so i figured since i have many friends who are either pregnant for the first time, have a newborn babe, or are about to get married and plan on starting a fam soon (afterall, we are mormon...saa) i thought it would be a good idea to share with you some of my most favourite baby products/must-haves and also let you in on some things you don't actually need. There is a lot of stuff you feel like you should get and there's a bazillion different brands out there. I was feeling overwhelmed with all the advice and wondered if all of the things everybody said was actually needed or just "nice to have". For those of you who are on a limited budget like me and not sure what to spend your $$ on ... here are my top 14 favs that may become your favs too! (these aren't really in a order. whatever came to mind is what i did next)
1.okay, i know that i said these weren't in any order ... well i lied on this one. This one is my absolute number one pick for new moms/moms to be. It is a must have. Seriously... after reading this post you all need to go buy one. They're $22 and worth every penny--except i actually have been borrowing my good sister's for a while, but that's besides the point. I would totally buy a new one right now. So, what is it? It's exactly what it says, a snotsucker. You put one end in your baby's nose and the other in your mouth and you suck the snot out of that babe like there's no tomorrow. Not once will you ever, EVER inhale snot into your mouth because of their flawless filter system, and it also disassembles for easy cleaning. The other snot suckers where you just use your hand don't compare in any way, shape, or form. You have to use your mouth. This is thee absolute best. (all right, i need to calm the heck down.)
2. annnndd moving on. I got these hand and face wipes for a gift and I seriously love them. They are so soft on Laikyn's skin, and although they say hand and face, i only ever used them on her face. I figured that bum wipes would do the trick just the same for her grimy hands.
3. There are a lot of bum creams out there, but none of them can do the job like Desitin can. I also received this as a gift and haven't even used the whole tube yet, but out of the three different kinds i have (including Zincofax and Butt Paste) this has proved to work on her rash and has eliminated it often times with only one use. Butt Paste is a close second though, so if it's a little cheaper, i would go for that the next time i buy it.
4.Ovol drops saved my mental insanity for while there. When Laikyn turned 3 weeks old and up until about 3 months old, her gas was wild, ferocious, and downright nasty. She would scream and arch her back out of pain because she couldn't pass it out of her system. These drops worked wonders for her! (i also had to give a dose of alcohol-free gripe water along side of it every now and again, which helped.) Like i said, i stopped using them at 3 months, but these drops were lifesavers for me. ***side note: if you are going to get these or are currently using them, make sure you give her the proper dosage right before the feed, not after! it works 100 times better that way.
5. A breast pump is totally essential for those of us who are lucky enough to be able to breastfeed. It makes nursing so much more convenient during times like travelling, when you need to go somewhere and you have to leave the babe at home, and many other instances that i'm drawing a blank on right now. The Medela Swing (as shown) is the one i have. They're about 200 new. I bought mine second-hand and I used it every day and would still use it every day except i didn't clean it well enough and got milk into the motor so it's temporarily out of commission. The Swing has been awesome, and the best part about it is that you don't always need to plug it in for it to run. It has a battery option, which is nice if you need to pump while on the go.
6.Medela also has invented a great way to clean your bottles, soothers, pumps, snot suckers, and all other baby-related, plastic things. All you do is fill these sanitizer bags with the right amount of water and throw it into the microwave for the time that it says to do. They come out steaming hot, but don't worry, there's a spout built into the side of the bag so you don't have to burn yourself. They're genius i tell you, genius!
7. Gumdrop soothers are the only soothers that Laikyn will use now. I find that they are the best at mimicking the actual shape of the nipple. However, there is a down side to them: when your baby starts to get top teeth, they are known to push them forward. But don't let that stop you from getting them! I haven't heard of any child that hasn't been able to switch when they are that old, plus many kids stop taking soothers by that age altogether.
8. I don't use baby Vaseline all the much anymore, but when Laikyn was a newborn i used it after during every diaper change. The reason why i put it on her bum all the time was because it made it SO much easier to wipe when she happened to poop the next time. (and let me clarify, when i say "i put it on her bum" i mean the bum cheeks.) You don't need this big of a size if you want to save some money, but i figured i would use it for every child i had next and because it doesn't go bad, i just bought the large size anyway.
9. If I could do it over again, I wouldn't have bought a jogger-stroller and just bought a bike trailer right off the bat with a jogger wheel attachment. Now that Laikyn is older, the bike trailer is really all we need. However, the jogger was super nice to be able to clip the carseat into really fast when she was a newborn, so i don't know actually. But what i do know is that if you're debating on whether you should get a bike trailer or not, debate no more! Get one. And get a Croozer. They're cheaper than a Chariot and they work just a great and --dare i say it?-- maybe even better than a Chariot! (i will not be held accountable for anyone that buys the Croozer and comes to the opinion that it actually isn't as good. this is just my humble opinion, y'all. do with it as you like)
10. You all need a bottle brush, and you need a bottle brush that has a nipple brush attached to it. I have the one in the pic above and it's working great for me. They're like 3 bucks at Walmart or something. Get one if you love your baby.
11. Anyone think I'm a fan of Medela yet?? Well, i used their Tender Care nipple cream for nursing and it must've worked because I never had a single crack or bleed while breastfeeding (Laikyn was also a great nurser, so that always helps!!) put it on as often as you can. even before you actually have your baby. Those puppies get sore. Word on the street says it's better than Lanolin.
12. This swing has made being a mom a whole lot easier, and that is the exact swing i use. It's called My Little Lamb Cradle and Swing by Fisher Price. You can get them at Toys R Us, but i got mine secondhand for 40 bucks. It comes with six swing speeds, music, a mobile, a mirror to keep them entertained, a detachable tray, straps, and you can also change the direction of the swing to make them swing either side to side or front to back. Mine is an older model so it is annoying that it runs on battery power, but i've done some research and the new ones can plug in! She loves taking naps in this swing and she will swing during a whole 2-hour nap! (fyi, i know that they caution against that.)
13. A soother clip. These are a great thing to have because as i said in Since Becoming A Mom those soothers will bounce around your house like Tigger hyped up on honey, and they will get lost. and you will have to buy more. so keep those soothers locked up. **make sure when you buy your soother clip that it fits the soother you are using! they are lots of different soothers; ergo, there are lots of different soother clips. match 'em up, folks.
14. Last but not least, the infamous bumper pads. The ones in the pic aren't mesh, but i would recommend that those who are worried about your baby suffocating from them buy those kinds. You can get them anywhere now. If you want to make your own like I did, there are tons of tutorials on how to do that online! I wasn't worried about her suffocating. I figured by the time she was old enough to roll around close to a bumper pad, she was old enough to move herself away. Plus, nobody likes to sleep with their limb through some railings. That's just what i think. I'm not telling you to go one way or the other. Make up your own mind and do what's best for you and your baby.
<--------------things you actually don't need----------------->2. annnndd moving on. I got these hand and face wipes for a gift and I seriously love them. They are so soft on Laikyn's skin, and although they say hand and face, i only ever used them on her face. I figured that bum wipes would do the trick just the same for her grimy hands.
3. There are a lot of bum creams out there, but none of them can do the job like Desitin can. I also received this as a gift and haven't even used the whole tube yet, but out of the three different kinds i have (including Zincofax and Butt Paste) this has proved to work on her rash and has eliminated it often times with only one use. Butt Paste is a close second though, so if it's a little cheaper, i would go for that the next time i buy it.
4.Ovol drops saved my mental insanity for while there. When Laikyn turned 3 weeks old and up until about 3 months old, her gas was wild, ferocious, and downright nasty. She would scream and arch her back out of pain because she couldn't pass it out of her system. These drops worked wonders for her! (i also had to give a dose of alcohol-free gripe water along side of it every now and again, which helped.) Like i said, i stopped using them at 3 months, but these drops were lifesavers for me. ***side note: if you are going to get these or are currently using them, make sure you give her the proper dosage right before the feed, not after! it works 100 times better that way.
5. A breast pump is totally essential for those of us who are lucky enough to be able to breastfeed. It makes nursing so much more convenient during times like travelling, when you need to go somewhere and you have to leave the babe at home, and many other instances that i'm drawing a blank on right now. The Medela Swing (as shown) is the one i have. They're about 200 new. I bought mine second-hand and I used it every day and would still use it every day except i didn't clean it well enough and got milk into the motor so it's temporarily out of commission. The Swing has been awesome, and the best part about it is that you don't always need to plug it in for it to run. It has a battery option, which is nice if you need to pump while on the go.
6.Medela also has invented a great way to clean your bottles, soothers, pumps, snot suckers, and all other baby-related, plastic things. All you do is fill these sanitizer bags with the right amount of water and throw it into the microwave for the time that it says to do. They come out steaming hot, but don't worry, there's a spout built into the side of the bag so you don't have to burn yourself. They're genius i tell you, genius!
7. Gumdrop soothers are the only soothers that Laikyn will use now. I find that they are the best at mimicking the actual shape of the nipple. However, there is a down side to them: when your baby starts to get top teeth, they are known to push them forward. But don't let that stop you from getting them! I haven't heard of any child that hasn't been able to switch when they are that old, plus many kids stop taking soothers by that age altogether.
8. I don't use baby Vaseline all the much anymore, but when Laikyn was a newborn i used it after during every diaper change. The reason why i put it on her bum all the time was because it made it SO much easier to wipe when she happened to poop the next time. (and let me clarify, when i say "i put it on her bum" i mean the bum cheeks.) You don't need this big of a size if you want to save some money, but i figured i would use it for every child i had next and because it doesn't go bad, i just bought the large size anyway.
9. If I could do it over again, I wouldn't have bought a jogger-stroller and just bought a bike trailer right off the bat with a jogger wheel attachment. Now that Laikyn is older, the bike trailer is really all we need. However, the jogger was super nice to be able to clip the carseat into really fast when she was a newborn, so i don't know actually. But what i do know is that if you're debating on whether you should get a bike trailer or not, debate no more! Get one. And get a Croozer. They're cheaper than a Chariot and they work just a great and --dare i say it?-- maybe even better than a Chariot! (i will not be held accountable for anyone that buys the Croozer and comes to the opinion that it actually isn't as good. this is just my humble opinion, y'all. do with it as you like)
10. You all need a bottle brush, and you need a bottle brush that has a nipple brush attached to it. I have the one in the pic above and it's working great for me. They're like 3 bucks at Walmart or something. Get one if you love your baby.
11. Anyone think I'm a fan of Medela yet?? Well, i used their Tender Care nipple cream for nursing and it must've worked because I never had a single crack or bleed while breastfeeding (Laikyn was also a great nurser, so that always helps!!) put it on as often as you can. even before you actually have your baby. Those puppies get sore. Word on the street says it's better than Lanolin.
12. This swing has made being a mom a whole lot easier, and that is the exact swing i use. It's called My Little Lamb Cradle and Swing by Fisher Price. You can get them at Toys R Us, but i got mine secondhand for 40 bucks. It comes with six swing speeds, music, a mobile, a mirror to keep them entertained, a detachable tray, straps, and you can also change the direction of the swing to make them swing either side to side or front to back. Mine is an older model so it is annoying that it runs on battery power, but i've done some research and the new ones can plug in! She loves taking naps in this swing and she will swing during a whole 2-hour nap! (fyi, i know that they caution against that.)
13. A soother clip. These are a great thing to have because as i said in Since Becoming A Mom those soothers will bounce around your house like Tigger hyped up on honey, and they will get lost. and you will have to buy more. so keep those soothers locked up. **make sure when you buy your soother clip that it fits the soother you are using! they are lots of different soothers; ergo, there are lots of different soother clips. match 'em up, folks.
14. Last but not least, the infamous bumper pads. The ones in the pic aren't mesh, but i would recommend that those who are worried about your baby suffocating from them buy those kinds. You can get them anywhere now. If you want to make your own like I did, there are tons of tutorials on how to do that online! I wasn't worried about her suffocating. I figured by the time she was old enough to roll around close to a bumper pad, she was old enough to move herself away. Plus, nobody likes to sleep with their limb through some railings. That's just what i think. I'm not telling you to go one way or the other. Make up your own mind and do what's best for you and your baby.
there are just a few things i can think of that you actually don't really need to have if you want to cut back on some mula:
1.baby powder. I used this a couple times when Laikyn was super chubby and it was hard to get into all the crevices when i wiped, but i never bought it again. If you have a baby boy, then i'd say you definitely don't need it ever ... except when you go a while without showering and you need something for your greasy blonde hair to soak up.
2.baby oil. does anybody even really know what this is for??
3.a ramp to put your baby in while bathing. the baby won't stay in anyway and they'll be freezing the whole time if they do. go and buy a foam mat to lay them on. it soaks up some water to keep them warmer than a ramp, and they can't slide off. My mom found one at Toys R Us for me and it worked great.
4.a diaper genie. (i heard these don't work that well anyway) but i bought myself the cutest litte trash can from Ikea and it's been working great! plus it looks darling in her nursery. when i open that lid, i can't believe the stench that it's holding it. it's so nasty and i'm so impressed that it's holding up even now that her poops are solid and rank! But in all honesty, half the time you stick the poopy diaper in a grocery bag and throw it right outside, so you don't really need a cute trash can either.
5.a vibrator/bouncy chair thing. Laikyn never liked this and always preferred the swing. I would never tell someone to buy one of them new. They're always being sold online for cheap. (i wonder why? ... ha)
6. Nursing bra. The day i stopped nursing through a nursing bra was the day i became pro at nursing in public. Trust me, it's a pain and makes the process of latching on wayyy more difficult and time-consuming than it needs to be. Which leads me to my next item...
7. Nursing garments. Don't buy these. It's a really great idea/invention, but you can only use them while wearing a nursing bra and if you take my advice in #6, you won't need 'em. The fastest way to get your baby latched on is to just pull your whole garment up and your bra as well. Just slide her/him underneath and when they're done, just pull it down and you're good to go. No more trying to clip that bra back together or making sure your garments are covering your boob. You'll be pulling your baby on and off faster than your hubby can finish saying Hakuna Matata. (if you're wondering if your bra will stay up without you having to hold it the whole time, it will. remember that they're slightly larger than they were before.)
8. A carseat cover that attaches to the handle and canopies over your baby. You know what i mean? This one might be good to have on the not-so-windy days, but if you live in southern Alberta, this don't do you much good and cause more frustration than anything good, really. I would suggest to cover you baby up with ones that attach to the actually seat and zip up. They seem to work better in the wind and keep your baby warmer.
i can't think of anything else, but if i do i'll just add it to the list and keep you guys updated. and if you have any tips for me or things that you've come to love/don't really need, leave a comment so everyone can benefit from your greatness! Happy mothering!1.baby powder. I used this a couple times when Laikyn was super chubby and it was hard to get into all the crevices when i wiped, but i never bought it again. If you have a baby boy, then i'd say you definitely don't need it ever ... except when you go a while without showering and you need something for your greasy blonde hair to soak up.
2.baby oil. does anybody even really know what this is for??
3.a ramp to put your baby in while bathing. the baby won't stay in anyway and they'll be freezing the whole time if they do. go and buy a foam mat to lay them on. it soaks up some water to keep them warmer than a ramp, and they can't slide off. My mom found one at Toys R Us for me and it worked great.
4.a diaper genie. (i heard these don't work that well anyway) but i bought myself the cutest litte trash can from Ikea and it's been working great! plus it looks darling in her nursery. when i open that lid, i can't believe the stench that it's holding it. it's so nasty and i'm so impressed that it's holding up even now that her poops are solid and rank! But in all honesty, half the time you stick the poopy diaper in a grocery bag and throw it right outside, so you don't really need a cute trash can either.
5.a vibrator/bouncy chair thing. Laikyn never liked this and always preferred the swing. I would never tell someone to buy one of them new. They're always being sold online for cheap. (i wonder why? ... ha)
6. Nursing bra. The day i stopped nursing through a nursing bra was the day i became pro at nursing in public. Trust me, it's a pain and makes the process of latching on wayyy more difficult and time-consuming than it needs to be. Which leads me to my next item...
7. Nursing garments. Don't buy these. It's a really great idea/invention, but you can only use them while wearing a nursing bra and if you take my advice in #6, you won't need 'em. The fastest way to get your baby latched on is to just pull your whole garment up and your bra as well. Just slide her/him underneath and when they're done, just pull it down and you're good to go. No more trying to clip that bra back together or making sure your garments are covering your boob. You'll be pulling your baby on and off faster than your hubby can finish saying Hakuna Matata. (if you're wondering if your bra will stay up without you having to hold it the whole time, it will. remember that they're slightly larger than they were before.)
8. A carseat cover that attaches to the handle and canopies over your baby. You know what i mean? This one might be good to have on the not-so-windy days, but if you live in southern Alberta, this don't do you much good and cause more frustration than anything good, really. I would suggest to cover you baby up with ones that attach to the actually seat and zip up. They seem to work better in the wind and keep your baby warmer.
cheers
oh man, I forgot my #2 favourite baby product of all time! but I thought they were a given so I just neglected it .... Aden + Anais swaddler blankets are a must! no other blankets wrap up your babies as tight and stay wrapped up!
and I forgot to say that you shouldn't invest in a video baby monitor. They are so expensive and addicting -- seriously, everyone who owns one says that all they do is watch their babies. Buy a cheaper one that only lets you hear them. It'll save you money, time, and your sanity
oh man, I forgot my #2 favourite baby product of all time! but I thought they were a given so I just neglected it .... Aden + Anais swaddler blankets are a must! no other blankets wrap up your babies as tight and stay wrapped up!
and I forgot to say that you shouldn't invest in a video baby monitor. They are so expensive and addicting -- seriously, everyone who owns one says that all they do is watch their babies. Buy a cheaper one that only lets you hear them. It'll save you money, time, and your sanity
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