Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Baby Gear

Having a baby came with lots of fun shopping!  I scoured the internet for the perfect baby must-haves and couldn't find a complete list.  On Monday one of the blogs I follow posted a complete list of baby items and I love it!!  Here is the link to her blog:  A Cup Of Jo

And here are some of the items I have used so far (newborn stage) and loved:

Disposable Multi-Use Pads:  I can't tell you how many times Clara has peed on her changing table or we have accidentally dropped a poopy diaper on the table and luckily it landed on these disposable changing pads.  We also have one tucked under Clara's crib sheet in case she pees on her bed or spits up pretty heavily.  

Soothies: These were SO nice to have when breastfeeding.  They are ridiculously expensive put totally worth it!

My Brest Friend: I like this versus the boppy pillow because it offers a nice back support (I use over 4 pillows and my back still hurts!).  I got the professional version because the cover is plastic and very easy to wipe spills versus having to wash a cotton slipcover only to have it shrink in the wash and not fit your pillow- boo!

Sleep Bra:  When your milk comes in your breast will be pretty sore.  I bought this nursing sleep bra and really like it. 

Nipple Butter: Although I use Lansinoh Lanolin, the cream can be pretty rough on sore nipples.  So I use the nipple butter instead and get the same results and it goes on soft and smooth on your nipples.  Also, here is a great tip: Apply a pea size of lanolin in your breast shield so that when you pump your nipples won't scrape against the shield. 

Snuzzler: I recently started using this in Clara's bed.  She tends to flip over and covers her nose and it freaks me out!  I want to see her breathing!  This head support prevents her from planting her face down.

Miracle Blanket: I love this swaddling blanket!  It's fool proof and when you've had 2 hours of sleep and can't remember which corners tuck where, in comes the miracle blanket!  Since Clara was born in the summer she sweats a lot and there have been times where we only use the miracle blanket and a diaper for bedtime. 

Sound Machine:  Oh my!  We could not get through the night without this sleep wonder.  After a good feeding, bath and lullaby's, Clara would still be restless.  Enter: white noise!  Clara's favorite is the rain sound. Jon actually stripped the lamb of it's sound machine and so we use the sound machine without the lamb. This makes it easier to put near her. 

Hand Mittens: Babies don't have good control over their hands and they ends up scratching their beautiful little faces.  These mittens are so cute! I bought them at Target.

Enfamil Formula: If you are dog tired at the hospital or if your colostrum isn't bountiful, the hospital nursery will feed your baby these enfamil infant ready to use formula bottles.  On day 2 of my stay I decided to let the nursery feed my baby some formula.  When I came home I exclusively breast feed/pumped but on the occasion my breasts needed a break I gave my baby these ready to use formula bottles.  Beware, they don't come with the nipple. I purchased the nipples HERE. Yes they are pricey but very convenient.

Changing Pad Cover: These are so soft and lovely. I have the chocolate and Ecru. The Ecru is much prettier but I like having 2 on hand.   

Play Gym: Everyday Clara takes a trip to the jungle! I love this play gym.  It has everything you could ask for in a play gym.

Puj Tub: I love this little tub!  It's soft and fits perfectly in any standard size sink.  I can fold it away flat with one hand while holding my bebe.  I know it's a little pricey but when you are a new mom and water = slippery baby, you will be very grateful for this little tub.

Bath Toy: I use these everytime Clara has a bath.  They hold water well and are so cute!   

Bath Sponge: This is the best baby sponge ever!  It is so soft and I feel like it gets Clara super clean. 

Disney Bodysuit: These are great!  The price is decent and the quality is very sturdy.  I feel like it will grow with her and I like that it has adjustable clasps because not all babies are the same size.

Bouncer: This is nice for when you want to take a shower.  It's small and fits nicely in your bathroom which is where my bouncer lives. 

Baby Nail Scissors: These are great for cutting baby nails.  Jon prefers them than the nail clippers.  

Diaper Bag: I purchased 3 diaper bags, petunia pickle bottom, (this is the one I own) juju bee, and skip hop. By far my favorite is the skip hop.  It has so many pockets which keeps things organized. It also hangs on your stroller without the need for diaper bag clips.  I like that it has a middle zipper which you can zip down to add more room in your bag or zip up for lighter days.  The petunia has a neat diaper station which is useful for when you don't have a diaper changing station near by- I also love the glaze feel to it.  The jujubee has a magnetic clips which are so nice when you are balancing your baby and trying to grab things out of your bag.

Johnson face wipes:  I use these when I don't give Clara a bath.  I tell Jon, "babe, will you Johnson wipe Clara please?" They smell good and I feel like Clara gets clean :)

Changing Table: I love my jenny lind changing table.  The price is good and the table is sturdy and classic looking.  I paired it with some cute baskets which is a good way to tie in your nursery theme.

Soothie the pacifier: These are given to babies at the hospital.  I wasn't originally going to give Clara a pacifier but it sure beats using my nipple as a pacifier (which is what she was doing for a week before I gave in to the pacifier). I went out and bought 4!

Swing:  I broke down and purchased a swing since Clara wanted to be held 24/7 which didn't allow me room for cleaning or cooking. She doesn't like the front to back motion and prefers the side to side instead.  (I know -how picky!)

NightLite: This is nice for when you don't want to turn on the lights which can wake the baby.

Co-Sleeper: This is Clara's first bed.  She had a bout with acid reflux which caused her to choke (and me to totally freak out!!) so we currently have her sleeping with us in the bed. I place the snuzzler in the cosleeper and wrap her in the swaddling blanket and place the sound machine in the cosleeper and have the nightlite next to her while she sucks on her pacifier. This is what we do EVERY single night!

3 comments:

Michelle Knight said...

Isn't it amazing how much STUFF a tiny person needs?? But it's true that it doesn't take very long for a new mommy to become an expert on what is useful. It's fun to read about this fun new journey you are on! Mommyhood is so fun.

Vanessa said...

Holy cow... after all that stuff in bed with you do you have room for your husband?
I love baby stuff.

Janelle said...

Wow to all of those things. I definitely use the white noise, but I just bought a CD online and put it on repeat instead of paying for a machine. I also swaddle my baby and use binkies and lots of those other fun things.

It's a bummer that the hospital didn't send you home with the nipples for the Enfamil formula bottles. My hospital does so I haven't had to buy any, although I bottle feed now so I have lots of bottle nipples that fit.

I had no doubt that you would buy anything and everything your little Clara would need, and with style!