New Mom TOP 5 Essential Equipment

The sterilizer and dryer is a great comfort to first time moms who are worried about bottles having bacteria. Some bacteria is fine in my opinion, but for bottles that were getting filled with baby formula AND breast milk, I felt better knowing that after we cleaned the bottles, they were being sterilized.

Note: from my experience, this sterilizer fits:
3 Dr. Brown 4 oz. Bottles OR 3 Nuk 5 oz. Bottles – can fit 6 if you exclude certain non-milk touching parts

I love that we’ll be able to continue to use this for play time later, and for sleep and diapers now. The height is great for picking up and putting down the baby post c-section (no unneccessary strain), plus we can store extra diapers, burb cloths, and wipes under the change shelf.

Note: I ordered a few Munchikin liners to go on top of the changing section so we don’t need to wipe it down as much.

Even though we have the crib set up in the baby’s room, we still use this bassinet in our room even at 3 months old. It’s larger than most bassinets, and it’s extremely light and sturdy. When our moms came to help out overnight, it was easy to move the bassinet into other rooms so we could get some shuteye. Plus, with the cover, it gives extra shade and we didn’t need to worry about the cat.

Note: you’ll want a couple of mattress pad covers and sheets, just in case.

PROS

✓ Hospitals accept it as your newborn carseat in order to leave after the baby is born

• This was great because we didn’t have to get a carseat AND a stroller, it’s already both!
• Note: make sure the newborn insert is installed before leaving for the hospital. Doona starts with the newborn insert installed, so you would have needed actively take it out for it NOT to be installed already

✓ Doona purchase includes 1 car latch base

• This makes it extremely easy to get the Doona in and out of the car
• Note: you can also purchase additional bases if you plan to use different cars

✓ Doona purchase includes 1 car seat protector

• I was planning to buy this separately, saved me some $$ when i learned it was included
• Note: if you buy additional bases, you’ll need to purchase additional seat protectors

✓ Fits in most cars

• I drive a 2016 VW Tiguan and I was able to easily install it behind the passenger seat
• Note: if you usually had the seat pushed all the way back, you will need to move it forward a couple of notches

✓ Fast carseat to stroller conversion

• It took a couple of demos from my sister to get the hang of it, but you can get the Doona in and out of the car and into stroller mode in seconds – and if you have a crying baby that needs to go inside NOW, it’s a lifesaver

✓ Great for running small errands

• Because it clicks into the car so quickly AND you can convert it in seconds, the Doona is great for making short runs into stores or wandering around a store for exercise or just browsing.

CONS

✗ Doesn’t work well for long walks

• I’ve used this for short 30min-1hr walks, but I wouldn’t do anything longer. And I definitely wouldn’t take it off-roading or hiking

✗ Somewhat small for tall people

• I’m 5′ 9″ tall, and I can’t take the longer strides I’m used to without bumping my foot into the Doona. Nor is it the best for long arms, but it works fine for being out and about in small windows of time

✗ No storage

• If you need to do large grocery shopping, you should plan to carry your baby OR go with your partner, friend, or family member who can push the stroller while you grab a cart.
• Note: Doona does offer the essentials bag and/or additional storage if you want to add those on.
  Special editions (like mine) come with a matching essentials bag and themed handle bar cover.

✗ Requires spot cleaning

• I don’t know if other car seats have removeable fabric for machine wash, but the Doona does not – you’ll need to spot clean any spitup or goop or whatever your baby shares