As my baby shower approached, I browsed the aisles and website of Babies R Us aimlessly, having no clue what items we would REALLY need for our little one. Aside from the obvious essentials like carseats, strollers, diapers, etc, I didn't have any idea which gadgets would be used religiously, and which ones would collect dust in the back of her closet. My mom friends were awesome and they went through my entire registry pointing out things that worked for them, which was great, but every babe is different and what is the miracle device for one might be the what another baby loathes most.
Here is a list of what has been awesome for us over these last two months:
seriously the best thing ever! I had a boppy, but the first time I tried to nurse with it, it was awkward and Ryleigh didn't fit right on it. When I took her in for her well check when she was four days old, the doc wanted me to nurse in front of her so she could make sure we were doing it right. She offered me a Brest Friend to use while I did it. I strapped that thing on and swore I heard a choir of angels! You mean I don't have to awkwardly hold her head with one hand my boob with the other?! You mean I can do this hands free?! Sign me up! I went to BRU the next morning to pick up two of my own-one for my house and one for my parents' house.
2. Wipe Warmer
OK, so this seemed a little silly to me when I registered for it. Like one of those things that was more novelty than practical, but I got one anyway. When we brought Ry home from the hospital John plugged it in. When it was time for her first diaper change, I grabbed a wipe and it was so nice and toasty I almost debated buying one for my bathroom! Ry didn't even wake up during that first diaper change because that wipe was nice and warm, like the heated towels they bring you at BBQ joints. When I change her diaper at other places, I notice just how cold those wipes get, and she looks really startled by the coldness on her little butt. So, go buy one-worth it.
John is very sensitive about the baby bed subject, because, well I think I've purchased almost every type sold trying to find one that worked for my picky sleeper. Ryleigh clearly didn't inherit her mama's ability to literally sleep anywhere. We bought her the pack n play lite (a smaller version of the pack n play) to act as her bassinet. We figured we could kill two birds w/ one stone-she could sleep in the pack n play while she's in our room, and then we would have it for when we travel as she gets older. When she first came home, she slept next to me in bed (I know, I know, that's a big no no, whatever). It just made sense bc I was feeding her so frequently, and in those first few days home, I felt like I had to watch her every second to make sure she was breathing. Well, I never slept well with her next to me out of fear that I would roll over on her, so I decided it was time to put her in her bed. She HATED it. I think all the space around her freaked her out because her little legs would flail around and her arms would jet out and she would cry. So, we tried it with her swaddled, and same reaction minus the flailing. What I initially thought was that she was just used to being next to us and was protesting her solitude. I went back to BRU and found the Snuggle Nest-which is a little enclosure that is meant to go in bed between mom and dad, but it's protected on the sides so you can't roll on the baby, and the baby can't roll out. This actually worked well in the beginning. She slept pretty well in it, but it took up so much room in our bed and it wasn't comfortable to sleep next to. After a couple of weeks, it didn't matter, because our sweet girl began protesting the Snuggle Nest too. She also started to spit up a lot around this time. I started to learn that laying her down flat made it worse, and seemed to make her uncomfortable. Maybe that was the problem, I thought. Maybe she doesn't like to lay flat. So, onto the Rock n Play. This little bed is at an incline, so baby can sleep upright without being propped up by blankets. It also rocks, which helps soothe them to sleep. Finally, it's pretty narrow, so the baby feels nice and secure since there's not a lot of open space. When I brought it home for John to put together, I thought he was going to punch me in the face. Not really, but he rolled his eyes and put it together. We put our babe inside and she instantly slept. And, she's slept peacefully in it ever since! So, note to all mom's to be-my babe isn't actually picky-turns out most babies out there do not like to lay flat, and find a lot of open space disconcerting, so look for a bed that addresses those common issues.
I bought the really cute and soft Aden and Anais swaddle blankets, and while I do use them every day, I don't use them to swaddle anymore. Maybe I'm not a good swaddler, but I was never able to get her swaddled in them the way the hospital did. She is very crafty, and always found a way to free her hands, despite how tightly she was wrapped. I would find her with the blanket pulled out around her face, and a little hand sticking out. I had a few of the Swaddle Me blankets that I had received as gifts, so I tried those out one night, and what a difference! First of all, it didn't take me 10 tries to get her wrapped. More like one. These blankets have a little insert for their feet, then velcro for the parts that wrap the arms in. It makes swaddling so easy, and there is no extra fabric around their face. Much easier at 3 am than dealing with blanket folds.
5. Baby Connect iPhone App
So, when you are in the hospital, they want you to track feedings and diapers. They give you a log to fill out so that the doc can make sure that baby is eating, peeing, pooing enough. They usually have you bring the log to the well check a few days after delivery. I found that damn log so helpful bc it reminded me when she ate last, and for how long, what side, etc. You would think that this would be something I could remember, but my brain was so overloaded that I would have no clue when I fed her last if it wasn't for that log. Once we filled up all the paper logs, I decided to search for a similar app. The one I found that had the best reviews was like $4.99, a little pricey for an app, but let me tell you, that was the best 5 bucks I've ever spent. Ry is 8 weeks tomorrow, and I still use this app for every feeding. I stopped tracking diapers, but it's wonderful for feedings. For breast feeding mom's there is a timer so you can time how long she eats on each side. There is also an option to set an alarm after a certain amount of time (helpful if you accidentally fall asleep during the 2am nursing session). I depend on this thing to let me know how long it's been since her last feeding. Sometimes she'll be really fussy, and I know I just fed her, so I'll try to rock her, walk with her, etc. If she doesn't stop, I'll just do a courtesy check on my app to see when I fed her last, and most of the time, I'm wrong and she's right-it's time to eat! The time between feedings literally flies by, and I will think that there's no possible way it's already been 2-3 hours since she last ate, but her body clock is much more finely tuned than mine! If I didn't have the app, I would think that I had just fed her, and I would try to calm her down while the poor kid starved! It also does other cool things like track sleep, moods, doc appointments, immunizations, etc. There is so much to remember w/ a new baby, and this app will free up some room in your already overloaded brain!
Well, that's it for now...I may do another post in a few months bc she has a bunch of contraptions that are ready for her as soon as she grows a bit...
Great advice post! I loved watching her on her activity mat today! That's another good item for new mums! The baby gets kicking & stretching time to help develop those wee muscles!
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