One week and a bit into motherhood, an unflinching review of the items on my registry: what was worth it, what wasn’t, and what I’ve learned. I meticulously researched each and every item on my baby registry, reading blogs, scouring Reddit forums, and repeatedly visiting our local baby shops. No amount of advance preparation, however, could equate to twelve days of trial by fire with an actual baby. Some items we have yet to try, but, for those we did, my honest reviews and reflections are below. Anything highlighted in yellow was an item I loved, and would repeat every single time.
Strollers
I say strollers because, contrary to what my husband would say, one stroller will not, optimally anyway, fulfill every function you require. Most families I know, depending on lifestyle and needs, have acquired two to three strollers by the time their child is in toddlerhood.
If you’re like us and travel is a big part of your lifestyle, I would recommend a full size every day stroller and a second travel stroller. If, unlike us, you regularly jog or cycle, and would like to do so with your baby, consider a jogging or cycling stroller as a third.
Choosing our stroller(s) was the single biggest, and most difficult, decision when it came to planning our registry. There are a glut of options out there and it can get overwhelming to sort through them all. Below are my top picks for both full size and travel size.
Full size:
- Uppababy Vista V2
- Bugaboo Fox 3
- Peg Perego Agio Z4
Travel:
- Uppababy Minu
- Baby Zen Yoyo 2
We chose the Uppababy Vista V2 in Gregory as our full size stroller. I love the aesthetics of the stroller, especially in Gregory, which is a neutral ‘denim jeans’ look fabric, with a sharp aluminum frame and saddle brown leather accents on the handlebars. It’s gender neutral enough that both my husband and I like to push it, yet chic and stylish enough to please my sensibilities. The functionality is outstanding and Uppababy’s customer service is unparalleled.
While I’m very happy overall with our stroller, we have a very delicate 5lbs preemie, and if only for right now, I do wish we had gone with the Bugaboo Fox 3, solely for it’s superior push and ‘rattle free’ baby transport. We bought the Vista V2 primarily on the basis of it’s functionality as a single and fully aware of it’s shortcomings as an inline double. The Peg Perego Agio Z4 was not on my radar till a friend bought it, but by all accounts offers a superior inline double option to the Vista V2 at a lower price point; something to at very least try out in your local store if you’re in the market for a convertible.
I wanted to stay within an ecosystem when choosing our travel stroller, for optimal compatibility, so given that we chose the Uppababy Vista V2 with the Uppababy Mesa car seat, the Uppababy Minu would have been the logical choice. I had the Minu on my registry until, at the last moment, on the recommendation of a friend couple with two kids who travel extensively, we decided to change course and go with the Baby Zen Yoyo+ instead because of it’s superior packability and guaranteed in-cabin fit. The only snag is that the Uppababy Mesa is not compatible with the Baby Zen Yoyo2, and as far as I can tell, there are no adapters currently on market that can make it such. This entails either purchasing a compatible-brand infant car seat specifically for travel, renting an infant car seat on location, waiting till the baby is out of infant car seat travel, or simply travelling and just accepting that your infant car seat and stroller on not compatible (more on how important a travel system is or isn’t to come in a separate post).
Strollers are a complex subject, and I will post a separate entry solely dedicated to strollers featuring more detailed discussion of the pros and cons of each, as well as the specific factors that guided our choices.
Clothing
Once we entered the third trimester, and I had more certainty that the pregnancy was likely to reach a positive conclusion, I began buying clothes in NB and 0-3 months sizes on sale or at second hand stores. My strategy as a first time mom was based on advice from friends with kids as well as online reviews; I had an assortment of organic cotton Gap onesie bodysuits and Nest Designs kimono-style onesies for quick wash and wear, as well as several bamboo Kyte footies for sleep.
As a preemie mom, my carefully curated newborn wardrobe went out the window and I had to rush to buy/order her things in the two or three days leading up to her birth, when it became clear that she was most definitely arriving early. There are specialty websites that sell clothes for micropreemies but, thankfully, she was what’s considered late preterm, and expected to be about 5 lbs. I found that Carters has a small selection of preemie sizes (though I didn’t see these in stock at the target I went to). Baby Gap was by far the most readily available retail option for preemie clothes; you can simply dash into the store and grab almost any item from their ‘First Favorites’ section in the ‘less than 7 lbs size.’ Kyte footies were also readily available on Amazon, though shipping with Amazon has lately not been reliable, at least in Los Angeles.
The Baby Gap onesies in ‘less than 7 lbs size’ fit her best however we found these a little hard to put on/off her in the first few days, and we found that the snaps required an inordinate amount of force to unsnap. Although my Nest Designs kimono-style onesies in Newborn size were too large, we still found ourselves using these as new parents with a delicate newborn, as the fabric is high quality and the style is more facile for a newborn. Our brand new baby was much happier with us putting the kimono on/off than us stretching a regular bodysuit over her head. The Kyte footies are a little complicated to use but the bamboo fabric really is soft and great for temperature regulation, and we found that the footies were perfect for keeping her warm and cozy while sleeping without getting too hot. The Kyte footies are also ideal for when baby has to sit in the car seat and must be kept warm, but without anything bulky impeding the fit of the car seat straps.
If I were to do it over, whether I was having a preemie or a full term newborn, and regardless of climate, I would likely buy more of the bamboo Kyte footies (currently, I have four) as she essentially lives in those day and night, with maybe three organic cotton Nest Designs kimonos for those very early newborn days when, as a first time parent, you just need something easy to put on/off. Dapple stain remover is excellent for the inevitable organic matter stains; I can attest that Dapple has gotten stains out of items that I thought were lost causes. Their skin is super sensitive as newborns, and especially as preemies, and I think a gentle baby-specific laundry detergent such as the Dapple one is well worth it at this stage. We didn’t originally have a baby-specific detergent as my husband thought it was a scam (who knows, maybe it is), but after I met her and saw how delicate she is, I insisted we purchase one before doing any of her laundry.
Feeding
Based on good reviews, recommendations from sales people, and what my nephew liked, I had pre-purchased some Como Tomo bottles. I had set aside the smaller 5oz bottles with slow flow nippes for the newborn phase, but even these proved to be too much for our little preemie. We found that the 2oz NICU bottles with the single use Enfamil rubber nipples (first in slow flow, then standard flow) used by the NICU worked best for week one, and only now, as she is nearing two weeks old (corrected age 36+4), have we levelled up to some 2.7oz Medela bottles (intended for storing small quantities of pumped milk but can be used for feeding as well). NICU discharged us home with a stash of bottles and rubber nipples to use, and we were able to order an additional 25-pack of rubber Enfamil nipples from Amazon as well as the 3oz Medela bottles. As she gets older, and her volumes increase, I will try the Como Tomo bottles again.
We are bottle feeding both breast milk and formula (she is supplementing with a special preemie formula to help her catch up and make some gains). I was told by more than one person that the Baby Brezza Instant Warmer, or even the Baby Brezza Advanced Pro which both mixes and warms, was a godsend for formula-fed babies, so I purchased a Baby Brezza Instant Warmer (seen for $30 at Marshalls or $18 on the Clearance rack at Buy Buy Baby, much cheaper than the $50 ‘sale price’ on Amazon — prices are in USD). Our NICU nurse, however, told us never to warm formula (already at room temperature) so as not to create a dependency on warmed milk (rendering it difficult to travel or feed on the go in future) so our Baby Brezza languishes unopened in box in a corner, waiting to be returned. She taught us that only breast milk, because it’s refrigerated, needs to be warmed, and even then, only to room temperature. What we have been using, and what works amazingly well, is a simple cheapie ‘Munchkin Fast Bottle Warmer’ which works universally with essentially any bottle and heats milk within 90 seconds; the cost is only $25 USD at Target — could likely be purchased for less on sale, etc. but we were short on time because our circumstances changed in a hurry and we had to scramble when our baby arrived early. In our experience, anything fancier, like the Baby Brezza models or even the digital Munchkin warmer, is not required.
We wash our bottles, pacifiers, etc. with the Dapple dish detergent (apparently designed specifically to help break down the proteins in breast milk, and recommended to us by the NICU) and an OXO Tot bottle brush. Everyone and their sister has the Boon lawn but, we are on the road (more on that later) and have found that a simple clean kitchen towel, or regular dish rack, works just fine.
The jury is out on sterilization, and you will hear and read conflicting advice and guidelines, even from supposedly reputable sources such as the CDC and pediatric hospitals. We spoke to the Neonatologist, and decided to go with a common sense approach: she suggested sterilizing bottles for the first two months, while baby has virtually no immunity and does not yet have basic vaccinations. At home, I have the Baby Brezza Sterilizer unopened in box, and will likely sell this as I don’t see a real need for this in our specific situation. On the road, I’m using Munchkin Jumbo Microwave Bottle Sterilizer Bags which are reusable, fit many of our tiny bottles, and give you 180 uses for less than $9 USD. Perhaps the dedicated Baby Brezza sterilizer would have had more utility for us had we had a bigger baby, or full term baby, who could immediately drink from larger bottles (whereby less bottles can fit in the bag and therefore requiring more sterilization cycles)?
Plenty of bibs and spit-up cloths are essential to feeding. I cannot stress enough, the importance of having MANY of each, as you will quickly go through these. Re: bibs, I bought a number of different styles of these – four Aden & Anais kidney-shaped Burpy Burp Cloths, 3 Aden & Anais Snap Bibs, 3 Baby Gap Snap Bibs, and a cheapie set of ten plain white terry cloth bibs from Amazon. My favorite are the Aden & Anais kidney-shaped Burpy Burp Cloths — our baby is small enough that we wrap this around her and snap it behind her neck so that it fits her like a full body robe or barbershop cape. It looks a little ridiculous but the snap is fairly easy to unsnap, the material is soft and not itchy or likely to cause a rash from repeated dabbing about the mouth, and the full body robe format ensures her entire outfit is protected and helps me to ration the limited number of Kyte footies that I have. The Aden & Anais Snap Bibs are fine too, but at this age, I prefer using the Burpy Burp Cloths as a full body robe for feeds. The Baby Gap bibs are cute and coordinated, as well as made of good quality non-irritating cotton; I pack these in the diaper bag to use when we are out but I will admit that they are not my go to at home simply because, like the onesies, the snaps require too much force to unsnap once done feeding. I don’t like the fabric on the throwaway Amazon ones because it seems itchy and linty. Will try washing these and see if it improves
A whole bunch of little washcloths or rags are key — for dabbing about the mouth, completely drying the diaper area after wiping, and bathing. I have a three pack of Kushies bamboo washcloths which I love and would buy again; I bought these at home for, I think, $10 CAD. A last minute buy that came in handy, was a $2.99 USD six pack of Gerber terry cloth rags from Buy Buy Baby which are great for cleaning up miscellaneous messes. I could use more washcloths or rags, and would happily buy both again if I could find them easily or order online. In lieu of these, I ordered a pack of bamboo wash cloths from Amazon, but again, am not happy with the quality so will not repeat or recommend.
Changing
We are traveling so the fancy Keekaroo peanut lounger I sourced at home isn’t with us — and we’re managing just fine. Anything will do for changing: we keep it super basic and simply lay an old towel, a basic flannel swaddle, or a portable change mat on the ground and proceed to change the baby. When out and about, with the baby as small as she is now, I’ve even changed her in the bassinet itself for simplicity. Less is more.
I purchased Coterie diapers (Best of the Bump 2021 Award Winner) because they looked to be made of a softer, less irritating fabric than most. No complaints from me but no rave reviews either, simply because Coterie are a little bit hard to source (shipped direct, and that too, only within the US) and don’t seem to be noticeably better than other diapers. The hospital used Pampers Swaddlers and I soon purchased those for home use as well after noting that the Pampers Newborn size was a tiny bit smaller and more secure fitting than the Coterie ones. I have, anecdotally, been told by more than one source that Pampers leaks the least. Have not noticed a difference yet myself, likely too early to tell. Certainly have not noticed any difference in irritation, rashes, etc. after switching from Pampers to Coterie to back to Pampers. With the proper diaper care (wipes, cream) regimen, the actual diaper itself hasn’t seemed to make a difference in our case.
In the NICU, they used Vaseline with every change, Pampers wipes, and Pampers Swaddlers diapers. She developed a diaper rash after about 3.5 days, so on her last day the NICU switched to using Destitin with her. We brought her home the same day, and I immediately changed her entire regimen to Coterie, Target Sensitive Wipes, and Sudocrem. We saw the Pediatrician the following day and switched the Target Sensitive Wipes to Water Wipes on her recommendation (though I’m not sure how different the two truly are upon reading the ingredient lists). Rash cleared up within 1.5 days of being home and hasn’t returned even with reintroducing the Pampers diapers so I plan to stick with the Sudocrem and Water Wipes moving forward. I do have a tiny jar of Earth Mama Organic diaper balm which I keep in the nappy bag for a change and a — theoretically — gentler alternative that smells great!
Sleeping
The Halo bassinest was recommended to me by no less than three mom friends, and did not disappoint. Our baby not only arrived early, she aced her NICU stay and was also slated for an early discharge, leaving us scrambling to get a bassinet for our makeshift home in our LA Airbnb. I wanted the Halo bassinest specifically so much that my husband drove to Palmdale, CA and grabbed it at a Target where it was in stock. We have the Halo set up in our room, on my side of the bed, and it does not disappoint. Love it and would repeat everytime. The mesh sides are awesome because they provide a great view of baby even when we are sitting or lying in bed ourselves. The swivel design is convenient and so is the lowering arm bar. Love it and would repeat everytime. Essentia series is all that’s required; no value add from the lights and sounds, etc.
We also have a second bassinet in our living room. Our Uppababy Vista V2 stroller came with an excellent, sleep rated, bassinet which we keep in our living room so that the baby can nap in either room, or at night, if one person is sleeping in the bedroom, the other can watch the baby in the living room. Personally, I like, and would recommend our double bassinet set up.
We have four Love to Dream ‘arms up’ style swaddles in constant rotation, which our little peanut wears for every nap. She looks a little silly but sleeps well. We find that the Newborn size fits our preemie well. When she wants to feel a little more ‘snuggled,’ we add a simple flannel or muslin swaddle around her, usually from the waist down only, to up the cozy factor. A friend gave me a large muslin Pehr swaddle and, in addition to being beautiful, this is probably the single most useful and multifunctional item I received at my baby shower.
I cannot stress enough the importance of having multiples of everything when it comes to bedding and sleepwear so you’re not running to do laundry in the middle of the night. We started with two Love to Dream swaddles, one Halo bassinest sheet, and one Uppababy bassinet mattress cover — within one week, we doubled our count of each item so we are now at four swaddles, two Halo sheets, and two Uppababy bassinet mattress covers.
Milk & Money 