Hey guys! Paige here to do a highly requested post on all my favorite new baby products. I have a lot of the latest products and gadgets - some I got from blog collaborations, and some I spent my hard earned money on, justifying needing everything since this is only my first child and I'd use them on all my kids! Anyways, now that I'm broke I thought I might as well let everyone else know what's worth it and what's not in my opinion :)
Below is a list of some of the hottest new baby products currently on the market in order of my most to least favorite!
This is by far my number one favorite baby product. It goes right next to your bed, and swivels right over to you so you don't even have to get out of bed for night feedings. The one I got is linked above. It's the least expensive one with just a pocket on the side to hold diaper, wipes etc. There are more expensive versions that come with things like night lights and music, but I didn't think I'd use that stuff and this one has been great for me!
The BEST baby bathtub on the market. MJ hated baths until we started using this! It circulates the water constantly so there's clean water coming in and the dirty water flows out (which is much needed since they always pee in the water), AND it comes with a thermometer attached that beeps if the water gets too hot and goes blue if it gets too cold!
Ok this is actually a mom product, but it's the most comfortable nursing bra ever! I tried on a bunch at target and Nordstrom, and this is the only one I ever wear. I got it in tan and black :)
You may have heard of the Owlet baby monitors by now. It's an awesome new product on the market that tracks baby's heart rate and oxygen levels while they sleep! It sends the info straight to your smart phone which will go off if there are any unhealthy changes. I was so paranoid when I first brought MJ home from the hospital and this product was the only way I could sleep at night! The only down side is that my baby is a little squirmy at night, so sometimes it will disconnect and notify me so I have to get up more often and adjust it on him. Overall though great product!
5. Soothe Shirt
This is one of the items I got through the blog and I love it. It's a shirt and baby carrier combined with a little pocket in front that baby fits perfectly into. I use it all the time and sometimes feel like it's the only way I can get anything done :)
6. Nuna Carseat/Stroller Travel System
Obsessed with this travel system. Especially the carseat! It has a sleeper shade that pulls down and covers the whole thing to keep out harsh weather, germs, or just to let baby sleep. It goes with the Nuna Tavo stroller which is great as well. Only down side is they are a little pricey. But hey, I figured the stroller/carseat is what goes everywhere with you right?! It's like your everyday bag or accessory. Worth spending the money on a good one!
7. Diaper Genie
The diaper genie is great for locking in odors and keeping your nursery smelling nice! Downsides are it was kind of a pain to put together, and you have to keep buying the diaper genie bag refills which can get a little expensive. If you're on a budget you can probably go without this one!
Ok, I was so excited about the mamaroo and still do love it out in my house. The only reason it's lower on the list is that I might just like it more than my baby does haha. He likes it fine but not any more than the much less expensive swing a friend of mine bought for me to keep upstairs. It's still pretty awesome to be able to control it from your phone, and I love how modern it looks out in my living room. If you want to go less expensive on something however, this would be it :)
9. Wipes Warmer
Yeah I thought I needed this, and I do use it, but I really don't think my baby cares either way! He is just fine when we're not at home and I have to change him with regular old cold wipes haha, and sometimes he fusses when being changed with the cold ones anyways!
Another mom product. I heard great things about this post pardom belly wrap, but I think any less expensive one would do the trick. Honestly who knows if they really do anything. I felt like breastfeeding is really what made my stomach go down! Some people swear by them though. I'm just not one of them. I really didn't feel like it made much of a difference.
I hope this is helpful for any new mamas and mamas-to-be out there!
Tips for Surviving the Third Trimester
Well, Paige here, and I'm officially in my last week of pregnancy! Yay! I feel like I've been pregnant FOREVER and can't wait to finally meet baby boy!
The third trimester can be rough, but I've found a few things along the way to help me enjoy it, and avoid some of those dreaded problems (like stretch marks)! And I wanted to share :) So here are my tips for surviving, and even sometimes enjoying, the third trimester.
1. Avoiding Stretch Marks:
Forget all those special, expensive shea butter anti stretch mark creams. From what I've heard, none of them work. Throughout my pregnancy I just used Cetaphil on my stomach and the rest of my body daily. If you go to a dermatologist for dry skin that is what they'll tell you to use, so I figured it would work just as well as anything else! I lathered my stomach with it every day, and haven't gotten one stretch mark! Below is a linked picture of the kind I use and just order straight from amazon.
2. Incline walking:
I stopped feeling comfortable running about half way through my third trimester. My husband suggested slow walking at an incline instead and it's been awesome! I put the treadmill up to a 10 incline and walk at 2.5 for the first 5 minutes, then switch off between 2.5 and 3.5mph every other minute for the last 5 minutes. This sounds super easy, and it is haha. But it's a great way to get moving and get your blood flowing, and get a light workout in :)
3. Lavender essential oil epson salt baths:
Ok, if you live in Utah County you can buy this salt bath mix at Mend Juicery in Riverwoods, and they're amazing! I always lose about a pound after each bath because it helps so much with swelling and getting rid of excess water retention. Just make sure you don't submerge your baby bump all the way in too hot of water! If you're not local, you can easily make the bath salt mixture yourself if you just google it, or you can also buy them on amazon here.
4. Foot Relax Center:
Ok, my friend Shontel recently visited from California and introduced me to this place, and I'm just sad I didn't know about it sooner! If you live in Utah and are pregnant (or aren't) this place is a must! For $20 for a half hour or $40 for an hour you get your feet soaked while getting your head, neck and shoulders massaged, then your feet and calves massaged while sitting in a huge comfy chair. It's AMAZING! Especially if you have swollen pregnant feet. I wish I could go very day :) There's one in South Jordan and one in Sandy. Their phone number is 801-234-0566. You're welcome. If you're not local just do a search for foot massage and see what you can find. My friend said she's been to similar places in California!
5. Treat Yo Self:
Buy a few maternity dresses from ASOS and Pink Blush Maternity. It's so hard to feel cute and not like a fat giant bowling ball by the third trimester. None of your clothes fit, and if you're like me, you're legs no longer look cute in pregnant skinny jeans with big flowy tops. ASOS and Pink Blush Maternity are awesome because they have the cutest dresses at great prices! Below are some pictures from my baby shower where I'm wearing one of my favorite dresses from Pink Blush. Find it here. I've also linked some of my favorite ASOS maternity dresses at the bottom of this post!
Hope this is helpful for those of you currently in the same boat as me!
Mid Pregnancy Update
Paige here - I'm officially half way done with my pregnancy, and wanted to post an update about how things are going so far, what baby gear I have/want, and one of my favorite mid pregnancy outfits!
What I'm loving:
Although pregnancy comes with a whole slew of complaints, let's start with the good :) My favorite thing about being pregnant has been picking out baby gear, and starting to design our nursery! I have a long "wish list" of things I like/want, but there are a few things I'm absolutely in love with and couldn't resist buying pretty early on. So far I have my crib, diaper bag, and the cutest nursing pillow I can't wait to use! :)
The crib - OK, for the nursery colors I'm going with greys, blues, and white. I absolutely LOVE the cribs at Restoration Hardware, and honestly for a while I wish I had never even seen them because they are so freaking expensive and cuter than anything else out there! If money isn't an issue for you, click on the link above and go get yourself one of those beauties. Just know I will hate you. Anyways, now that I've let those cribs go and remembered I'm not millionaire, Target here I come! I did end up finding a really cute crib I love there, and it looks so cute in my nursery! Not to mention it was a quarter of the price of the RH cribs. Click on the linked pic below to check it out :)
Diaper Bag - When choosing a diaper bag, there were a few things I knew I wanted. It had to be at least somewhat gender neutral in case my husband ever needs to use it. I also wanted a convertible bag that can be both a cross body and a backpack for the same reason (cross body for me, backpack for him). Lastly, of course I wanted it to be cute! This is what I ended up going with, and I couldn't be more happy :) I'm going to be the weird lady carrying around a diaper bag with no kids because I can't wait to use it!
Nursing Pillow - No story with this, just thought it was adorable and matched my nursery colors :)
What I'm hating:
Now for the bad stuff. I had such high hopes for myself when I got pregnant. I saw so many cute bloggers with tiny little legs and cute pregnant bellies and thick luscious hair from pregnancy hormones, and was so excited to look cute like that too :) Well, that was a nice thought for the first couple weeks. First off, idk what the deal is, but my hair is falling OUT in chunks! Everyday. It sucks. I asked the doctor about it, and he said that although most women's hair gets thicker during pregnancy, everyone reacts different to the hormones and some women's hair gets thinner. Well mine is getting way thinner. Hopefully I have some left by the time I give birth! And thank Heaven for extensions :)
I also have gained a lot of weight. About 20 pounds and I'm only half way done! Most of it has gone to my butt and legs, so my dreams of tiny little skinny jeans with cute flowing maternity tops are over. I would actually rather hide my legs than my belly! My body is weird. Anyways, if any of you pregnant mommas out there are like me, and gaining weight all over instead of just the belly, I'll be sharing some of my favorite flattering outfits throughout this process. For now, here's one of my go-tos. All items are linked at the bottom of this post :)
