AN ADVENTUROUS BABY

Pro Tip: These are ALL optional. Like taking your baby to the gym? Maybe ear covers are for you. Big on long adventures in the stroller? Maybe a stroller organizer could be helpful. Have a habitually sweaty little monster? Great, grab a fan. None of these are needs, they are simply options for once baby is here if you notice something that would make your life easier for your particular family!

A CLEAN BABY

Pro Tip: A bath insert of some sort and products that don’t agitate their skin (even if that happens to be the cheaper, less regulated ones!) are really the only must haves. A cup from the kitchen and an adult towel could definitely cover the other needs! As far as the ratings go for the skin care products, EWG means that the product has been looked at and confirmed to adhere to strict standards for health & transparency.

A COZY BABY

Pro Tip: OEKO TEX certified means a product has been tested & deemed safe for our health & our environment by ensuring products are free from harmful substances at every step. GOTS verified is another testing standard that includes environmental and social requirements, including fair labor practices, limited working hours, organic fiber

requirements, wastewater treatment standards & chemical input management. OCS verification pertains

to the transparency of the materials used.

It is a great habit to look for any of these verifications when buying, but they also come at a price so buy what is right for your family! The one saving grace of the expensive bamboo brands is they stretch and can last for months & months beyond the age range listed on them. Take that for what you will!

A DIRTY BABY

Pro Tip: Unfortunately Coterie really is just that good. Of course the others can do the job as well but when baby starts to sleep 11 hours overnight Coterie saves the day in a big way in experience!

A HEALTHY BABY

Pro Tip: Please talk to your doctor. Pretty please. Every pediatrician has different preferences so it is key to communicate with them early & often. Get the green light for gas relief drops before you have a baby screaming at you at 3am - catch my drift? Asking before it is a need allows you to know what options are on the table before you are seated at the table.

HOME BASICS

Pro Tip: These items are good & great and all but optional. Can normal dish soap get the job done? Yes. Can your adult detergent do the trick? Yup. Can you sanitize with your dish washer? Most definitely. These are HELPFUL tools & for some babies with sensitive skin or sensitive immune systems they become NEEDS but mostly they are WANTS so pick whats important to you.

A HUNGRY BABY

Pro Tip: The golden combo (in my opinion, that is) would be the Evenflo Balance bottle nipples with the Advent Glass Bottles, and using the plastic Evenflo Balance bottles with a Spectra S2 pump. Chefs kiss for this one. The plastic bottles are lighter for pumping, while the glass feels safer for reheating. The Evenflo nipples are better for latch which reduces air intake (aka gas), utilizes the correct position for muscle development & allows successful combo feeding for mommas who still want to feed at the breast. But hey, it’s just one combo and there are many great options out there. Ask me if you want some other options with specific criteria that fits your family better!

A PLAYFUL BABY

Pro Tip: If your baby is struggling to go down for naps, the first thing I am going to recommend is to get them playing more. Tummy time, contrast cards, crinkle books, hand to mouth tether toys, the works. Put the kid on the ground & let them play. It’s a game changer.

ROOM BASICS

Pro Tip: The Nanit is top tier, especially with twins or multiple kids with monitors because you can do split screen, however the Advent has won me over for one baby because of the respiratory rate showing on the bottom of the screen.

A TIRED BABY

Pro Tip: You will hate the Butterfly Swaddle until you know how to use it well and then it is the holy grail for newborns. Stick out the learning curve if you can - the goal is very snug and lined up just above the elbows rather than up by their necks!

TRAVEL LIFE

Pro Tip: These are all just options but they each fit different scenarios - international trip versus a road trip to family for a weekend, breast feeding versus bottle versus eating solids, and so on. Pick your poison, but don’t pick it all if you can help it! Oh and feed during takeoff and landing if you’re flying!

TWIN LIFE

Pro Tip: Yet again you do NOT need all of it - don’t panic buy because you’re nervous about there being two of them! Some sort of support in your main hubs tends to be helpful so potentially bouncers for the living room, a propping tool in their bedroom and a breast feeding pillow wherever you feed (if thats your thing).