ugh, so it's been awhile since I've posted last... I took a new job that's all patient care, which means less time at a computer to quick put together a blog, plus Avi is almost 7 months which means she requires more attention. The last blog was about my 30 day MILF challenge, which needless to say has been a flop... there was the 4th of July weekend in there plus starting a new job, probably not the best time to try and start a routine. I am still getting the hang of things with working 3 days a week now and figuring out when/how I will work out. I also had my progress written down in my iPhone, I mean all the work outs I was doing, I was 15 days in when it ALL got erased. UGH.
Anyways, a few people have asked about most needed baby stuff. I had a post before about baby/mom necessities, but that was in the beginning so I have more to add to the list and will break it down to the 0-3month category and 3-6+months, some obviously can be used from 0 and up. There's a lot of baby fluff that people will try and sell you. Don't fall for so many of the gimmicks. Once you're in mom territory you will realize that fluff is just crap that clutters up your house. No bueno.
(I was not paid by any of these products to put them on my list, although probably I should be)
0-3months:
1.
Puj bathtub-
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| Puj laying flat to add squish to our kitchen sink. Can be folded to mold to a bathroom sink. |
We used this since Avi was born and are still using it. It takes up no space at all, we hang it on the back of a bathroom door where it dries super fast. When baby is small you can fold it to use in a sink. Now that Avi is older and bigger, we lay the Puj flat in the kitchen sink where she splashes around. Don't feel you need the tub that constantly circulates water and keeps it at a constant temperature. Sounds great, but really? Does that baby tub need batteries too?
2.
peanut changing table- the best most awesome. So many changing pads require a cover, which is nuts because the last thing I want to do is more laundry. No thanks. This changing pad is made out of the same material as the Bumbo chair, so it wipes down easily and is not porous so it doesn't accumulate bacteria. It's awesome sauce.Plus mine is pink.
3.
Aden + Anais swaddle blankets- dudes, these things are large enough to swaddle, large enough to place over a stroller for some shade, but lightweight enough to use in both summer and winter. Not ready to nurse in public? Some people use them as a cover (don't spend your money on gimmicky nursing covers).
4.
Halo sleepsack swaddle- a straight-jacket for babies, apparently they like that sort of thing. Keeps them all snuggly bundled and ready for sleep. What more could you ask for?
5.
Arms Reach CoSleeper bassinet- you could be super awesome brave mom and have your baby sleep in their crib in a nursery when you bring them home from the hospital, or like me, I need my baby near me at night, especially for ease of feeding. This co-sleeper is handy because you can drop one side, making it easy to reach babe from your bed. It comes in a regular size and a mini.
6.
Born Free glass bottles with slow flow/newborn nipple- There's all the hype about plastic and BPA-free shenanigans, now they're also saying that even BPA-free plastic isn't safe because it contains estrogen or some crap. Whatever, maybe it's true, maybe not. I decided not to mess with that and move to glass bottles. Born Free glass bottles are fantastic coming in small 5oz bottles and large 8oz bottles. If you're breastfeeding, kiddo should always use a slow flow, level 1 nipple.
7.
Boon grass bottle drying rack- Once you wash all the damn baby bottle gear, you need a cute place to dry it, and this grass bottle rack is literally in everyone's house. get one.
8.
Earth Mama Angel baby bottom cream- You can tell by the name it's magic. Cures everything, probably even cancer. Organic and made of angels, it's amazing for diaper rash's and really any skin issue. Also it's one diaper ointment that is safe to use with cloth diapers.
9.
Tula soft structured carrier-
There are so many carrier options out there, I probably should blog about that, but in the meantime get a soft structured carrier as one of your carriers. The most popular or well known SSC is the Ergo, however I find the Tula to be more comfortable and in better patterns and colors. The Kinderpack is also a popular one.(Whatever you do, don't get a Bjorn).... I had to.
10.
Honest Company diaper delivery- Not sold on cloth diapering? Well at least use diapers that don't sit in the earth for all eternity, are made out of plant materials so less irritating than diapers containing dyes and perfumes, and as a bonus they come in super cute patterns... a double bonus is that you can have it delivered to your house. easy peasy. I get my diapers and wipes from there, you can schedule a routine delivery, like every 6 weeks for example so you don't have to think about it.
11.
Moby wrap- Like I said above, you will want a few types of carriers, at least in my obsession I do. The Moby wrap is fantastic from the newborn stage to about 15 pounds. This carrier looks really overwhelming at first because of the long piece of material, but trust me, once you try a few times, it's a dream and super easy to use and most babies love it.
12.
oodles and oodles of pacifiers and pacifier clips- Maybe you're a mom who doesn't want to introduce a pacifier, well bless you and good luck, I would not have survived. We have pacifiers every square inch of our condo. They make my life a little easier. You don't want that pacifier falling on the floor into fido's fur pile? Then get a clip for that paci!
13.
Boon clutch dishwasher basket-This should be up by the grass drying rack... meh, too lazy. This dishwasher basket is good for all the small bottle parts like nipples or caps. The title explains the use--->goes in dishwasher.
14.
Play mat- Really good for tummy time, and no mom likes tummy time.
15.
Planetwise wet/dry bags- This bags are really good if you're doing cloth diapering, however, even if you're not, these bags come in a variety of sizes and can be good for poop-exploded clothes, or swim suits... anything wet or gooey can be thrown in this bag, and then the bag can be thrown in your wash machine later! Boom. Don't need to waste plastic baggies for nonsense.
16.
GroVia hybrid cloth diapers- I've tried a multitude of cloth diapering systems/brands (again, should be a blog) and have to say that GroVia are my ultimate fave. Easy to use with a snap-in insert, instead of a stuffed insert. The sizing is a one-size fits all, however I find that even with my fatty tuna newborn of 9 pounds 11 ounces, she was still too small for the fluffy butt cloths.
17.
Dekor Plus diaper pail- This is the most awesome diaper pail I think there is. Lots of people know about the diaper genie....meh. The dekor plus can be used for disposable or cloth diapers which is a unique feature. The bags on the inside tear off as opposed to all being individually sized. For example, if you want to throw one diaper away, you can tear the bag off at that point so you're not wasting an entire bag for one diaper. Apparently it can also be used with kitchen bags, although I have not tested that out yet. It has a foot pedal to open the lid so you don't have to touch a bunch of yuck.
3-6 months:
1. Jumparoo- An entertainment bouncy ADD-thing that Avi loves. You sit them in there and they can jump until their little hearts burst. There's music and lights and things dangling. Too much stimulation for me, but the little's tend to like it. Avi couldn't use it until about 4+ months. They need to have head control to sit in there and not flop over like raggedy Ann.
2.
Peg-Perego high chair-
OMG who thought picking out a high chair was so overwhelming. We were ready to drop some serious cash for the ultra modern beauty of a high chair since our condo is city modern. We went and played with all the high chairs, including the pretty famous Stokke, and then were introduced to the Peg-prego and it was a done deal. Multiple heights up and down, the chair can also recline so you can use it from birth and up. It has wheels so you can move it around the kitchen and it's super easy to clean. It's sweetness.See Avi waving at you? She wants you to get one.
3.
Uppa Baby G-Luxe umbrella stroller- I think I've mentioned this beauty in like 40 of my other blog entries. As far as umbrella strollers go, this is the best. With almost a flat recline, you can use this from about 3 months and up. Has a great sunshade with a UVB shade extender. Super easy collapse and open and I believe it's the lightest one available. The extra bonus is for like $50 you can buy the travel bag which guarantees against airline damage for 2 years. YES.
4.
Nogginstik-This was Avi's first toy. It's a pretty cool developmental toy that lights up different colors, makes noises and has different textures.
5.
Sophie-Great for chomping on.
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| show it sister! |
6.
Woven wrap-
Yes, I am obsessed with baby wearing and various carriers. Once the little outgrows the Moby and you still want to babywear because it's awesome, woven wraps are handy because they are sturdy enough to carry toddlers. They take a little more time to learn wrapping techniques but unlike the moby, they can be used for back carries. The world of woven wraps is unlimited and sometimes even snobbish.Check out your local Babywearing International group, they usually have a library of carriers that you can try before you buy.
7.
Babyganics hand and face wipes-I keep these in my stroller for messes and goo's. They are pretty natural, obviously free of alcohol and safe for newborns too.
8.
Babyled weaning cook book- Once you start to introduce solids (6 months, not before), baby led weaning is a great concept of food in its original state as opposed to purees. We do a combination of both at times, mainly for ease and for different caretakers. There are two BLW books, one all about BLW and one that's a cookbook, however the cookbook tells you enough about BLW that it's the best one to get.
9.
Infantino fresh squeezed food line- Like I said, we are doing a combo of BLW and purees. With the fresh squeezed food line, I can make my own puree and then package it into the squeeze bags you often see in stores, however it's with my own food, thus no preservatives. These bags are a one time use, some others you wash and re-use, however here were many reviews that spoke of mold forming since the bags are impossible to wash completely clean. Plus it would just be another thing to wash. No thanks. Some added bonuses, they can be frozen for use at a later date, and you can get a spoon attachment, which means there's an option for baby squeezing into mouth (usually older kids) or a spoon on the end so the caregiver can squeeze a bit of puree onto spoon, and voila!
For mom:
1.
Nursing tanks like Glamourmom- you will live in some nursing tanks for awhile. Don't buy a nursing bra until about 4-6 weeks post-partum, that's when all your milk will be in. They are expensive so you don't want to buy too soon and then have the bra be too small.
2.
nipple cream- if you're breast feeding, the first few weeks or so your nipples will feel like firery rawness. Find some organic soothing nipple cream that is also okay for baby to ingest. You don't want to have to bother with wiping it off.
3.
easy snacks and protein drinks/smoothies- some moms like myself had no appetite the first few weeks, but as a nursing mom you need to get those calories in, so it's easiest with handy high protein snacks or drinks.I drank the Naked drinks (I later found out they are loaded with GMO's or some crap. Ugh, we can't all win)
4.
join a new mom's group- Avi was a winter baby, so joining a new moms group was crucial to my survival, however I think it can be beneficial for everyone. It lets you meet other moms in your same situation. Kinda like group therapy! I still get together with my mom group; Avi was about 5 weeks old when we went to our first group meeting, now she's almost 7 months!
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