Baby Essentials Birth to 3 months: Sleep

Hello, hello! When I was embarking on the adventure of motherhood a few months back, I scoured the internet for reviews of great baby products for the early days. I found a lot of great suggestions from moms and I'd like to pay it forward with a little round up of my own favorites. The categories are divided into sleep (part one: a category all on it's own!), part two: baby, and part three: momma

PART ONE: SLEEP

Jake has always been a great nighttime sleeper. Naps are a different story, but more on that at a later time. At 6 weeks, he was sleeping 6 hours straight a night which I hear is really great for a nursing baby. At 10-12 weeks, he was sleeping 8 hours straight in his crib. Before you start voodoo on me, I will explain that I think we have a great sleeper for 2 reasons: 1) it's just his thing - some babies are great sleepers and 2) we started developing a sleep routine and strong sleep cues from the very beginning. Here are a few of our very favorite sleep items:

1. Aden and Anais receiving blankets: My best friend Meg recommended these blankets to me and as soon as she found out we were having a boy, she thoughtfully sent us a set. She is also a sleep guru, so I took her sleep recommendations very seriously. We've used these blankets from day 1 and they have so many uses! Swaddle, cuddle, stroller blanket, line the floor to play, etc, etc. I always have one in the car and my diaper bag.

2. Fisher Price Rock and Play: If you are having a baby or know someone having a baby, chances are you've heard of this awesome cradle. Jake slept in his Rock and Play until about 8 weeks old. It was a great item to bring on trips up until about 5 months old when he has sadly outgrown his. Beg borrow and steal to get yourself a Rock and Play.

3. Miracle Blanket Swaddle: Jake was swaddled every night for sleep from the day we brought him home from the hospital. I strongly believe that this was the first step in helping him self sooth and develop healthy sleep habits from the start. After about 4 weeks old, he started to develop Houdini skills and was able to break out of any Aden & Anais swaddle we tried....until the Miracle Blanket came around. Sure, it looks like a straight jacket, but I promise that you won't care at 2 am.

4. White noise machine: This is another "s" (sound) that is strongly recommended by Harvey Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block (see below). And since having Jake, it is strongly recommended by me as well! We have a ranch, so it has always been very important for us to have a great sound machine in Jake's nursery so that we don't have to tip toe around the house when he is asleep. Karp also suggests that the white noise mimics the sound babies are accustomed to in utero.

5. Happiest Baby on the Block and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child: Sleep in newborns is a longstanding controversial topic. I won't go into the nitty gritty of these two books, but I will say that they both helped us develop a strong sleep routine for Jake. I highly recommend both for new parents.

And that wraps up my sleep essentials recommendations from birth to three months!

Which items are in your top 5?!