It’s very easy to feel like you need absolutely every baby product. I have my lists of “must-have” products from moming with Hayes, but I knew that I’d likely add more when Nellie came along. There are so. many. baby. products. This is a list of the 7 things I have started to use with Nellie that I wish I would have had with Hayes. Some of them are new to the baby product world, but others, I just didn’t know about (hence why I’m sharing them with you, I can’t let you be in the dark too!! These are wayyyy to good to be in the dark). Also, 5 of the 7 things I’m sharing today are under $30.
Haakaa silicone breast pump
I will forever regret not knowing what this genius breast pump invention was when I had Hayes, but I’m dang glad I know about it now and that I’m able to take advantage of the extra milk stash for Nellie!
The Haakaa is a silicone breast milk collector and manual breast pump all in one. I use it primarily to catch the milk on the side Nellie is not feeding on. The milk the Haakaa catches use to leave a big wet mark on my shirt (after soaking through my bra) and it was so sad to have a milk-soaked shirt instead of a milk-filled storage bag. But Haakaa saves it!
It can be a little weird to get the hang of it at first, but this Haakaa tutorial by my favorite, Karrie Locher, can help (it’s a highlight on her Instagram).
Elvie breast pump
Have you heard me rave about this silent, wearable, rechargeable, smart breast pump enough yet? Never has pumping been so easy and dare I say enjoyable. The Elvie pump has cut down on the time it takes me to pump and the headache I get from pumping, I get the same output as I do with my other breast pumps, and I can easily multitask while pumping. WIN WIN WIN!
I did a full review of the Elvie pump answering all of your questions. Don’t forget to check it out if you’re the least bit interested (but beware, you’ll probably want one after you read it).
Tubby Todd All Over Ointment
Hayes had issues with cradle cap when she was a baby and it was such a battle to make progress on it for us. So this time around when I noticed Nellie was getting it, I did some searching to find anything new that I hadn’t tried. When I found Tubby Todd’s All Over Ointment through Karrie Locher’s Instagram (her second shout out in this post, seriously, go follow her) I had to give it a try. I put the ointment on Nellie’s head, after gentle agitation of her scalp in the bath, several times a week. It’s not scented and surprisingly not greasy either. It’s been working like a charm!
Also, Hayes just recently started to get some cradle cap again so we are trying it on her too. It’s a little trickier since she has more hair. I agitate her scalp in the bath, comb her hair like usual, then pull up the hair where the cradle cap is, apply ointment, and comb her her back again. We’ll see how it goes!
Scalp Scrubbie
From what I hear, these scrubbies are definitely not new, but they are new to me. I LOVE this two sided sponge and scrub duo. It’s great for gently agitating the cradle crud (then putting on the Tubby Todd ointment as I mentioned above). It’s also great for getting the dirt out from under your infant’s nails without irritating their skin. Comes in a three-pack!
Fisher Price rocker
I use to have the Fisher Price Rock n’ Play and LOVED it, but that particular baby lounger got recalled. I got a SnuggleMe thinking that would replace the Rock n’ Play, but I ended up using this Fisher Price rocker that my mom found at Marshall’s way more than the SnuggleMe! Both of my children have really hated to lay flat (aka the SnuggleMe), but they are much happier when they are propped up and able to see everyone.
This little rocker is easy to move from room to room (we even took it on a boat with us!), it vibrates for mild soothing, the toys detach if baby is over stimulated, and it’s super light. The SnuggleMe was incredible for travel, but this rocker wins for the day-to-day! Also, how cute is this Pacific Pebble pattern? (Not something I say about 99% of Fisher Price fabric).
Baby nail clippers
You might remember this from my Amazon Finds post. You might also remember my sob story about how I chopped off the top of Hayes’ finger when she was an infant and it bled everywhere and now I don’t cut my children’s nails. But thanks to this magnificent nail file invention, I file Nellie’s nails. Bonus – Hayes has recently started to come around to it if she sees Nellie getting hers done first. It’s a finger saver for my children and a stress saver for me!
Auden Seamless Sleep Bra from Target
I’m always in the market for a comfy bra that doesn’t have underwire and is easy to breastfeed in. I saw these sleep bras from Target (made by the Auden brand, which I already liked), I bought the black + blush two pack, and I have since bought another black + blush two pack. They are so incredibly comfortable and contrary to the name “sleep bra” I also wear them in public — quarantine or not!
If we have more children, what the heck am I going to add to the list then? I’m sure there will be something!