1. Breast Pump: This only goes for mothers who are breastfeeding. Lets face it, there is no way we can be with our child(ren) 24 hours a day and pumping is a perfect way to still give your baby liquid gold without you being present. Although I’m practically with Belle all day because I’m not currently working, pumping came handy for me during her nightly feeds. When we got home from the hospital, it was brutal for me to breastfeed every 3 hrs- 24 hours a day. As soon as I was able to pump, I breastfed during the day and gave bottles during all her nightly feeds, and thank God she took it. Apparently, not all kids likes bottles and it takes some a while to adjust.  The breast pump that I recommend is Medela because it is the best trusted brand. When I was looking for what breast pump to buy it was literally the only one that everyone suggested, including physicians. What I like about the one I have is the ability to double pump handsfree (see mine here). I will recommend the Medela easy expression hand-free bustier so you can pump hands-free. For storage, I like this bag, it gives the options to pump or pour directly into bag- it’s fast and saves time.
  2. 4moms Mamaroo is a very popular swing that most modern mommies use in the United States. I have to be honest, Belle wasn’t too fond of this initially, everything we put her on she would cry within 2-4 minutes but we kept trying. As time progressed she started staying longer- 15 minutes turned to 30 and then an hour. By 2 months, she started liking the swing. I really love this swing because it comes with 5 different motions (car ride, kangaroo, tree swing, rock-a-bye, wave) and it gives you the option to adjust the speeds from 1-5. The seat offers a full recline which allows the baby to sit up and play or lie back and relax. It also comes with 4 adjustable built in sounds and is bluetooth enabled. I find it to be soothing for Belle and the fabrics are machine washable. Bottom line, it comforts, relaxes and contains the baby so mommy can do other things. If you don’t want this, you can buy a traditional swing. Here is the one that we have.unnamed
  3. Babocush is a pillow that holds your baby in the on-chest position. You need a mamaroo swing for this to work because the pillows goes on the swing. It helps with gas, colic and reflux and if you’re like most parents who worries about the flat head syndrome- this certainly helps with that. This is very safe for the baby- they can be placed on it after a feed. Most importantly, you can get things done or catch a break while your baby enjoys the babocush. I’ve tried uploading a video of Belle using this but wordpress isn’t allowing me, check out my instagram page to see the video.
  4. Boopie Pillow is another thing that Belle HATED for the first one month.  With time she got better and it made life much easier for us. I will recommend getting the newborn pillow such as the one we got.  It is a portable pillow that is designed for babies. It is very safe for children and can even be placed on your bed. It is extremely soft and you can get removable washable covers. It is also a good way for mom and daddy to interact with the baby without actually picking them up (here is the one we have).PA0_3707
  5. Muslin swaddle blankets is something I really wish I started using from the beginning. We tried but just didn’t know how to swaddle. Swaddling babies enfolds them in a warm environment that imitates the womb. If you have a baby with jerky muscle movements such as mine, this is your solution. I recommend muslin swaddle blankets because it is known to be the most gentle and I can testify. After trying several blankets, this was the best option because of its softness. It’s crazy cool because the fabric gets softer every-time you wash it. When you swaddle a baby, it has to be snug without being too restrictive, the muslin is extremely stretchy and has a “natural give.”  I knew the essense of this when we started sleep-training because Belle moves so much that she wakes herself up. Swaddling restricts her from waking herself up, here are similar options to the ones we use at home-here and here , more options (since she’s almost 4 months, I prefer the bigger ones). If you need help with swaddling, watch videos on youtube or try one of these.

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