This was our first surprise. We ended up using these swaddles constantly during the first three months of our baby's life.

It turns out that swaddling was the one thing that consistently helped our baby sleep longer stretches at night. We had to learn how to properly swaddle using the muslin blankets since they're a bit larger than the hospital swaddles, but once we got the hang of it, it was surprisingly easy.

One thing I will say, though: make sure you learn how to swaddle correctly. Seeing your baby start to wiggle out of a swaddle in the middle of the night can definitely cause a few panic attacks. 😅

Speaking of those nightly worries that come with having a newborn, one product that gave me a lot of peace of mind was our baby monitor—specifically, one with two cameras.

We placed one camera in our bedroom, where our baby slept in his bassinet, and the other in the nursery for daytime naps in his crib.

I can't express how useful this setup has been. At night, it allowed me to quickly check on my baby and make sure he was okay without constantly getting up. During the day, it gave me the freedom to let him nap in a dark, cozy room while I tackled chores, worked on other things, or simply enjoyed a little downtime.

One feature I especially love is VOX mode, which turns the screen off when no sound is detected and automatically turns it back on as soon as your baby makes a noise. It helps save battery life while still keeping you aware of what's going on.

As an engineer, it was also important to me to choose a monitor with a secure, non-WiFi connection. Knowing it isn't connected to the internet gave me extra peace of mind from a privacy and security standpoint.

Some other features we've really enjoyed are the ability to remotely move the camera, talk to our baby through the monitor using the two-way audio feature, play soothing music, and use the built-in nightlight with different color options.

After my breastfeeding journey ended, I had to figure out how to make formula feeding a bit more manageable. Because while breastfeeding is always available, preparing formula when your baby is already crying like they haven’t eaten in days is a different kind of stress. 😅

I came across pediatrician Dr Mona talking about this formula pitcher, where you can mix formula in bulk ahead of time. Each batch stays good for up to 24 hours, and honestly, it has been a game changer for us. I still use it to this day.

You do have to warm the milk if your baby prefers it that way, but thankfully mine is okay with cooler milk. Most of the time, I just take it out of the fridge and put it in a cup of warm water for a few minutes—usually around 3 minutes or less. Just so it loses that chill temperature.

As your baby gets older, you also start getting a feel for timing it better—taking the milk out a little earlier so it’s ready right when hunger starts kicking in.

Since our living space is limited, I was hesitant to buy a dedicated changing table. Instead, I found this changing pad and placed it on top of my baby's dresser—and honestly, it has worked out really well.

For us, it was a great space-saving solution because it gave us all the functionality of a changing station without needing an extra piece of furniture.

One thing to keep in mind is that the setup works well for me because I'm tall. When my mother-in-law comes over to help with the baby, the height isn't as comfortable for her, so we've had to move the changing pad to a different surface.

As for the pad itself, I really like that it has a washable cover, a non-slip bottom to help keep it in place, and a safety strap that wraps around your baby during diaper changes. It's simple, practical, and has worked great for our space.

Since our living space is limited, I was hesitant to buy a dedicated changing table. Instead, I found this changing pad and placed it on top of my baby's dresser—and honestly, it has worked out really well.

For us, it was a great space-saving solution because it gave us all the functionality of a changing station without needing an extra piece of furniture.

One thing to keep in mind is that the setup works well for me because I'm tall. When my mother-in-law comes over to help with the baby, the height isn't as comfortable for her, so we've had to move the changing pad to a different surface.

As for the pad itself, I really like that it has a washable cover, a non-slip bottom to help keep it in place, and a safety strap that wraps around your baby during diaper changes. It's simple, practical, and has worked great for our space.