friend of mine saw it, they had some “opinions” on it and suggested another! I know it’s such a personal preference. I’m pretty open to suggestions. These look great. Thank you!

Reply
Sarah @ Life, Love & Dinner says · 01.09.14

We use a lot of those same products but totally wish I got the Mamaroo and a stroller with an adjustable handlebar. We ended up borrowing a swing from my sister but it’s big and bulky. And while I love, love, love my Britax stroller, I’m 5’1 and my husband is 6’4 and the stroller is a perfect fit for me, so you can imagine what he looks like pushing it!

Reply
JLWKZeta says · 01.09.14

I too had a hard time deciding on a monitor. We picked the same one!! Babygizmo.com is the best!

Reply
Dashing Tales says · 01.09.14

ok I’m 23 weeks pregnant now and this is my first! This may be a dumb question, I guess I’m just not sure. Do you need both the Rock and Play Sleeper and the 4Moms Swing? I’m so nervous I wont get everything I need. 🙂

Reply
Christina says · 01.10.14

Try borrowing items from friends first if you can- some children love swings while others don’t. The same goes for bouncy chairs and rockers.

Reply
Christina says · 01.10.14

Thanks for sharing! I didn’t read the above comments so forgive me if this has been said already. Be careful with the rock and play sleeper. Babies need to sleep flat on their backs (unless doc says otherwise for a medical condition) in order for their lungs to fully expand. When they are in a sitting/slanted position it can prevent this from happening. It also increases the risk of SIDS. And once baby starts to roll, sit etc those can be dangerous for little ones. (I swear they always do these things for the first time in bed!).

Reply
Shannon Steinert says · 01.17.14

This comment has been removed by the author.

Reply
Shannon Steinert says · 01.17.14

Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy! You seem to be adjusting to motherhood with grace. I’m sure you’re getting all kinds of unwarranted advice ( it comes with the territory) and I don’t mean to add to it but I have to agree with the previous posters. Those seats are meant for having moments to cook a meal or take a shower, not for overnight. It’s hard because they sleep so well in them but it’s not safe and it’ll be harder later to move him to a bed/crib. You can always talk to your pediatrician for professional advice though!

Reply
Tory says · 02.28.14

Kate – how are you liking your Uppa Baby stroller and car seat?

Reply
asima khan says · 04.07.14 Reply
Shah Hemal says · 04.25.14

A complete travel system baby gear to travel easy with your baby.

Reply
Leonard says · 05.08.14

These are some great baby gears and by the time while baby gets his/her growth such gears really helps to keep up. I really like this informative demonstration. Thanks a lot for handy allocation. 🙂

Reply
baby monitors hut says · 05.19.14

A baby display is a gadget utilized to look over the child when you are not physically existing with them. There are audio as well video clip child checks present in market. Baby monitor is the latest innovation which has actually made managing various other story in addition to looking after child very much practical for the moms and dads.

Reply
baby monitor says · 05.24.14

The baby monitors are highly beneficial at time when babies are sleeping. Through these monitors parents can keep eye on their child. Monitors allow the attendants to hear or see when a baby wake ups or cries. For the babies who sleep in their own room, baby monitors would prove to be very much helpful.

Reply
Gumtree says · 05.25.14

I always liked the strollers that included attached baby soft toys. They are so much better as gear since you can so easily keep the baby occupied while going from place 1 to place 2. A digital monitor is always tremendous and has to be used by absolutely all people.

Reply
colon cleansing clinics says · 09.14.14

Hello there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it is truly
informative. I’m going to watch out for brussels.
I’ll be grateful if you continue this in future. Numerous
people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

Reply
www.gayweddinginvitation.com says · 06.13.16

I was like 9 or 10 when Rob Liefeld and Jim Lee were all over the Their art is what got me into comics as a kid and still holds interest to this It’s incredibly Part of the endearing part I think, is they were artists little kids -could- emulate and I think that’s why so many people loved Sure, there’s plenty to criticize but that’s really what the critics That’s how they stay Really though, I think the case with Vanilla Ice, is at the time that’s what people bought, consumed and accepted as They bring a lot of that ‘I can’t believe I like this’ self hate and throw it towards the Liefeld’s and Vanilla Ice’s of the I’m afraid I don’t know much about Rob Liefeld’s personality but that’s great to hear he’s

Reply
Melissa Cunha Lima says · 08.09.16

I like all those stuff on here shown. Also, I have ideas for share.

Reply
Karlie says · 11.17.17

When David would go in the Rock N Play when you swaddled him would you still buckle him in or just lay him in their swaddled?

Reply