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    Comments

  1. Sara

    Hi! Did you delete the stories about the Kiinde system? I may be blind 😊 how do you make sure all the air is out of the Kiinde bags before freezing them?

    Reply
  2. Jennifer Grossman

    I just ordered the Kiinde Breast Milk Storage Twist Gift Set and I have the Spectra2 pump as well, am I able to use my nipples for feeding from the bags or do I have to use the nipple they provide?

    Also I read on the Amazon reviews the oz amounts were incorrect when moms tested them, did you run into this problem?

    Is there a pump bag you recommend? I got my Spectra 2 at the hospital and we did not receive a bag 🙁

    Thanks for your help, this post was SO SO SO helpful and I got a lot of your recommendations or already had the items 😉

    Happy Holidays!!

    Reply
  3. Caroline

    Our baby is almost 4 months old now. I agree with so many of these! I have to say one of my most loved items is the Owlet-it is a smart sock that you place on baby’s foot to monitor heart rate and oxygen levels, while they are sleeping. It is such a comfort to me.
    Love Infantoptics, we used Halo and Love to Dream Swaddle up.
    Now he is too old to swaddle, so I recommend Nested bean sleep sack, it’s lightly weighted on their chest for comfort.

    Love our Dock a Tot, but it’s very hard to transition them out of it so I may try not to use it for my next baby.

    Thank you for diaper tip! Did not know this and will def be trying.

    Reply
  4. Paxton

    One newborn specific favorite were Halo swaddled! Two of our favorites that we used as a newborn and still use now at 7 months are the DockaTot and Hatch baby rest sound machine. When she was a newborn and sleeping all the time, we would just set her in the dockatot on the table, desk, couch, etc. basically wherever we were! We don’t use it for overnight sleeping but we do for daytime. We liked the Hatch sound machine because you can control it with an app on your phone and it is different sounds and customizable colors, we have it set to turn on by itself at the same time each night.

    Reply
  5. Ashley

    Thanks for sharing! I’ll be switching diapers ASAP.

    How do you use your Haakaa on the go? Do you have bottles that you pour it into or did you buy the lids? I just ordered one! I haven’t been loving my milkies milksaver, so you convinced me to get a Haakaa!

    Reply
    1. Amanda Miller

      I use my Dr Brown’s bottles to pour any Haakaa let down into! They come with lids as well! That way we don’t have to waste any of the storage bags! We keep those bottles into the fridge and then once they are 4oz we pour into the storage bags and freeze! xox A

      Reply
  6. Kate

    Absolutely agree with Infant Optics monitor! It’s also super easy to add a second camera! We have a 2 yr old and got this when he was born and loved it! I now have an almost 3 week old and we bought just the second camera for her. She is in our room, but I set up the new camera just to test it out and it was incredibly easy to pair with our existing one. Great recommendations!

    Reply
  7. Bonnie

    I’m working on my baby registry now and I’m so thankful for your recommendations. There are sooo many products I’ve been so confused about. Of course every baby is different, but this at least gives me a starting point. I reference your blog posts all the time (maternity dresses for work, what to expect second trimester, etc.) and looking forward to more!

    Reply
  8. Shirley

    This is sooooooooo good! I’m 10 weeks out and this helps me really narrow in on last minute purchases! As usual, THANK YOU!

    Reply
  9. Susan I

    Two free things you can do for babies to help with their gas issues are to massage their tummies and do bicycle legs with them.

    Reply
    1. Amanda Miller

      Yes and when that doesn’t work you will need the windii haha! That unfortunately never worked for Miller.
      A

      Reply
  10. Meg

    This was super helpful! I’m expecting my first! Question on the Kiinde system. Do you use the Kiinde bags to feed from or the Dr. Brown bottles you recommended?

    Reply
    1. Amanda Miller

      Both! Kindii we used out of the freezer and we used the bottles if it is milk from the fridge or milk I had pumped that same day because then you don’t want to waste a bag. xox A

      Reply
  11. Savannah

    Thank you for this post! My baby is a couple weeks older than Miller, and I had NO idea the Target diapers were that good so I’m going to try them out!

    Reply
    1. Amanda Miller

      Yesss and sooo much cheaper!!! You have my friends to thank for this one haha! xox A

      Reply

Now that Miller is a month old I can finally be confident writing this post. If I had written it right away I would have had to re-do it, because so many things she loved that first week she ended up getting over really fast (aka waste of money!)

These are just newborn items that we liked the most during her first month! I am sure we will come out with a new list or variation of this list at 6 months!

These are in a very random order as they came to mind!

PS- if you are reading this post you probably need to check out these recent posts: What to Expect Postpartum– Week 1 (full of items you should buy to help you get through this stage.), and Miller’s Birth Story (to help you prepare for the big day!)

Top 25 Newborn Products

top 25 newborn products on themilleraffect.com

1.Summer Infant Soothe and Vibe Portable Soother. This $13 contraption is a must have if you have a regular bassinet (one without a self-rocker, vibrator, soother!) I turn the vibration on every time I put Miller down during the night (between each feed!) She goes to bed right away! My sister actually gave me hers because her kids all loved it too. We only turn it on at night so it also helps differentiate between day and night sleeps. It also has white noise and lullabies on it that you can turn on as well.

2.Target Up&Up Diapers. Thanks so my two best friends for telling me about these diapers! They are just as good as the name brands if not better and you can save sooo much money on them! For example: A box of 108 Up&Up diapers are $14.99 and a box of 84 Pampers is $24.99. FOR THE SAME DIAPERS! They even come with the wetness indicators which Troy and I love. The line goes from yellow to blue when the diaper is wet.

3.Marpac Hushh White Noise Sound Machine for Baby. I love this sound machine. The battery lasts all night and there is a wide range of volume and sounds! You can also bring it wherever you go, so we throw it in her diaper bag when we leave the house so she has a familiar sound when we are trying to soothe her on the go.

4.Baby Bjorn Bouncer. This is a fairly new item and I am soooo glad I heard about it! She loves sitting in it and bouncing. It is super helpful for me if I need to be hands free. I can simply bounce her with my feet. It is great for babies with reflux because it keeps them elevated and we also call this her ‘poop chair’ because she always poops as soon as we plop her down into it! Something about them being totally comfortable in that sitting position I guess! And trust me- you will want something to help your baby poop! They come in all different colors and fabrics!

5.Magnetic Me Footie. I bought wayyyy too many clothes for Miller. We mostly just keep rotating her in the Magnetic Me footies! They are super stretchy, insanely soft, and the magnets make it just too easy to get her in and out of! Clutch for a new momma. They are worth every penny! Grab three in all sizes haha and just rotate them out. You will see that they will be your favorite too.

6.Love to Dream Swaddle. Miller always has her arms up and loves to sleep with them up. One of my readers told me about this swaddle and we never went back. It allows her arms to be up but is still tight so her startle reflex still doesn’t wake her up. It also comes in pink and in blue.

7.Beside Me Bassinet. I love this bassinet! We were using my sister’s bassinet from Restoration Hardware at first and I just hated how deep it was. During the first couple of weeks it just took so much out of me to pull her out of the bassinet in the middle of the night. This bassinet is sooo much easier. I also love how big it is because Miller can use it for a long time. She started sleeping 5 hours stretches the very first night we put her in it at around 3 weeks old.

8.WubbaNubb Pacifier. This is the only pacifier Miller would take from the beginning and we tried all of them! I know every baby is different, but she would literally spit the rest out. I think maybe this is the closest one to my nipple and to the Dr. Brown’s bottle, but who knows! She never had any nipple confusion and we used the paci to soothe from the beginning. You can just throw the entire thing in the wash too! It is the cutest thing ever when they start holding on to them!

9.Kiinde Breast Milk Storage Twist Gift Set. I am going to show you how to use this on my Instagram Stories today, so head there to watch. If you see this too late, look under ‘Momma Must Haves’ on my Instagram Stories Highlights! Basically they are storage bags that you can pump straight into and feed straight from! It is so easy to use and it is so nice not having to wash pump bottles over and over again! Once the baby starts eating processed foods you can also use these Twist Bags to store the food as well! This Gift Set also comes with a warmer. You can pump into the bags, freeze, pull the frozen bags when you need them, put right into the warmer, pop a nipple on it, and then feed it to your baby! Genius.

10.Wipe Warmer. I took Emmy to swim class one morning and a mom told me that the #1 must have is a wipe warmer. I had honestly never thought about a wipe warmer and definitely didn’t register for one! Yall… it is a lifesaver, especially during the colder months! You won’t need it the first couple of weeks because you will need to wake your baby up as much as you can to feed (harder to get them to nurse or take a bottle when they are super long bc they are always sooo tired), but you will definitely need it once they are older. It is so nice to have next to your bed at night so that the baby doesn’t scream and wake the entire house when you change their diaper between sleeps. The warm wipes don’t bother them and Miller doesn’t even cry when we use them. She definitely cries when we don’t because without the warmer the wipes are sooo cold on her skin. You can get the plug in version for home and THIS CORDLESS VERSION for your diaper bag!

11. Haakaa Pump. I loveeee using the $13 Haakaa pump and it took me way too long to order it. It suctions on to your boob so it no only captures let down but it actually sucks it out of you like any other pump! It isn’t as strong as a pump but you still capture soooo much! You can put it on one boob while you are nursing the other and it will build up your reserves so fast! Grab 2 of them because one is always dirty and sometimes when you are driving it is easy just to stick them both on when you don’t want to use your electric pump! I put them on under my sweater at a basketball game the other day!

12. My Breast Friend. I like this nursing pillow much more than the boppy, but I know everyone is different! I just like that this clips on and is a little harder so it holds her up more. It is really nice to have at night when you have 0 energy to hold the baby (especially as they get bigger!)

13. Target Nursing Gowns. My favorite nursing gowns are from Target. They are super easy to unclip for easy access, but usually I just pull down both straps at home since I use the Haakaa pump on the other side anyway! They are also realllly soft! You can’t go wrong with any of these! They are so popular so it is usually hard to find them in your size :/. If you find one grab it! I wear an XS. Grab them in black if you can! They hide the milk stains.

14. Kindred Bravely Nursing Bra. I love everything by Kindred Bravely but I especially love these super cute, super comfortable nursing bras. They come in tons of colors and I actually have 5 because I just keep getting milk all over them and I don’t want to have to wash every day. They are only $30-ish and sometimes have a clickable coupon!

15. Baby Powder Scented Poop Bags. I did instagram stories about this, but I am obsessed with these scented diaper bags. We put all of Miller’s poop diapers in here and it keeps our bedroom, her nursery, and our kitchen trash from stinking! So perfect to keep in your diaper bag to use at friend’s houses and/or restaurants, stores, etc! On Instagram Stories I linked some lavender bags, but recently found this biodegradable option!

16. Breast Pump/Extra Pump Parts/Aeroflow. I used Aeroflowto order my breast pump through insurance. It was sooo easy! You just put in your information and what pump you want and they check everything out and let you know which ones you get for free! You order and it comes within a few days. Then, after about two weeks you get an email telling you all the extra pump parts you can get for free with your insurance as well! YOU NEED THESE PARTS! The first two weeks I just had to wash over and over and over again! I actually ordered extra parts on Amazon that didn’t even end up being the ones I need and it was so frustrating! I wish I had known Aeroflow was going to send me tons of extra options! PS- I use the Spectra S2 and love it. My pump came with a super cute bag too- all for FREE!

17.Organic Washable Nursing Pads. I tried the Lasinoh nursing pads and bleh- didn’t like them at all. Then my sister brought me some washable nursing pads she never knew and I was in love. Get this $12 14 pack because you will need to wash them after you use them for a day! They are so soft and absorb the milk really well! They also stay put in your bra!

18. Bebe au Lait Play Mat. We use a lot of stuff from Bebe au Lait! We especially love this soft plush plat mat. We use it for tummy time or just to set her on on the ground. We lay next to her and talk to her and play with her and she loves it! Soon we will have toys next to her that she can grab too!

19.Dr. Brown’s Bottles. We tried different bottles at first (nanobebe) and did not like them. Then we grabbed these Dr. Brown’s bottles and we love them and Miller loves them! They have some sort of thing in them that helps get the bubbles out and Miller has never had an issue with reflux! We thought she did at first but it was just normal baby reflux and now she hardly ever spits up at all (unless we over feed her!) We also grabbed the Dr. Brown’s sanitizing machine too! It is so quick and holds 6 bottles at a time.

20.Puj Infant Bath Tub. Obsessed! I will try to take a video of Miller in her puj tub but it is soo hard unless Troy is with me because I need to keep a hand on her and make sure her ear wells don’t get wet! This foldable tub fits anywhere, but we use it in the sink! It is so comfy for her and she would lounge in it forever if we let her!

21. Infant Optics Baby Monitor. We LOVE this monitor! The night vision is amazing and during the day it is like you are in the room with them! The sounds and screen options are great and the battery life is amazing! Plus you can add on multiple cameras if you want to capture different areas or if you have more than one kid! You can also attach a wide angle camera if you want! DEFINITELY grab this monitor!

22.Windii. This helped us soooo much during Miller’s first two weeks (before she learned how to poop herself!) She would be hurting so bad because her poop muscles just weren’t working like they needed to. You stick this little thing up her booty (a little) and it lets out a gas whistle and then explosion. Poop goes everywhere haha! We always put a cup at the end of the windii to capture all the poop that came out the other side! It relived her instantly! Definitely worth having on hand. Get the two pack!

23. ECOS Free and Clear. Go ahead and start with a free & clear deodorant. Wash all of your clothes with it before and after the baby to prevent a rash! A baby’s skin is soooo sensitive and so many detergents have scents in them. Just holding them against clothes that haven’t been washed with a free & clear deodorant can turn into a rash. I would recommend having a guest put a blanket that had been washed with free & clear deodorant over them before holding your baby. We learned this the hard way :/. ECOS has amazing reviews so that is why we chose that one (plus, the price is A LOT BETTER than honest and Dreft!)

24. Wamsutta Robe. You have these heat flashes during the night, but when you aren’t having them you are FREEZING=hormones! I wear this wamsutta robe 24/7. It is soooo soft and plush! I have it in white bc I had no idea pink was available dang it!

25. Newborn Socks. I have a bunch of these in white and light pink because I had no idea they had some with these super cute designs-rookie mistake! Make sure you have a pack of newborn socks! You will want socks on your baby at all times when they are not wearing a footie! Definitely something I never thought of before having a baby!

*I will have a blog post covering the Uppababy Vista stroller and Mesa car seat and one for all of my 4Moms products (mamaroo, high chair, and pack n play!)

I hope this guide helps! These would all be great registry gifts to bring to a shower or great Christmas gifts to give your friends! You can tell them you heard they were THE BEST!

Did I miss a product that you used and loved??? PLEASE leave a link to it in a comment below with why you loved it so that other people can see the items and add it to their list as well!

DON’T FORGET TO check out these recent posts: What to Expect Postpartum– Week 1 (full of items you should buy to help you get through this stage.), and Miller’s Birth Story (to help you prepare for the big day!)

xox Amanda

XO Amanda
December 11, 2018 Baby

The Top 25 MUST HAVE Newborn Products

From the Gram

@themilleraffect

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