Baby Gear
Mealtime
EZPZ Mini Mat
This is my all time favorite plate for serving Mateo his meals (my 18-month-old). It’s a suction plate, so it is sure to stay in place. It’s easy to clean and is made from high quality silicone that is free of BPA, BPS, PVC, latex and phthalates.
Sleep
Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit
I cannot rave about this product enough! I swear they should hire me as their official spokesperson. This thing is truly magic, an absolute game changer. You’ll probably be swaddling your baby in the beginning, but at some point they will want to break free from the swaddle, but still can’t control those flailing reflexes that wake them up in the middle of the night. And trust me, as a sleep deprived parent, you will want ANYTHING that keeps your baby sound asleep. This sleepsuit is perfect for transitioning out of the swaddle up until the baby starts turning over.
SwaddleMe Velcro Swaddles
There are lots of brands out there that basically make the same product. I liked the SwaddleMe brand, but I’m sure there are other good ones. I will say, I also tried the Halo sleepsack swaddle, and I found it to be too much fabric, too much velcro, and it just didn’t seem to fit right. However! The regular Halo sleepsack wearable blanket is legit. That’s where the baby’s arms are free, and it was really useful for us. Anyway, for SWADDLING purposes in the early months, the velcro swaddles are just so much easier to manage than the old-school large muslin swaddling cloths.
White Noise Sound Machine
This little gem puts a baby right to sleep, almost like hypnosis, and KEEPS them asleep. The steady white noise softens loud and unexpected sounds that would otherwise wake the baby up in a scared, screaming frenzy. While living in Santiago, Chile, we heard sirens, thumping bass from reggaeton clubs and incessant barking from street dogs all night long. We also dealt with the whole city banging pots and pans out of their windows for months on end during the recent civil unrest. Even though my husband and I didn’t get much rest, our baby slept totally undisturbed thanks to this genius device.
