My baby, Lyra, is 2 months old. (Pause for disbelief, and a pat on the back that we made it 2 whole months!)
I am a first time mom, and WOW, there is so much stuff out there to learn. One of the things I thought most about during pregnancy was what products we needed to buy to be prepared for the baby to arrive. I ended up devouring any and all content titled, best and worst baby products. Now that I’ve been through the first two months of the newborn phase, I can share my own point of view on what products we ended up buying that were the most useful.
One major caveat: I’m writing this post because these are the types of posts and content I wanted when I was pregnant and trying to prepare. But I want to reiterate that every baby is different and everyone has different preferences. So while these are what we used, that doesn’t mean they’ll work or did work for your baby, or that you’ll want to try them. Take this as one data point that’s out there, but otherwise, just go with what you think is best.
Here are some of the products we found most useful during the first 2 months of Lyra’s life:
Feeding tools:
- Burp cloths: Doesn’t need much explanation, does it? We love these muslin ones we got – they’re super soft. Link: Muslin burp cloths
- Bottles: Though I had planned to directly breast feed, we ended up being exclusive bottle feeders. We use the Dr. Brown’s narrow bottles. We find the 2 oz, 3 oz, and 8 oz bottle sizes all very useful, depending on whether she is having a full meal or just a little top-up feed, so we have a variety of sizes. Link: Dr. Brown’s bottles
- Dedicated wash basin for bottles: In order to keep things as sanitary as possible, we bought a dedicated wash basin for her bottles. We would stack dirty bottles in there throughout the day and do a wash twice per day. The one we chose is collapsible, but any basin would work, and we don’t really use the collapsible feature anyway. I do like how this one has a drain in the bottom. Link: Collapsible wash basin
- Electric bottle brush: To make cleaning bottles easier, Mitcher purchased a spinning brush with different attachable heads. I thought it was just going to be gimmicky at first but it actually makes cleaning bottles much quicker! I do wish it held a charge better (it’s USB-chargeable and has to be charged once per day), but it does a good job if you can get past the inconvenience of charging it daily. Link: Chefhandy Electric bottle brush set
- Baby Brezza Bottle sanitizer: Since babies’ immune systems are so fragile when they are little, it’s smart to sanitize bottles and pacifiers for them. This sanitizer is easy to use – just add water and it steam sanitizes in about 45 minutes. I especially love the sanitizer because the bottles and parts all come out completely dry, so I don’t have bottles drip-drying in my kitchen for hours. Link: Baby Brezza Advanced Bottle Sterilizer
- Formula and formula maker: Once it became apparent we would need to supplement my breast milk with formula, we had to pick a formula. Bobbie formula is what we landed on – and after a particularly fussy period, we started using the Bobbie gentle formula. We also decided to get the Baby Brezza Formula Maker, which I call the Baby Formula Keurig machine. It’s totally not a necessary item, but it makes it so quick to get bottles ready, and it also gets the water temperature right so it’s a nice warm bottle for her. Especially when she wakes up after her long stretches of sleep at night, she is hangry, so it’s nice to have a bottle ready at the touch of a button, with no measuring, mixing, or heating required.
- Link: Bobbie formula
- Link: Baby Brezza Formula Maker
- Gas drops: Lyra is very difficult to burp, so we started using the gas drops pretty early on. You just add the drops to the bottle and it helps break up her gas bubbles and makes feeding a bit more comfortable. Link: Mylicon Gas Drops
- A big pillow: When Lyra was a newborn, we fed her upright with the bottle parallel to the ground to do “paced feeding”. But soon, she became pretty heavy, so we switched to the side lying method on a pillow. We just use a regular 26X26 Euro pillow that we already had lying around. Mitcher also uses this pillow to rock her to sleep, and we prop her up on this for play time too. I should note, we also do have a Snuggle-me-Organic baby lounger, but we actually prefer the regular pillow. Link: 26X26 pillow
Sleep tools
- Swaddle: We swaddled Lyra for nighttime sleep as well as naps. As I write this, she is still struggling to figure out daytime naps, but the swaddle is still a necessity because it keeps her from startling herself awake if I am successful at getting her down to a nap in her bassinet. We tried a few different swaddles but we preferred the Ollie swaddle because it’s so easy to use and is nice and stretchy. We bought two, so we’d have an extra in case of any spit-up. Link: Ollie Swaddle
- Bassinet: Obviously, the baby needs somewhere to sleep. We chose to use a bassinet in our bedroom. We got the Halo swivel bassinet. I like the swivel feature. If I could choose again, honestly I might try renting the Snoo because Lyra really likes movement to fall asleep. At a minimum I would have looked to see if there was a bassinet with a rocking motion option. Link: Halo Bassinest Soothing Swivel Sleeper
- Rocking chair: I was so picky about what rocking chair to get. I wanted one with an electric reclining feature as well as a swivel. I liked both the Nurture& glider and the Babyletto Kiwi glider, but we chose the Babyletto and love it. We use it every day to rock her to sleep. Link: Babyletto Kiwi swivel glider
- Sound machine: We went with the ever-popular Hatch sound machine, and just keep it on 24/7, so Lyra has white noise for her naps and for nighttime sleep. I think it’s worth the extra money to pay for the Hatch Rest+, which gives you a portable sound machine that holds a charge –- the original must be plugged in directly, whereas the Rest+ has a charging base. Link: Hatch Rest+ Sound Machine
- 2-way zipper bamboo sleepers: I found out early on that I prefer bamboo footie pajamas. They’re easy to get on and off. While cotton ones also work great, the bamboo ones are much stretchier, so they are easier to use and will also last a little bit longer as she grows because of the stretch. Even though they are expensive, we like the Kyte Baby sleepers. Link: Kyte Baby Footies
Travel tools:
I should openly admit, we didn’t do much travel or getting out of the house when she was a newborn: she was fussy and didn’t nap well on the go, so we found it easiest to just stay at home where we had access to all our stuff to help facilitate naps. But when we absolutely had to go out, here is what we used:
- Car seat & stroller: Obviously everyone needs a car seat and stroller, and we love the one we picked. The car seat isn’t too heavy, and the stroller is extremely smooth riding and folds up easily. I added on a stroller fan, stroller caddy, and cup holder too.
- Link: Nuna Mixx car seat & stroller
- Link: Uppababy Stroller caddy
- Link: Guiseapue stroller cup holder
- Link: Amacool stroller fan
- Backpack diaper bag: This diaper bag has clips that clip onto the handle of the stroller which is great for when you run errands. Link: Babbleroo diaper bag backpack
- Portable sound machine: This tiny sound machine is USB chargeable. I put it in the car seat with Lyra when I want her to nap on the go (like on a walk or in the car). It works great. Link: Yogasleep Hushh Portable sound machine
Diapering Tools
- Disposable changing table pads: These liners are the perfect size for the changing table, and if you have a blowout, spit-up, or just a messy diaper change, it’s so easy to toss these pads and put a new one down. Link: Peekapoo changing table liners
- Wipe dispenser: I’m weirdly passionate about this wipe dispenser. It is not a wipe warmer – rather, it just has a weighted top which keeps the other wipes down, allowing for a one-handed wipe removal. I don’t know how people are out there just using a normal package of wipes when something like this exists. Link: Ubbi wipe dispenser
- Portable changing table: Since we had Lyra in a bassinet in our room for the entire time she was a newborn and beyond, we bought a portable changing table to put in our room too. It’s actually so much better than the changing table setup we have in her nursery – it’s quite tall, which is great for the two of us who are tall. It’s also sturdy and has tons of storage. I’m a huge fan of this! Link: Joymor changing table
- Diaper rash spatula: My doula told me we wouldn’t regret buying this little spatula which can be used to apply diaper cream, and she was right! So simple. Link: Bumco baby spatula
- Egg light: This egg light is so useful. It’s small, so we set it right on the changing table. It puts off just enough light to give us visibility we need for late-night diaper changes. It turns on and off with a double tap, and a long tap will dim or brighten it, which is a great feature when we’re working to get her down to sleep. It has a charging base, but the egg light itself holds a charge for a while so you can carry it to wherever you need it. Link: JolyWell egg light
Health & Safety Tools
- Snot sucker: This product seems weird, but you literally use your own breath to suck snot out of your baby’s nose. I know, I know, gross… but there is a filter that protects any snot from going into your mouth. There were multiple times when Lyra would have some gooey snot or get some spit-up up her nose, and we’d use this tool to clear her out. It works really well (if you can get over how weird it is). Link: Frida Baby NoseFrida snot sucker
- Booger catcher: While the snot sucker is for liquid mucus in the nose, these tiny silicone hooks are for dried boogers. Her nose is so tiny, that nothing can reach up there, so these things are super useful. Link: Oogiebear booger catcher
Other
- Babywrap or baby carrier: When Lyra is difficult to settle, the babywrap or baby carrier is the thing that usually does the trick. She loves being squished tightly against mom or dad. I prefer the Solly babywrap and Mitcher prefers the Ergobaby baby carrier. She likes them both!
- Link: Solly baby wrap
- Link: Ergobaby baby carrier
- Baby bouncer: We didn’t start using this baby bouncer until Lyra had at least a little bit of head control, which was around 1 month, but once we did, boy was it a game-changer. It’s a great way to keep her upright after a feeding, and she also just loves the rocking motion and is very happy sitting in it. This one is supposed to be a dupe for the Baby Bjorn bouncer and is literally less than half the price. Link: Comfy Bumpy baby bouncer
- Mamaroo: We were given my brother’s kids’ hand-me-down Mamaroo, and we’re so grateful we have it. This might not have been something we would have purchased, but Lyra absolutely loves it. It gently rocks her, and is a great way to calm her down hands-free. Link: Mamaroo swing (NOTE: We have an older version, but this is the link to the new version)
- Baby Shusher: I didn’t discover this until past her one month birthday, but after a friend swore by it, I thought I’d give it a try. It works well for when she is getting fussy during a nap in her bassinet – I turn it on and can often get her to extend her nap a little bit longer after she hears the calming shushing sounds. It also works as an aid to get her to stop crying if she is upset and fussing. Link: Baby Shusher
- Skip Hop Diaper Caddy: This hard-sided, sturdy diaper caddy is one of my most-used items. Though I purchased it for the intent of being a portable diaper caddy, I actually don’t use it for that purpose. I keep my pumping supplies in it (my pump, my flanges, collection bottles, and massagers), as well as things I use frequently like chapstick and my Airpods. Link: Skip Hop Diaper caddy
- Both a wifi and a radio frequency baby monitor: We have two baby monitors. It might seem like a bit much, but I’m so glad we have both. The wifi baby monitor we chose is the Nanit. It provides really helpful data like how long Lyra has been asleep, and summarizes her naps throughout the day, plus it’s available any time on our phones. However, I still wanted a radio-frequency baby monitor. Firstly, any babysitter or family member who comes over to watch the baby can have a monitor without having to download the app (plus, I didn’t want dozens of people out there having access to my baby monitor on their phone!). But we also use it ourselves. The wifi app can drain a phone battery pretty quickly, so if I’m just out in the living room, I’ll usually shut down the Nanit app on my phone, and instead turn on the radio-frequency monitor. We chose the Eufy Spaceview Baby Monitor. I bought a traveling case and a mount for it, so we can bring it with us when we travel.
- An exercise ball: Maybe it’s because I spent the better part of my pregnancy sitting on an exercise ball instead of an office chair, but baby girl loves to bounce. When she is fussy and won’t calm down, the bouncing motion is the only thing that works. Just 30 seconds of bouncing and the crying usually stops. Link: Exercise ball
These are the products that worked well for us in the first 2 months of having a baby. Did you use any of these products? What else did you use that you don’t see on this list? Let me know what worked best for your baby — I’m curious!
Traveling Barnions 
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