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After one of my son’s NICU stay, and the death of our other son, there were a lot of anxieties to say the least. I cannot explain in enough words the fear I had that something would happen to him, the same way something happened to his brother.I’m not going to say that these post NICU products magically put me at ease, but I will say that they definitely helped after a very stressful time, and at that point anything helped.

I’ll try to keep this short and to the point since I know there are SO many blogs with product recommendations, so I’ll get to it!

1. Heart/ Oxygen Monitor Sock and Camera

This is at the top of the list because I remember sitting in the NICU with Arthur at OU Children’s and frantically researching different monitors. I ended up going with the Owlet Sock, and it helped me SO much in actually getting some sleep.

Some pros:

Measured heart rate, movement, and oxygen
Camera setup to go along with it
Sleep predictions in app based on baby’s age and sleep patterns

Some cons:

Wifi connectivity issues
Pricey
Sometimes had false alarms
Oxygen monitor was only every 10 minutes (which I think the newer versions now are all real time)

Even though most of the cons are more annoying than anything, I cannot explain how much this helped save my sanity in those first several months after our other son, Oliver, was stillborn.

I would check the app every few minutes, even when Arthur was sleeping right next to us in the bassinet, just to make sure his heart was beating and his oxygen wasn’t dipping too low (which happened frequently in those early days). I honestly believe this sensor helped us transition from NICU to home life more than anything.

Link to Owlet Sock: https://amzn.to/3Pqh41t

tiny feet of baby with oxygen monitor in nicu

2. Bedside Bassinet

Once Arthur was out of the “plastic box” as we liked to call it, he slept in our room for about 3 months before we transitioned him to his own room. We used a bedside bassinet with the drop down side and I LOVED it. I loved that I could reach over and rest my hand on his chest anytime he started getting fussy, or if I just wanted to check on him.

Sadly, I can no longer find the bassinet that we are even using now with our daughter, but here is a link to one that has a similar concept. I also love that ours is able to be packed up and used on travel as well!

Bedside bassinet link: https://amzn.to/4aadnq8

**REMINDER!! These are all just products I used, so remember to always do your own research and check to see if a product has been recalled or not, as they are always updating safety guidelines.

3. Sleep Sacks

Before I was pregnant, I had NO idea about anything relating to babies, including safe sleep. The idea is to have babies alone in their own crib/ bassinet, no loose blankets or coverings, and on their back when they sleep. (That was a huge reason for the bassinet, so I could have Arthur as close to me as possible without bringing him into bed.)

Instead of blankets, we used these sleep sacks in the beginning, then switched to Kyte Baby! (Use this link to get $10 off your first purchase!!) Kyte literally has the SOFTEST materials, and Arthur has been using them ever since he transitioned from the first ones after a friend recommended this material. I wish they made them in adult sizes, because I’m pretty sure I will be sending him to college in one of these!

Link to first sleep sacks: https://amzn.to/40pfBhY

Link to Kyte Baby: https://prz.io/z61b1gOIR

5. Hygiene Products

There are SO many product recommendations out there. I honestly kept it simple and used the same products Arthur used in the NICU. Why mess with what works, right? Except for the Tubby Todd, we just continued what they used!

They are:

First up are booty wipes. I will literally ONLY use these Water Wipes on any of my children. I was afraid my kiddos would inherit my EXTREMELY sensitive skin, and it turns out I was right. (Looking at you, Huggies sensitive). They used these in the NICU for Arthur at OU and Comanche, and he never had a rash until we switched. Needless to say, we switched right back.

They are made with only two ingredients (water and fruit extract). I also love that the founder, Edward McCloskey, created these wipes after becoming frustrated about a lack of chemical- free diaper wipes for his daughter.

The paste can be bought with Menthol (like this one), or without. We have only used the one with, and haven’t had any issues!

Aquaphor was really great during the NICU stay, and after when his nose and cheek were SO sore and irritated from his feeding and oxygen tubes, but after that we never really needed it (since he hardly ever gets rashes).

Tubby Todd is a recent addition to the mixup as we started using it with my daughter after she had really bad eczema, but it’s so gentle (especially the fragrance free, versions) that I think it would be a perfect addition to a lil bb routine.

5. Alcohol Test Strips for Breast Milk

I’m not going to lie. Especially after everything with the twins, I ended up drinking a bit more than I probably should have. I would of course follow the guidelines of what’s safe for baby, but I still would need a little more reassurance sometimes. I used these test strips the most, but the Frida ones are also a good option! Just another thing that helped ease my mind a little bit.

If some milk did turn up hot, I would save it and use it for milk baths! Just make sure not to give it to your baby.

Did you try any of these products post NICU? Did you have any that you would add to this list? Let me know in the comments below or by filling out my contact form at sarazlehleitner.com/contact

Post NICU Products that Actually Eased My Mind