Product Review
Here is a list of the TOP TEN products I HIGHLY recommend to new parents because they have worked wonders for us:
1.) Burp Cloths: Seriously. You can never have enough burp cloths! I don't think we registered for any because I inherited a hug pile of them from my friend Lisa. I go through so many every day. If you don't want to buy burp cloths, you could easily make your own out of old pieces of cloth. Either way, have some sort of tool to help you catch the drool and spit up that inevitably comes!
2.) Swaddle blankets: I recommend the Summer brand, both the velcro and zip up blankets have worked well for Audrey. I like the zip up one because during her late night feedings, I can leave it on her and unzip just her arms. Then when she's ready to go back to sleep, I simply zip her back up without needing to disturb her slumber. Plus, she looks like a cute little peapod when she wears that one!
3.) Pack 'n' Play: This is a great investment because it serves as a place for Audrey to sleep that can be near us. Yes, she has a crib, but it's in her room and yes, we plan to have her use the crib in the nights but not quite yet. When they're really little, it's best to have them close by. This is especially true for us because of Audrey's supposed sleep apnea. When her machine goes off (which isn't often), we are right there in the same room to catch the problem. Anyway, this Pack 'N' Play will also travel with us when we spend the night somewhere else and Audrey will have a fun, contained place to play when she gets a little older. In other words, you get your money's worth.
4.) Breastfeeding Accessories: I recommend the Lasinoh brand of Lanolin cream. Saved my life (and my nips!). Other accessories I've found useful are the My Brest Friend pillow, Nuk brand of breastpads, Medela brand breast pump and microwave steam bags, and the book The Nursing Mother's Companion.
- I started out with a hand-me-down Boppy pillow for breastfeeding. Since breastfeeding was so frustrating anyway, the Boppy just added to my frustration and uncomfortableness. About a week in, I remember my friend Sara had said she didn't like the Boppy but preferred the "My Brest Friend" pillow. So I ran out to Babies 'R' Us and bought one. Absolutely worth it!
- The Nuk brand of breastpads are fast and easy for me to put on. Other brands come in a bag you have to open and then peel off sticky adhesive and in the middle of the night, I am just too exhausted to deal with all that packaging. The Nuk brand has no extra packaging and no sticky stuff, which you really don't need anyway.
- You may not need to pump but I did for a few reasons; 1.) to increase my milk supply early on and 2.) to build up my milk storage for when Audrey returns to preschool as well as for other times when I am not with Audrey and she needs to feed. I got the Medela double pump at the hospital. It was the number one recommended brand and I have no complaints - I love it! I plan to take it with me when I go back to work. It comes in a bag that is very easy for storage and traveling.
- Again, if you aren't pumping, you may not need the microwave steam bags. However, when you eventually wean your child to the bottle, these bags are lifesavers for sterilizing the bottles! I would have no idea how long to boil water or how long to keep the bottle in the water to make sure it gets sterilized. With these bags, all you have to do is add four tablespoons of water and microwave for one and a half minutes! It's THAT easy! I absolutely love these bags!
- The Nursing Mother's Companion is exactly that - everything you ever wanted to know about breastfeeding can be found in this book. I still turn to it to answer questions about myself and my baby.
5.) Toys: This may only be true for Audrey but the toys and things that she is most interested in are toys that glow. She loves her Glow worm toy and bumper book. She also loves to just look at the lights in our house or out the windows. She is also interested in toys with the black and white contrasting colors. There is a book by Sassy called "Who Loves Baby" that is a photo album but before you put the photos in, it has pages of black and white designs. This was the first book Audrey focused on and looked at. Of course, as she gets older, other types of toys and books will capture her attention but for newborns, these toys are great! Also, her musical mobile, which isn't really a "toy" but is something that captures her attention. You see most mobiles over the crib but I read somewhere (again) that you shouldn't hang anything right over the baby while they are sleeping. Well, we use the mobile over Audrey's changing table so we're there with her if it were to fall. She LOVES this mobile! She could be screaming one minute for us to change and feed her and the minute we put her on the changing table and crank that mobile, she becomes the happiest baby
on the block! It's a great distractor and I think she is also realizing that seeing that mobile means food is coming soon too - it's part of our little routine now.
6.) Travel System Stroller: These are the kinds of strollers that come with the stroller and carseat in one. We got a Graco Travel System and I love it! One downside is that Audrey will outgrow the carseat BUT the stroller will last well into her toddler years. The other downside is that the stroller is big and a little heavy. But moms always build up extra muscles from all the baby lifting so now six weeks in, toting the stroller from the house, into my trunk, and back out again is a piece of cake. However, we also have an umbrella stroller - one that is lighter weight - but it's for when Audrey is bigger and can sit up on her own. The carseat also came with the newborn support for the head. This is a MUST! If your carseat doesn't have one built into it like ours, you definitely need to purchase head support for your newborn. Or you could be old school and just wrap a bunch of receiving blankets up and tuck them around the baby's head!
7.) Mattress Pads and Sheet Savers: At first I was confused at how or why I would need to use these. But then Audrey had her first accident on the changing table - poop and pee everywhere! I had to strip down the changing table cover and throw another one back on. Then she did it again! I only have two changing table covers so I had to get those washed asap and then the lightbulb went off. Oh, that's what those mattress pads are for! So now we don't go without the mattress pads on the changing table. The sheet savers are intended to catch spit up that could mess up your sheets. With the sheet saver, if Audrey spits up, I just change the little sheet saver - not the entire sheet. Since Audrey has acid reflux, these sheet savers have been life savers!
8.) A Baby Carrier: This can be in the form of a backpack type carrier or the Moby. We have both. Jeff uses the backpack type to take Audrey on walks - she sleeps peacefully the whole time. I use the Moby in the house when Audrey is fussy and wants to be held but my arms need a break. The Moby works great to calm her down and get her to sleep too. (Unless she's gassy - then it seems to be too uncomfortable for her.) I read somewhere that you shouldn't always keep the baby in a carrier because it restricts their movement which could restrict their development. So use them sparingly.
9.) Bouncer Seat: Audrey loves sitting in her Winnie the Pooh bouncer and batting at a Winnie the Pooh rattle that hangs over her in her eyeline. This bouncer also vibrates and plays music. It serves as a nice break for Mom & Dad when hold her has become too tiring. A word to the wise: if the baby is fussy, she won't want to be put down and strapped in. Use the bouncer right after a feeding or other times when the baby is already pacified and you need a break.
10.) Water Thermometer: We have two (for extra precaution? no, we registered for one and received a second as a gift). These are a must for the bath. I wouldn't trust my own elbow or wrist or whatever to test the temperature of the water. We have a rubber ducky thermometer that will spell out HOT in white letters on the bottom if the water is too hot. We also have a Winnie the Pooh thermometer, which is a little more accurate. It tells you if the water is cold, ideal, or hot. Of course, you'd want the water to be "ideal" for a bath. Definitely a must have!
Okay, now for my list of things we have that we can definitely do without:
1.) Wipe Warmer: Pointless. It wastes electricity, barely warms the wipes, and warm vs. cool makes no difference to our baby. I did hear they are better for boys since the cold wipes could encourage pee-pee accidents. But for girls? Pointless.
2.) Bottle Warmer: This is a gadget I thought was totally cool at first! I plugged it in in the nursery and when there was a late night feeding I just didn't have the energy for in those early weeks, I'd send Jeff in to give her the bottle. This bottle warmer had a cold compartment to store the bottle until you were ready to warm it. However, I don't think it actually did that great of a job of warming the bottle. Plus, I stopped using the bottle once Jeff went back to work so the bottle warmer became pointless. We might get it out again when Audrey is weaned but I doubt it... Soaking the milk in a bag or the bottle in hot water in the sink does just as good (or better) of a job. (Just remember - don't microwave bottles to warm them! You could burn your baby's mouth!)
3.) Pacifiers: I was kind of anti-pacifiers from the get-go but decided to purchase a two-pack anyway just in case. There were a few days when Audrey was quite inconsoluable at night so we tried the pacifier on a few occasions. She spat them out and made a face like she was saying Ew gross! all those times. Plus, if she just wanted to suck, I'd give her my finger and that would pacify her. So the pacifier doesn't work for OUR baby - it might work for yours but unless you have really strong opinions about it, you could probably do without.
4.) Nipple Shields: This is for breastfeeding mothers who need some "help." A lactation consultant at Kaiser through one at me when Audrey wasn't latching right away. So rather than helping me with her latch, this consultant gave me the crutch - a nipple shield. Thankfully, I found a better consultant who actually sat with me and helped me with Audrey. Audrey could latch on just fine without it. This consultant did give me permission to use the shield if it was just too hard to get Audrey to latch but once I felt empowered to help Audrey get a good latch, I ditched the nipple shield and have not looked back. You don't want to use them on a crutch or depend on them too much because they could actually decrease your milk supply. I recommend finding a consultant who will sit with you and help you with the latching process - you're baby will get it with time and patience!!!
5.) Bath Accessory Kits: Don't register for these! All you need is an all-body wash - that's. it. You don't need lotions or powders or oils. When you give an infant a bath, just water and the all-body wash which is also used as shampoo. I recommend Burt's Bees Baby Bees - smells good and doesn't have any freaky chemicals *wink*
This is all just one mother's opinion. You can do your own research for other products or these as well. I probably should have done more research myself beforehand but at least most of these things were gifts anyway and now we know for next time!
1.) Burp Cloths: Seriously. You can never have enough burp cloths! I don't think we registered for any because I inherited a hug pile of them from my friend Lisa. I go through so many every day. If you don't want to buy burp cloths, you could easily make your own out of old pieces of cloth. Either way, have some sort of tool to help you catch the drool and spit up that inevitably comes!
2.) Swaddle blankets: I recommend the Summer brand, both the velcro and zip up blankets have worked well for Audrey. I like the zip up one because during her late night feedings, I can leave it on her and unzip just her arms. Then when she's ready to go back to sleep, I simply zip her back up without needing to disturb her slumber. Plus, she looks like a cute little peapod when she wears that one!
3.) Pack 'n' Play: This is a great investment because it serves as a place for Audrey to sleep that can be near us. Yes, she has a crib, but it's in her room and yes, we plan to have her use the crib in the nights but not quite yet. When they're really little, it's best to have them close by. This is especially true for us because of Audrey's supposed sleep apnea. When her machine goes off (which isn't often), we are right there in the same room to catch the problem. Anyway, this Pack 'N' Play will also travel with us when we spend the night somewhere else and Audrey will have a fun, contained place to play when she gets a little older. In other words, you get your money's worth.
4.) Breastfeeding Accessories: I recommend the Lasinoh brand of Lanolin cream. Saved my life (and my nips!). Other accessories I've found useful are the My Brest Friend pillow, Nuk brand of breastpads, Medela brand breast pump and microwave steam bags, and the book The Nursing Mother's Companion.
- I started out with a hand-me-down Boppy pillow for breastfeeding. Since breastfeeding was so frustrating anyway, the Boppy just added to my frustration and uncomfortableness. About a week in, I remember my friend Sara had said she didn't like the Boppy but preferred the "My Brest Friend" pillow. So I ran out to Babies 'R' Us and bought one. Absolutely worth it!
- The Nuk brand of breastpads are fast and easy for me to put on. Other brands come in a bag you have to open and then peel off sticky adhesive and in the middle of the night, I am just too exhausted to deal with all that packaging. The Nuk brand has no extra packaging and no sticky stuff, which you really don't need anyway.
- You may not need to pump but I did for a few reasons; 1.) to increase my milk supply early on and 2.) to build up my milk storage for when Audrey returns to preschool as well as for other times when I am not with Audrey and she needs to feed. I got the Medela double pump at the hospital. It was the number one recommended brand and I have no complaints - I love it! I plan to take it with me when I go back to work. It comes in a bag that is very easy for storage and traveling.
- Again, if you aren't pumping, you may not need the microwave steam bags. However, when you eventually wean your child to the bottle, these bags are lifesavers for sterilizing the bottles! I would have no idea how long to boil water or how long to keep the bottle in the water to make sure it gets sterilized. With these bags, all you have to do is add four tablespoons of water and microwave for one and a half minutes! It's THAT easy! I absolutely love these bags!
- The Nursing Mother's Companion is exactly that - everything you ever wanted to know about breastfeeding can be found in this book. I still turn to it to answer questions about myself and my baby.
5.) Toys: This may only be true for Audrey but the toys and things that she is most interested in are toys that glow. She loves her Glow worm toy and bumper book. She also loves to just look at the lights in our house or out the windows. She is also interested in toys with the black and white contrasting colors. There is a book by Sassy called "Who Loves Baby" that is a photo album but before you put the photos in, it has pages of black and white designs. This was the first book Audrey focused on and looked at. Of course, as she gets older, other types of toys and books will capture her attention but for newborns, these toys are great! Also, her musical mobile, which isn't really a "toy" but is something that captures her attention. You see most mobiles over the crib but I read somewhere (again) that you shouldn't hang anything right over the baby while they are sleeping. Well, we use the mobile over Audrey's changing table so we're there with her if it were to fall. She LOVES this mobile! She could be screaming one minute for us to change and feed her and the minute we put her on the changing table and crank that mobile, she becomes the happiest baby
on the block! It's a great distractor and I think she is also realizing that seeing that mobile means food is coming soon too - it's part of our little routine now.
6.) Travel System Stroller: These are the kinds of strollers that come with the stroller and carseat in one. We got a Graco Travel System and I love it! One downside is that Audrey will outgrow the carseat BUT the stroller will last well into her toddler years. The other downside is that the stroller is big and a little heavy. But moms always build up extra muscles from all the baby lifting so now six weeks in, toting the stroller from the house, into my trunk, and back out again is a piece of cake. However, we also have an umbrella stroller - one that is lighter weight - but it's for when Audrey is bigger and can sit up on her own. The carseat also came with the newborn support for the head. This is a MUST! If your carseat doesn't have one built into it like ours, you definitely need to purchase head support for your newborn. Or you could be old school and just wrap a bunch of receiving blankets up and tuck them around the baby's head!
7.) Mattress Pads and Sheet Savers: At first I was confused at how or why I would need to use these. But then Audrey had her first accident on the changing table - poop and pee everywhere! I had to strip down the changing table cover and throw another one back on. Then she did it again! I only have two changing table covers so I had to get those washed asap and then the lightbulb went off. Oh, that's what those mattress pads are for! So now we don't go without the mattress pads on the changing table. The sheet savers are intended to catch spit up that could mess up your sheets. With the sheet saver, if Audrey spits up, I just change the little sheet saver - not the entire sheet. Since Audrey has acid reflux, these sheet savers have been life savers!
8.) A Baby Carrier: This can be in the form of a backpack type carrier or the Moby. We have both. Jeff uses the backpack type to take Audrey on walks - she sleeps peacefully the whole time. I use the Moby in the house when Audrey is fussy and wants to be held but my arms need a break. The Moby works great to calm her down and get her to sleep too. (Unless she's gassy - then it seems to be too uncomfortable for her.) I read somewhere that you shouldn't always keep the baby in a carrier because it restricts their movement which could restrict their development. So use them sparingly.
9.) Bouncer Seat: Audrey loves sitting in her Winnie the Pooh bouncer and batting at a Winnie the Pooh rattle that hangs over her in her eyeline. This bouncer also vibrates and plays music. It serves as a nice break for Mom & Dad when hold her has become too tiring. A word to the wise: if the baby is fussy, she won't want to be put down and strapped in. Use the bouncer right after a feeding or other times when the baby is already pacified and you need a break.
10.) Water Thermometer: We have two (for extra precaution? no, we registered for one and received a second as a gift). These are a must for the bath. I wouldn't trust my own elbow or wrist or whatever to test the temperature of the water. We have a rubber ducky thermometer that will spell out HOT in white letters on the bottom if the water is too hot. We also have a Winnie the Pooh thermometer, which is a little more accurate. It tells you if the water is cold, ideal, or hot. Of course, you'd want the water to be "ideal" for a bath. Definitely a must have!
Okay, now for my list of things we have that we can definitely do without:
1.) Wipe Warmer: Pointless. It wastes electricity, barely warms the wipes, and warm vs. cool makes no difference to our baby. I did hear they are better for boys since the cold wipes could encourage pee-pee accidents. But for girls? Pointless.
2.) Bottle Warmer: This is a gadget I thought was totally cool at first! I plugged it in in the nursery and when there was a late night feeding I just didn't have the energy for in those early weeks, I'd send Jeff in to give her the bottle. This bottle warmer had a cold compartment to store the bottle until you were ready to warm it. However, I don't think it actually did that great of a job of warming the bottle. Plus, I stopped using the bottle once Jeff went back to work so the bottle warmer became pointless. We might get it out again when Audrey is weaned but I doubt it... Soaking the milk in a bag or the bottle in hot water in the sink does just as good (or better) of a job. (Just remember - don't microwave bottles to warm them! You could burn your baby's mouth!)
3.) Pacifiers: I was kind of anti-pacifiers from the get-go but decided to purchase a two-pack anyway just in case. There were a few days when Audrey was quite inconsoluable at night so we tried the pacifier on a few occasions. She spat them out and made a face like she was saying Ew gross! all those times. Plus, if she just wanted to suck, I'd give her my finger and that would pacify her. So the pacifier doesn't work for OUR baby - it might work for yours but unless you have really strong opinions about it, you could probably do without.
4.) Nipple Shields: This is for breastfeeding mothers who need some "help." A lactation consultant at Kaiser through one at me when Audrey wasn't latching right away. So rather than helping me with her latch, this consultant gave me the crutch - a nipple shield. Thankfully, I found a better consultant who actually sat with me and helped me with Audrey. Audrey could latch on just fine without it. This consultant did give me permission to use the shield if it was just too hard to get Audrey to latch but once I felt empowered to help Audrey get a good latch, I ditched the nipple shield and have not looked back. You don't want to use them on a crutch or depend on them too much because they could actually decrease your milk supply. I recommend finding a consultant who will sit with you and help you with the latching process - you're baby will get it with time and patience!!!
5.) Bath Accessory Kits: Don't register for these! All you need is an all-body wash - that's. it. You don't need lotions or powders or oils. When you give an infant a bath, just water and the all-body wash which is also used as shampoo. I recommend Burt's Bees Baby Bees - smells good and doesn't have any freaky chemicals *wink*
This is all just one mother's opinion. You can do your own research for other products or these as well. I probably should have done more research myself beforehand but at least most of these things were gifts anyway and now we know for next time!