I’ve learned so far in my motherhood journey that no two people are the same when it comes to raising a child. I’ve been told so many methods that work for this person or that person, so many products that a person will swear by, so many ways to handle certain situations.
I refuse to be that “you must get this and only this because it worked for me so it works for all” kind of mom. I’m not that narrow-minded. However, I can absolutely share my top favorite products, why they are my favorite, and how they worked for us.
That way you can make a well-informed decision based off our many reviews; mine being just one.
So here we go! These products helped me through my first 15 months of being a mama.
1. DockATot©
This is top of my list because I do not think I could’ve made it this far without it. My daughter slept in her Dock from day one. We started with the Deluxe+™ and now, at 15 months, we are in the Grande™. She has slept a couple nights without it but they’re restless and fussy nights and this mama enjoys her sleep.
When we brought her home she slept in her Dock on our bed, then we moved the Dock (and the baby 😉) to a bedside mini crib, then when we transitioned her to her big girl crib at 9 months we switched her to the larger Dock. She’s been sleeping through the night since 9 months and since birth she has slept at night. Nighttime nursing sessions were a breeze having her beside me because it was a seamless transition from Dock, to my arms, back to Dock. She went back to sleep immediately. #momwin
One of the best parts about the Dock is that it travels with you so baby always has his or her bed.
2. Swaddle Sacks
So the nurses totally teach you how to burrito your baby, but it didn’t matter because I could never. get. it. right. About a month after our daughter was born we bought some swaddle sacks by SwaddleMe© and absolutely fell in love. It was loose on her hips so no issue of hip dysplasia, it held her arms tight so she didn’t twitch and wake herself up, and she always had a light “blanket” in a sense so that was an added plus.
Once she started to move more in her sleep I switched her to the Nested Bean© sleep sack which was a fantastic choice. This sleep sack had a weight on the chest to keep babies feeling safe. Again, full movement of hips and legs and no restraints on the arms so she could move freely. It conveniently zips two ways so nighttime diaper changes are a breeze.
3. Gathre© Changing Mat
This product I didn’t buy until my daughter and was 5 months old but I wish I had had it all along. It’s a leather mat with many beautiful designs to choose from. Super easy to fold up and fit in the diaper bag, easy to clean, and prevents her little bum from touching anything in public. Even though she’s a bit bigger now it still works great to keep everything protected during a change, though there are bigger sizes if your baby grows faster than mine. 
4. Pacifier Clips
This isn’t a huge or specific brand type product, but our girl LOVES her paci. Up until recently, we had them with us at all times. Having the clip kept it stuck to her, her car seat, or her stroller so we didn’t lose it. Another fun way to use them was to attach them to toys because somehow toys end up on the floor in public. 😐
5. boon© Silicone Feeders
This quite literally was just a fantastic invention all the way around. Once we started introducing foods around 6 months, I would put fruits into these feeders and my gummy girl could munch on them to get introduced to new foods but without the understanding of how to chew and swallow. When she was teething I would tape the holes, put it upside down, and fill it with breastmilk to freeze. Or put frozen fruit. The possibilities are endless, but for us this was a great way for our transition to solids.
So Myla was a bit of a tough baby. She didn’t like to be set down at all so the playpen wasn’t a product we used much at all until she was mobile and I needed to get something done (though she would cry most every time so I mastered the skill of being quick at everything). However, we chose the 4moms© playpen and I love the ease of setting it up and taking it down. It’s well built and works perfectly.
Another product we invested in was the Nuna Leaf™ which is a fantastic chair that will grow with Myla. We purchased a piece that sways the seat side to side which is one of the most calming and smoothest movements ever. The seat is hammock-like so it is very comfortable (PS it holds up to 120lbs so I totally sat in it). Now that she’s older we don’t use the swaying feature and have locked the seat so it doesn’t move. She climbs right up into it and “reads” her books or relaxes to watch TV. It’s definitely a fantastic buy.
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