The Dairy Fairy Rose Handsfree Pumping bra: I love this pumping bra, I really do. Before receiving it, I was pumping one side at a time. I asked my friend at work, who is pumping too, what she did and she said she double pumps but holds them in place. Now that I have this bra, I actually look forward to pumping at work. It's comfortable, well made and comes in all sizes.
Full disclosure: I did not pay for this bra. It was sent to me by The Dairy Fairy. However, I highly recommend it.
Spectra S2 hospital grade double breast pump: I was thrilled when I learned insurance would pay for a double breast pump. I had a hard time deciding between this one and the Medela PISA and I went back in forth for days before finally settling on this one. I'm so glad I did. After reading all the reviews, I decided to break out of the Medela sheep line. Please understand, I have nothing against Medela really. The Medela pump I used with Ryan was pretty crappy and turned me off pumping entirely. But, I know they're the biggest breast pump supplier in the USA and it's the go-to pump for millions of women. But, I wanted to see if there was an alternative. The answer was yes and it actually had much better reviews than the PISA. So, I went for it. It turned out to be an excellent decision.
Sarah Well breast pump bag: It's a great idea with average execution. I love the concept. The Spectra S2 is a very tight fit into the side pocket where the pump goes. But, the Spectra is a bigger pump. I can deal with that. I'm not thrilled with the main compartment which is where you would carry your wallet, keys, etc. There is too much loose fabric. True story: I tossed my credit card into this bag after using it one day. The next day I couldn't find it. Anywhere. I searched the bag, my husband searched the bag. Even the compartments where there was no way it would be, like where the pump is stored. Nothing. We assumed I lost the card and we cancelled it. As we waited for a replacement, I went into the bag to grab something out and there was the card. Not the fault of the manufacturer really. But, the point is, there is way too much loose fabric. The better design would be for that part of the bag to have a false bottom and thus completely separate from the pump storage section. But, I do use it for work everyday as a purse/pumb bag. It's stylish and decent quality.
Dr. Browns bottles: We've already gone through at least four different bottle brands with Hannah and finally settled on Dr. Browns. Bottles are such a personal choice so I won't spend much time on this. These are the best we've used ourselves, so, our bottle search is over.
Fisher Price Sit-Me-Up floor seat: I can say that I love this so much better than a bumbo at this stage of Hannah's infancy. It encircles the baby so they don't slump forward like they do in the bumbo before those back muscles become stronger. Hannah easily sits in both now with no trouble but, I still prefer this chair because she can sit in it much longer with no fatigue.
Fisher Price Rock N Play sleeper: Link is for the specific one I have which has been discontinued. Hannah pretty much slept in this exclusively for the first 12 weeks or so. We tried to put her in the bassinet and she hated it. This is the only thing she'd sleep in. I like it better than something similar we had for Ryan because it's higher up off the floor which means less bending over to pick up baby.
Sorelle Verona Panel 4-in-1 convertible crib: Currently on sale for $100 off. I am so in love with our crib. It's absolutely gorgeous and doesn't look like your typical crib. It looks like a headboard and a footboard with some crib features on the sides to make it a crib. And, there is a reason for that - that's exactly what it is. This converts into a full bed (not twin - full) with the rails conversion kit. It's nice enough and quality enough that Hannah can use it throughout high school and even well beyond. Funny story: This is not the crib we had on our registry. We had another Sorelle crib that was only $199. My in-laws bought the crib on our registry but, BRU delivered the crib in the link. It sat in the bedroom for a few weeks and we didn't notice it was the wrong crib until much later. When we did realize, we decided to just keep that to ourselves. #sorrynotsorry
Angelcare movement and sound monitor: We used this with Ryan, too and bought a new one for Hannah. We love it but, it does take a few nights of adjusting the sensor pad and sensor sensitivity to get it right in order to eliminate false alarms. Once you get the combination right, it's peace of mind.
Summer Infant color video monitor: This is the model we have and we got it for $60 at the Summer website on clearance. As you can see, it's discontinued and the replacement model is much more expensive. With that being said, Summer video monitors are some of the less expensive ones on the market and mine works perfectly. I wasn't sold on buying a video monitor at all but, when I saw it for $60, I couldn't pass it up. Very glad I did because, it's a great gadget.
Infantino baby carrier: The cost of baby carriers can be what I consider, outrageously pricey. A carrier should not costs nearly as much as a low end crib. That's why I love this carrier. It was less than $30 and gets the job done. I find it comfortable & easy to use. Now, some people get very preachy about these things. The design is bad for the baby's growth or bad for their hips, etc. The thing is, I've used it so infrequently and for such a short time that it's unlikely I've damaged her bone structure in any way. Are these people having their kids live in the baby carrier?? I admit I haven't used it in a couple months. It was good during Ryan's t-ball season and I used it at home from time-to-time while on maternity leave. I'm not sure I see myself using it again soon (at all, perhaps) which is exactly why I didn't want an expensive one. And, for the record, we had a super expensive one when Ryan was a baby and James and I both hated it. It was cumbersome and heavy and we felt like we were being dragged forward at the shoulders. It ended up being donated to Salvation Army just so we could make it someone else's problem.
Fisher Price Rainforest deluxe gym: This was a gift and we've used it a few times. Hannah likes it and we plan to start using it much more now that she's so much more aware. I see it's $43 on Amazon and I want to say we saw it for $70 at BRU. I would never pay $70 for any play gym like this. $43 is more reasonable but, we likely wouldn't have bought one at all. However, it was a very nice gift and I think we'll get a lot of use out of it. It's an adorable design, plays music and has lots of attachments for baby to play with.
Bright Starts portable swing: Another gift that has turned out to be extremely useful. We had one of those big fancy swings for Ryan and it was terrific. We still have it in fact. What we don't have is all the space it requires. We had decided to forgo a swing completely but, we received this and, it's great. It's small, folds up compact and is powerful. Hannah uses it daily now and loves it.
Zippyz footed pajamas: These pj's are a great idea and well executed! What makes them unique is the top half is buttoned and the bottom half is zippered. Why does that make a difference? Well picture your baby on the changing table, please. Now picture being able to unzip the pj's from the waist down only. The top half still comfy and warm while you change the diaper. True, the same could be said for snap pj's but, we all know pj's with twenty snaps are the design of very evil people. The last thing you want to be doing at 2AM is trying to line up snaps, especially around the leg area, right? So, that's where this product comes in. They are pricey, though. Would I have paid $30 for one pair? Probably not. I'm surprised Gerber hasn't caught on to this great idea and started making something similar. I will say these are super soft and great quality.
The Paper Shamrock Butterfly Months Stickers: Instead of getting what everyone else was using from places like BRU or Target, I searched for months stickers that were unique. I ordered these but, this seller has loads of adorable designs and can personalize them with a name. It seems every baby I see on facebook and instagram are using the same generic stickers so, I really like that I have something you won't see on a hundred other baby pictures. In my opinion, the price is reasonable, too. Go check them out.
HowiesHobbies Bumbo covers: Let me tell you what I LOVE about this shop owner; she sent me a link to a website that sells fabric, told me to pick out what I like and she'll make the cover for me. So, you don't just have to choose from what you see in her shop. Delivery is currently about 2-3 weeks she tells me, which, in my opinion, is very reasonable given that it's so close to Christmas. She's been extremely responsive to my inquiries, made some suggestions and I now have something special on the way. I can't reveal here what it is because, I want it to be a surprise to my husband.
While looking into Bumbo covers, she was also the one only one who has them reasonably priced (in my opinion, at least).
I've listed here two Etsy sellers that I've worked with but, I have many more that have done great stuff for me. I'll do a separate post about those another time.
So, there is my list!
Do you have anything you love and want to shout about it (or, hate and still want to shout about it)? Tell me in the comments!
PS: I'd like to ask again that if you see an advertisement on my website that is of interest to you, feel free to click! I don't know how anyone can resist the cute Carter's ad that screams 50% off!
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