Well it’s only taken me 3 months to write a blog post after welcoming Mary Catherine home, but I’m back (while she’s napping). After we came home from our 8 day NICU stay, I quickly figured out what we needed, used, loved, and hated. Snoo being the “hated”. So I wanted to share my experiences for any first timers like myself.

Dock-a-Tot - I know alot of people don’t necessarily love or hate it and I think there are cheaper versions but we LOVE and still (at 3 months) LOVE it. As a newborn it was great for putting her in it near me whether in the kitchen, eating, on the couch, and for naps…Sleep is rare and she would happily sleep in the dockatot.

Snuggle Me Organic - very similar and cheaper than the Dock-a-Tot and we used it so much. The only way she would even lay down in her Snoo was if she was laying on this & luckily for us this fit perfectly inside the walls of the Snoo. Again, it’s perfect to lay the baby in and be right there but not holding them.

Halo Bassinet - okay this is a quick synopsis of why, I think, we failed at the Snoo. Mary Catherine spent 8 days in the NICU, non moving, clear walls, bed. When we brought her home and put her in this strapped-in, swaddled, moving bed with thick mesh walls that you can’t see through she was miserable. We tried and tried and tried the Snoo and it was a complete NOGO, unless you put her down absolutely asleep. It was awful and ofcourse it was the most expensive thing we could have bought. That’s our personal experience, I don’t know anyone else who had this issue. With that being said, she LOVES her Halo Bassinet, very see through mesh sides, we can look at each other while I’m in bed, she falls asleep on her own in it. It’s just wonderful! It’s on a swivel and cantilever so it will also go over your bed.

Shusher - Without hesitation, you need this. It was a gift and we used it religiously! Every new mom needs!

Fleece Zipper Jammies - our house is cold and I bought so many of these for less than $10 and that’s mainly the only thing she sleeps in. If they’re sold out on this link google microfleece footies on gap or old navy website.

Halo Sleep Sack - Again, house is cold, so this fleece sleep sack was perfect and I didn’t worry about her being too cold. We never swaddled well and her hands and arms have been out since coming home from NICU so this worked well for us.

Nail Kit - buy it, gift it. Everyone needs this!

Hair Brush - your baby may not have hair at birth but when they do get hair, you will LOVE this brush. It comes in a kit with comb or just the brush. I only use the brush, it was so soft and calming for MC as a newborn!

Nuna Pipa Lite - this carseat is so lightweight and easy to maneuver and so very comfortable for Mary Catherine!

Doona Car Seat - it’s a game changer and I love it but I think MC was a little too small to be comfortable in it. I want to start using it more because of the smaller size in restaurants and the ease of it but it’s heavy for lifting. You just have to weigh your options. I’m very happy to have it and now at 3 months I think it will be the carseat we leave in my husband’s car.

Baby Cosmetic Case - This is the bag we keep everything in! I bought the whole set prior to birth and the blue and white strip makes it unisex. I had Mary Catherine’s name embroidered on it and we take this everywhere we go, whether in the car or going to my mom’s house. We keep everything in this; saline spray, nose frida, hair brush, milicon, tylenol, nail kit, headphones, and thermometer. It’s nice to grab separate from a diaper bag and can sit on the coffee table in the game room when we’re home.

Other Random Things We Love