Ila's Favorite Baby Products

Hey mamas, so you might follow The Bump and if you do, you've probably seen that they recently published their "Best Of 2017" baby products. If you haven't seen it, you can check it out here. C + I have also gone through and compiled our top "registry picks" which you can find on our site here. Both resources can be super helpful when considering what to register for and purchase before baby comes. I also wanted to hand pick some of my TOP 10 favorite baby products that I had registered for with baby #1. These are products that I used constantly with baby # 1, and am so glad that I already have handy for baby #2.

Also, if you want to check out my baby registry for baby #1 (Lincoln), see it here. I used myregistry.com and had a great experience, although there are plenty of good sites to register with including Baby List and others. I felt very confident with my product picks overall and was happy with most all of them. I will do a post soon critiquing my list and also showcasing trendy new products that I wish were available when I had Lincoln. Also -- keep in mind that we didn't have a nursery with baby #1, living in a 1 bedroom condo, so I didn't buy a ton of big ticket nursery items like a huge crib. Anyways, here we go...

1. Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair
Yes, this item comes with a price tag at around $250 a pop, but it is really, really functional AND aesthetically amazing. I don't know about you, but I am not one of those mamas that keeps "baby stuff" lying around the house. Our home is not a kid zone, it is a family zone - that has adults AND children, and here I live, the adults run the home, and that means we get to choose what is out around the house. I have worked hard to make our home aesthetically nice because it is important to me; this means that baby stuff needs to be cleaned up and put away either in the kids' rooms or in a closet. Same goes with our high chair. The Stokke high chair - no matter what kind - is a very "pretty" high chair. I generally put mine away in the pantry (now that we have the space to do so), but when we lived in our 1 bedroom condo, I kept it in the corner... and great news, it wasn't an eye soar. Not only that, but it is very functional and grows with baby. It can be used as a kid's chair all the way until your kiddos are far past grown. Tip: don't purchase the cloth that goes on the seat, it is not necessary, as it gets VERY dirty at each eating session. Our little guy is perfectly happy sitting on the wood without the cloth and it is far easier to clean rather than having to wash the cloth after each use.

2. Ergo Baby 360 Carrier
So there are a ton of baby carriers out there, and I have heard great things about many of them including the Baby Bjorn and others. I happen to like the Ergo Baby (just because it's what I was given). Point being, be sure to BUY or register for a baby carrier. You will use this like crazy. I am so happy we have one with baby #2 now that Lincoln can walk, I will be carrying baby in this pouch-like contraption 24/7. Not to mention, having baby close by your skin is very important in the first months of life.

3. bloom baby alma Urban Folding Crib
Okay so the reason we registered for and got this crib was because we lived in our tiny one bedroom condo in Georgetown and really didn't have the space to buy a full-size crib. At first, I somewhat regretted having registered for this crib because Lincoln grew out of it at around 6 to 7 months. HOWEVER, now that we have baby #2 coming and looking back at the functionality of this crib, I am SO SO SO glad that I have it. First point being that Lincoln is still sleeping in a crib. We just purchased a full-sized crib and expect that he will be in it for AT LEAST another 6 months. This means that the baby will perfectly get to snuggle into our mini crib from birth until 6 months or beyond (depending on his or her size). This crib is AWESOME for a little one for several reasons, including the fact that it has WHEELS. Since we have hard-wood floors in our master and in common areas upstairs, it makes it super easy to wheel this crib close to our bed for nursing or into the nursery for napping and sleeping. It is soooo maneuverable and amazing for a newborn because let's face it, your babe will be in and out of your room in the beginning if you are nursing. This also saves us space on having to have TWO full-sized crib simultaneously.

4. Baby Bjorn Travel Crib
Okay, so after Lincoln grew out of his mini-crib, he slept in the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib every night until now (since we just got a regular full-size crib). This crib is so so so awesome - easy to assemble and disassemble and easy to travel with. Not only that, but it appeared to be WAY more comfortable than a Pack'N'Play. We used Pack N Plays in hotels and the mattresses were far inferior from the Baby Bjorn.  Highly recommended.

5. Levana Snuza Oma Portable Movement Monitor
This thing saved my liffffeeeee as a new mama. I don't know about you, but putting my newborn to sleep with all of this talk of SIDS really freaked me out. The Levana Snuze is a little monitor that you clip onto baby's diaper before he or she goes to bed at night that will beep loudly if your little angel stops breathing (God forbid). Not only that, but if your little one skips a breath or tentatively stops breathing, the monitor will vibrate on his/her skin to wake him/her up. If baby doesn't wake up, it will beep extremely loud to alert the parents. This thing really helped me sleep at night knowing that my little one was safe and sound, and that I could be alerted if not. Literally, life saving.

6. RH Baby & Child Kids Bookrack
Ok, so I got the Pottery Barn one on my registry for Lincoln and absolutely loved it. The reason I purchased the RH baby and child one this time around is that the Pottery Barn shelf has to sit on the floor aesthetically - rather than floating. I like the look of a floating shelf AND it makes it easier for me to grab books being somewhat elevated on a wall rather than on the floor, so we went with this. Regardless of which book shelf you purchase, these things are amazing. They display your kids' books nicely and are also very functional. I love having some books out and rotating them in and out of the closet. If all of our books are in the closet, I tend to forget about them - boo.

7. My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow
A lot of mamas like the Boppy Pillow, but when I was pregnant I knew mothers who had purchased both and advised me to get the Breast Friend over the Boppy. Thus, I have used and have been VERY happy with the Breast Friend. My pediatrician had a Boppy Pillow in her office that I would use during doctor's visits and I didn't really care for it. Baby would sink into it because the cushion is so soft AND it was very hard to position baby close to your boob without the support of tightening a strap around your waist or ribs. My Breast Friend solves all of these problems. The cushion is FIRM which keeps baby positioned in the same spot, and it also comes with a strap that you can loosen or tighten around your waister/ribs to provide for even more support. I really don't know how people nurse without this thing in the beginning. 

8. Bebe au Lait Nursing Cover
Again, I'm sure there are a lot of great brands out there - I just happened to register for and get this nursing cover and really loved how functional it was. The plastic insert in the neckline allows you to see baby while you are nursing - this is key, especially when you have to adjust yourself. It also allows air to refresh baby and keep him/her from overheating/suffocating in there! If you buy a nursing cover, get something that has some sort of plastic insert or other kind of insert so that baby gets air while nursing.

9. Honest Company Diaper Bag
This diaper bag was amazing given all of the compartments and the insulated pocket that allows for milk or food storage. I also loved the size - I could fit SO much in there. The material is really easy to clean too - you don't feel guilty putting in in the sink and washing the heck out of it. The bag also comes with straps that fit perfectly on my Orbit Baby Stroller, and it also wasn't so big that it didn't fit underneath the stroller. I originally registered for the Petunia Pickle backpack and got it in the mail to discover that it was hideous, HUGE and HEAVY. Nordstrom started carrying that Honest Co Diaper Bags literally a few days later, so I exchanged the Petunia and got the Honest Co bag. So glad that I did. It is still in great condition for baby #1, and has a style that is timeless with the faux leather material.

10. Angel Dear Lovey
At first, Lincoln wasn't crazy about these little lovies. I don't think I registered for them but SO MANY moms got them for me as baby gifts. I was a little annoyed because Linc really didn't care for them, and as cute as they are, they were just lying around the house or sitting in the closet. Fast forward to Linc's first birthday, and thereafter he started LOVING these things. He doesn't carry them around during the day (thank goodness) or beg for them or anything, but they are so sweet to put your kiddo down with at night. He sleeps with them every night and I rotate them in and out - there are so many cute animals to choose from. Literally, the more the merrier. Not only are they soft and plush, but they are easy to wash.

That's a wrap, mamas!! Happy purchasing :)

xx,
ILA