#1- baby carrier/wrap
This is my favorite baby product and will be my longest rant!
For me, this has been lifesaving. This allows for me to have two hands when cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, teaching in primary, eating out, going to movies (She has been to three already!), going on a walk with Koda, watching my nieces, going through the airport, or when she is cranky and wants to be held. There are many benefits to "baby wearing" besides being hands free. It helps strengthen their neck muscles and protects against flat head (This website was really interesting on flat heads http://www.candokiddo.com/news/flat-head-myths) I also found that as my hormones were sorting out postpartum I was very anxious. Wearing R really helped me through those first few weeks. (read about one babywearing helped one woman with postpartum depression http://www.scarymommy.com/babywearing-for-postpartum-depression/) I would say I probably use this baby product the most! I have the boba wrap and the infantino baby carrier. Both I love for different reasons.
I exclusively used the boba baby wrap from birth-8 weeks. I practiced tying it before she was born and would practice by putting Koda in it (poor Koda ha ha).
It keeps her really snug and warm. It's also super comfortable for me to wear. If I'm going to to run errands then I tie it before I leave my house so I'm not trying to do it in the parking lot. I needed help putting her in it the first couple times but now I'm pretty good at doing it on my own.
The material is stretchy and a little on the thicker side. It was perfect for my fall/winter baby but if I was having a summer baby I would probably look into the solly. I think baby wraps are less bulky than typical carriers so I felt comfortable wearing it to church with my dresses.
Starting about 8 weeks I started using the infantino more. This goes on easily and is great for when I'm going to be taking her in and out like if I'm running a bunch of errands or clothes shopping. Bradyn also likes wearing her in this more than the wrap. I find it easier to feed her a bottle in the carrier than the wrap because she can lean away from my body a little bit. Supposedly you can breast feed while they are in the wrap but we have yet to try that one. Personally I find the wrap more comfortable and supportive especially if I'm going to be walking a lot or wearing her for a long time. These are all factors I consider when choosing which one to carry her in. I honestly don't think I would be able to choose between the two. I love them both and use them both all the time.
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| Early Adventures |
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| Daddy sportin the wrap |
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| I love keeping her in the wrap when eating out |
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| Out on a walk |
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| Aunt C using the Infantino carrier |
#2- Fisher Price Rock-N-Play
Before coming home from the hospital they make you watch a video about having your baby sleep flat on their back. For the fist few weeks we had her in a typical cradle next to our bed. Around 6 weeks she started to struggle with reflux. Even on medication she was really uncomfortable and couldn't sleep flat. I would listen to her choke and gag and cough until pretty soon she was crying. She LOVED sleeping propped up on her boppy.
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| Her first night in the Rock-n-play and she slept through the night! |
#3- Baby sleep/feeding app
The first thing to go as a new sleep deprived mamma was my memory. I didn't matter if she ate 15 minutes ago... I couldn't remember to save my life. All the days kind of blur into one. I downloaded the app Baby Tracker and it really helped keep everything straight. You can track feeding time and type (nursing, pumped bottle, formula), sleeping, and pumping (even how much you have in the freezer. I personally used it for feedings and pumping.
#4- Lots of pajamas
When getting ready for a newborn it was so hard not to buy a million little outfits. In reality my baby only wore pajamas for the first 6 weeks- you know... the soft snaps/zipper footie kind. (with the exception of a handful of situations like church and stuff when I put forth the effort to wrangle my newborn into layers and layers of cuteness). Pajamas are more comfortable and honestly the first few weeks are about survival... for YOU and the baby. That means simplicity. So pick up a bunch of one piece jammies and get ready for lots of cuddles. As for what size... that depends. Everyone told me to only get a few newborn things because they would grow out them within the first week. Well at 13 weeks and she is finally grew out of the newborn clothes! I didn't want to buy more new born clothes because I was afraid she would grow out of them 2 days later. I washed her 3 pairs of pajamas A LOT haha.
#5- Swaddle
We've used a few different options for swaddling including receiving blankets, swaddling blankets, zip up swaddles, and velcro swaddles. Our current favorite is a basic velcro swaddle because she can't get out of it. Out of laziness I've tried putting her down without a swaddle and her arms are all over the place. I hear a lot of people say their babies don't like to be swaddled. For the first few minutes of being swaddled R kinda freaks out like she is trying to rip out of it but then she calms down. So definitely give swaddling a fair shot!
#6- Breast pump (only read if you are planning on breast feeding)
Insurances now cover breast pumps! I had a lot of people tell me to make sure I ordered one through my insurance before the baby came but I kept putting it off. Mostly because I didn't see why it was important. I'm going to tell you why I really really wish I had mine at the hospital and in the first few weeks. R had an Ok latch and she woke up to eat every two hours like clock work. She would nurse for 15 minutes per side and then would fall asleep and we would start all over again in another hour or so. Even with all the time I spent feeding her she was still losing weight fast and was borderline jaundice. They still discharged us but set up an appointment with the pediatrician for a day and a half. That night she started fighting feedings. She would latch for 20 seconds and then FREAK OUT. I would try different things like standing up and walking around, sitting in a dark room, playing white noise, skin to skin... Eventually after 20-40 minutes she would finally latch and nurse for about 10 minutes before falling asleep. We had no clue what was wrong. We thought she might have a sore in her mouth or the position of nursing was hurting her. It never occurred to me that my milk hadn't come in yet. After meeting with the pediatrician she told me to start pumping and supplementing with formula until my milk came in. Well I had ordered my pump just that day so it would be at least a week until I got it. Luckily you can rent them so don't panic if you find yourself in the same situation. After pumping for a few days my milk finally came in... about day 7-8 postpartum. In the mean time we supplemented and she finally started gaining weight. But now she refused to latch. I would just get her in position and she would start freaking out. I think she was maybe traumatized from all the times she wasn't getting any milk. Whatever the reason was... she just preferred the bottle. Which who wouldn't want there food drizzled into their mouth vs actually having to work for it ;) haha. We met with a lactation consultant and we discovered that even after 30 minutes of nursing she had only taken about .5 oz of milk (that's including the amount that we drizzled into her mouth as she tried to nurse) So basically she wasn't as good at nursing as we originally thought and she wasn't stimulating my breasts enough to tell my milk to come in. Looking back I really wish I would have had my pump with me to use after at least a few feedings while at the hospital and I will definitely plan on using it from the beginning with baby #2. But here we are 3 months later and my pump is still by my side... we are still exclusively pumping and while I wont say its going great... we are hanging in there and there are some definite pros. If you thing you might be interested in exclusively pumping check out this website http://exclusivepumping.com/. There are many reasons women choose to exclusively pump and this website goes in the ins and outs, shares success stories, and gives a lot of tips. There are also support groups on facebook! There is so much more that I could say about exclusively pumping but I will save that for another day.
#7- Boppy
I loved the boppy at the hospital while I was nursing but now that we aren't nursing we just threw away the boppy! Just kidding I use it 100 times a day. I love this thing. With the reflux we use it after every feeding to prop her up. She also doesn't like being flat on her stomach for tummy time so we use it to prop her up then. I also use it while I'm pumping. Confession... we have three boppies! This is a little excessive but I like having one in every room. :)
#8- Hulu/Netflix
I could not believe how tired I was starting from day one. Not only are you trying to recover from child birth but you only get 1 hour of sleep at a time. Especially during night time feedings I would find myself dozing off which would make feedings twice as long. Then when I started pumping I would wake up and feed R and then pump. That little routine took FOREVER and the only thing that made 2 am not seem so awful was seasons and seasons of Private Practice. I downloaded the app on my phone so I could use headphones and pick up where I left off no matter where I was at in the house.
#9- Owlet
I love this thing! I'm sure everyone has heard of it but if you haven't its a little device that goes on their foot and monitors their oxygen and heart rate. This information can be monitored from your phone. If there are any concerning stats then an alarm will go off. I was an anxious pregnant lady so I knew I would be that much more anxious as a new mom. This was a must for us. It was an extra set of eyes so I can worry just a little less. It doesn't replace safe sleeping conditions but is used to go over and beyond your efforts to keep your child safe. I know a lot of people who find it excessive but I think I can credit a lot of my sanity to this little device!
#10- Oxyclean
My mother-in-law introduced me to this product when R was 4 weeks old. She had already ruined multiple outfits with her scary explosive baby poop. I couldn't find anything to take the stains out. Turns out a little oxyclean does the trick! Some of the older stains (had been washed and dried already) I soaked for a few hours/over night. If it was fresh I would put the oxyclean right on the stain. Wa-la! Stain is gone! Super easy and painless. I used to be so anxious about her wearing some of my favorite outfits waiting for the dreaded blow out. Now it ain't no thang ;)
R is almost 4 months and we are still using all these products faithfully. I can't imagine stopping anytime soon!
3/24/2017- Update: R is 6 months. We still use oxyclean, the owlet, Hulu/netflix, lots of pajamas, boppy, and carrier/wrap (equally 50-50). We used everything on this list up until 5 months. At 5 months we transitioned from the rock-n-play to crib. At 6 months I stopped pumping. At 5 months she started wanting to face outward so I have started using the carrier more than I have in the past. I don't think Ill use the baby wrap for much longer because of this reason.
8/19/2017- Update: R is almost 1 year old. Out of all these products we still use oxyclean, the owlet, Hulu/netflix (probably will consider this a necessity forever), Pajamas (of course), and our carrier. She doesn't like the wrap because she wants to face outward. She weighs about 18 lbs and is just now starting to get a little too heavy for me.
1/28/2018- Update R is almost 18 months and we still use oxyclean, owlet, and tons of pajamas. And she loves her word party on netflix. She also loves sleeping on her boppy. It started when she had a cold and now its a must have for bed time. 2 weeks ago we added baby #2 to the mix. I use everything on this list on a daily basis except the feeding app. I used it in the hospital because the nurses ask you about feedings and diapers so it was nice to be able to look it up. But once we got home I found I was a little more laid back than I was with baby #1. I don't obsess over how many oz and he has a pee/poop diaper after every feed so I don't feel a need to keep track. I also use the baby carrier more than the baby wrap. Its just easier to take on and off with a toddler running around and easier to switch with my husband when we are out and about. I mostly use the wrap if I'm by myself with the baby
#6- Breast pump (only read if you are planning on breast feeding)
Insurances now cover breast pumps! I had a lot of people tell me to make sure I ordered one through my insurance before the baby came but I kept putting it off. Mostly because I didn't see why it was important. I'm going to tell you why I really really wish I had mine at the hospital and in the first few weeks. R had an Ok latch and she woke up to eat every two hours like clock work. She would nurse for 15 minutes per side and then would fall asleep and we would start all over again in another hour or so. Even with all the time I spent feeding her she was still losing weight fast and was borderline jaundice. They still discharged us but set up an appointment with the pediatrician for a day and a half. That night she started fighting feedings. She would latch for 20 seconds and then FREAK OUT. I would try different things like standing up and walking around, sitting in a dark room, playing white noise, skin to skin... Eventually after 20-40 minutes she would finally latch and nurse for about 10 minutes before falling asleep. We had no clue what was wrong. We thought she might have a sore in her mouth or the position of nursing was hurting her. It never occurred to me that my milk hadn't come in yet. After meeting with the pediatrician she told me to start pumping and supplementing with formula until my milk came in. Well I had ordered my pump just that day so it would be at least a week until I got it. Luckily you can rent them so don't panic if you find yourself in the same situation. After pumping for a few days my milk finally came in... about day 7-8 postpartum. In the mean time we supplemented and she finally started gaining weight. But now she refused to latch. I would just get her in position and she would start freaking out. I think she was maybe traumatized from all the times she wasn't getting any milk. Whatever the reason was... she just preferred the bottle. Which who wouldn't want there food drizzled into their mouth vs actually having to work for it ;) haha. We met with a lactation consultant and we discovered that even after 30 minutes of nursing she had only taken about .5 oz of milk (that's including the amount that we drizzled into her mouth as she tried to nurse) So basically she wasn't as good at nursing as we originally thought and she wasn't stimulating my breasts enough to tell my milk to come in. Looking back I really wish I would have had my pump with me to use after at least a few feedings while at the hospital and I will definitely plan on using it from the beginning with baby #2. But here we are 3 months later and my pump is still by my side... we are still exclusively pumping and while I wont say its going great... we are hanging in there and there are some definite pros. If you thing you might be interested in exclusively pumping check out this website http://exclusivepumping.com/. There are many reasons women choose to exclusively pump and this website goes in the ins and outs, shares success stories, and gives a lot of tips. There are also support groups on facebook! There is so much more that I could say about exclusively pumping but I will save that for another day.
#7- Boppy
I loved the boppy at the hospital while I was nursing but now that we aren't nursing we just threw away the boppy! Just kidding I use it 100 times a day. I love this thing. With the reflux we use it after every feeding to prop her up. She also doesn't like being flat on her stomach for tummy time so we use it to prop her up then. I also use it while I'm pumping. Confession... we have three boppies! This is a little excessive but I like having one in every room. :)
#8- Hulu/Netflix
I could not believe how tired I was starting from day one. Not only are you trying to recover from child birth but you only get 1 hour of sleep at a time. Especially during night time feedings I would find myself dozing off which would make feedings twice as long. Then when I started pumping I would wake up and feed R and then pump. That little routine took FOREVER and the only thing that made 2 am not seem so awful was seasons and seasons of Private Practice. I downloaded the app on my phone so I could use headphones and pick up where I left off no matter where I was at in the house.
#9- Owlet
I love this thing! I'm sure everyone has heard of it but if you haven't its a little device that goes on their foot and monitors their oxygen and heart rate. This information can be monitored from your phone. If there are any concerning stats then an alarm will go off. I was an anxious pregnant lady so I knew I would be that much more anxious as a new mom. This was a must for us. It was an extra set of eyes so I can worry just a little less. It doesn't replace safe sleeping conditions but is used to go over and beyond your efforts to keep your child safe. I know a lot of people who find it excessive but I think I can credit a lot of my sanity to this little device!
#10- Oxyclean
My mother-in-law introduced me to this product when R was 4 weeks old. She had already ruined multiple outfits with her scary explosive baby poop. I couldn't find anything to take the stains out. Turns out a little oxyclean does the trick! Some of the older stains (had been washed and dried already) I soaked for a few hours/over night. If it was fresh I would put the oxyclean right on the stain. Wa-la! Stain is gone! Super easy and painless. I used to be so anxious about her wearing some of my favorite outfits waiting for the dreaded blow out. Now it ain't no thang ;)
R is almost 4 months and we are still using all these products faithfully. I can't imagine stopping anytime soon!
3/24/2017- Update: R is 6 months. We still use oxyclean, the owlet, Hulu/netflix, lots of pajamas, boppy, and carrier/wrap (equally 50-50). We used everything on this list up until 5 months. At 5 months we transitioned from the rock-n-play to crib. At 6 months I stopped pumping. At 5 months she started wanting to face outward so I have started using the carrier more than I have in the past. I don't think Ill use the baby wrap for much longer because of this reason.
8/19/2017- Update: R is almost 1 year old. Out of all these products we still use oxyclean, the owlet, Hulu/netflix (probably will consider this a necessity forever), Pajamas (of course), and our carrier. She doesn't like the wrap because she wants to face outward. She weighs about 18 lbs and is just now starting to get a little too heavy for me.
1/28/2018- Update R is almost 18 months and we still use oxyclean, owlet, and tons of pajamas. And she loves her word party on netflix. She also loves sleeping on her boppy. It started when she had a cold and now its a must have for bed time. 2 weeks ago we added baby #2 to the mix. I use everything on this list on a daily basis except the feeding app. I used it in the hospital because the nurses ask you about feedings and diapers so it was nice to be able to look it up. But once we got home I found I was a little more laid back than I was with baby #1. I don't obsess over how many oz and he has a pee/poop diaper after every feed so I don't feel a need to keep track. I also use the baby carrier more than the baby wrap. Its just easier to take on and off with a toddler running around and easier to switch with my husband when we are out and about. I mostly use the wrap if I'm by myself with the baby
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