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I wrote a blog post about my 5 favorite baby products. If you missed it, you can read about those here! I also wanted to share the 5 products I regret registering for the most. I've also included substitutes for these products I would recommend instead as well as advice from other moms I have received. If you have an experience of your own with any of these products, I would love for you to tell others about it in the comment section.
These will be in reverse order ending with my #1 biggest regret.
5. Owlet Camera Monitor
I will start with the pros: You can pull up the live feed anytime on your phone. If you have the owlet sock then everything is in one place on the app. Here are my problems though... There is not a separate monitor/screen so you can't use your phone and have the feed up at the same time. We use our iPad as a separate screen, but I wish we would have chosen a camera that came with its own. This is also the most difficult device I've ever tried to set up. The directions literally say "may take a few tries to connect." WHY!? Just make it easier?? Every time you travel you have to do it all over again. Also, because it runs on Wi-Fi, if yours goes out or if you are traveling somewhere that doesn't have it you are out of luck. In our case, our Wi-Fi signal is really bad in the nursery. Whenever we transitioned Silas to his crib in his own room we had to start exclusively using the monitor I bought for travel. And guess what... we love it!
The HelloBaby Video Monitor has been just what we need! It is a simple design and very affordable compared to other monitors. There are no lights on it so it is not distracting for baby at night. It was a long cord so you can plug it in wherever. You can move the camera up-and-down and side-to-side from the monitor. The monitor itself holds a charge for hours. I leave it plugged in at night but you can unplug and carry it around the house with you, etc. My photo does not do the crisp picture justice. The image you get is so clear I can easily tell if Silas is breathing. It is a very bright image even if it's pitch black in baby's room. It even has the capacity to show you more than one camera view if you want to buy multiple cameras for multiple kids or rooms! I cannot recommend this very affordable monitor enough.
Some honorable mentions from other mom friends include: Baby Optics and Motorola MBP36XL. Although I have not used these personally, I trust the friends that recommended them to me.
4. Bottle Sterilizer
Okay y'all, don't come for me for this one! I'm just being honest, I don't really use this! My mom and MIL tried to tell me when I registered for it, but I didn't listen... (you can say 'I told you so' now!)
While it is important to sterilize bottles and pump parts before use, there are free ways to achieve this. For example, boiling water or using your microwave. I recommend googling your bottle to find specific instructions for sterilizing. We use MAM bottles and with a quick search the directions came right up! You can boil or microwave these bottles, just be sure to take them apart first.
After the initial sterilizing, for daily use I just was with hot water and free & clear soap. I recommend doing your own research to see what you are comfortable with!
3. Chicco Viaro Stroller
Disclaimer: I am super thankful for my stroller and couldn't live without it! It gets the job done! Some things I like about it are: It is easy to use. It folds and unfolds very easily. It is not heavy. The basket has lots of storage space. It is VERY affordable (that was my selling point). The design makes it a little easier to maneuver than say an umbrella stroller.
The biggest thing that inconveniences me with this are the plastic wheels! They don't handle any kind of bump well. We love walking outside and this isn't well suited for anything other than a freshly paved sidewalk with no stray rocks - which is only impossible to find!
For our next baby I really want to register for the Mockingbird Single-to-Double Stroller! I think it's air tires would solve all my problems! It's also super cool that is a single stroller but has the capability to become a double stroller! Depending on if and when Silas gets a sibling, I think that sounds really handy! They also make a single stroller that I have linked for you. I don't have any personal experience with this brand, but I have had several friends and internet friends recommend this to me!
Some other strollers friends have recommended to me are: Nuna Travel System, Thule Jogger 2.0, Baby Jogger System, and the Doona. As you may come across in your own research, the price range for travel systems varies greatly. All of these were a bit more than I was wanting to pay. However, the one I chose is a bit too cheap for my liking. I believe the Mockingbird is a great in-between. I will update this post if I get to try it out for myself!
I truly have no complaints about the car seat that is included in our travel system. It's the KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat. The Mockingbird stroller fits most car seats and has an adapter you can add on to make it work!
2. Changing Basket
This looks so cute in Silas's room and was wonderful to have for pictures, but it was not a practical decision on my part! You need a water resistant changing pad. I make this one work by putting the changing mat that came with our diaper bag on it & I use Munchkin Liners under the cushion as well. The changing mat kind of ruins the aesthetic anyways and it's all a lot of laundry if an accident happens, which it inevitably will! However, it is the cutest thing ever, so if you think after this review you are still interested, you can find our exact one here.
I have since purchased the Munchkin Changing Pad and it has been working great for us! It is plain white so still matches the nursery and almost all changing pad covers fit it if you want a cuter pattern and don't mind the extra laundry. It is larger than our basket so Silas can use it for longer as he grows! Not to mention it was about $100 less than our beautiful basket. It has a lot of cushion and is very comfortable which is a complaint I've heard about the famous peanut changer.
I always want to share other moms' suggestions with you too! I have had people tell me they love the peanut, but they wish it was more comfortable and not as cold for baby. This problem is solved by putting a blanket on top, but again... the laundry!!! I know some moms enjoy the Hatch changing pad because you can weigh baby too with it. I've also heard the Bumbo changing pad is great!
1. Skip Hop Baby Tub
DO NOT BUY!!! I did absolutely no research on bath tubs and registered for this because I thought it was the cutest thing I had ever seen. It is also a nice idea that it includes three stages in one so supposedly you can use it for a long time as baby grows and starts sitting up. However, the reviews are awful and my experience was the same. This is a breeding ground for mold. It is almost impossible to get off the mesh part no matter how often you wash it or how many times. (I took the mesh out and we now use this as a swimming pool outside.)
After our horrible experience, I purchased the AngelCare Baby Bath Tub and it was perfect! It is the most popular baby tub for a reason! It is very easy to clean and dry. Once Silas started sitting up, we transitioned to the Summer My Bath Seat. Silas is still using this at the time this was posted and loves it a lot!
I asked other moms on Instagram to share their experience with baby bath tubs and I only got positive feedback about these two I just shared! I have also heard the OXO Tot Splash and Store is nice for easy storage and travelling. Several people also messaged me with negative feedback about the Skip Hop.
I know doing all this research yourself can be daunting so I hope I have helped you out a bit! If you have your own experience with any of the items discussed, or have a great recommendation that I did not mention, please share it with all of us in the comments! Let's build a helpful community for other moms.
Thanks for reading!
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