Story
Discussion
Love it
720p HD Video Baby Monitor
The Review
The good
It has the room temp and the visual and sound quality are great, the battery life is sufficient, the range is pretty good. We also intentionally wanted a monitor without Wifi because of privacy concerns
Nitpicks
No problems. Their customer service is great. Maybe the cord could be a little longer for the camera?
Why this one?
My brother and sister in law had this one and were very happy with it
The Purchase
Where?
As a gift
When?
2023
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JolyWell Night Light for Kids
The Review
The good
Its perfect for the hospital when the only lighting options are florescent or pitch black with blinking lights, and at home its perfect for middle of the night feeds and diaper changes. The battery life is very good.
Nitpicks
There is a very very dim light when it is off that might be annoying if you pay attention to it and are having trouble sleeping.
Why this one?
This was also recommended by my in laws, we never would have thought to get it.
The Purchase
Where?
Amazon
When?
2023
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HonestBaby Multipack Honest Pants Joggers
The Review
The good
soft, flexible, have room for diapers, the legs don't ride up ever and they allow baby to move in all the directions
Nitpicks
nothing, they are perfect baby pants
Why this one?
My mom sent us these pants and some cotton burp cloths which weren't on our registry and I was mildly annoyed...and they were probably the most useful thing we received. The pants just work better than most pants even though they look funny
The Purchase
Where?
As a gift
When?
2023
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Ecolino® Adjustable Baby Sleep Bag, Organic Cotton
The Review
The good
the fabric is amazing, it is easy to put on, my baby loves it. It has been too hot the past few months for her to be in a sleep sack and we are currently visiting a cooler place and she was SO happy to put this on tonight. She is sleeping in it now. We also purchased the wool combo ish one - it is also great, but definitely for colder temps.
Nitpicks
It was a little difficult to figure out the different models and sizing on the website - I couldn't quite work out the differences and I was trying to buy one that we could use for as long as possible. Also the placement of the zipper is a little weird once they start walking - but not a big deal.
Why this one?
I did a ridiculous amount of research. We had some other hand-me-down ones that felt too hot and not comfortable for her even though they were 100% cotton. This one had a ton of rave reviews.
The Purchase
Where?
Woolino
When?
2024
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Black Cocoon
The Review
The good
The fabric feels nice, and it doesn't look like a nursing cover up. It is also pretty easy to maneuver.
Nitpicks
It is still a little warm even though it is breathable.
Why this one?
I got influenced on instagram - but also it looked pretty and promised to be breathable. I generally believe that we should be able to breastfeed anywhere without having to cover up - but in the early days we were often with family and she needed to eat all the time - and like maybe you don't want your grandfather in-law to see your boobs.
The Purchase
Where?
As a gift
When?
2023
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The Ollie® Swaddle
The Review
The good
It is very easy to use, and feels safer than some of the other swaddles that seems to get loose and can move around. It is the easiest swaddle I have tried.
Nitpicks
It is made with non-natural materials that don't feel super nice - like the quality is good but the skin feel is not so nice. The velcro is pretty loud.
Why this one?
This was recommended in the Taking Cara Babies course, and I had previously tried the arms up swaddle and a couple of other ones that we all hated. We had been using a classic cotton wrap swaddle which worked really well, especially when she was tiny but my husband wasn't great at using it and I wanted to try something that both of us could easily use. This was a bit of an impulse purchase, and we got it pretty close to when we stopped swaddling her - but it still felt worth it. However, Taking Cara Babies came out with a new swaddle that is similar to this one but has silent velcro. I think it might be worth looking into.
The Purchase
Where?
Directly from Ollie World
When?
February 2024
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muslin burp clothes
The Review
The good
soft, absorbent, nice colors, very useful when baby is spitting up milk or otherwise making messes
Why this one?
My mom ordered these for us, wasn't on our list originally - and I just washed the set I kept for the incoming baby number 2.
The Purchase
Where?
Mom ordered these on amazon for us
When?
2023
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BabyBjörn Bouncer
The Review
The good
Our first baby LOVED being in this chair, I think it was her favorite place to be put down. The mesh is breathable, she never got overly hot. Any time the baby squirms it bounces a little, its easy to bounce with your foot. Its also lightweight and easy to move from room to room.
Nitpicks
Its very very long and doesn't break down. We wanted to ship to France to use for baby # 2 and it didn't fit in the standard large packing boxes or in a suitcase.
Why this one?
This was a hand-me-down from the older cousins. We liked it so much I ordered one used off of Vinted for baby #2 since we couldn't bring the one we had in the US
My hot take
I think its important to know that even though it says that the chair works up to 2 years, you will likely only use it until the baby is sitting up/crawling regularly.....at that point they don't seem so interested in being strapped in and laying on their back. But we used it so much that even if its just for 6 months it felt worth it.
The Purchase
Where?
Hand-me-down, and Vinted
When?
2023, 2026
Also considered
I looked at some other options, but this one was so successful I decided against it.
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Pretty good
Minu V2 - EMELIA
The Review
The good
The materials are definitely very high-quality, it is easy to fold with one hand (usually), the basket is huge and we can hang a lot of bags off of it, it is pretty light, it is easy enough to clean. Also the tires a pretty big and smooth for baby, and it is easy to control.
Nitpicks
It is difficult to open with one hand, the little latch thing is difficult to pull while also pulling on the handle, none of the 8+ flights we have been on have let us check in the overhead compartment (only gate check), it is approved from 3 months, but it doesn't quite lay flat enough. It also seems to kind of promote slouching? The seat has this extra panel that seems a little odd.
Why this one?
We did a ton of research, ultimately we wanted a lightweight travel stroller with a big basket. UPPAbaby as a company aligned with our values, and this stroller seemed to fit the bill.
My hot take
If you are looking for a travel stroller and that is the main goal, just buy the Yoyo - we have been on a lot of flights in and out of Europe and the only stroller they will actually consistently allow on the plane is the Yoyo. Unfortunately Delta broke the brakes on our stroller when we gate checked it - so I think this matters.
The Purchase
Where?
It was on our registry - direct from UPPA Baby
When?
2023
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UPPAbaby Remi Playard
The Review
The good
It is a very pretty pack and play - the design and quality of the materials are great. It is very easy to set up and take down (it is still somewhat heavy). The bassinet works great for a newborn (she liked it a lot more than the BabyBjorn Bassinet we borrowed when she was first born). The zipper door has been great as she transitions to a bigger bed - we leave it open so she can go in and out if she wants to.
Nitpicks
I really love this bed and only have two serious qualms (1) the bassinet has no fitted sheet option (at least not when I bought it) - the recommendation is to have the baby sleep directly on the polyester mattress covering - but newborns have blow-outs and spit up all the time, we tucked a sheet in but I really wish they would just make one that fits the bed. (2) the bottom mattress sags a little bit at the edges if the baby rolls into that part. I don't think its a huge deal but it makes like a little bit of a hammock and I feel like that is something that they should have addressed in the design. We still used this as her primary bed from 6 weeks to 18 months very happily.
Why this one?
We have been more or less on the move since we had our baby and wanted something that was nice and could be used over the long term, but that we could travel with. I wanted a travel crib that had a bassinet for a newborn, but that also had a bed for a bigger baby that was off of the floor. A lot of travel cribs have the mattress directly on the ground - but since we planned to use this as the babies primary bed I thought it would be better to have it a bit elevated.
I would recommend this item to
grandparents! We have been loaning this bed to my aunt for her granddaughter and she LOVES the zipper opening on the side, she has a bad back and uses it all the time to get the baby in and out.
The Purchase
Where?
Amazon
When?
2024
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Taking Cara Babies Newborn Sleep Bundle
The Review
The good
I think the information provided really helped me understand newborn sleep and even though our baby was not a great sleeper until about 10 months, this helped us immensely. I think the video format was necessary.
Nitpicks
She is a little intensely positive. It is possible she is a Trump supporter (I didn't dig into this rumor), the actual platform is not super user friendly. It took me a while to understand that the videos were short and easy enough to follow that I could watch them while breastfeeding etc.
Why this one?
This was recommended in a few different places.
The Purchase
Where?
Direct from her site
When?
2024
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