My 10 Newborn Must-Haves for RV Living!!
Hello friends, and welcome back to another blog post! As you know, it's been two months since bringing our baby boy home into our RV where we live full time! Prior to his birth, many people asked how living in a 36ft RV with a newborn would be?? I'm excited to share that it's been AWESOME! (Of course, there have been some minor challenges, but they have very little to do with "raising a baby in an RV," and more to do with "raising a baby in general," haha!)
Today, I’m sharing 10 must-have items that have been game changers for us while raising a newborn in our RV! In fact, I'd love if you shared this blog post with anyone you know who is pregnant! It may save them a few headaches whether they live in an RV, or not! I hope you enjoy!
I AM SO SAD TO SEE THIS IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE SO I LINKED A SIMILAR HIGHLY REVIEWED OPTION!
1. Summer 2-in-1 Bouncer
This is by far my FAVORITE item, and the item our newborn spends most of his day in when not in his mommy’s, or daddy’s arms. There's a few reasons that I love it: Firstly, it folds FLAT...Need I say more?! Because honestly, that alone SOLD ME! (If you live in an RV, or a tiny space in general, then you know how crucial this is!) Secondly, it's inclined. My prior babies had acid reflux, and napping/sitting on an incline really helped to prevent discomfort. This is the case for my little guy in this bouncer! Thirdly, it can rock! (Not on it's own, but I prefer the ability to control the pace of the rocker with my foot anyway because let’s face it, he's never far away!) It also vibrates with a push of a button, but I don't particularly like, or use that setting with my babies. Fourthly, it's pretty affordable considering how much daily use we get out of it!
I AM SO SAD TO SEE THIS IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE SO I LINKED A SIMILAR OPTION WE ALSO USED ON THE GO!
2. Lulyboo Bassinet
This bassinet has been the perfect solution for nighttime sleep in an RV for us! It's spacious for a newborn, giving them room to grow, and it fits perfectly secure against my closet on my side of our queen sized bed. Another perk of this bassinet is that it folds together securely, and can be worn as a backpack when on-the-go! It has a zipper that unzips, and allows the entire outside liner to be removed, washed, and cleaned.
SIDE NOTE: The liner is all one piece, so if baby has a blow out on the mattress-like part of the bassinet, then you have to unzip and wash the whole liner! This has not happened to me, and I personally haven’t had any issues with this factor in the two months my son has used it, however, I feel it’s worth noting for any of my *Remember, I’m no sleep safety expert so please do your own research prior to your baby sleeping in this bassinet, or any other sleeping product that has worked for us!* :-)
3. Aden + Anais Swaddles
RV temperatures can fluctuate, so having this extra layer of warmth wrapped around my baby has given me great peace of mind in the different climate changes that we experience. We love our Aden and Anais cotton muslin swaddle blankets to seal the deal, and keep our newborn extra snug! They can be pricy, but since all of our three babies have used the same exact Aden + Anais swaddles, which maintained their quality, I’m more than happy to have spent the money, and boast of them!
4. Ergobaby 360 Carrier
My little guy has done more at 2 months old than he even realizes because he’s been safe, snug, and usually sleeping on my chest in the Ergobaby carrier, haha! (ps. I prefer the Ergobaby carrier in colder months, and the Ergo Omni 360 in the warmer months for it’s #1 airflow!) Having such an active outdoor lifestyle, this carrier is a must! We baby wear our 2 month old in it while we go on hikes, national parks, or explore places where we don't want to bring along a clunky stroller! (There’s a newborn insert sold separately, but we personally just roll a swaddle mentioned above and put it at the base of the insert so that our little guy can safely froggy style his legs over, and protect his hips! *Please research this for yourself prior to trying as I’m only sharing what works for us!)
I prefer this carrier for outdoor activities more than a wrap carrier, because in my opinion it feels more secure and sturdy on the go as my children grow! It’s a bit pricy, but has also gone through all three babies, and maintained it’s great quality, so it was well worth the investment!
5. Solly baby Wrap
I love this company, and the quality of their baby wraps! I've used other wraps, and my babies never felt as secure, or as comfortable as they have in the Solly Baby Wrap! Something about their material stretches just right over my babies, and doesn’t ever stretch out either! They’ve been worth the price to keep my newborn baby close while I get things done around the RV, or chase my other two toddlers around! They’re super trendy, and the styles they release each time get cuter and cuter! Check them out at their link above!
6. Organic Footie Pajamas w/ Mitten Cuffs + Double Zipper
Did you know that there are footie pajamas that have a DOUBLE ZIPPER?! This allows you to change your baby's diaper without having to unzip them from the top-down (leaving their upper body unnecessarily cold), and instead able to solely unzip from the bottom-up (less invasive and keeps them warmer during diaper changes)!
Footie pajamas are the ONLY clothes my newborns wear in the early months, and why not, right?! They are practical, cute, cozy, and convenient for those middle of the night diaper changes! Mitten cuffs are a MUST for my newborns as they protect their sweet faces from getting scratched by their nails as well as getting touched by unwanted hands. Their enclosed footies give me peace of mind that they won’t have cold feet, or a sock fall off in the middle of the night!
7. Nose frida
I always keep a Nose Frida Nasal Aspirator on hand with my newborns. You just never know when a blocked boogie will make it difficult for a new baby to breathe. Although it takes some getting used to, with enough practice, you'll be sucking out your baby’s boogers in no time! It works like a charm, and best part, has no problem fitting in our RV, haha!
8. Eddie Bauer Diaper Backpack
I loved my previous diaper bag with my first two children, but realized over time that I needed a serious change. It turned out to be a bit too big, didn’t travel particularly well, and wasn’t as neutral as I’d like it to be! I love this Eddie Bauer diaper backpack for it's easy wear, comfort, neutral color, compartment placements, and lifetime warranty! My husband and I have found that it’s the perfect size to hold belongings for our newborn, and two toddlers without providing so much unnecessary space. This prevents us from overpacking since we prefer to operate more on the minimal side!
9. Collapsible Wagon
Obviously, a newborn won’t be able to sit in a collapsible wagon for a while, right? But hear me out! :-) I would still recommend it to anyone with multiple children welcoming a newborn! It’s helped us to baby wear our newborn during family outings without the extra stress of juggling the “whereabouts” of our other two children! (I will baby wear our newborn, and my husband will pull the wagon with our other young children! Basically, it’s made life with multiple children easier!) At times, we’ve even put our newborn’s carseat in the wagon, and pulled him along that way (on less bumpy roads). It folds up more easily/quickly, and is more compact/lighter than a stroller! It’s been so convenient for us when exploring with our kids that we haven’t used our clunky, heavy stroller in a while!
10. LUCID 5” Memory Foam Mattress
Having a mattress on my must-have list for raising a newborn may confuse you a bit, but it literally changed the game for us in our tiny RV bedroom! Our previous residential queen mattress that we brought to the RV when we moved in was so tall and long that climbing in and out of the bed became a full time job/struggle!!! (Now, imagine doing that while holding a newborn in the middle of the night!!) We invested $170 (best $170 spent) on this 5" mattress, and haven't looked back since!
It’s short enough where we can easily climb in and out of bed without a struggle, thin enough where we don't hit our heads on the overhead storage, comfortable enough where we sleep amazing, and firm enough where we get in and out of bed without waking the baby, or each other! We love this mattress so much!! It's really worked great for us, and didn't break the bank!
I hope these 10 newborn must-haves of mine for RV living are helpful to you, and that you share this post with others! Check back in next Monday for another weekly blog post! I wish you all a beautiful week filled with just the right amount of must-haves! ;-)
Cool, Calm, and Collectedly Yours,
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