Our Favorite New Baby Gear

It seems like every expectant parent asks at some point during their pregnancy - What do we really need for this new baby??? And if we’re talking true need, your baby needs food, diapers, clothes, a safe place to sleep, and love. And maybe some burp cloths. But what about the baby products out there that you don’t really need but that also make your life easier? These things matter too and today’s blog has our round up of some our favorite new items out there that fit that category.

The Snoo

Yes, the Snoo. We realize this product is devisive and can really bring out some strong feelings in both the LOVE and HATE camp. But just hear us out on why we put this expensive, yet ingenius, baby bassinet on the list.

If you don’t already know, the Snoo is a high-tech, super safe place for babies to sleep. The bassinet might look minimalist in design, but it comes with the technology to allow it to play white noise and rock the baby back and forth, as well as is designed with it’s own swaddle that is meant to clip in to the mattress to keep the baby swaddled tightly and in place. The Snoo has sensors that pick up on the baby’s squirms and noises and will respond to the level of the baby’s fussiness or upset. The baby begins to squirm and cry, the Snoo begins to rock faster and increase the level of white noise.

As a doula, I love it because this bassinet basically does the things I do to help care for and get babies to learn how to sleep well at night. When babies begin to make noise, I don’t automatically pick them up; instead I observe and see if they really do need some soothing (as opposed to just making some normal sleep noises). If they do need soothing, I start small - increase the white noise, place hand on chest, etc., and then I gradually increase my soothing methods until ultimately I will pick up and soothe if nothing else is working. This is basically what the Snoo does. So it helps teach babies - and their parents - some soothing skills that will ultimately build better sleep habits. That’s a win for me.

And before you get sticker shock, you should know that you can rent the Snoo monthly or find a used, cheaper option somewhere out there on Facebook marketplace.

The Hatch Noise Machine

This is another great sleep tool to help babies get better sleep. The Hatch plays white noise, which newborns love because they’re just not used to silence - remember, it was noisy inside the womb. But it also plays various other sounds - waves, rain, chirping birds, etc. - if you want to graduate up to a more varied sound machine as your baby grows.

The other cool thing about the Hatch is that it is also a night light. One thing I always do as a doula is keep the lights low at night. When I’m chaning babies’ diapers or feeding babies’ bottles in the middle of the night, I do not turn on any overhead lights or bright lamps. Instead, I prefer to use a night light to keep the baby calm and sleepy and avoid fully waking and getting stimulated.

So the Hatch kills two birds with one stone. And if you download the app, you can control all of the settings right from your phone. So easy!

Baby Bum Brush Diaper Cream Applicator

If you read our recent blog on Diapering Tips for Newborns, then you already know we’re a fan of the Baby Bum Brush by Bumco. At first glance this might look silly, but believe me, this product is amazing.

As a postpartum doula, I’ve changed a lot of diapers, which means I’ve also applied diaper cream to a lot of little bottoms. And let me tell you, diaper cream gets messy. It sticks easily to your hands and fingers and it gets under your finger nails (yuck!). While you’re trying to get a squirmy newborn diapered and dressed, it’s a huge pain to have diaper cream all over your hands.

But with a diaper cream spatula, all I have to do is squeeze a little cream onto the shovel-like head, smooth it over a baby bum, and then take a wipe and clean the silicon spatula right off. All while keeping diaper cream off my hands. Love it! And you will too.

The Lovevery Play Gym

You’ve most likely heard that doing “tummy time” with your newborn is helpful for their development. This means you’ll spend a lot of time with them on the floor, practicing this skill. The Lovevery Play Gym is hands down our favorite mat for practicing tummy time.

This play mat comes with tools and sensory activites that grow with your baby. From exploratory sounds and feels to black and white design cards, there are plenty of things that will keep your baby engaged as they grow. It’s designed to have features that will engage from newborn to toddler stage. It also does NOT have obnoxious loud colors or loud, light up features. Another win in our book.

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Double Zipper Onesies

And lastly, the best baby product to hit the shelves over the last decade by far - the double zipper onesie (or what some people call the two-way zipper). This, my friends, is the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to those middle of the night diaper changes.

You probably already knew that onesise with buttons or snaps were to be avoided at all costs for overnights - I mean who wants to fumble with snapping all those buttons while you’re tyring to keep a hungry baby calm. But before the invention of the double zipper, onesies always unzipped from the top, which meant you basically had to undress the baby to change their diaper. And a cold newborn is an unhappy newborn. But with a double zipper, there is also a zipper at the foot of the onesie, so you can only unzip half the onesie from the bottom up and keep your baby warm up top. Genius! And makes diaper changes quick and easy.

There are a lot of double zipper onesies out there on the market and you really can’t go wrong as long as you get the ones with two zippers. NO snaps or buttons! But one of our favorite brands because it is just so so soft is the Kyte Baby Zippered Footie. Do they make these in adult sizes?

So there you have it - some of our favorite baby products out there on the market these days. Do you absolutely need any of these things? No, probably not - although I personally would make a pretty strong case for that double zipper onesie. But will these products make life with a newborn just a little bit easier? Yes, that they will. And this is why we love them!

Kelly RutanComment