Product Recs from STM+ Mamas

MrsTiger123

I don’t think we have a thread like this but here is a place to recommend our favorite items from previous pregnancies or kids.  The comments on leggings reminded me   Feel free to ask for recs or give recs on whatever you thought was the best. 

MrsTiger123

I loved these so much. I tell all my friends when I find out they’re expecting.  These were my fave jeggings.  I just have to see if mine still fit  😬    If you don’t want to click the link they are the H&M MAMA skinny jeans. 34.99
https://m2.hm.com/m/en_us/productpage.0300024048.html?CAWELAID=120032800000931870&ef_id=EAIaIQobChMIkdPx9vej5gIVS4FaBR15pAR-EAQYASABEgI4IfD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!860!3!367858744496!!!g!669453229095!&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkdPx9vej5gIVS4FaBR15pAR-EAQYASABEgI4IfD_BwE

milkt

@MrsTiger123 Is that the link to the jeggings, or can you send me what jeggings you're talking about?? I have no maternity clothes yet and feeling like I need to pick up some maternity pants as I'm having trouble buttoning my normal jeans

Fullhandsfullheart

For pregnancy, I recommend the motherhood maternity leggings. They’re thin so you have to wear them with a tunic or something long, but they are so comfy I’ve worn mine (even not pregnant) since I had my first 5 years ago. They’re also cheap, only like $12 I think. 

For baby, I recommend the ergo 360 carrier. I didn’t use it with my first, but used it almost daily with my second and third for a good portion of their first year so I could be hands free and help the toddler while carrying the baby around. 

Also recommend a backpack style diaper bag if you have more than one kid. Having free hands is key!

footdrbritt

My BIL bought us a mamaroo and it was the best freaking thing ever. Wouldn’t have thought it, but it was a lifesaver 

and I second the back pack—we bought one from tactical baby gear and it’s a game changer! Plus it has a zip out changing pad which has been awesome for traveling. 

and_peggy

I do agree to get a carrier but I’m a Lillebaby lover. I actually hated ergo, just didn’t fit me. But LB is so comfortable and I loved having hands free. Definitely definitely get a structured carrier. If you’re into wraps or slings, I like my k’tan, but it never lasted very long before I had to switch. Big babies over here.

Also, save yourself the trouble of having to run out to cvs at 3am because your baby has a cold...just buy the NoseFrida. Yes, it’s a disgusting concept but you’ll thank me later. 

NinnyJean

The lillebaby is hands down my favorite carrier! After my first I had back surgery and was worried I wouldn’t be able to wear my second but the lillebaby has lumbar support and is so comfortable! 

For a diaper bag 100% get a backpack no matter how cute the other ones may be, it’s way easier

kristinl492

NinnyJean said:

The lillebaby is hands down my favorite carrier! After my first I had back surgery and was worried I wouldn’t be able to wear my second but the lillebaby has lumbar support and is so comfortable! 

For a diaper bag 100% get a backpack no matter how cute the other ones may be, it’s way easier

I second the backpack thing! 

Pascal86

We got a baby carrier and every time I strapped the baby in, my husband would just insist on carrying her after a minute and then I’d have the dang thing strapped on with no baby in it, looking like an asshole. So second time around I didn’t even bother trying to use it. So my recommended baby carrier is your partner, lol. (But I work full-time and so when I’m with the kids, he’s usually around too. I’d feel differently if I was a SAHM or on my own more often for whatever reason.)

zande2016

I mostly just used a carrier with my 2nd during maternity leave when I was trying to juggle 2 under 2. I stopped using it because I had horrible back and hip pain. But with 3 I might use it more because we can have the two older kids in the double stroller and one of us wear the baby if we all go out. I have the ergo 360 and the tula free to grow. The tula can be used from around 7/8 pounds without an infant insert and was much more comfortable for me (and soooo many cute patterns). Also great resale value, there are always people on the lookout to buy certain patterns and whatnot. 

For leggings I just got the blanqui maternity leggings during a 50% off Black Friday sale. Still expensive for leggings even with the sale but they are super comfortable and not see through at all. I wore them to work Friday and I don’t think you could tell I was wearing leggings. 

I’ve been thinking about buying a mini crib, has anyone used one? How long until babe outgrew it? We are planning for this baby to be in our room long term....at least a year probably since we will have to move before he/she can have their own room. We could just use the pack n play in our room but then we wouldn’t have anywhere downstairs for naps. Now that all those deaths were linked to the rock n play and major retailers aren’t even selling it anymore I don’t think we’ll use it this time around. 

footdrbritt

@zande2016 blanqi leggings are life. I bought like 3 pairs with DS plus the tank tops and they’re so freaking amazing. 

MrsTiger123

milkt said:

@MrsTiger123 Is that the link to the jeggings, or can you send me what jeggings you're talking about?? I have no maternity clothes yet and feeling like I need to pick up some maternity pants as I'm having trouble buttoning my normal jeans

That’s the link to the jeggings.  They’re H&M MAMA skinny jeans- they’re more Jean than legging but way better than others I’ve tried. Probably the only pants I wore last time and planning on digging them out soon. 

laurad75

I love my ergo baby too.  I did not have a backpack diaper bag with my first and I'm definitely switching to one with this baby. 

My STM rec is the halo sleepsack swaddle blanket.  I went insane trying to get the swaddle fold right to keep my son nice and tight and happy in there.  A girlfriend gave me a bunch of hand-me-downs including the swaddle and it changed our lives.  (clicky)

meanjellybean

@laurad75 100 percent on the halo sleepsack swaddles. And for the love of god, pack a newborn sized one in your hospital bag! My daughter was a terrible sleeper but the fact that all we had in the hospital were the receiving blankets (and our terrible newbie swaddle skills) she was just never snuggled enough to sleep. The velcro is a game changer.

I'm going to advocate for the Hatch Babyrest. It was such a good investment. It's a sound machine and nightlight that you control from an app on your phone. You can control the volume and the brightness, and choose the color and brightness. We still use it at 21 months and don't anticipate stopping anytime soon since it also has "ok to wake" function that we plan to use when shes a bit older and out of her crib. FTM's, just register for it and thank me later! Oh and their customer service is amazing, our first one was acting glitchy one night and the next day I received an email from them saying they were shipping a new one no questions asked! It was wild.

blaf322

@zande2016 we have a mini crib at my parents’ lake house and she used it until maybe 6 months ago (she turned 3 in October)? That said, I wouldn’t recommend using it much later than a year or so for a day to day crib. You can’t lower them as far so if you end up with a climber, you’re screwed, early on. 

We were able to extend the use with her bc, it’s temporary, she’s timid and would NEVER climb out of something like that, and bc she curls up on her side when she sleeps anyway... so even though she’s 77th % for height, the short length of the crib didn’t matter.

blaf322

Some quick recs while I wait for my appt... 
-backpack diaper bag all the way. I have a specific one I like that I’ll link when I’m not in an internet hole lol

- something like a cheap Moby wrap is good for when they’re brand new. It’ll let you know if you and baby like babywearing before you spend money on a SSC (see below)

- soft structured carriers (SSC). I have Tula brands and like them but think I want to try a Lillebaby if this one likes to be worn. I’ll get one of the ones that I can use when he’s super small bc, tbh, that’s easier than a wrap.

-nose Frida is a must have. Go ahead and register for it

- Panic Free Pregnancy or Expecting better for pregnancy books

- Moms on Call for early care tips, sleep help, sleep schedule, etc. It’s written by 2 pediatric nurses and helped us know what to do when DD was really sick (bc it always happens after hours) and also made her a champion sleeper. I freakin love that book. 

nursejenn5

As a FTM I am SO thankful for this thread. (How soon is too soon to start a secret registry/wishlist haha) 

Pascal86

Oh yeah - the swaddling thing... so mad I never used the love to dream zipper swaddles for my first. We actually tried swaddling her with a blanket and it was sooo hard. So then I switched to the Velcro ones. But second time around we got a zipper swaddle for every stage and I loved them so much more! I had issues with anything Velcro always snagging on stuff in the laundry, so I tried to get away from it.

ETA: they’re like $30-$40 bucks new, but they had a million of them at our local consignment shop for like $8 each. Some of this stuff lasts for such a short amount of time, I’d go for used anywhere possible, even if you think you’ll use it for multiple kids. 

blaf322

here's the backpack diaper bag I recommend. They have this in about 3487395 different brands. This isn't the exact one I got... I got mine from Watermelon Warehouse back when this thing was relatively new. It was cheap and I took a chance on it and now you see it EVERYWHERE. Everyone has it. This one linked has a couple more zipper spaces than mine does, but more pouches can't be a bad thing. 

https://www.amazon.com/Mokaloo-Anti-Water-Maternity-Insulated-Multi-functional/dp/B07JG43YPK/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=backpack+diaper+bag&qid=1575914756&sr=8-4

I'll say these things about it:
- you'll love the easy access opening on the back so you can easily access the stuff at the bottom of the bag. Put the stuff for when you have a blowout in public down there. You won't always need it but you'll want easy access when you do so that opening is perfect. There's a zipper pocket in the flap of that opening. Put Ziploc bags in there to store the clothes and diapers and such from said blowout. 

- The structured top is a little annoying when you only have one hand... it keeps the bag open for you, but you kinda need two hands to open it b/c it has to be opened alll the way, vs just a little peep in to grab what you need. 

- the bottle section fit my big Avent bottles just fine, so that's good. 

- the wipe dispenser side pouch is a joke. You'd have to have a wipe constantly sticking out for that to work. But it's still a perfect wipe pouch. 

- it's easy to organize b/c of all the pockets

blaf322

On the swaddle topic, I tend to disagree with others who like zip up/Velcro swaddles. My daughter was Houdini in the swaddles that do it for you. Get a decent sized blanket (we liked muslin blankets for when she was tiny and a Tula blanket for when she got bigger/could break out of the muslin b/c it was smaller) and use the Mom's On Call swaddle method. MOC has their own swaddle blankets but they're pricey and we never needed them b/c a friend gifted us the Tula blanket (also kinda pricey).

Here's a link to the swaddle method... for anyone who uses it, you're welcome. It worked so much better than the regular swaddle method for us. DD broke out far less this way and seemed to like it better too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhsYw61ZsO8

b_1029

@nursejenn5 definitely not too soon...I may have a secret registry on babylist already. Very thankful for all these suggestions!

Not that I have any firsthand experience but my BFF has a lillebaby carrier and loves it!

stlbuckeye132

+1 for LilleBaby, Halo swaddle sleep sacks, and a backpack style diaper bag.

We also loved this for holding bottle parts in the dishwasher! We had two that lived there while she was using bottles, and we actually still use them now for misc. small toddler things (snack cup lids, sippy cup lids, straws, etc.). I know some people prefer hand washing all their bottle parts, but I am not that person!

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Browns-Silicone-Dishwasher-Blue/dp/B07DY6BS6Z?th=1

blaf322

@stlbuckeye132 I would love to put all the pump and bottle parts in the dishwasher but I felt like I'd have to own much more of them than I did. A friend from my BMB used to text a lot during ML and would show off our pump/bottle sink load to see who had it worse at the moment lol

pretzellover

Also a huge fan of the backpack style diaper bag and ergobaby carrier (going to get the 360 for this new peanut since the older style with the infant insert was a major bust for a summer baby!).
My 2 additions to this list would be:
1) The Nanit camera/monitor, which gives you a birds eye view above the crib. We use this in conjunction with cheapie monitors, and it is a game-changer! Hear noises and fussing? Open the app and see if baby needs comforting or can self soothe. Check the temp; the humidity; see sleep (or awake) stats, etc. We still use at 17m.

2) The Beaba babyfood maker for 6m+. The ease of being able to use one specialized device to steam and purée baby food is surprisingly amazing. I still use it to steam food for my toddler sometimes bc it’s so fast and you just add water, add food, hit go, and come back when it beeps versus watching a pot boil.

blaf322

@pretzellover good suggestion on the camera/cheapy monitor conjunction. We have a Nest cam, but do the same.

It's really great to have a wifi camera available to check in when you first start going out... or, like us, have grandparents who still can't be trusted to follow bedtime rules so you have to check in, mid-date night, so you can text them when they're still not in the room to start the bedtime routine 15 mins after they were supposed to be in bed. 

pretzellover

Agh, adding one more $$ rec:
A subscription to Lovevery, for Montessori inspired and super age / development appropriate toys delivered every 2-3m. It’s a lot more than Kiwi (but cheaper & better than Monti Kids), but the quality is just phenomenal and the thought and research that goes into every item is impressive. We didn’t discover until baby was 8/9m, so I will get all the toys I missed for the newbie. 

They include a detailed manual of how to use each item now and in months ahead.

I have other tech / apps to recommend, but they’re mostly free. Will save for closer to birth.

stlbuckeye132

@blaf322 yeah I for sure hand washed in those early months when you're going through so much so fast! But once I was back to work and we had a schedule down and knew how many bottles/day she used and what kind she liked, we got enough for 2.5 days' worth and ran the dishwasher every other day. We had a good system!

blaf322

OH! Daycare moms.... use white electrical tape to label bottles with baby's name and bottle tops with their initials. Our state regulations require that so every. single. night..... in preparation for the next day, you have to label bottles with baby's name, initials and date. Save time on the name and use a Sharpie to write the name on electrical tape. It stays on through washing but comes off cleanly (months and months) later when you're done with bottles... and means you only have to date bottles each day! We LOVED when we figured this out.

Our state also mandates that BM bottles are labeled with red tape.... they sell red electrical tape too. It's actually how I figured out this trick b/c it's what daycare uses if you forget to label a bottle with something. I didn't notice and put it through the dishwasher. When it came out with the tape still on, we started using it for her name ASAP.

meanjellybean

@blaf322 woah! Those regulations are nuts, and I thought our state's regs were stringent (and I work for the agency that oversees child care licensing). I guess something bad must have happened where a baby was given really old bm/formula?? Because putting the date on each time seems wayyyy over the top.

blaf322

@meanjellybean It's sooooo annoying! It's like, yea, I have a 3mo. I definitely have a shit ton of time on my  hands to stand here labeling freakin bottles all night lol... fortunately, DH and I became a well oiled machine with it. I'm hoping the learning curve isn't as bad this time b/c I feel like it took us FOREVER in the beginning!

blaf322

Does anyone have any bassinet recs?
Thanks to the RNP recalls  We need a bassinet and want one that raises up as high as possible b/c we have a rice bed (so the top of the mattress come up to probably 4-5 inches above my bellybutton (I'm 5'2"). We only used it for about 2 months with DD and will probably do the same for this baby so I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, if possible.

kristinl492

For anyone planning to nurse/pump/any combination of feeding that requires using your boobs, I recommend the Hakka silicone pump. NatureBond has one as well, that’s what I used. It’s great to catch any extra leakage one one side while you nurse/pump on the other. It was a game changer for helping to add a little extra to my freezer stash. 

pretzellover

Aren’t we supposed to have weekly or some other frequency product spotlights? Just thinking some organization might be helpful and less overwhelming! There is a lot.

blaf322

@pretzellover yep... I was surprised to see this one but didn’t care one way or another lol. Maybe I should make the spreadsheet to plan out our weekly topics. 

I cant tonight but will work on it maybe tomorrow and share with the group for adds/edits

zande2016

@blaf322 is the method you’re talking about similar to the miracle Blanket swaddle? Those things saved us with both babies. I owe my life to those dam blankets 

https://miraclebabyusa.com/

For bassinet we used halo with our 2, but this time I am considering getting the bassinet stand that goes with the uppababy bassinet. We already have the bassinet and a few times with my second when he wouldn’t sleep in the halo I discovered he slept much better in the uppababy. I think it was smaller and cozier for him so I might just skip the halo this time. But if you don’t own the uppababy bassinet that comes with the vista then it is not an affordable purchase at all. 

pretzellover

Thanks @blaf322 for being so organized & also volunteering! 

@zande2016 we also looked at Halo bassinets but i was convinced I’d wrap a toe or two around the metal leg and break them... (so then I read the reviews and some people do!) - so we used the Uppababy bassinet we purchased to go with our Cruz stroller + the stand, and put it right next to the bed. It was the perfect size until 2-3m; as you said, baby loved the confined space. I found super cute organic cotton sheets on Etsy too. Added bonus = bed on wheels for going to lunch or a walk. Some friends of ours with smaller places (and maybe less grossed out over wheel germs) didn’t even bother with the stand; they kept the bassinet on the stroller and wheeled it around their apts & used for sleeping that way!
Once he outgrew then bassinet we migrated to our pack & play in room, which also had a bassinet insert. That last through month6.
We would plan to do the same for this peanut.

zande2016

@pretzellover I just hate how expensive the stand is but I’m going to look for a used one on Facebook marketplace. We actually just left ours on the floor in our room but it was a pain to bend down to put him in and out 

kc0711

I had a halo and loved it. Our bed is incredibly high, and the original is just high enough to fit over our bed. I had a teeny tot so she was in it until 5 months when I moved her to a pnp when she was starting to wiggle around and I found her with her feet over the edge of the bassinet (in hind sight, should have moved her soon, oh well she was fine). I’m ready to bust it out for the next baby. 

laurad75

We used a halo bassinest in our room before he moved into his own and we really liked it.  I did use the Rock n Play everyday with my first so I need to figure out what the alternative is.  Such a bummer.  I loved that thing. 

blaf322

@zande2016 no, I don't think the miracle blanket swaddle is the same. This is a swaddle method, not a product to help with swaddling. We had blankets like the miracle blanket swaddle (or maybe it was that brand? and found they just didn't do as good of a job as the Moms On Call swaddle method with a regular blanket... That said, of the swaddle blankets, those were the best option for ones that did it for you b/c it kept arms down a little better than others... she didn't break out of those quite as fast lol. I'm telling you, she was a little Houdini. 

meanjellybean

Also bummed about the RnP recall because my daughter slept every night in it until 12 weeks. Then I bought a second hand Halo bassinest and liked it fine until she went to her crib in her room around 5 months. It was super easy to adjust but I definitely have stubbed my toe a few times (and still do, since I never took it apart - it's currently functioning as a place to hang clothes when I'm too lazy to put them away).

I'm encouraged to hear a few of you say your newborns liked the Uppababy bassinet because we have the one that came with our Vista but my daughter HATED it (and everything else that had her lying flat). Hope we can do better with this next one from the start!