Moving into the second trimester with baby Schmidt, I started to research baby products for our registries. Needless to say – there is a lot of information out there and it’s easy for a soon-to-be mama to get overwhelmed. So, a friend of mine from my college years who worked as a nanny in Manhattan shared her must-have’s and go to’s for my reference as well as other mama’s to be out there!
Hey there, Life in Pink Readers! My name is Meredith and I’m a nanny living in NYC. Heidi graciously suggested that in light of her new preggo status (yay!) that I put my nanny skills to work and share with you what I like to call my “Nanny Picks.” As many of you know, there are hundreds thousands of options out there for moms and dads trying to shop for their children. These items are simply my personal picks from years of experience working with children and their families. This list does not include what type of thermometer to use, or what nail clipper or snot-sucker to buy. These are all items used daily (or weekly) that I found to be high quality and super helpful as I navigated the crazy of NYC, a perfect product testing ground, in my opinion. Enjoy!
Strollers
The issue with strollers that in general, you can’t say one stroller fits all lifestyles and all mommies or daddies. So, I do have a favorite overall best stroller as well as my runner’s up and why they’re on top.
All time favorite: Bugaboo Chameleon. It’s lightweight but really sturdy, perfect for pushing on sidewalks that haven’t been paved in a while (think tree lined suburban streets with roots coming out all over) or around a busy city. I love the one-handed push, the large storage basket below and it steers with ease. Collapsibility is a bit of a challenge as it is in two pieces, so if you need something that folds up one piece, it might not be the best option for you. The Bugaboo site has awesome videos to explain the features, before going into a store to look at them. Important to note: I do NOT recommend the Bugaboo Bee (not worth the lower price tag) but DO get stroller hooks for your diaper bag!
Runner’s up: B.O.B. (a great stroller for runners; available in double); CitiMini (super easy to fold and store; available in double); and MacLaren Quest (the BEST umbrella stroller—any of their versions—and worth having as your second stroller no matter what else you buy)
Baby Carriers
This one is a challenge because there are a million out there and moms tend to swear their child “prefers” one style over another. I have two picks: the Moby and the ERGO. The Moby is really comfortable for most women (not sure about guys) and provides the close contact that both parent and baby need, especially in the infant stage. It’s less structured than the ERGO, but more supportive and safer for newborns than a sling. My other pick, the ERGO, is great for all ages and I loved using it with the toddlers I watched. It’s nice to have front and back options, and makes running out without the stroller a breeze. It helps that they come in fun patterns and designs.
Diaper Bags
I know that in your wildest dreams you hoped for a puffy Winnie-the-Pooh diaper bag made completely of non-washable, plastic and nylon material. However, I have a much better solution: Petunia Pickle Bottom. It doesn’t matter which one you pick, you will love it, feel prepared in any scenario, and recommend it to everyone you see (even if they aren’t a parent! Oops!).
Runner Up: If you can’t drop the high PPB price, Skip Hop does magical things with diaper bags, which are 100% washable. They are so easy to clean that you won’t have that lingering mildewy smell of milk, formula or if – let’s be real – spit up, gets on the bag. They have great options for moms and dads, sure to please any picky parent concerned about carrying around something that screams, “My partner picked this out without me!! Don’t judge!”
So, now that I’ve written a novel about what might be the most important items to secure for your child, I’m going to do a simple list below to share my nanny picks in the rest of the categories.
Bottles
Nanny Pick: Avent BPA Free Bottles
Runner Up: Avent Glass BottlesDiapers
Nanny Pick: Seventh Generation Free & Clear
Runner Up: Pampers Swaddlers & CruisersDiaper Creams
Nanny Pick: Tie: Burt’s Bees Ointment & Weleda Calendula Diaper Care
Runner Up: Aquaphor (can use all over baby!)Infant & Baby Clothing Picks
I cannot decide my favorites so I’ll just say that all of these brands are awesome and offer the sweetest stuff. I’ll list in order of most pricey down to more affordable.
- Petit Bateau
- Egg Baby
- Tea
- Mini Boden
- Baby Zara
- Baby H&M
Miscelaneous Nanny Picks & Must-Haves
- Aden & Anais Muslin blankets, especially the bamboo ones!
- Tuffo Water-Resistant Indoor Outdoor blanket—perfect for the park and 100% washable!
- Sophie the Giraffe [ed note: Hubs got baby Schmidt one of these right after we found out we were pregnant, it was a long standing thing of ours that I wanted one because they're so flipping cute, now baby has one waiting!]
- The O ball
- Lamaze play & grow take along toys
- Stacking cups of any type—they transition well from infancy through age 2 and are on point developmentally!
- Melissa & Doug toys and puzzles
- V-Tech toys/educational games
- Ravensburger Games—super great at helping your child with logic, colors, numbers, alphabet, etc. My favorites are snail pace race and first four.
Phew! Okay, that’s all for today. I hope this was helpful for you all. I’m in blog transition—as in I’m in a dry spell—but please feel free to come check me out at mrsmeredithann.blogspot.com and say hello!
