I've had a few soon to be Mommas asking me to do a post on products that I find useful/ useless, because being a first time Mom is just a little bit confusing. I remember spending hours working on my registry, making sure that C would have enough sandals to get her through the summer. Turns out, like most of you, I was an idiot. Kidding! Remember...I'm the same Mom who thought we'd be hitting up the beach all summer, so obvi cute sandals are a must...No!
These are the things that have either made my job a little easier, or that totally broke my bank account and are now collecting dust in the nursery closet.
Things That Saved My Life
- Sophie the Giraffe- Hands down the best baby toy ever invented. This video explains it all. Sophie Celebrates 50 Years
- Nuby Teethers -We love the Bug-a-Loop and The Hand freezer teethers.
- Swing & Exersaucer - Aka. the (Fisher Price I Luv U Zoo) swing of neglect. We made sure to get an electric swing so we wouldn't have to worry about batteries. Cs Exersaucer keeps her occupied for a good hour while I do some housework/ write up a blog. She's still a little young for it, but we prop her up with a few blankets. I think Exersaucers are all the same, so pick your poison.
- Zippered Sleepers - I can't count how many times I missed a snap. That's like life or death at 3am...oh the frustration.
- Infantino Flip Carrier - Because your arms get tired and there's lots to get done. This carrier is comfortable and easy to wear. You can wear your baby as a backpack, front facing (like Alan in the hangover), or towards you when their neck muscles are still weak.
- Tommee Tippee Bottles & Formula Dispensers - We're in love with these bottles. The Playtex Ventaire Bottles don't even compare. These bottles are way easier to clean, they feed faster, and the formula holders are awesome for night feedings or day trips. I keep a bottle beside our bed and dump the formula in when C wakes up. Super easy.
Absolutely Necessary Things
- A good camera: we use a Canon EOS 5D Mark II - This camera is like a professional photographer all wrapped up in a beautiful package. I DO NOT look as good in real life as I do in the pictures that this camera takes. I guess I'll give the Hubs some credit here too... he did spend 20 grand on school to be so awesome.
- Baby Trend Jogger - I've only jogged with C twice because they say you shouldn't jog with them until they're six months old. She's pretty durable though, so it's mostly my lack of motivation to exercise. Anyway, this stroller is pretty bomb.
- High Chair - We propped C up in her high chair as soon as she was old enough to hold her head up. Now we use it everyday, 4 plus times a day. She sits at the dinner table with us, wishing she could eat steak.
- Swaddle blanket - C's guardians bought her the best swaddle. It's made of bamboo, so it's breathable and cozy. Being swaddled was the only way C would sleep for 3 months.
- Summer Infant Slumber Sack - Once C hit 4 months old she started rolling from her back to her tummy and the swaddle all of a sudden became extinct. The sleep sack is awesome because it keeps her warm without any risks, and she can still do whatever it is that gets her to the top corner of her crib.
- Sound Machine - Babies sleep best with white noise. It also helps them tune out household noise, so that you don't have to tip toe around, party time!. This one is amazing!
Things That Were a Hit for a Whole 24 Hours
- Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium - waste of money period. Why would you want to stimulate your baby before sleep? Not to mention the batteries run out after a few days and C batteries are expensive.
- Baby Jeans - enough said. I don't even like wearing jeans.
- Playtex Diaper Genie - At least not super important for the first 4 months. You change way too many diapers at the beginning and those refills are expensive. It's probably more handy to reduce the smell once the loads get large and in charge, and less frequent.
- Baby Shoes - I still don't really understand the concept. Save your money and buy a surplus of socks. Baby socks are a dryers favourite snack.
- Long Sleeved Onesies - Awesome for nap time or cooler weather. Old Navy has the best/ most affordable onesies.
- Fleece Sleepers - So comfy and cozy for rainy/ cooler days. Some days I changed C out of her pajamas and into fleece pajamas for the day.
- Breathable Crib Bumper - For when they start rolling all over the place. You don't want little arms or legs to get stuck in the bars.
- A Change Pad with a "seatbelt" - Little buggers will start squirming before you know it.
- A Bath Tub - Get a small bathtub cradle for the first couple of months and then upgrade to a bath basin. We literally use a measuring cup to rinse the suds off. Nothing fancy here.
- Digital Ear Thermometer - If you're anything like me, a worrier, you'll check your babies temp. once a day, which is totally unnecessary.
- Pack N' Play - I forgot we even had one until the other day. I'm sure we'll use it more once C can stand up.
- Bumbo Chair - C uses this chair now, but it gets tiring for her after about 10 minutes. It's pretty awesome though and I'm sure she'll get more use out of it (and it's tray) once she's eating finger foods.
- Baby Bullet - We started C on a few solids at 4 months old. You'd be surprised at the amount of "non food" items that are acceptable in baby food. Disgusting stuff like mouse poo and hair. No Thanks! So we make our own food with organic fruits and veggies. The Baby Bullet is super inexpensive and crazy easy to use.
From experience, Huggies Little Snugglers was the only brand to have successive blowouts. When C was newborn, we used Pampers Swaddlers just in case she has sensitive skin. Now, we use Pampers Baby Dry. I know there are mixed reviews about the chemicals in this brand, but once we saw that C wasn't having any issues with them, we made these our first choice. Some nights she sleeps 14 hours, and while her diaper is full to the the max when she wakes up, there's never any dampness or leakage. Except for when Dad puts the diaper on wrong.
As far as quantities of diapers to buy, we had a few packs of size newborn, 1, and 2 already in the nursery and we just stocked up as we went along. I think it's easier to buy as you go because most places, including Walmart and Shoppers Drug, will not return diapers without a receipt. (Not sure about you, but I always lose receipts.)
Unless your baby has sensitive skin, I found that buying the expensive brand name wipes was a waste. We did that for the first couple of months and now we're on to the walmart brand that we buy in bulk. They're a little thinner than say, Huggies Natural Care Wipes (which are awesome), but you end up becoming so pro at wiping poop that you could use Kleenex and it wouldn't make a difference.
The nurses told us to use petroleum jelly after every changing. We did that and C never got a rash. Sometimes she gets a little red and we use Penaten Cream until the redness goes away.
Hope this longest post of life helps!
xo, Kiara
