Take it or leave it...

I put together a list, at the request of a few people, of my favorite baby items/things/stuff that have become very useful to me in the last 4 months.  I know I just have SO much experience with raising all kinds of kids, so please don't take this list as the end all be all....(hehehe!).

I will start with the most useful!

1.) A swing!  Ally got us the Fisher Price Snugabunny swing, it is amazing!  It swings side to side and front to back, comes with lullaby's and white noise and has a mirror and rotating mobile.  If it was not for this swing, Sean and I would have had ZERO sleep the last 4 months.  Its great because it plugs into the wall (no late night battery run to the store) and it is super durable and quiet!  Best thing ever!

2.) A large exercise/yoga ball.  They are only $15 at Target and quiet possibly the best and cheapest bouncer ever.  I purchased one in my third trimester to bounce on and stretch my back.  It's great to bounce on to get baby in the best position for labor, which for that purpose worked great for me.  Then, when Griffin was born it was (and still is) a great tool to bounce him to sleep or bounce him to calm him down.  When he went through one of his peak fussy periods (about 6 weeks old), the ball was the only thing to get him to stop crying.  It's also a great way to heal your abdominal muscles if you experienced any separation (diastasis) during pregnancy.  Just suck you tummy to your spine while you bounce!  It has been a lifesaver!



3.)  Baby White Noise App for the iPhone.  Actually ANY white noise app!  They are mostly free or at most $1.  Griffin is a white noise junkie.  We figured this out really quickly, our newborn photographer would shush REALLY loud in his ear to calm him during our session.  Worked like magic, so from that day on we have used white noise to calm him.  His white noise preference has evolved.  First it was the "rain on the car" sound, then classical music, now it's the comedy channel on Pandora.  We just plug our iPhone into the axillary jack for the car and listen to comedy.  He loves deep voices and it literally puts him to sleep in minutes or if not sleep, it definitely calms him.





White Noise App

 

4.) The ERGO baby carrier.  Kara purchased this for us (after lots of research on her part), and we love it!  We bought the infant insert that went with it, and Griffin really likes it.  It's easy to put on by myself (after a little practice) and much more comfortable then the Moby.  I didn't care much for the Moby, mainly because it gets pretty warm and to put it on the fabric has to drag on the floor.  This is not ideal for putting it on away from home!  I might like it once I can put Griffin in it facing out, but for now I would say no!  If you really want one, google "homemade Moby", because it consists of just a really long piece of jersey fabric.  You could save a lot of money!

ERGO love

5.) Johnson and Johnson Nighttime Bath.  It smells amazing and is a great way to end our day!  We also bought the lotion that goes with it, but Griffin's skin didn't do well with the lotion, so we just use Aveeno baby lotion.  Once we could give him a proper bath, we realized how much it calmed him down!  He would be fussy, crying or even screaming but once we walked him into the bath room with the tub full of that bubble bath, he would instantly calm.  Our nighttime ritual has really paid off, Griffin loves the bath and baby massage.  By the time he starts nursing or taking a bottle, he is almost asleep or falls asleep within minutes.  The first couple months are the toughest with a newborn, with the evenings being a particular challenge.  I felt bad for Sean when he would come home from work because it was just about time for Griffin to get fussy (evenings were his worst, which is pretty common for most babies).  Sean never got to see the happy baby I did, so when we figured out how happy Griffin was in the tub, Sean started giving him his bath. It was a great time for Dad and baby to connect because baby wasn't a screaming mess :)

Loves his bath time!

6.) Zip up PJ's.  What's the last thing anyone wants to deal with at 2 am when your baby is crying? Buttons, lots of little tiny buttons.  Buttons that you cannot see, because you have kept the lights low as to not wake the baby all the way up...buttons that become maddening when your baby is screaming because it still hurts to get his diaper changed thanks to his healing circumcision...buttons, buttons, buttons.  Zip up PJ's rock, Carter's makes them in soft cotton and they are really great. 

7.)  Swaddle-Me blankets.  Get one or two to see if you like them.  We really loved them for the first month or so.  After that, Griffin refused to be swaddled and actually slept better if we didn't swaddle him.  If you are going to swaddle, these are really simple and easy!

SwaddleMe Blanket

8.)Snuza.  Its a movement monitor that hooks on the babies diaper.  I love it!  It detects the belly movement during breathing and will vibrate if it doesn't detect movement for 15 seconds.  If the vibration doesn't wake baby enough to breath, it alarms REALLY loud.  Truth be told, I am terrified of SIDS.  Does this monitor prevent SIDS? Maybe not, but it does give you some peace of mind.  When Griffin was first born I would sleep with my hand next to him in his co-sleeper just so I could feel his little belly moving up and down.  I don't know many new parents that don't go through some sort of panic over their baby not breathing, this has really helped me relax.  It actually went off one night, I heard it vibrate, then I heard Griffin take in the biggest breath ever.  Scared the hell out of me!  It also has a light that blinks every time it detects movement, so instead of waking Griffin up, I can look over and see that light blinking and know he is OK. Overkill? Maybe, but I know my personality and my tendency to worry too much and this has put me at ease, so for me it is priceless.



9.) Play mat/ Newborn Gym.  Its basically a padded mat that has a frame attached that dangles toys or mirrors.  I started putting Griff in this when he was little, and the older he gets he enjoys it more and more.  He now reaches for the toys and grabs them, or kicks the frame to make the toys move.  He loves it, and so do I because I can put him down and do dishes and still have him happy and entertained! 

Newborn Mat

10.) A good breast pump if you are going to breastfeed.  Linda got me a great double electric pump (Medela Freestyle).  I started pumping pretty early every couple of days just to start to build a freezer stash.  It's been a lifesaver for work, I can pump and be done in less then 20 minutes!  Its also nice because we introduced a bottle at around 3 weeks, so Sean could feed him too.  It was nice because even though I still had to pump when Sean fed him a bottle, he could have that bonding experience.  Now, we can go out on a date and leave a couple bottles without worrying if we need to head back to feed Griffin.  If you are not going to need to pump at work, a cheaper single pump or even a good hand pump will get the job done. 

11.)  Sorry if this is TMI,  if you don't want to hear about breastfeeding, skip to the next paragraph! Nipple shield, gel soothies and a hooter hider.  If you are breastfeeding, these are all a must.  A friend told me about the gel soothies, and thank god for her!  Those first couple weeks can be down right torture, gel soothies make it doable.  A nurse in the hospital gave me a shield when Griffin had a hard time latching.  I used it off and on until he got the hang of it, then when my milk came it, it was the only way he could latch.  By week two, we were without the shield, but it was probably the reason I didn't throw in the towel those early days.  It also serves to slow the flow of milk, which is great in the beginning, because sometimes babies have a hard time dealing with your let down and choke and gag easily.  It also helps with the extreme discomfort I had those early days.  You can buy a hooter hider MUCH cheaper online through Etsy.  I got mine for $14 including shipping, if you by the brand name one in the store, they run $30-40!  They work great and come in cute patterns.  Much easier then using a receiving blanket.  Anything that makes it easier to breastfeed in public or just for the sake of privacy is wonderful. 


Hooter Hider, Soothies, Nipple Shield

Lastly, we bought a pack-n-play with a changer and napper.  It was awesome to have it downstairs, so I didn't have to walk upstairs every time to put him down for a nap or to change him.  Loved it.  Also, the snap in go stroller that attached to our car seat.  Super cheap and good for small outings, you can even open it and snap it with one hand.  Super useful.  For longer more off terrain trips, we love our jogging stroller!!


OK....so what I could have done without...

1.) Our Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper.  It was pretty good quality and seems like a good idea.  But, I had a really hard time lifting Griffin in and out of it, and I didn't even have a c-section.  I wish I would have purchased a Nap Nanny (incline nap pad with safety strap) if I was going to co-sleep.  Or the Fisher price Rock-n-Play sleeper.  Both are at an incline and are safety rated for sleep.  These would come in even more handy if your baby has reflux too!  Next baby I am going to get one of these!

2.)  A diaper bag.  My diaper bag is really cute, but over kill.  Instead,  I bought a really cute diaper clutch on Etsy that holds 4 diapers, a travel wipe case and a changing pad.  That's really all you need.  If you have a large purse, just throw the clutch in with a change of clothes and a hooter hider and you are good to go!  Instead, being the rookie that I am, packed my diaper bag with the following:

1. Burp cloth
2. Receiving blanket
3. Two changes of clothes
4. Gas Drops
5. Baby Tylenol
6. Extra pacifiers
7. Diapers
8. Wipes
9. Diaper cream
10. Lotion
11. Hooter hider
12. Lots of nursing pads
13. Tylenol (for me)
14. Chapstick
15. Bottle of water
16. Snack for Mom
17. Wallet
18. Camera
19. Toys
20. Basically anything I could fit in it!

3.)  Buying an entire set of the same type of bottle.  Don't do this...this goes for pacifiers too.  Buy a couple different kinds, but only one or two of each kind.  I made this mistake with the bottles!  I bought an entire set of Playtex bottles and drop ins, and Griffin HATED them!  Turns out he does great with the Medela bottles that came with my pump.  Bottom line, almost all bottle manufacturer's sell single bottles.  Try them out first before you invest.  Also, what worked for your friend, sister or previous baby may not work for your current little one, so stocking up on lots of one kind of anything is a bad move!  This goes for diapers,wipes,lotions,pacifiers, clothes, etc.  Wait to see what really works, then don't go crazy because he or she will likely outgrow it within weeks or months :)

4.)  Infant bath tub or sling.  We used the sling twice.  Yep, spent $18 on something we used twice.  After Griffin could take a real bath we either used the sink in our bathroom or used the tub and got in with him. 

Please take all of this with a grain of salt.  This is what worked best for us, and every baby is different!  The best piece of advice I could give any new Mom is to keep it simple.  Trips outside the house are a lot easier if you don't pack the entire nursery.  Babies get fussy and cry, finding out what works best to soothe them is key, and often times you don't have to spend a ton of money on fancy stuff to do it!