Sometimes it feels like you need so much stuff for a newborn and to some extent that’s true. As a first-time mom, we absolutely had more than we needed and definitely went through a ton of trial and error trying to figure out what products we liked best and what worked best for Nash.
Now that the fourth trimester is in my rearview mirror, I wanted to share my top 5 favorite newborn sleep products that we used daily.
(By the way, I have independently sourced and vetted every single product I’ve shared on this post. These items are beloved by our family. If you purchase through some of the links I’ve provided, I may receive a small commission which in turn supports Oh Baby!)
SwaddleMe Swaddles
There are so many swaddles on the market and since it’s a product you’ll want to use from day one, it can become really overwhelming trying to figure out which swaddle to use (and how to use it) when you’re freshly postpartum. SwaddleMe hits the swaddle trifecta: simple and easy to use, safe, and cute!
By the way, your baby doesn’t hate the swaddle. All that fussing, straining, and kicking you’re seeing when you put it on is just them being a newborn and adjusting to life outside the womb. Pushing against the swaddle also provides really calming sensory input and is the beginning of self-soothing.
Dohm Sound Machine
Pre-Nash, I was a big Hatch girlie. I still love The Hatch for its toddler clock features and dim lighting for night feeds, but I can’t stand the sound of the white noise setting.
Enter, The Dohm.
The Dohm is awesome because its white noise is fan-based and is not on a “loop”. Looped white noise can actually stimulate and wake your brain as it works to identify a pattern.
Pro tip: Make sure you get the one I linked. It’s the loudest of the bunch and does the best job at blocking out noise.
For more on why white noise is helpful for baby sleep, check out this blog post.
Magnetic Me Sleepers
First there was snaps. Then there were zippers. Then there were two-way zippers. And then there were magnets.
Game. Changer.
I know magnetic jammies seems a little out there, but I’m telling you, these sleepers are the most underrated baby product. Dressing & undressing takes literally seconds (which is a huge bonus when you have a screaming baby on the changing table) and you are guaranteed to NOT fumble during middle-of-the-night diaper changes.
Their jams come in super soft organic cotton or a silky (and sustainable) TENCEL Modal fabric. Don’t SLEEP on these PJs; I promise, once you try them, you’ll be hooked!
If you’re new to Magnetic Me, use this link to save $10 your order of $95 or more!
Tommee Tippee Ultra-Light Pacifiers
It may or may not surprise you to know that I’m a huge pacifier fan…
…for newborns.
Newborns have an innate need to suck, and non-nutritive sucking is incredibly calming. Pacifiers are a great tool to soothe a fussy baby, stretch the time between feedings, and extend a nap.
There are a ton of pacifiers on the market (trust me, I probably have tried them all) and there is a degree of trial and error to find one that your baby likes. I like these Tommee Tippee Pacifiers because they are lightweight and therefore more likely to stay in your baby’s mouth, eliminating the need for frequent paci-ping-pong.
There are two common things parents freak out about re: pacifiers:
- Nipple confusion
- Weaning the pacifier.
First things first: nipple confusion is not a thing. And second things second, when you’re ready to wean the pacifier, you will! Use it while it’s valuable to you and when you’re ready for your baby to sleep independently (and they are developmentally better able to utilize more mature soothing strategies) you can stop offering the pacifier.
Coterie Diapers
If I had to pick a favorite, game-changing baby product in or out of the sleep category, it would be Coterie diapers. Coterie diapers are the créme de la créme of diapering products and, I’m sorry, nothing else even comes close.
The TLDR of why I love Coterie so much is their softness and absorbency. Seriously – when we got home from the hospital and changed out of the Pampers we had be using, we couldn’t believe the difference. Like, I fully wished they made adult diapers for the postpartum period. Coterie describes the feel as “soft as cashmere” and they’re not wrong.
They are also ultra-absorbent – up to 70% more than other diaper brands in fact. Nash has never had a diaper rash…ever. We have also never used diaper cream. If that doesn’t tell you how well Coterie works, I don’t know what will. And while Coterie has a premium price-tag, you also end up using fewer diapers because you’re not having blowouts, leaks, or heavy wads hanging between your baby’s legs. In fact, we’ve never experienced a blowout while using them and the only leak we’ve had is when we were too slow to size up.
If you want to try Coterie, you can use code OHBABY20 for 20% off.
There are a lot of baby sleep products out there, but these are my tried and true. I hope you love them as much as we have!
