Recently I've had a few friends either have new babies, get pregnant or have a sibling or close friend who's pregnant contact me about my "must haves". So I started to think about what I have loved in these last 9 months. I know there are a million of these lists out there and every baby/family is different so people will have to see what works for them. But this will allow me to have the list accessible if anyone asks for it and/or if Chad and I decide to take this crazy journey again. The jury is still out on that one. ;)
Before getting to the products, the best advice we've been given and what others will constantly hear is "it gets better." It really does. A very good friend of mine checked in with me regularly to ask if I recommended having kids and if it was worth it. Frankly, the first two months I told her honestly and regularly that she would have to check back with me on that. I knew that I loved Alaina and there were truly amazing moments. But sometimes those were hard to remember. That started fading around 6 weeks. I kept reading and hearing that it would get better (and boy did I cling to that!) but no one really identified when. So, I am reminding myself (and you) now, it's not until 6 weeks that you start feeling like a human being again. It's not until 6 months that you start understanding how people go on to have a second child. The other advice we heard a lot--"Sleep when the baby sleeps." Yea. Good luck with that.
In terms of "things," we (/I) made a lot of our decisions based on the Baby Bargains book plus Internet research and reading reviews on Amazon, Babies R Us, and Target. Also, this is the longest blog post ever. You've been warned.
Probably our most used baby item is the Fisher Price Rock 'n Play sleeper. I cannot say enough good things about it. Alaina has slept in it since her first night home and she loves it. Basically it's like a bassinet/seat that provides a cozy nest that keeps her head elevated. This helps reduce spit up, post nasal drip, and reflux. It also makes for an easier trip out of your arms when sleeping because it's so cozy and it's not as close to the ground as a crib mattress. It is super light and can be carried or scooted (it doesn't scoot all that well on carpet) from room to room. It was easy for me to put together with no tools and the cover is machine washable. It will probably be my most gifted item (I've already given two). If I'm coming to your baby shower, expect this as my present. :) The only downside is that it makes transitioning to a crib a bit harder because it's so cozy. It goes up to 25 pounds. Alaina is about 18 pounds and she probably has outgrown it in terms of length even though she's a shorty. But we haven't transitioned her out of it yet. Soon.
I also should note the negative Amazon reviews. These primarily center on flat head syndrome. In the first couple of months we did notice that Alaina had a flat spot but we had her pediatrician look at it and we kept our eye on it. With increased time on her tummy and sitting up, this has not been an issue. I would watch my child for such a problem but I wouldn't hesitate to use it or recommend it in the future. Another thing to note is that I spent a lot of time worrying the first month or so about how she was placed in it--I was terrified that she was too scrunched and she might stop breathing in the middle of the night. Chad had to wake up a lot to roll over and make sure she was still breathing for me (the rock n play is on his side of the bed). However, I am guessing that was more new mom paranoia than any fault of the sleeper. That said, we do always try to place her head as far up as possible.
{update: there was a recent, voluntary recall by fisher price due to reports of mold growing under the removable pad. This is apparently resolved in newer models but I'd recommend cleaning the pad weekly or whenever soiled (it comes off easily to wash/dry in the machine) and inspecting for signs of mold. If you do find mold/mildew, instructions for cleaning the product can be found here. This does not change my recommendation of the product.}
The other thing we use multiple times a day is Aden & Anais muslin swaddling blankets. These are so soft (and get softer the more you wash them) and are a perfect size and weight for swaddling. Here is Alaina swaddled with an A&A blanket, in the rock n play. Her first night home. Sniff sniff.
Even at 8 months, she still fits in the rock n play. Though it certainly is looking a lot smaller.
It's not an item, but I don't know if I could live without the Baby Connect app on my phone. It helped me track nursing, pumping, diapers, bottles, sleep, weight, etc. It is perfect for anyone who is detail oriented or obsessive. It even creates charts and schedules of your day. You can also track multiple kids or caregivers, milestones, moods, etc. My favorite app so far.
I spent a lot of time trying to decide on a travel system. I had heard a lot of complaints about traditional systems because they were heavy and bulky. We ultimately got a separate infant car seat and stroller. We got the Chicco KeyFit 30 car seat which we like. It isn't too heavy and it was fairly easy (so I hear) to install. It has a nice level on it that shows if it's in correctly. I've experienced only two down sides--1) The material makes it easier for babies to get hot and 2) the base is installed in the middle with the seatbelt and it doesn't always seem as secure as I would like so we frequently readjust it.
We also got the Baby Jogger City Mini stroller which we love. We bought an adaptor so we could pop the infant seat on like a traditional travel system for when she was younger and we didn't want to wake her when getting out of the car. The stroller is insanely lightweight and folds up easily. It has a pretty small foot print and handles well. There isn't a toy bar, food tray, or cup holder but all of those can be purchased.
I did also buy a cute car seat canopy on etsy to match the stroller. It gets more compliments than anything (even at the drive-thru window!).
I apparently did not have a picture of our set up so I've just taken one from google images so that you can see how the infant car seat can be used with the stroller.
Babies are fickle little creatures. What works for one baby, doesn't work for another. Even worse, what works for one baby one day, may not work the very next day (...or hour). That's why companies can make so much money off parents who have to buy five different items that basically all do the same thing. This is true for bouncers, swings, baby papasans, etc. as well as exersaucers and jumpers. But you buy them because you just hope one will work. At least some of the time.
Alaina has the Fisher Price Snugabunny swing and bouncer. Both are super soft and comfortable. She has liked both at times, and has hated both at times. She is close to outgrowing them and we've not used them much in the last couple of months. But I would say both were worth it. The swing is great because you can plug it in and that will save a ton of batteries. It goes in two or three directions, places music or nature sounds, and has birds that "fly" above the seat. From about 2 weeks through 5 months we probably used the swing twice daily. So certainly worth it. She didn't like the bouncer at first but after she got a bit bigger she would sit in it for 20 minutes or so while I pumped or put away dishes. It has a nice vibrating seat and the music or nature sounds it plays is also very tolerable.
Alaina has an exersaucer that was given to us by a friend. She was able to start using it around 4 months and she still really enjoys playing in it. We opted not to buy a jumparoo but I do think she would love that as well. Our house just already looks like a Babies R Us train hit us so I don't think we could handle another big item.
Baby mats/gyms are another thing that I would say is worth buying or registering for. We started using ours when she was about 3 weeks old and she still gets excited when she sees it. Ours is the Skip Hop treetop friends activity gym. It has all different kinds of textures and fun hanging toys. In addition to laying on the mat, she enjoys sitting on the outside of it and playing with the hanging toys.
Alaina also loves her Bumbo seat. She sits in it to watch the dogs when they are being fed (this is her favorite!) as well as I use it some mornings to feed her oatmeal (because putting her in the high chair just seems so difficult, haha). We are lucky that her thunder thighs still fit in it because I've heard a lot of kiddoes outgrow it fairly early. I believe we put her in it around 12 weeks. Whenever it was, she had really good head control but wasn't sitting yet. I should note that the Bumbo has been recalled and has since included a seat belt. We would never leave Alaina unattended or put the Bumbo on an elevated surface. You shouldn't either. Even with a seat belt.
I have a love/hate relationship with the Sleep Sheep. On the one hand, it works great for us. In the early days, I could swaddle Alaina and turn on the ocean waves sound and her eyes would magically close. But, it inexplicably has a 23 or 45 minute timer. It should go indefinitely. She often wakes up the moment the sound stops so I have to decide if it is worth risking going in to restart it. So buying a sound machine would be a better bet. Some recommend playing radio static but that would make me absolutely insane. We have a sleep sounds CD that we will try when we transition her into her own room. I smell a New Years resolution coming...
I love my Petunia Pickle Bottom boxy backpack diaper bag. I got it as a "splurge" birthday present last year (for about 50% off!). It's a cute pattern that gets a lot of compliments. It can be used as a shoulder bag or a backpack and it has a removable changing pad, and big pockets on the inside and out. I am sure I would like it even more if I didn't stuff it full every time I left the house. However, I currently am able to keep an extra blanket, a shirt for me (long story for how I learned that is necessary...), an extra outfit for Alaina, 2 bibs, 2 burp cloths, 4-6 diapers, diaper rash cream, hand lotion, an ice pack cooler with bottles, and toys inside and my keys, phone, kleenex, and hand sanitizer in the outside pocket.
In terms of other random things--we now swear by triple paste diaper cream. We tried mustela and butt paste before that. I like the Safety 1st sleepy baby nail clippers. It has a light on it which helps you find the finger/toe nail. Though I'll be honest, it's almost impossible to cut her nails at this point. She hates it.
For bibs I almost always use Green sprouts. They are terry cloth, absorbent and the velcro is pretty strong (it resists Alaina trying to pull them off most of the time). There is something to be said for snap bibs but I really like the green sprout ones. There are tons of great colors, too and I try to always match her bib to her outfit. Our favorite burp cloths are just colored cloth diapers that I picked up at a consignment sale. They are big and absorbent. The gerber cloth diaper burp cloths (and many other thin ones) are dangerous if you have a heavy spitter. You might as well not have one at all.
Who knew there could be such diverging opinions on sleepers? Some people swear by gowns for the first few months. They make middle of the night diaper changes a breeze. But they also tend to ride up and they don't have feet. Chad has a strong preference for footed zipper sleepers. I liked the button up ones. We do a mix of both. I'll tell you what I do not like--the microfleece sleepers. They look all comfortable on the website and then you get them and they look like they will cause your baby to sweat and they feel funny. NOT a fan. We also rarely use the two-piece pjs because they don't have feet and Alaina's big ole belly pops out of the shirt. I thought we would use the halo sleep sacks more than we have so far but perhaps that's because we still swaddle and she isn't in her crib yet. Oops. In terms of sleepers and clothes in general, we've been really happy with Carters, Children's Place, Gymboree, and Baby Gap.
Like many babies, Alaina LOVES to be held. That's when she is happiest. I have not mastered the art of babywearing but she did really enjoy being held in the Moby Wrap and being carried in the Beco Gemini. It was a great way to get a few things done around the house but I haven't used them enough to really endorse them. Both did hurt my back somewhat but that was probably user error.
If breast feeding, I really liked Lanisoh nursing pads. I found the Medela ones too bulky and the Nuk ones scratchy and uncomfortable. Target makes really affordable nursing tanks that I basically lived in for 9 months. If you're formula feeding, I think Dr. Brown's formula pitcher is a must-have.
Lots of things are personal choice or we used but don't know if there was a better alternative. We used Medela bottles (also tried tommee tippee which we didn't like) and my pump was also medela. We use pampers swaddler diapers and sensitive wipes. I wanted to try cloth diapering but Chad was very against it. Given that he changes his fair share of diapers and I'm already always behind on laundry, it wasn't worth it to push him on this. So we couldn't have lived without the Diaper Genie. Well, maybe we could have but it would have been unpleasant. People either love these or hate them. We love it. And are so glad it's not the weird sausage linked bags of the past. Because that was just gross.
We make all of Alaina's baby food. This is not as daunting as one might think. We did not get a baby food maker. Instead I just use a steamer basket (e.g., pears, carrots, green beans) or oven (e.g., sweet potatoes) and the food processor to purée. The website wholesome baby foods is amazing. If we tried baby led weaning, it would be even easier. But currently I just make a batch of 1-2 purees and portion them in ice cube containers. Once frozen, I put them in labeled/dated ziploc bags. Super easy. We have the Graco DuoDiner high chair. I had my eye on the boon but just couldn't justify the price, even on sale.
As I've been thinking about these things, I also thought about items that were a waste of money or we didn't use:
We purchased a bottle sterilizer and dishwasher basket and have never used either. We hand wash all bottles and sterilize them with boiling water. The dishwasher basket is ridiculously tiny.
We never used a wipe warmer. I can see the appeal of this but I read reviews and most seemed to dry the wipes out. Alaina never seemed to have a problem with cold wipes.
We also never used a bottle warmer. We just put the bottle in a cup full of hot water for 3-5 minutes. A warmer would probably come in handy while traveling but we've made do.
If you hung in there until the end, good for you (or wow, you were bored!). Hopefully there was something helpful in there. If nothing else, it will help me to remember what I like/didn't like once the first year amnesia sets in.
