I have had so many people ask me what my favorite and most used baby items were that I decided to do a post on them. I have a few friends of mine that are currently pregnant who text me with questions all the time about what they need to have prepared for baby, delivery, and then some who plan on nursing. Sawyer is only 12 weeks old right now so this post applies only from newborn to three months. I also included some things that were 100 percent needed for breastfeeding and post delivery in my opinion. I had looked up those "pinterest must have registry lists" upon making my baby registry and thought I had everything I needed. I knew diapers and wipes were obviously going to be used every day but wanted to know just what to include on my baby registry. I hate to admit this, but there were so many high dollar baby items I found on those pinterest lists that I thought were must have items that have never been touched or those that Sawyer didn't like. I got on amazon as soon as I returned home from the hospital and ordered about $100 worth of items that I didn't have (or register for) and knew I would need. All babies are different and their needs will differ, but here are some things Sawyer and I both could not have survived without. I have linked all the items, hope this helps! For Baby: 1. Sleepers- Plan to have lots of sleepers, my favorite were the micro fleece material! Buy them in all sizes, but definitely buy a few in newborn size. I was told during pregnancy that Sawyer was going to be a big baby and that he would probably skip the newborn size really quickly and to just buy 0-3 month clothing for him at first. Well he was a big baby when he was born, weighing 8 pounds 9 ounces, but he still needed newborn clothing. I had a couple on hand but had to go to Carters a week later and buy more newborn sizes. Sawyer pretty much lived in micro fleece sleepers during the day and night for those first few weeks because they are sooo warm, comfy, and cozy (especially during the Winter months), but also because he hated anything that went over his head. These sleepers made it so much easier to change him as well and I knew he was always comfortable and warm in them. I would have a few of these on hand and get the zip up ones instead of the buttons, this will also save you time when changing! 2. SwaddleMe Original Swaddle- A lot of people prior to delivery told me I didn't need these and to just swaddle him in swaddle/muslin blankets. Well I was horrible at swaddling with blankets, it took way to much time/effort, and these swaddles made life so much easier! All I did was slide him in these, put his arms down, velcro it and boom! Perfectly swaddled baby! At first Sawyer HATED to be swaddled, but his startle reflex kept waking him up after only a few minutes of being asleep. I continued to put him in these every night before bed and he finally got used to them and started sleeping so much longer and better during the nights. He is also a little hoodini when it comes to breaking free of being swaddled but these you can velcro as snug as you want them and his arms weren't able to break free. We are still using these but he is almost grown out of the 0-3 month size so I actually ordered another type of swaddle for when he's bigger. Sleep is essential for both mom and baby and without these swaddles I don't know how we would have managed. Baby startle reflex is intense, but these swaddles help keep it under control and baby sleeping smoothly! 3. Leacho Podster- I can't say enough about this thing and the price!! It is only 40 bucks and worth every. single. penny. I have a bassinet, rock n play, and baby swing that I had prepared for Sawyer to sleep in at night/hang out in during the day but out of all those high ticketed items this was his favorite. I had originally tried to put him in his bassinet, then tried his rock n play at night to sleep in but he was not a fan of either. I had him hanging out in the leacho during the day some which he loved. I decided to put the leacho in our bed and let him sleep in this one night when he was around 8 days old. The first night I put him in this to sleep (in his swaddle as well) he slept 6 hours straight! I think he loved the fact he felt so snug and comforted in this. We used this every single night from newborn to 8 weeks for him to sleep in. At 8 weeks I transitioned him into the DocATot since it lasts longer in age and would be a better/safer way to transition him into his crib. Even though he's now sleeping in the DocATot at night, he still hangs out in the leacho during the day. I bring it in the bathroom and place it on the counter top with him in it while I get ready, in the kitchen while I cook, and on the couch during the day. It's been my go to when I need free hands throughout the day. 4. OogieBear- Holy Moly does this little gadget work wonders!!!! This was something I did not have on my registry that is needed on every single mommas registry! I can't say enough about this thing!! I was told the nose frida was what I needed to get out any boogies or snot from a little ones nose. Well when we brought Sawyer home within a couple days he had giant nose boogers (gross I know but this is reality) in his teeny tiny little infant nose. We immediately whipped out the nose frida to try and attempt to get them out since Sawyer was wheezing through his nose trying to get past his boogs. The frida was not working at all, his nostrils were just too tiny and we could not get anything out. I googled advice and for once google led me to a positive answer, the Oogiebear! I amazon primed it and received it in the mail two days later. This is disgusting but I probably pulled 10 boogs out of his nose the first time I used it. I continue to use this every single night on him before bed and always pull some out. I also use this to get his ear wax out since I refuse to use q-tips in his ear. I know this seems gross but you will do whatever it takes to help your little one out! Must, must, must have! 5. Sound Machine- I personally need to sleep with a sound machine as well at night so this is a necessity in our home and with baby Sawyer. He knows when I turn the sound machine on at night its time for bed. It truly helps block out any sounds from other things going on in the house or things going on outside. I only use this at night and there have been multiple times during the day when he's been down for a nap and woke up to the door bell ringing or Auggie barking. The sound machine helps prevent this from happening! We use the "white noise" setting on this one. 6. 2 in 1 Rocker and Bouncer- this was something I did not originally have. A friend of mine told me her daughter loved this as a baby and let me borrow it. Sawyer loves this little thing! It rocks, bounces, vibrates, and plays music. He really enjoys hanging out in this and is great to put him in for when I need to get things done around the house. It's lightweight and mobile so I can move it from room to room when I cook dinner, shower, etc. It's also nice that he can grow into this even up to a toddler! 7. Graco Snugride 35 Click Connect Car Seat and Stroller Combo- I cannot say enough about this car seat and stroller combo. It makes life on the go soooo much easier. I love the click connect system as it is so easy to pop in and out of the car as well as the stroller. Bryan has a graco forever car seat in his car which we love as well but while your little one is an infant, you will want an infant car seat that you can pop in and out of your car without having to unbuckle your child out of the car seat when you need to go in somewhere. Since Sawyer is not a big fan of getting buckled in and out right now, anytime we are running an errand we use my car with the snugride car seat. When we get to the store we pop his car seat into the stroller and don't have to worry about getting sawyer out and unbuckled. I also highly recommend a car seat cover. We use this one and love it. It's great for using during the Winter days/nights and also helps prevent cold air from getting in or people from looking in/trying to touch him while we are out in public. 8. Munchkin Contour Foam Changing Pad- as everyone knows diaper changes are inevitable and happen very frequently. We have a changing table and use this pad on it for every diaper change, clothing change, and also during bath time. We take this pad with us anytime we go somewhere. When we go to the in-laws I always bring it, its so much easier to lay Sawyer on it for changes and helps prevent a dirty mess from happening on the floor or bed. Before Sawyer's umbilical cord fell off we used our spare munchkin pad to give him his washcloth baths on and brought it into the bathroom with us. Now that Sawyer can take a bath in the tub we still use this to lay him on and dry him off afterwards and lotion him up. Even if you don't plan on having a changing table this will still come in handy since you can use it anywhere. Speaking of diaper changes, a lot of people said a diaper genie wasn't a necessity and to just throw the dirty diapers in the regular trash can. I would have to 100% disagree! We love our genie and how it prevents the dirty diapers from stinking up our house! 9. FridaBaby Bitty Bundle Kit- this kit is wonderful! I used everything in this bundle within the first 4 weeks. The only thing I haven't gotten much use out of YET is the frida snot sucker (which everyone raves about). I figured that would be put to use when Sawyer is a bit older and his nostrils aren't teeny tiny. But anyways, everything else is this kit has been put to use multiple times. The "mom washer" was great for me, the "snipper clipper set" is amazing! Sawyers nails grow at super sonic speed and these clippers have a safe guard so when I use them I'm not scared to death I'll snip his little fingers. I used the file in there until about 3 weeks old and have used the clippers weekly ever since. Also the "windi".. it seems awful.. when I first read about it was I said there was no way we would ever use it on Sawyer. Well for about 24 hours straight one day Sawyer was extremely fussy. We figured it might be gas but were not for sure since we had tried gas drops, etc. We finally decided to give the Wendi a shot. OMG!! As soon as we used it (with coconut oil) the thing started whistling and you could literally hear the gas coming out. When we pulled it out he made a mess everywhere but it was IMMEDIATE relief!! No more fussy, gassy baby. This thing worked crazy good! 10. Kick and Play Piano Mat- I started using this daily around 4 weeks old. This is great for both tummy and back time. Sawyer was super interested in this mat because of the things that went above his head when he was on his back and then while doing tummy time (which is hates btw) he would kick the piano and it would start playing music. Now that he's a bit older he is starting to bat and grasp at the things above his head. We both love this little mat and how it keeps him stimulated and entertained! For the Nursing Mom: 1. Honest Company Organic Nipple Balm- I've tried a few different brands and this one is by far my favorite. You can use it before/after a feed and there's no harsh ingredients you have to worry about. It's a bit pricey but it soothes and prevents cracking, this balm saved me! 2. Natures Bond Silicone Breast Pump- Oh my gosh this thing is a life saver when your milk comes in, especially if you have a strong let down. It easily suctions to one side while you nurse on the other. I catch around 2 ounces each side and have used this this to build a stash in the freezer instead of pumping too early to prevent mastitis. I've used this since Sawyer was 5 days old. Before my milk got established I used this almost every feed but now I only use it once or twice. The more known version of this is the "Haaka" but this brand works just as good and is cheaper! 3. Kiinde Breastfeeding Kit- If you plan to nurse/pump this kit is a must. It comes with everything you need, bags for milk, nipples, bottle holder/warmer and more. My son took right to this nipple the first time we gave him a bottle and it comes with slow/medium/and fast flow nipples. What I really love about this form of bottle is the clean up is so easy. You can pump into the freezer bags which is also the same bags used to feed your baby. I grab a bag out of the freezer, warm it up, pop the nipple on the bag and it's ready to go. Once you feed the baby, you pop off the nipple and throw the bag away, so all you're left with to clean is the nipple! Saves so much time! Purchase this from amazon instead of Target and save yourself 30 bucks! 4. Organic Bamboo Nursing Pads- these are my personal favorite! I honestly prefer these over the disposable ones because they hold up more, don't leak through, prevent thrush, and you can use them over and over. I go through the disposable ones way to often so they became too expensive. These I just throw in the wash and they are good as new. 5. Gilligan & O'Malley Wireless Nursing Bra- this nursing bra is so comfortable, cheap, wire free, and holds up fabulous! I have three different kinds and this one is by far my favorite. I actually plan to go to Target today and get another one like this in a different color before returning to work. It's super practical (esp when you're out in public) and when you unhook it to nurse it actually stays down instead of trying to come back up while the baby eats. If you plan on breastfeeding a good nursing bra is a MUST. 6. Probiotics- while I was in the hospital all the nurses and Lactation consultants told me about the benefits of probiotics and breastfeeding so before I even checked out I ordered Mothers Select Probiotics. After doing lots of research on probiotics for nursing mommas I found out just how beneficial they really are (great for gut/digestive health, added immunity, helps with milk production, prevents thrush, constipation, and eczema in infants and more!) When Sawyer was only two weeks old I thought he was developing a milk intolerance because I noticed after consuming a lot of dairy he would break out in a rash and be extremely gassy/fussy. After telling his pediatrician all of this he gave Sawyer some infant probiotics to try out. They were a life saver and everything cleared up right away! Now we both take probiotics every day! For Post (Vaginal) Delivery:
This stuff should be pretty self explanatory without me having to go into too much detail. I used all of these items every day up until 5/6 weeks. 1. Dermoplast Pain Relieving Spray-Plan to have a couple of these on hand, you will want to use this several times a day. 2. Witch Hazel Spray AND Wipes- you will probably need both. 3. Padcicles- read about these on Pinterest and never made them prior to delivery. As soon as I got home these were made and they were so soothing!! I will have these prepared in my freezer next time. 4. Stool Softener- you will 100% want to take these. I think I took 3 a day and they are perfectly safe while breastfeeding too. 5. Perineal Cleansing Bottle- since toilet paper is a no go, this is a must when going to the bathroom. I filled it up with warm water every time and it totally helps. I had one of these for each bathroom. Your hospital should provide you with these, ask for extra to take home! The mom washer from the frida bundle kit works for this too. 6. Mesh/ Breathable Cotton Undies- just buy these, they might be ugly but it doesn't matter, they are comfortable and breathable!! Also buy a couple sizes up! 7. Perineal Cold Pack or Gel Pack- helps with swelling and relieves pain/soreness. Ask for extra of these before leaving the hospital since they aren't cheap when ordering from home! 8. Warm Bath and Comfy Clothes!!! I don't think I would have survived the recovery process without a warm bath. I took two a day. Some doctors tell patients to hold off on baths for awhile but mine told me I could take a bath as much as I wanted. I also lived in massive tshirts (great for breastfeeding too), robes, and fleece pajamas for those first couple of weeks postpartum.
0 Comments
|
Archives
November 2019
Categories |