Yahoo Movies Olympian Shawn Johnson East shares nine of her must-have baby products
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Shawn Johnson East is not only an Olympic gold and silver medalist, but a spunky mom of two who shares her pregnancy and parenting adventures on social media. Her popular Instagram and TikTok accounts give a glimpse into what it’s like raising a toddler girl and baby boy alongside her husband, Andrew East, an NFL long snapper. Since retiring from gymnastics, Johnson East has been busy growing her family, adjusting to new mom life and keeping us all entertained in the process.
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Recently we chatted with Johnson East—via Zoom—at an event put together by Philips Avent, about her must-have baby products. From swaddles to strollers to books, here’s what she named as her top picks.
1. A great crib mattress
Like all new moms, Johnson East wanted to make sure everything was safe for her baby. One of her fears? That she would suffocate while she was sleeping. So, she researched and selected the Newton Crib Mattress, which is not only breathable but easy to clean, too.
Get the Newton Crib Mattress at Amazon for $299.99
2. An adorable diaper subscription
One of Johnson East’s guilty pleasures is using Hello Bello Diapers. Why? They offer a wide selection of cute prints, which makes diaper changes a little more fun. Plus, she says, they make a great gift for expecting parents. Instead of buying the whole package in one print, you can mix and match them, making it an interactive gift for the gift-giver, she raves.
Sign up for a diaper subscription at Hello Bello
3. An easy-to-use swaddle
Johnson East calls the Miracle Blanket swaddle a "straight jacket for baby." And with her curious, flexible and strong kiddos, it was the only thing they couldn’t "bust out of." She says it’s also easy to wash when diaper blowouts inevitably happen. For new parents, Johnson East recommends something with Velcro or ties in the back to make it easier to wrap the baby up.
Get a Miracle Blanket swaddle at Amazon for $29.95
4. Comfortable bras
Since breasts change tremendously during pregnancy and the postpartum period, having a supportive bra is key. For Johnson East, there’s nothing more comfortable than Target’s Auden line of maternity bras; she has five of them.
Get an Auden Maternity Bra at Target starting at $16.99
5. An effective sound machine
According to Johnson East, one must-have for getting a baby to drift off to slumberland is a sound machine.
During the newborn stage, it helps with sleep, and in the baby and toddler years Johnson East says that it makes nap time easier for mom. “Later on in life when your babies get to 6 months or a year, and you start vacuuming around the house, it doesn't bother the baby at all,” she continues. “Our nursery is actually right next to our kitchen. And we've had parties pre-pandemic while my daughter was sleeping, and it didn’t bother her at all.”
Get the Marpac Yogasleep Dohm sound machine at Amazon for $49.99
6. A stroller for every outing
While Johnson East says it’s definitely pricey, the Uppababy Stroller system is great since you can use it from the newborn days to the bigger kid years. She describes the Uppbaby as sleek and useful but also raves about the Doona Stroller for traveling. “It basically is a car seat and stroller all in one, so you don't have to pack two separate things,” she says. “And it can go on the plane, off the plane, then in the car without attachments. It's really easy.”
7. Activities with purpose
Johnson East admits that in the beginning she was terrified of babies since she didn’t know how to teach them anything. To the rescue? A KiwiCo Panda Crate subscription. “When you register, you tell them how old your baby is or when they were born. And they'll send you a box once a month, based off of where they should be developmentally,” she explains. “They send you toys and note cards that explain how to play with your baby at that specific age and how to encourage where their developmental milestones should be. It's awesome. It made me feel more confident as a mom.”
Get a Panda Crate subscription starting at $15.95
8. Bright, colorful baby toys
Johnson East's lesson with her daughter Drew was to skip the neutral-toned, stunning wooden toys and go for something a little less high-end. “I was that mom that was like, ‘Oh, we have to have the handcrafted wooden, white neutral lounge toy,’” she joked.
However, those weren’t the toys that Drew gravitated toward: “If it's rainbow-colored, and it looks like the rainbow threw up on it, and it's 10 bucks, that's what your baby's going to want. I'm not even kidding. Buy the cheapest, brightest color thing you can find.”
9. A selection of great books
Reading to babies is a regular ritual in the East household, and their favorite books change all the time. Right now, "The Pout, Pout Fish," "Goodnight Moon," and anything from Dr. Seuss is a big hit, thanks to the colors and illustrations. They’re also fans of sensory books, where flaps open and close, like "Where Is Baby's Belly Button? A Lift-the-Flap Book."
Her advice to new parents
“The best piece I was given and never followed [with my first] but followed the second time around was to not worry about buying everything right now. Your baby is their own little person, and they have their own preferences. When they’re born, something's gonna happen whether your baby splits up or cries, and you're like, ‘Oh, I need a burp cloth.' At that moment, jump on Amazon and buy your burp cloth."
Johnson East continues, "I feel like a lot of times, moms get so overwhelmed by everything their child could ever need. At the beginning, one, they either won't need it or two, they're gonna need something different. For me, I bought everything known to mankind for breastfeeding with my daughter, and she never breastfed. She rejected it within the first three days. So all of the stuff that I bought was useless. You just kind of learn as you go. Truly don't stress about it. Have a couple of onesies, a swaddle, a diaper, and a pacifier. And you're good for the first couple of months.”
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This article originally appeared on Reviewed: Olympian Shawn Johnson East's baby product recommendations for a growing family
