New Mom Must Haves from ABC Kids Expo

Speaking from experience, strolling the aisles of the ABC Kids Expo can be dangerous for a pregnant woman. And I’m not just talking about the miles and miles you’ll hoof in ugly sensible shoes. No, this year the ABC Kids Expo was particularly dangerous for Malia and me because we’re both expecting and we were tempted by exhibitor after exhibitor displaying the latest and greatest and most innovative gear to help new moms.

While we were pretty much a walking cliche of mom bloggers we used our experienced mom eye to narrow down and create a list of our favorite New Mom Must Haves from the ABC Kids Expo. From new products to re-introduction and re-vamp of old favorites, these are products we feel confident we’d use regularly once baby arrives.

Simplisse Breast Pump

Before our meeting with the Simplisse President we thought “all breast pumps are pretty much the same.” We were wrong. Simplisse uses a new compression technology, meant to mimic the motion of baby’s tongue and sucking, for gentle (read: less painful) and effective pumping. The cups of the pump are soft as opposed to the rigid plastic we’re used to. While we’re not exactly looking forward to pumping, we are excited by the potential of the Simplisse Double Electric Breast Pump. Simplisse Breastfeeding Products are currently available on Amazon, including the Double Electric Pump $255 and a Single Manual Pump for $25.

MD Moms Baby Silk Gentle Scalp Rub

My little ones escaped infancy without much cradle cap, but Malia’s little one wasn’t so lucky. We have always been impressed with MD Moms and a re-introduction to the products, including Baby Silk Gentle Scalp Rub, was really timely. Made natural oils, salicylate, marine silk, Vitamins E and B5, aloe and shea butter, the Gentle Scalp Rub is formulated for babies but is still effective in ridding a little scalp of scales and flakes. If either one of our little babes has cradle cap, we like having this product in our back pocket. MD Moms Baby Silk Gentle Scalp Rub is available on Amazon and directly from MD Moms.

Boba Carrier 3G

There was lots of news out of Boba at the ABC Kids Expo. First, the baby wrap we’ve knows as Sleepy Wrap is now the Boba Baby Wrap – the same great product, new name. Our beloved Boba Soft Structured Carrier got some brilliant improvements that make a great product even better and more user-friendly. The Boba Carrier 3G can now be used to carry your little ones from infancy through toddlerhood. The Carrier folds and snaps for use with an infant without an additional infant insert. Another smart change? The shoulder straps have small buckles to hold your purse or diaper bag so it doesn’t fall off while carrying baby. Boba also introduced some beautiful new fabrics for the Carrier that are worth a look. The Boba Baby Wrap ($48) and Baby Carrier 3G ($125) are available online at bobafamily.com.

mamaRoo Plush with Infant Insert

The 4moms mamaRoo has been on my list of “I wish that was around when I had a baby” for years. It’s pretty embarrassing but I’ll go ahead and admit that one thing that makes me excited about this little one is the chance to use the super cool mamaRoo. The baby swing that moves like you do has made a few improvements to make it more baby and infant, in particular, friendly. The mamaRoo Plush offers a softer fabric that unzips for machine washing. If you have an original mamaRoo, you can order the Plush lining separately for a little upgrade. Also sold separately, the Infant Insert makes the mamaRoo seat a little more cozy and offers support for smaller babies. The mamaRoo Plush is available for $240 – the Plush Lining and Infant Insert will be available soon.

Boppy Travel Pillow

We don’t have the details on this new Boppy product yet, but we can tell you it’s going to be a hit with breastfeeding moms. It’s the classic Boppy Support Pillow you know and love but it folds in half and zips closed so you can easily take it on the go.

Boon Naked Bathtub

Not surprisingly, we loved visiting the Boon booth. As usual the company had great innovative products on display – new colors on old favorites, additional animals for the Bath Pod and brand new finds like the Naked Collapsible Bathtub. Naked collapses to nearly flat when not in use, but the real benefit is that you can collapse only one side to create a recline and support position for babies. Naked will be available in December in five bright colors.

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