[Baby Gear:Newborn]

If you're not expecting...you'll probably want to skip this post.  But I've had a lot of people ask me what we love, what we got but never use, etc.  So here's the obligatory 'new mama blogger' post! :)

[See Baby Gear:Basics for the beginning of this series]

Your newborn will eat, sleep & poop so that's how I've broken this post down...

[Eat]

Avent bottles.  They're fine, we have no issues with them.  Jordyn isn't picky, so we just used what we had most of.  We aren't very experienced in this area. 

Enfamil Newborn formula [Similac wasn't working for J] through 3 months.  Then switched to Up&Up [Target brand].  Adam and I both agree we'll switch to the generic brand sooner next time.  We get double the formula for half the price!

Formula Dispenser.  We have two.  The Nuby formula dispenser [3 compartments] is VERY hard to open but super accurate.  The Munchkin formula dispenser [4 compartments] is easy to open and refill, but slides so sometimes you get some formula from another section which is annoying.  It's a toss really, neither are ideal.  If anyone has suggestions for a better one, I'm open! 

[Sleep]

Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets are the best.  They are very light weight and large!  They aren't cheap though!  4 of them cost about $35.

Sleep Saks are the best.  Unfortunately our favorite one was a gift and I don't know where it came from.  Jordyn preferred to have to arms out so we used Carter's most of the time. 

Sleep Sheeps are awesome!  They make a heartbeat noise [and sever others] that goes for just long enough to put your baby to sleep before shutting off.  They're battery operated, so they're perfect for traveling too!  We use the Pottery Barn one since we received it as a gift, but Cloud B makes a more affordable option. 

Nap Nanny.  We LOVE our Nap Nanny.  They don't recommend sleeping in them, but we put the nap nanny in J's crib once we transitioned her.  So she slept in the nap nanny, in the crib [does that even make sense?!].  They're all foam and are at a perfect angle for your baby to sleep.  We started using this when J got her first cold to help keep her elevated and breathing better.  Also perfect for traveling.  Especially if the place you're doing doesn't have a crib.  MUCH lighter [& more flexible] than a pack in play!  One of our better purchases.  J used this from 1 month to 4 months and still uses it when we're traveling.

[Poop]

Diapers.  We've tried most.  Luckily we haven't had to buy any yet, but we've tried Pampers, Huggies, and Parent's Choice.  We still haven't tried Up&Up [Target], but we've heard great things.  Once our stash is out, we'll more than likely go that route.  Pampers have the little line in the newborn diapers that turns blue when it's wet, which is very handy, especially for newborns!  Huggies has a great little dip in the center for the belly button which is especially helpful with a newborn fresh from the hospital!  Parent's Choice [Wal*Mart] were fine, but not our favorites.  They were very stiff and ran significantly larger than the other brand's diapers. 

Bottom Line...for newborn diapers I would buy Huggies.  From 1 month on, I would buy Pampers.  Also, each baby will be different but we used Newborns for the first month [200-300 diapers], Size 1 for Month 1-Month 4 [750-1000 diapers], and then Size 2. 

Wipes.  We've tried most brands of these as well.  Huggies are awesome; thick and pull out of the container great.  Up and Up are cheaper but very thin and you need both hands to pull them apart.  Parent's Choice are much better than I thought.  A little stiff, but pull apart nicely and are a good thickness. 

Bottom Line: if cost isn't an issue buy the sensitive Huggies wipes; if you're watching pennies, the Parent's Choice are a great buy.

Rash Ointment.  We've tried Butt Paste, Desitin, Up & Up, and more.  I blogged about the best stuff here.  It's a homemade concoction and isn't cheap, but it's all we'll be using from now on.

All photos/links from Amazon website. Nobody sponsored this post.