One of the reasons mamas love Gugu Guru is that our style quizzes give personal recommendations based on where you live – because we understand that suburban mamas need different items than urban mamas! Today’s guest post is from a NYC mama who takes her two littles all over the five boroughs and back again, without even breaking a sweat. Megan is the mama to two kids under four years old, and has some great tips for surviving NYC life with little kids. You can find Megan on Instagram – and let us know in the comments what your favorite products for urban parenting are!
Adorable dinosaur clothing from Mitz Accessories
Being a new mom is hard. Being a new mom in NYC is borderline insane. As hard as navigating the trains with a stroller can be at rush hour, living in a space that is the size of most Americans living rooms, and paying what many people consider a mortgage on preschool but it has it’s perks too. Your kids can literally sleep through anything. After a few licks on the subway their immune systems are made of steel that no suburban kid could even dream of. Their palates have tasted the finer things of life since we have access to the best restaurants in the world and my three-year-old son might not know what a lawnmower is but can navigate the MTA without batting an eye.
I’m Megan @girlgonechildnyc, I’ve birthed two babies in this concrete jungle and I’m currently still keeping alive a 3 and 1-year-old here. So here are my top 10 registry items from a NYC Mom.
1. Original Ergo Carrier: I’ve tried a lot of different baby carries and I always go back to the original Ergo. It’s the one carrier I can wear seven hours straight and doesn’t hurt my back. I also can nurse discreetly on the train in this carrier with out a flashing my boob to the entire subway car.
2. phil&teds Lobster High Chair: You’re meeting friends in a tiny restaurant in the West Village and they don’t have high chairs? Boom! The Lobster has you covered.
3. A Noise Machine: While yes, most NYC babies can sleep through about anything, why risk it? You want your baby to still be asleep when that fire truck goes by at 4am.
4. The Pello: As my husband and I used to joke “Praise be to the Pello,” since our daughter had a pretty bad case of colic and this is the one place we could sit her as an infant and it was so ridiculously soft she wouldn’t cry. It acts similarly to a DockATot, and you can also set it up anywhere in the apartment.
5. NYC Décor: Almost every kids room in NYC I’ve been in has at least on piece that reminds you they’re a NYC baby. We’re proud of our New York Babies’, as it’s not easy raising kids here. It’s something they will be able to tell people the rest of their lives that they were born here. My favorite pieces are the interactive wall art by local NYC mom Kate Durkin.
6. Zoe Stroller: Strollers with infant seats are great, but they’re heavy and to be honest, I never used them because hauling a bulky stroller up two flights of subway stairs just wasn’t something I found fun just a few months shy of having a baby. You’re way more likely to wear your baby around NYC and get a decent umbrella stroller at 6 months. The Zoe stroller is perfect for commuting up and down subway stairs at just 10 lbs and still tons of storage.
7. Skip Hop Changing Pad: I’m not saying I’ve never had to change my kids diaper on a subway bench when poop literally hit the fan but I’m not saying I haven’t.
8. Stroller Bunting: Because as much as I wish I lived in 60 degree year round weather, I don’t, and if you think your sweet little 6-month-old baby will sit there with a blanket over him without throwing it on the street, he won’t.
9. Buggy Hooks: The one good thing about strolling around NYC with a stroller is you have a place to actually store all your bags. Think King Mighty Buggy Hook for Strollers lets you ad these on to your stroller and you can hang your stuff. Amazing.
10. Taga Bike 2.0: The best and safest family bike out there. It’s pretty cool looking too. Perfect for neighborhood rides or commuting with the kids when the MTA poops the bucket.
Not a NYC mama? Don’t worry, we have you covered:
