There are several baby items that we’re planning to reuse for Baby #2, but there are also some new things that we’ve decided to try. The purpose of this post is to highlight the items we’ll be using for our second baby and give you some brief reviews of the baby gear that I highly recommend!

Baby Items We’re Reusing

Sleep

Moses Basket and Stand – Since we have multiple floors, we used this as a place for Fischer to rest downstairs! I plan to use it in the Living Room and/or my office throughout the day with the new babe. I think it will be especially nice the second time around to be able to have baby up off the floor and out of Fischer’s way as he plays or is being the wild child he sometimes is 😉

Pack n Play – This is by far one of the most important baby items that I can recommend! This is the exact one we have and it’s amazing! This is what Fischer slept in at night while he was in our room for the first few months. It’s great because it serves as a crib and a little changing station all-in-one. It also comes with a little bouncer that you can flip over and it serves as a bassinet! There were many days I’d put Fischer in the bouncer while I showered in the mornings and he loved watching the little mobile go around J This is also the ‘crib’ we take with us as we travel as it folds up and comes with a convenient carrying bag!

Feeding

Boppy Nursing Pillow – This was my best friend while learning how to nurse for the first time. For some reason I didn’t bring it to the hospital with me when Fischer was born, but I highly recommend doing that as it helps so much with learning how to position baby while they feed (and makes it a lot easier on you).

Ingenuity Boutique Smartclean High Chair – This is the high chair we had for Fischer to sit at the table with us. It sits atop a regular dining chair and I love how easy to clean it is. The plastic tray has a removable portion for quick cleaning and protection too. Fischer would even sit here and just play while I did work at the table or in the kitchen sometimes!

Bottle Warmer – Love this little bottle warmer to warm up breast milk (or formula) for bottles. It’s really simple to use, doesn’t take up a lot of counter space and gets the job done quickly!

Avent Glass Bottles – I hesitate to recommend bottles just because babies can be SO picky about what types of bottles/nipples/pacifiers they like or don’t like – but luckily Fischer was not and I just LOVE these glass bottles that we had for him. I’d recommend a plastic set to take to things like church nursery or daycare, but these are so good for at home. I just felt they were easy to get clean and I loved how well they warmed in the bottle warmer. Here’s a link for the small bottles too.

Ingenuity Booster Seat – I chose this over a Bumbo seat the first time and I’m so glad I did because we tried to put Fischer in our friend’s Bumbo at their house one time and his chunky little legs wouldn’t fit LOL! But we love this little booster for everything from play time, to meal time and still use it for Fischer at the dining room table!

Hands-Free

Baby Bjorn Carrier One – Before Fischer was one, we had gone to Hawaii for vacation. Just before we left, I collaborated with Baby Bjorn and they sent me a Carrier One to try during our travels (and beyond).The first time I put it on, I just remember being so relieved. We’d had an Ergo carrier (the one with the infant insert), but I found the Carrier One to be much more comfortable and easy to put on! Not only that, but there’s no need for additional pieceparts for different stages. This carrier can be used from newborn to back-wearing stages!

Sollybaby Wrap – This was my hands-free carrier of choice around the house and I know it’s going to be used so much with baby number two as I try to be as attentive as possible to his big brother throughout the day. It’s got a slight learning curve as you try to figure out what works best for holding baby securely/being comfortable for you – but this wrap is buttery soft and can be worn a few different ways! I always loved how I was able to wear baby so close.

Boppy Lounger – I remember this being SO handy with Fischer as a comfy place to set him down from time to time. It’s light, easy to move around the house and comfy for baby to lounge in! A great thing to have for the bathroom counter while you’re getting ready or on the countertop while you’re preparing meals. Just make sure you stop using it when baby starts trying to rollover!

Dock A Tot – I didn’t utilize this nearly as much as I should’ve the first time, but that’s all going to change this time! I especially plan to put it in the pack n’ play for baby to sleep in to keep him from moving around. Fischer, even in a swaddle, would move so much and I think this will really help us all get more sleep! Of course – ask your pediatrician before allowing baby to sleep in or around something your’e not sure of!

MamaRoo – This is an item we’ve actually borrowed from a friend for both babies. Fischer liked it in the beginning and then not as much about a month later, so we bought him a real swing. I plan on trying it with baby number two, though, because I like that it takes up much less room than a swing! Plus, it will be nice to have something that will keep him in motion on both floors of the house!

Foldable Swing – I can’t find the exact one we have, but this one looks to be pretty close. If I was buying a new one I might go with this one! Fisch loved the full motion swing. It would keep him happy for 20-30 minutes or so and sometimes he’d even fall asleep in it.

Fisher Price Sit-Me-Up – This is such a fun little accessory to have on hand. Not only is it good for baby to practice sitting up, but it’s a safe spot for them to play while you get stuff done! The lining is fully removable, too, so its easy to throw in the wash should a blowout (or two) inevitably occur.

Nursery

Ubbi Diaper Pale – I put myself through college by nannying for two different families with babies. To be honest, back then, I always thought nurseries had to smell of wet or dirty diapers. But not true.. at least not our nursery! I’ve raved about the Ubbi diaper pale we have before, but I’ll do it again. It is SO easy to use and does an amazing job at containing smells! Even week-old cloth diaper smells!

Hatch Sound Machine – This is another item that I both highly recommend and will use differently this next time. It lived in Fischer’s nursery until we moved him in there after the first few months. This time I’ll be using it in our room from the beginning and move it with him when he transitions to his crib. It just does such a good job of signaling nighttime sleep for baby and I love that it’s highly customizable and can grow with them! You can change the light brightness and color, pick between several different sounds and it gets nice and loud. Later on when they’re older, you can also set the light to turn colors at a certain time to signal to your toddler that it’s okay to get out of bed!

Breathable Bumper – As much as I love the look of an actual crib bumper, I couldn’t bring myself to risk the use of one. It wasn’t until Fischer started losing his pacifiers outside of the crib that I started to look into safe alternatives. This was recommended by a friend and it worked great without leaving me in a constant state of worry!

Bathing

Puj Bath – We used this and loved it for Fischer’s sink baths early on. It adjusts to fit most sinks and just feels like it’s so soft and comfortable for baby to take little sponge baths in!

Angelcare Baby Bath – As baby grows and is ready for baths in the tub, we’ll use this! I like that it’s really easy to clean and is fairly small compared to some other baby baths. If I need it up and out of the way, I’ll hook it onto one of the hooks behind the bathroom door!

Play Time

Jolly Jumper Bouncer – This is something I can’t wait to use again. Fischer LOVED this thing and it made him so happy! It definitely takes up more room than, say, a doorway bouncer or even an exercise saucer, but it gives them a little more free range of motion and it felt safer to me than one of the ones you put in the doorway! It does fold up between uses for storage too.

Joovy Spoon Walker – It’ll be a little while until he can use this too, but I remember how much we loved this walker! I also love that it folds up pretty flat for storage and the tray can be used to hold toys, snacks, etc. It’s currently being kept under the crib to give you an idea of it’s store-ability J

On the Go

Milk Snob Cover – I loved having this cover as it served two purposes: a nursing cover for me and a cover for our infant carrier while we were out in public! It’s super soft, stretchy and made of a thin fabric so I didn’t worry about ventilation or anything like that. It helped me to feel confident taking Fischer places like the grocery store because I knew it would be easier for him to sleep in a darker carrier and would deter strangers from wanting to interact with or touch him (oddly, they think that’s ok sometimes lol).  

Fawn Design Diaper Bag – G got this for me as a gift before Fischer was born and I’ve been using it since day one! It’s nice and roomy to fit everything you need for changing, a change of clothes, bottles, etc. I also love that you can use it as a shoulder bag or backpack! Wipes clean easily and comes in a few different colors! I also have the stroller hooks which make it so convenient for attaching to your stroller and not having to carry it or take up space in your stroller storage pouch.

New Baby Gear We’re Trying This Time Around

Newton Baby Mattress – I was so grossed out and disappointed by the mattress we got for Fischer. It was just a normal baby mattress that, although it had gotten good reviews and claimed to be ‘waterproof’- it most definitely was not. By the time we transitioned Fischer to a big boy bed, it had become cracked and broken and was just a nightmare! This time around I’m making sure we don’t have that issue again. I found this Newton Baby breathable AND WASHABLE mattress and I 100% believe it will be worth every penny. Totally worth the investment, especially if you’re having your first baby and plan to have more!

TIP: If you DO go with an alternative baby mattress, be sure to get a separate waterproof cover for it!

Hello Mockingbird Double Stroller – Originally, I planned to purchase a new double version of the Nuna stroller we had with Fisch. I would’ve gotten it the first time, but it wasn’t available while we were expecting back then. However, I found this stylish double stroller by Hello Mockingbird and was immediately drawn to its appearance, thoughtful design, outstanding reviews and much more AFFORDABLE price! Hello Mockingbird offers accessories at prices that an average family can actually afford and they offer a carrier adapter that fits our Nuna carseat (and many others) so it’s the perfect option for us!

Frida Baby Humidifier & Diffuser – Our little fall baby is going to be arriving just as the temperatures are starting to change here, so I know it will be important to have a humidifier around. I decided on this one mainly because it also diffuses essential oils! You can purchase this model with or without the vapor drops and then I plan to use it as a diffuser in the nursery to help him sleep and/or fight off germs! **If you’d like more info about the essential oils I use and love – click here**

Mini Fridge – I saw someone rave about this after they had their first baby and I knew I wanted to have one for this time around! I plan to keep it by my bedside to keep pumped bottles in overnight so that Garrett can help with a night feeding here and there without having to go downstairs to the kitchen. It’s also great if you don’t plan on breastfeeding – to keep premade formula bottles in! Anything to help us get a little extra sleep at night.

IKEA high chair – We didn’t use this the first time simply because of our house layout in our previous home. It was smaller and the downstairs was literally just one big room so we used a highchair that sat in a chair at our dining table and the Inglesina chair that attached to our island. This time around, we live in a different (more spacious home) and this affordable little high chair will be perfect for our kitchen/living area. Literally all our friends use this one and rave about it. The fact that it’s easy to clean and only $20 is amazing!

Fisher Price Activity Gym – We were planning on doing a different playmat, but when our Rock n Play got recalled, we decided to choose this activity mat when it was offered as a swap! It just came in the other day so I haven’t even opened it up yet, but I’m excited about it. With Fischer, we went the inexpensive route and bought a $30 playmat on Amazon. It was fine, but it was flimsy and not made very well. It also didn’t have nearly as many bells as whistles as this one – and it definitely didn’t light up 😉

Hatch Changing Pad – This is pretty much the last big item thing we need to pull the trigger on before baby arrives. It’s a bit of a splurge item, but the fact that it can weigh your baby, sync with your phone, give you precious insight as to how much they’ve eaten during a feeding AND is easy to wipe clean makes it, in my book, worth it. With Fischer, we had a really hard time getting him to gain weight in the beginning and it was something I was CONSTANTLY stressing about for the first couple of months. I really think this changing pad will play a big part in helping me to feel more at ease in the early days and I just love that it’ so easy to clean!

Tip – if you’re looking for a similar changing pad to the Hatch scale one, but don’t necessarily want the scale or connectivity, this one is very similar visually!

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