Thursday, October 6, 2011

Baby items, yay or nay in my book



These are in NO particular order as I am just looking around my house at the items I have and remembering what I can.


1) Swing- A must have! This was the only way, ONLY way, our daughter slept for 6 months was in her swing. And yes, it was on ALL night. But she was up every 1.5-4 hours. I wish we would have gotten the swing that can go side to side and front to back. That will be on my wish list for our next baby.

2) Jumparoo-My daughter loves this. We started using it around 5 months. We also bought a stationary entertainment center and she actually CRIES every time we put her in it. She much prefers the jumparoo. We have the baby Einstein one. I actually bought the jumparoo and the stationary entertainer from people on craigslist, both for the price of one. And the seat covers can be washed in the washer and the equipment can be wiped down with Lysol and they are good as new!


3) Baby tub with hammock. We used this tub up until 2 weeks ago (she was 8.5 months old).


4) Nose bulb. No better way to get out those boogers. Also, saline drops are great for getting those boogies wet and loosened up so you can suck them out!


5) Blankets, blankets, BLANKETS!! For swaddling.


6) White noise machine or air filter


7) Leg warmers (WAY easier than dealing with pants! ) My favorite site is Babylegs . They have great deals, and newborn and baby sizes. And they are GREAT. One of my favorite baby items.


8) Diaper rash creams. I have desitin, but I found it really doesn't do much. Hydrocortisone + an antifungal work GREAT for diaper rash. I also bought A&D, and I like that better than desitin also. Side note-If your baby gets diaper rash, quit using the wipes and just use a soft rag with warm water, and make sure baby's bum is DRY before putting any cream on and the diaper.


9) Baby medicines: Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Tri-vol-sol vitamins, Hylands teething tablets, gas drops, GRIPE WATER! Gripe water was a life saver during those early days. Tylenol, ibuprofen for those days after shots and teething, and hylands teething tablets are all natural and dissolve very quickly in your baby's mouth for those nasty teething days! In case you don't know what Gripe Water is:



10) Baby bjorn-nay. We bought this and utilized it a lot in the beginning. We could sleep upright with her in a recliner semi-comfortably. But after a few months, I bought a Moby wrap after my online mommy's group kept raving about it, and I much prefer the MOBY wrap over the baby bjorn! Its way more comfortable, you can utilize different positions with the baby, and you can even breastfeed in it while doing dishes or cooking dinner! This is a MUST have item in my book!



11) Bassinet-Waste of money. It took up space and acted like a storage unit in our room until it made its way to the attic.


12) Pack and play-We just started utilizing it at 7 months. So I would say its great, but not something you need right away. Also, you don't need a crib right away if you plan on co-sleeping with your little one.


13) Binkies (no debate here, you either love them or hate them)-We use the soothies ONLY, so I am hoping it might be easier to wean her from these. But we use the wubbanub in this house. WUBBANUB is great! Its a stuffed animal (beanie baby like) that has a binkie attached to it. When she was younger, it was great because if she was swaddled and spit it out in the night, it wouldn't fall and she could wake up and find it with her mouth and go back to sleep. Now that she is older it is great because she will wake up at night, find it since its so large, and go back to sleep on her own. And it provides a stuffed animal to snuggle with. Here is a wubbanub :


14) Bottles-I bought the Playtex drop ins and the playtex ventaire. I love them both but found the ventaire are easier to use. Make sure you get slow flow nipples and medium flow nipples. Start with the flow and if your baby gets frustrated you might try the medium flow, but in my experience, it just made my baby choke because it was too much flow.


15) If you are going to utilize a breast pump, have milk storage bags ready to go. I really liked the lansolin bags


16) Washing detergent-Pick at your discretion. I like dreft, but I recommend buying tide, all or something that is free and clear, no odor detergent.


17) Baby soap and lotion-Pick what you like. But I recommend lotioning your baby once a day. Just because their skin isn't dry/flakey does not mean its hydrated. Their skin is very delicate and I think that you would find if you lotion everyday their skin absorbs it!


18) Bibs for the [endless] days of drool


19) High chair- definitely need this but not until you start solids, so maybe around 6 months.


20) We are a munchkin household. I really like their products for feeding baby.
-Mesh feeder, a must! Great for those foods that they can suck on but ensures they won't get a big chunk and choke
-Spoons (my daughter used their spoons with no problems! Other spoons like gerber were a no go)
-Bowls, great size for the portions you will feed your little one when you first start
-sippy cups, no leaks, interchangeable, easy to hold, and easy to suck out from


21) Baby q-tips-a MUST! Ensures you don't go too far in their ear lobe and they are efficient enough at drying and cleaning their ears after bath time Here is a link for baby Q-tips


22) Activity play mat-My daughter loved this right away. Great for tummy time!


23) Books! Read to your little one each day if you can. I found that small, hard books are more appealing to them when they are little


24) Grocery cart cover-I use to think these were ridiculous. But I have a petite babe, and she barely fits in the cart seat now, at 9 months, that at least with the cover if she flops around I don't have to worry about her banging her head on metal.


25) Stroller-Choose wisely. I knew nothing and just registered for the "cute" matching carseat and stroller travel set. The stroller was ok. It wasn't a smooth ride and it looked cute, but it just wasn't what I wanted in a stroller. We bought a baby trend and I love it, its a much smoother ride. If you do not buy a travel set, make sure your carseat can work with the stroller before making your purchase.


26) Extra base(s) for the carseat. Great for the infant carrier. Especially when my daughter goes between my husband and I, and my parents.


27) Babies R Us makes BPA free storage containers for food. Love them and they have held up well the last three months.


28) Diaper Genie-Love it! So glad we got one for the baby shower. Its super easy to use and it does a pretty good job at concealing the poopy odor. (Poopy odor gets way worse when you go from breast milk poops to real solid food poops)


29) Foam floor cover for hardwood floors. Love it! We bought ours from costco for, I think, $39.99.


30) Baby Einstein, Baby Neptune-Your discretion, but this was great for our daughter. It was an instant silencer when she was crying after a bath and didn't want to get lotioned up.


31) Changing table-Eh. You don't NEED. Especially by the time they are mobile (around 8 months) they have NO desire to be on the table!


32) Baby monitor! A Must have. We bought one with a camera, and its the only way I can sleep at night now that my daughter is in her own crib. Choose what works best for you. Their are ones, Angel Care, that will be placed under the mattress sheet to tell you if your baby stops breathing, and there's simple monitors that provide just sound.

33) Soother (for the crib) and/or Mobile-WASTE WASTE WASTE! All these did was stimulate my daugher and make her think crib time was PLAY time.


That's all I have for now... I'll add more as I think of them.

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