Being Bridget

One of my most requested blog posts since having the baby was ‘what are your most used and recommended products?! What can’t you live without? What were your favorites?” Well, I’m here to finally answer those questions for you today! When you have a baby {as I’m sure many of you know} you use a lot of things to make the days and nights easier. We all know how overwhelming the baby products market can be, so I’m going to list my top 5 must haves and a few honorable mention that I just can’t go without sharing too. Ok! Without further adieu…

Doona All in One Infant Car Seat/Stroller {also avail here}

Hands down my #1 mom must have is the Doona stroller. If you aren’t familiar, the Doona is a 2-n-1 carseat and stroller combination product. It’s the kind of thing you wish you would have thought of, and wonder how it took so long for someone to invent. With the click of a button, the wheels release and with another, they fold back up. It’s a total parenting game changer. Forget lugging your heavy baby seat by the handle – you can not only keep your baby in the car seat as you take him or her out of the car, you can wheel them to wherever your destination may be. It’s honestly been the best thing we’ve used since bringing baby home. Even my husband has remarked on how great it is and I’m telling you – that’s sayin something. It’s compact, safe, and doesn’t take up a ton of room in your house. If you have to splurge on one item – let it be this one. I have the yo-yo and the UppaBaby Vista and I still prefer the Doona hands down. 

Freshly Picked Backpack

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know I bought the Freshly Picked backpack earlier this spring after seeing both my sisters-in-law use theirs with their children and loving them. Katelyn, my SIL pictured above, put such an emphasis on the importance of a hands free diaper bag. Who wants to deal with a tote slipping off their shoulder when they’re bending over and picking up baby? Or switch tote from shoulder to shoulder as one side aches? Or baby is on one hip so tote has to be on the other? With this backpack, you don’t have to worry about any of those things. I’m going to be honest – did I want to use my chic Goyard as a diaper bag? Yes, yes I did. Is it practical and functional in real life to do so? No, no it is not. Honestly, as much as I wanted to be that chic mom with her Goyard tote, I also just quickly realized that practicality in this case is more important. And honestly – I think this backpack is kind of chic! I mean it has clean lines, is structured, and doesn’t have a lot of frills, designs or logos {thank God}. It’s also nice that my husband can pick up and carry this bag {with or without me present} and doesn’t have to feel like he’s carrying a purse. This backpack is unisex! Hallelujah.

The actual functionality of the backpack is great too. The main compartment is spacious with lots of smaller sections you can store things in. It also comes with a changing mat that I’ve used numerous times. Lastly, I love that I can easily access the side pockets without taking the backpack off – I usually put things in those pockets that I need to grab often like his pacifier, or my keys. I use this backpack everyday, making it my #2 absolute baby must have.

Nanit Plus Baby Monitor with Stand

When it came to choosing a baby monitor, I once again went to my sisters-in-law. Katelyn had just had a baby boy and went through several monitors before she found and settled on the Nanit and I swear – she could be a Nanit spokesperson. She is so passionate about how much better the Nanit is than other monitors on the market that I didn’t even feel the need to look at anything else. With all that being said, we have been very happy with it! We were gifted the version that came with a stand which I love because it can be above the crib without poking holes into the newly wallpapered walls. The camera gives us a super clear aerial view of Henning while he sleeps, and I love that I can even zoom in on him to see if his eyes are open, or if his pacifier has fallen out of his mouth. The detail is incredible. The other incredible thing is that the monitor syncs to an app on our phones so my husband and I can access and see the nursery from anywhere. This was especially nice when we were in Belize – I basically lived with the app open so I could take peeks at my baby while he slept or played! I sometimes even spoke through the monitor to Henning so he could hear my voice or talk to the nanny if she wasn’t near her phone. Through the app you also have access to all sorts of insights and data. How long your baby slept, what he or she averages in a week, how many times we visited him in his crib, etc. are all things you can see in the app. It’s pretty amazing! Especially when I can’t remember diddly squat these days it’s nice to have a concrete record of everything we do in the middle of the night or day! The only downside is that it doesn’t come with a monitor – all you have is the app on your phone. This is problematic for two reasons – one, because it can seriously drain your battery. And two, because I can’t expect {nor do I want} a babysitter to download an app on their phone and have access to our nursery 24/7. Our workaround was taking an old iPad and downloading the app there. That way we can give the iPad to a babysitter to use, or I can have that open and not have it drain my phone battery.

Fisher Price Baby Bouncer

Y’all – this bouncer is nothing fancy. It literally costs $20 on Amazon {less than one of those shushers, or about the same price as one of these pacifiers!} But it. is. magic. Henning loved this thing and it would often times be the only place I could put him in the beginning and have him sleep peacefully. It has a vibrating function that is key – I would turn that on and Henning wouldn’t be able to resist falling asleep. This little bouncer allowed me to shower. To get dressed. To pump. To eat breakfast….I mean the list goes on. Even though it is aesthetically hideous, I couldn’t imagine our first few months without it. I actually sometimes look at other moms who have the much more sophisticated BabyBjorn bouncer and wish I would have gotten that one because it isn’t such an eyesore, but then I think about how much Henning lovvvvved this bouncer and all those silly thoughts fade. Seriously – who cares what a bouncer looks like as long as it works! Am I right?! Although at 15 weeks he’s just about grown out of it, we still use this little bouncer for Henning. We clip these rainbow links onto the bar {he LOVES these links BTW} and he can sit and play/amuse himself for 20+ minutes sometimes!

Image provided by Medela. (c) 2021 Medela
Medela Symphony Breast Pump {also avail here}

Last but not least is my beloved hospital grade breast pump. I love this thing. It makes pumping {which is not always a pleasant thing} a much more manageable and efficient process. I truly believe this is the best pump on the market – why else would it be the ones hospitals recommend? Also, my friend Nasiba who cofounded the baby website The Tot, also swears by the Medela Symphony and trust me when I tell you, she has tried them all. The Medela Symphony is straightforward, strong but gentle {I never hurt when I use it} and simple to use. There are only two settings! And it automatically switches when it detects your milk letting down. The only hiccup is that it’s extremely expensive {$2K!} so I’m actually renting mine through my hospital {~$30/month} but I’m sure you could also try and get it covered by your insurance! Definitely worth a try. I’ve heard many people have success with that. If you aren’t interested in renting or paying that much for a pump, I’ve also heard wonderful things about the Spectra S1 Plus – used by many of my friends and also apparently hospital strength. Plus, it’s much less expensive!! I may try this for baby #2.

Ok I can’t let this post end without a few honorable mentions. Like I said before, there are so many products I used in the first few weeks and months that were lifesavers and/or made my life so much easier with baby. Some we no longer use, but I know I will use them for our next baby {God willing!} so wanted to share them below 🙂

• This diaper pail – it cuts out the stink! A few friends said not to buy it because you have to buy the bag refills but y’all, just trust me on this. It’s worth it. I have never once smelled a dirty diaper once it went in. Even my mom who has a freakishly strong sense of smell said she couldn’t smell anything {which is good because we have one in our kitchen! ;P} UPDATE: A follower just sent me these Amazon brand refills that are so much cheaper than the A&H brand and she says work perfectly!!
• This bathtub – Great because you don’t need to fill up {and keep warm} an entire bathtub. Also this bath thermometer. I ordered two and this one was by far the best. Gives me peace of mind when bathing the baby so I know it’s not too hot or too cold!
• These pacifiers – What baby doesn’t love their wubanub? I don’t know what it is about this particular brand but Henning had no interest in any of the others. The lamb was my favorite 🙂
• These washcloths – I use these for *everything* as a peepee teepee, to wipe spit up, to clean under his rolls after the bath….seriously I bout like 10 packs and keep them everywhere}
• This wipe warmer – I have two wipe warmers {one upstairs and one down} and they are both from Prince Lionheart. You think they would be the same, right? Wrong! One is significantly better than the other and it is this one. I love it. Keeps the wipes warm without drying them out and is easy to get them out!
• These pajamas – so soft, cozy and sweet. I didn’t want him in anything else!
• This head pillow – I love that it cradled his little head and also helped prevent flat head {that’s a real thing!}
• Last but not least, we also used these swaddles when he was an infant, and these when we went arms free {these are SO soft – I want one in my size!}

Ok! That’s all I can think of for now. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions! Also feel free to share your must haves and/or fav products! I always love hearing and learning from y’all.

As I prepared for my trip to Belize a few weeks back, I knew I needed to find a wireless breast pump that I could use without worrying about plugs. I had heard horror stories about pumps in foreign countries sizzling the minute they got plugged in, so I wanted to make sure I had something that was easy, portable and most importantly something that worked.

Insert: The Elvie. I had done a bit of research on wireless pumps and ultimately decided on the Elvie because it didn’t require plastic bags that needed changing or repurchasing. My everyday pump, the Medela Symphony, was this way and I liked the simplicity of it – not to mention the environmental impact. The Elvie is also discreet. The pumping/suction is almost silent, and the device isn’t huge, so you’re able to wear it under your clothes without it being obvious.

The great thing about the Elvie is that you can also socialize with others while wearing it. Being a new mama can be isolating, and there is nothing worse than having to go off on your own to pump multiple times in a day. Plus, if you have more than one baby, being attached to the wall pumping for multiple sessions a day just isn’t realistic. The Elvie gives you freedom to move about and multitask. It’s a win-win.

As for the set up and parts – it is pretty straightforward. If you remember when I first opened the Elvie I was alarmed at how many parts there seemed to be. But then I realized that they included two sets of bottles and parts, so it really wasn’t as much as it looked. Plus – with two sets, you can always have one set drying, while using the other. Speaking of cleaning – the parts are super easy to clean. There are five parts – the electronic hub, the plastic breast shield with a rubber suction seal, a bottle, a plastic top, and a little rubber valve.  After using I just rinse them in hot soapy water and then sterilize them in these microwavable bags.

The biggest downside to the Elvie is the relatively small bottles in which your milk flows into. It only holds 5 oz per breast,  which is somewhat understandable since it is designed to fit inside a regular nursing bra, but is still not a lot if you’re a big producer. I think that if I ever get to the point where I’m producing more milk per session than the bottle holds, then I will just pause the device, pour the milk into a larger storage container or bag, and then continue. Another downside is the learning curve associated with this pump. The first few times I used it I wasn’t able to consistently get my nipple aligned and pumping correctly. With practice though, this got easier.

Tips for using the Elvie:

• Download the app. The app will monitor milk volume in real time, track pumping history for each breast and allow you to control the pump remotely.
• Don’t be alarmed if the suction switches – the Elvie automatically switches from ‘stimulation’ into ‘expression’ mode when it detects your milk is letting-down.
• I always worried the bottle was going to overflow but then realized the device also has an auto switch off! This put my mind at ease especially when I was in public and couldn’t see how much milk was in each bottle without standing in front of a mirror or taking it off. I never had to worry!
• The tighter the bra, the better the suction. Elvie sells these little bra strap adjusters to pull your bra tighter, but I have never needed them. I just use my regular nursing bra and adjust the straps while pumping if need be. Works well enough for me.
• You should feel a pretty tight suction right away. If you don’t, pull out and try again. I found this section on the Elvie website really helpful. They suggest cupping the breast and inserting the nipple into the shield. They also have a line on the plastic shield that can help you line up if you need to.
• Buy this battery pack. Our travel day on the way home from Belize was long and I had to pump using my Elvie several times. My airplane seat didn’t have an outlet and I was never near a plug long enough to recharge them, so I was extremely grateful for this battery pack. Can you imagine if they had died and I needed to pump? I’m not sure what I would have done!
• Buy this manual breast pump because if all else fails, you will need it. It’s easy to use, easy to clean and doesn’t take up any room in your bag. The worst case scenario is being someplace and not being able to express your breastmilk and no one ever wants to be in that situation!!!

All in all, I would highly recommend the Elvie. It works, it’s discreet, and although it comes with a hefty price tag, you are sure to get your moneys worth if you pump regularly. Let me know if I missed any questions – happy to answer any in the comments!