What’s New with Baby #2

In the baby industry, a lot can happen in a couple years. There are new...

In the baby industry, a lot can happen in a couple years. There are new products launching, creative innovations in the space, safety recalls of products, and just new trends in general. I’m a sucker for it all! I’ll admit it – I’m a product junkie, when it comes to baby and mama gear. I have way too many swaddle blankets, more carriers than I’ll ever actually get to use, and with Luca, he sometimes outgrew clothes before he even had a chance to wear them, I had so many onesies! And yes, I saved them or donated them to those in need.

For me, being able to bear a child is the biggest blessing in the world, and welcoming that baby safely into the outside world is an even bigger blessing. So, if I want to splurge on another pair of newborn shoes I definitely won’t need but HAVE TO HAVE, I’m going to do it. This time in our babies’ lives is so fleeting and precious, for me, it brings me joy! And postpartum life is tough, so sometimes, looking at your little one cuddled up with an adorable avocado toy can be the little boost you need that day. Heck, some people have all the latest tablets and tech gadgets. I have all the swaddle blankets, haha!

So when I found out I was pregnant with the baby girl, I was curious to see what was new out there in the baby world! Today, I’m sharing some of the things I’ve discovered and am excited to use once she’s here (any day now, right?!)

What’s New with Baby #2

Hatch Baby Rest Noise Machine and Night Light

Hatch Baby Rest Noise Machine and Night Light

I struggled to find a good noise machine for Luca when he was a newborn. We eventually would just use the Baby Shusher (which I plan on using again!) and when that turned off, we didn’t have a backup. As he got older (10 months+) and more aware of his surroundings and the noises outside while he was trying to nap, we just plugged in our iPad and downloaded the Sound Sleeper app. He still uses it to this day!

Needless to say, I’m so excited to try out this noise machine (that you all recommended in our Inspiralized Mamas Facebook group.) It’s user-friendly, sleek, and there are so many sound options. Right now, we have it by her crib, but I may move it to the nightstand next to her rocking chair. We’ll see how sleep goes!

Moses basket

Plum + Sparrow Moses Basket

I think we all have Instagram to thank/hate for this, but it seems like moses baskets are in! They are so beautiful and I decided to get one, because I loved having Luca nap in the Dock-a-Tot during the day next to me on the floor, BUT if I wanted, to say, go into another room to do something, it was impossible to transfer Luca in the Dock-a-Tot. SO, I plan on putting the Dock-a-Tot in the moses basket so that if I do want to move her, she’s in an easy to move basket! The one I purchased also comes with a mattress pad in it, so you don’t need a Dock-a-Tot if you’re just interested in the basket itself.

Also, we hope to bring the baby to the pool and beach this summer and it’ll be nice to have a safe space to put her down, in a tent or a shaded area! Note: we won’t be using this for nighttime sleep at all, it’ll just be for hanging during the day time – and for those little pool trips.

Baby Bjorn Bouncer Cover

Baby Bjorn Bouncer Quilted Cover

All of my second-time-mom friends tell me that the key to surviving the newborn stage with a toddler is having safe spaces to place the baby, while you do whatever you need to do with your toddler (bath time, meal time, play time, etc.) SO, I have a Baby Bjorn Bouncer seat that we loved using with Luca, but, we didn’t put him in it for a couple of months, because we found that he slid out of the mesh and it wasn’t super supportive for him. So, I got a new cover (in a gorgeous rosey pink color!) that’s quilted, for more support, since I plan on putting her in this bouncer early on!

New bassinet

Guava Family Pack n’ Play with Bassinet Converter

With Luca, we had a Stokke bassinet to start and he hated it. He absolutely would not sleep in it. I attribute this to a few things, not just the bassinet itself. He had horrible reflux, he hated sleeping on his back, and I don’t think we ever found a proper swaddle ‘setting’ for him, so he was never swaddled at night and therefore, bassinet sleeping was tough. We ended up sleeping him a few nights in the Rock n’ Play (I know, I know)! before we gave up and just put him on his tummy, after we got our pediatrician’s blessing. A couple of weeks later, he slept through the night – unswaddled and all!

Needless to say, we’re praying that baby girl is a back sleeper. And because we don’t want to invest a lot of money in gear that may not work, we’ve bought the bassinet ‘kit’ for our current Pack n’ Play that we’ve used for Luca and loved. I’m curious to see how this all goes, but the great thing about it, is that, it’s travel friendly – so if she sleeps well in it, it’ll make travel a lot easier. Plus, it’s easy to bring from room to room in our apartment.

The perfect swaddle blanket for swaddling

Monica + Andy Coming Home Blanket

I know, I know – how could I possibly need more swaddles? Well, I’m talking more about the PERFECT swaddle blanket for swaddling a baby. I’ve tested a lot out on Luca’s doll (no joke!) and I’ve finally found a blanket that has enough stretch but firmness and is the perfect length and width (not so much extra fabric to deal with) so that swaddling is quick and easy. I think my issue the first time around was that I was trying to swaddle Luca in these soft, thin, muslin “swaddle” blankets and he was just breaking free, because he wasn’t burrito-ed enough. Eventually, he slept a few nights in the HALO Sleep Swaddles, but that was short lived as well.

Baby Headbands

Baby Bling Headbands
Turbans for Tots

I meannnnn I’ve waited my whole life for this moment, haha! I can’t wait to put baby girl in cute headbands! There are a couple of brands that I’ve found that make precious little headbands, and I’ve bought a few. I’ve tried not to go overboard and purchased mainly neutral, muted colors like blushes, sands, and mauves.

Baby Monitor

Nest Cam + Amazon Fire Tablet + Cover

I’ve already done a post on this and we’re currently using this with Luca, but I’ll be going Nest + Amazon Fire tablet for our baby monitor solution for once baby girl arrives. You can read the full post here.

New glider

Merced Glider

Although Luca’s rocking chair in his nursery is comfortable, it never truly rocked back and forth. I never actually really rocked Luca back and forth to sleep in it, it just didn’t have a great rocking motion – you’d really have to kick the floor to get it to rock. When I was looking to furnish our bedroom for baby girl’s nursery, I looked into gliders and found that they were exactly what we were looking for. We tested a few in Pottery Barn Kids one day, and I have to say, I am actually excited to rock/glide the baby to sleep!

New Pump

Spectra 1 Pump

Well, kind of new. I’m sticking in the Spectra family, but my mother bought me the Spectra 1 as a gift, because I wanted to not be tethered to a power source while pumping. The Spectra 2 requires you to be plugged into an outlet, but the Spectra1 has a rechargeable battery! LOVED this pump, so can’t wait to use the rechargeable version.

New stroller for 2

Bugaboo Donkey2 Duo 

Probably the biggest change up that we’re having for baby #2 is a new stroller setup. I’ve talked at length about this, and just did a two part IGTV video series on it (you can watch below.) Basically, I wanted a stroller that would allow me to have a bassinet and a forward-facing toddler seat side-by-side. All the other strollers I discovered in my research didn’t accommodate this. Thankfully, Bugaboo reached out to me and offered to send me the basic stroller setup. I wish I had known about this the first time around (that I wanted a bassinet and toddler seat side-by-side once I had my second baby), but, alas, you don’t know much as a first time mom, and you live and you learn – otherwise, I would’ve started with this stroller!

You can watch the full review in the videos below, but here are the products that I mention in the video:

IGTV Videos

 

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What are some fun new products you’re looking at?

with love, Ali

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comments

  • LOVE the hatch! Its been the best investment. Hope yoy like it.
  • I am trying the willow pump thIs time! I usEd spectra for my daUghter and it was great.
  • For #2, I'm definitely treating myself to a Willow or elvie wireless breast pump so I can pump while getting ready for work! Might also splurge on the snoo