I seem to know a lot of people who are expecting their first child right now, so I thought I would do a post listing out my top 11 baby items! It was through trial and error to find out what worked for us, but once we did, I found that the following things were life savers! Now, if you are reading this and are going to have a c-section, email me, because I have a whole list of things that were super helpful for that too! And by the way, I LOVED my c-section, and was not at all disappointed about having one.
The first thing that I knew I HAD to have was the Angel Care baby monitor. This monitor detects movement, so it can tell you if the baby is still breathing. Even in the hospital, every time I laid Braden down, I found that I was just staring at him making sure he was still breathing. I couldn't get any sleep! This was a lifesaver because at night I could make sure that the light was still flashing indicating that it was detecting breathing. If it stops detecting movement an alarm sounds. We were able to use this in the bassinet, the crib and the pack and play. Seriously, it was the only way I could sleep!
The next item that we love is the noise machine. Babies seems to enjoy constant noise - especially babies with colic. They say that it is noisy in the womb due to blood flow and your heartbeat, so babies often have a hard time sleeping when it's too quiet. We still use this every night and nap time and I think it's great.
Let me tell you, Swaddle blankets are an absolute MUST have. Braden refused to sleep unless he was swaddled. On the off chance that he did fall asleep without being swaddled, he would often twitch and wake himself up. The swaddling controls that and helps them sleep better for longer. I loved this kind because they were so easy. They velcro, so it was fool proof. And, super easy to do in the middle of the night when you are up all the time :)
The Moby Wrap. Braden had to be held constantly, but of course did not want to remain stationary. He wanted to be moving. ALL. THE. TIME. Of course, I loved holding him and cuddling him, but sometimes, you just have to do other things. He loved this because as I was walking around doing other things, he was moving. It kept him feeling held, tightly wrapped, and moving all at the same time. It does appear a bit confusing to use at first, but once you do it a few times, it's really simple!
The Moby Wrap. Braden had to be held constantly, but of course did not want to remain stationary. He wanted to be moving. ALL. THE. TIME. Of course, I loved holding him and cuddling him, but sometimes, you just have to do other things. He loved this because as I was walking around doing other things, he was moving. It kept him feeling held, tightly wrapped, and moving all at the same time. It does appear a bit confusing to use at first, but once you do it a few times, it's really simple!
Obviosuly, Braden was formula fed after about 4 weeks due to his milk allergy. However, when I was nursing, we supplemented formula here and there because it seemed to make him happier. And, at night he wanted to nurse every 20 minutes, and would take like 45 minutes to eat. So, in order for me to get any kind of sleep, Kevin had to give him a bottle. Anyway, I loved the drop-ins bottles because they work the same way as nursing, so the baby doesn't forget how to nurse. Also, the liners are disposable, so you only have to wash/sterilize the nipple part. So much easier and way less time consuming! You can also push all of the air out of the bottles so that helps with gas. However, after we went to formula, Braden still had reflux and gas issues, so the Dr. Browns bottles really helped with that. Not gonna lie, they are a pain to clean because there are a lot of parts, but in the end you find that doesn't matter if they help make your baby happier!
If you're are a tad OCD like me, everything the baby touches will be sterilized. This craziness faded away once he hit about 6 months old, but at first it was the most important thing to me. Sure, there are electric sterilizers out there, but they are huge, and are usually made to accommodate one brand of bottle. These bags are great. You just throw in what you want sterilized with some water and it steam sterilizes in the microwave. And, you can reuse each bag up to 20 times. Genius.
Hands down, nursing was the hardest thing I have ever done. Ever. Looking back on it, we now know that Braden wanted to eat all the time because his tummy hurt, so he thought he was hungry. Turns out, that was the allergy. Anyhow, sometimes it just hurts from nursing so much. There are all kinds of gels and such to help with that, but I liked these gel pads the best!
If you're are a tad OCD like me, everything the baby touches will be sterilized. This craziness faded away once he hit about 6 months old, but at first it was the most important thing to me. Sure, there are electric sterilizers out there, but they are huge, and are usually made to accommodate one brand of bottle. These bags are great. You just throw in what you want sterilized with some water and it steam sterilizes in the microwave. And, you can reuse each bag up to 20 times. Genius.
Hands down, nursing was the hardest thing I have ever done. Ever. Looking back on it, we now know that Braden wanted to eat all the time because his tummy hurt, so he thought he was hungry. Turns out, that was the allergy. Anyhow, sometimes it just hurts from nursing so much. There are all kinds of gels and such to help with that, but I liked these gel pads the best!
Gripe water is great for tummy problems for babies. It helps with gas and such and is safe to give them even when they are brand new.
Sleeper gowns. I didn't buy any of these but was so glad when some friends got us some after Braden was born! They don't close at the bottom so it makes diaper changes easy and quick in the middle of the night. I will be investing in more of these before baby #2 arrives!
And last, but not least, the Fischer Price Rock n' Play Sleeper. This thing was great. I liked that it was slightly elevated to help control spit up. The best thing about it is that it folds up so nicely that it's highly portable. We took it everywhere we went - outside, to the beach, to friends houses, etc. While at home, it mostly stayed in our bathroom which gave Braden a place to sleep while I showered and got ready.
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