Here are a few of my favorite baby splurges! I’m the type of person who likes to have a plan, likes to know what to expect going into things. I’m a lists and checkboxes kind of gal. When becoming a parent for the first time (or any time) plans go out the window. There are a lot of uncertainties. You really just have to go with the flow and figure things out with this tiny, brand new human, because there is no manual that prepares you enough. There were a few things that I researched and purchased in preparation for this journey that I think really helped. Now that I’ve used them for several months, I can give you the lowdown. See my list below.

Baby Splurges: #1 Snoo

If you haven’t seen these, it’s a bassinet that rocks and plays white noise, which sounds very similar to a lot of bassinets, right? Well, what makes this one stand out (besides how pretty it looks) is that it responds to your baby’s cues. When baby starts to fuss, it rocks him back to sleep. If he continues to cry, it rocks a little bit faster.

Granted, this is no replacement for good parenting (babe needs to be dry, well-fed and well-loved/snuggled for this to work), but if you want a little extra shut-eye during those first few exhausting months, THIS IS IT. I give this thing full credit for making Kitt an excellent sleeper. He was sleeping a good 8 hours by 6 weeks. You can control it with your phone and it has several settings that allow you to customize how much it rocks.

This thing is sleep magic, people, which is why it made it to the top of my list for baby splurges. Pro Tip: we got this during Black Friday sales and it was around 50% off. Find it on Amazon here.

Baby Splurges: #2 Willow Pump

The Willow is the only TRUELY hands-free breast pump currently on the market. I saw this in the crowd-funding stage a few years ago and I kept it in the back of my mind. It is not currently covered by insurance (although you can use your HSA for it), so it was NOT the first pump I purchased. I purchased the same Medela pump that it seems like everyone gets. From the very beginning, I HATED pumping. Hated it. I didn’t like how you were stuck in one place, hooked up to a bunch of awkward-looking tubes. It was messy and just not fun. BUT I knew I would need to do it in order to go back to work. So, I started looking up anything I could do to make this experience more pleasant. I purchased lots of things, nothing helped.

Then, I came across the Willow again. I am so glad I talked myself into this purchase as one of my few baby splurges. You literally slip these pumps into your bra and go about your business. Granted, they are not silent, but very quiet. I even feel comfortable doing this when friends/family are over. I’ve also used it on road trips and it made things so much easier. I love that you can control the suction level with your phone, but also know exactly how much you’ve pumped (it even keeps a history). I also credit this thing for increasing my milk supply, thanks to the easy routine we’ve slid into. It does take some practice getting used to using it, but the company provides great support and a coach to help you get started.

Yes, I’ve had a couple of issues, such as parts eventually failing and the bluetooth coming un-synced, but their support has always been so helpful in solving the problems and replacing parts for me (at no charge). The bags it uses are only 4 oz, which may be a problem for some, but I’ve been able to far exceed that, plus, once it’s filled, you can simply replace the bag and keep going. If you are over the regular pumping experience like I was, get this pump! It will change your life. See their website here.

Baby Splurges: #3 Nuna Pipa

We did a LOT of research before purchasing our carseat. We wanted something that was safe, comfortable and LIGHTWEIGHT. This carseat fits that bill perfectly. I didn’t even know that my kid was going to be full chub mode, but this has been even more helpful because of that. It’s the lightest carseat we could find that doesn’t require a base, and weighs in at 7.9 lbs (without base). The same company makes the Nuna Pipa Lite, which is even lighter (5.3 lbs), but it requires you to use the base in the car. We wanted the freedom to use it without the base, like while traveling.

That said, it snaps into the base so easily and for a petite mama like me, that has been a huge bonus. It comes with extra safety features like the side impact protection and the steel enforced stability leg on the base (minimizes forward rotation during impact). When we purchased this at the end of 2017, the special 2017 color was on sale. So fall is an excellent time to purchase one of these! See their website here.

Also, can we talk about how cute and tiny this kid was!? He didn’t love his first time being strapped in, but since then, he’s decided how much he LOVES car rides!

Well, that’s my top three baby splurges. I hope you found this useful. Let me know what your top three baby splurges are!