What I used the most during my first 3 months

The Things I Used the Most

Like any mother when my son was born I was extremely nervous about having anything I really needed to have. So I researched and looked up reviews on all sorts of items. I understood that each baby is different, and some like more things than others; knowing that I set off to find the products that I thought would help my lifestyle with baby the most. Here are some of the things I found most important and useful for my sons first four months.

Swaddles & Sleep Sacks

My son from birth hated being swaddled, he wanted his arms free. So I did not invest in traditional blanket swaddles, which ended up being a smart move because my son was super active during sleep. He would have definitely squeaked out of any blanket swaddle. I bought the HALO swaddles and they were great! My son didn’t seem too unnerved by the Velcro piece in the middle and he was up every two hours anyway. What was nice about the Halo swaddles was I didn’t really need to unwrap him to change his diaper.

What I Liked About the HALO was:

1. Reverse Zipper (Some have dual zippers)
2. Velcro Swaddle piece
3. Comfort cover over top zipper pull
4. They also come in 100% cotton and softer fabrics

I found them really affordable on Amazon.com: Halo Sleep Sacks/Swaddles

I also tried Touched By Nature sleep sacks but I found that they were not my favorite. Unlike the Halo Sleep sacks, the Touched by Nature are sized 0-6 months so my son couldn’t even wear them until he was two months old. They were too big before then. They do work and at 14.99 a piece it’s a hard deal to beat. They have pretty cute patterns and they do have zippers that open from the bottom making diaper changes easy.

What I like about Touched by Nature Sleep Sack:

Touched By Nature Sleep Sacks

I didn’t try any other swaddles or sleep sacks though I know there are plenty out there. On Prime Day the Halo Swaddles can be as low as 16.99 a piece- much cheaper than the normal 21.99 they usually run. My son wore his Halo sleep sacks for a lot of his first two months. Keep in mind though, my son got too long for the newborn sleep sack before his 3rd month so we had to transition to the 3-6 month sleep sack when he was two months old. If your baby is very long consider sizing up. Remember- a sleep swaddle or sack should be used with any baby under 1 year old. No loose blankets, pillows, stuffed animals or toys should be in the bassinet or crib with your baby. Doing so poses a risk for SIDS; and always place your baby to sleep on his/her back on a firm mattress.

Lounger

The next item I got a lot of use out of was the Little Grape Land baby nest lounger in “Galaxy”. It comes in several cute prints and was extremely useful when he was small. I still use the lounger and he is now three months old.

Unlike the Dock-a-Tot this lounger is not approved for co-sleeping, so please know that it is not for used for that. I found it was a lot of help in his crib. If I needed to fold clothes I put him in it where I could see him and he hung out in there. I also used to set him in for his naps while I was doing something on my phone. I used this a lot in our bed as it prevented him from rolling side to side which he could do at one month old. I was always awake and with him when he was in it though.

I did not buy any other lounger than this. At 35.99 this lounger was the best deal out of the ones offered.

Pajamas

I found that Cloud Island and Carter's really worked well for my son in terms of size. He fit into the footed sleep n play's up until he was two months old. At that point he was too tall for them. We liked the soft material that the pajamas were made from, nice breathable cotton and they had dual zippers which made diaper changes really easy.

Because my son was a little longer than we expected at two months old we switched to footless sleeper pajamas and had him wear socks and his sleep sack to bed. You can find these great sleep n plays at Carters or Amazon and the prints are super cute.

What is great about these:

1. Dual Zipper closure
2. They come with or without feet
3. 100% cotton
4. Fold over Cuffs on Preemie/Newborn size Super Soft and cozy

I also invested in Cloud Island footed Sleep N Play’s from Target in Newborn and 0-3 month sizes. They have beautiful prints that work for both boys and girls as well as neutrals. These are also very soft, breathable and have a top to bottom zipper that makes diaper changes easy. They have:

1. Zipper Closure
2. Comfort zipper cover
3. Made from Cotton
4. Super Soft
5. Beautiful Prints

You get three for 12.99 and are by far the best deal in footed Sleep N Plays that I found and researched.

Activities

My son wasn’t really interested in anything active or toys until he was about two months old. I was really happy purchasing the Little Einstein activity center and we invested in the Jumper as well even though he’s still too little to really enjoy it. He likes us to bounce him though and he enjoys being able to sit and look at us and really make eye contact.

Little Einstein 4-1 Kickin

Baby Einstein Neptunes Ocean Discovery

My son seems to really enjoy music and lights so I chose the ones that seemed like the best choice for him. The Kickin’ Tunes Activity mat comes with a keyboard that they can use as toddlers as well. He really seems to enjoy them and I have his activity center in his Pack N Play bassinet and he hangs out in there and plays.

He also really liked the Skip Hop Bandanna Buddy "Ferguson the Fox" in his activity center as an add on.

I will defintely be purchasing more from Skip Hop and more Ferguson.

Pack N Play

I really liked the Graco Pack N Play- I was going to invest in one that had an additional bassinet but we would have only used it for a very short period of time. He did just fine in the bassinet attachment that the Pack N Play’s come with and its not worth getting one with an added changing table unless you’re dealing with a two level home. We have a Ranch House; one story so its easy to go to our nursery to do diaper changes.

Blankets & Burp Cloths

You can never have too many burp cloths and I have several. We seem to go through them like nothing! I use them when I nurse; when we pack him around (Especially now with teeth coming in, lots of drool) I found the Hudson burp cloths to be really nice and super absorbent. They are flannel so they are thick and they are just the right size.

I also purchased the Gerber Flannel burp cloths and they were very good as well. These burp cloths are really good at catching spit up minor and major, and also work really well for nursing.

The Burts Bees burp clothes were soft and made of cotton rather than flannel. Not as good at picking up spit up, but I found them really useful for just drool. You can find these on Babylist as well!

Security Blankets

We’re horse people so the very first friend I wanted my son to have was a little horse by Douglas. He’s cute, he’s soft and he has a silky edge.

For regular snuggling blankets I bought a Burt’s Bees Reversible Blanket for 19.99 which some mom’s compared to the Aden+Anais blankets which run for much more money. The Burt’s Bee’s blanket is very soft and also pretty. It comes in a few nice prints and is made from cotton so it’s not super hot and perfect for summer. I bought “Navy Mountains”

Burt’s Bee’s also makes a reversible quilt but it runs for 59.99 and I found that too expensive for a blanket. I also quite like the Cloud Island Jersey Blanket which is by far the best deal. At 14.99 the price for this cute blanket just can’t be beat. I wish it came in more cute patterns and colors though. I bought “Adventure” in the jersey cotton.

Nursing

For Nursing I loved the Boppy Latch Breastfeeding Pillow. It has two sides to nurse on, a strap which is way more secure than the original boppy and its much more stuffed which works much better. I’m a bigger girl and this Boppy has been the best! With the strap it makes nursing so much easier. I never thought I would use the strap but I do ALL THE TIME! It was very beneficial. For one, it keeps the pillow from slipping forward down your knees. Second it allows for much more freedom with pillow placement and keeps your little one satisfied if they have odd nursing position needs. My little boy doesn’t like football hold so being able to prop a blanket underneath the Boppy to elevate him means he’s in the perfect position and I know the pillow won’t shift.

Diaper Bag

The LekeBaby Diaper Bag Tote has been the best! It comes with straps so you can attach it to your stroller which makes packing it much easier. I bought the Graco Verb click stroller and this bag fits really well. It comes with a small place for wipes and I think I’ll use it eventually, but for now it doesn’t get used as much. It has enough room for everything I pack with me plus a little extra. It also has a lined pouch, which will keep water warm if you have it in a spare bottle. It was definitely worth the purchase. It can be carried over your shoulder, by the hand straps or attach to a stroller.

Stroller & Car seat

The Graco Verb Click Stroller has proven worthy. It isn’t too heavy and it folds up to be stored. It does not fold up completely flat, but for my needs it works. It has cup holders for mom and baby and uses the “click” system which makes taking the car seat in and out so much easier. When I use the stroller my diaper bag fits on the handlebar and makes walking around a breeze.

This stroller is light weighing just 20lbs. If you buy it in the Travel System like my husband and I did, you get the Infant Car seat as well. All the items work with the “click” base and system. The stroller is also click compatible so any Graco car seat with the click system will fit in it.

It has four wheels that are much thicker and rotate so pushing the stroller down our little country road is much easier. It is normally 195.00 but I got it on sale for 150.00- which was an excellent price.

Please keep in mind that this is a lightweight stroller, so the car seat and stroller don’t have a huge amount of padding; but my little boy doesn’t seem to mind.

Bathtub

I was gifted the Summer 4-1 Bathtub which has been excellent for bathing my baby. It grows with your child and goes from Newborn, Infant, 6-9 months and 9 months and up. I found this bathtub to be really helpful, especially since we have showers in our house and no working bathtub. It comes with a hanger on the back so you can hang it up to dry.

In Conclusion

I found a great many of these items useful for my son, and while each baby is different and unique I found that these work very well and will continue to work very well for my baby for quite some time. I don't regret any of my purchases, though some could be improved on they still work great for my family and our needs.

Don't be afraid to research and read reviews about products before purchasing yourself. You can never read too much! All these items I've listed today can be added to your Amazon Baby Registry! Don't forget to check out BuyBuy Baby and Babylist for these items too.

Cover Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels