baby stuff
I guess I better pay it forward and write a post about all the baby stuff we've bought/experienced. I spent a lot of time reading other people's blogs that have been nice enough to share and helped me make SO many decisions. If you like planning a wedding, you'll definitely like planning a baby. And if you are a guy, don't read this unless your wife is having a baby or you don't mind details haha
First, I read this post on Cup of Jo like 50 times. I still read it. I read through the entire post and all the comments and took notes.
We registered on Amazon.
What we use-
Blankets, lots of blankets - People will give you these and you'll think I don't need this many. YES YOU DO. Some will be perfect for swaddling when she's a newborn and some will be too big. You'll quickly figure out which ones are your favorite. Thin cotton ones work the best. We have one of these muslin blankets which we hate for swaddling because it's stretchy and she gets right out of it. But it's the best for throwing over the stroller for sun cover. You'll also use blankets to lay them down on the floor or wrap them up when it's cold.
Swaddling - Swaddle blankets like this didn't work for us because they weren't tight around her legs. Definitely practice swaddling before you have your baby. There were a lot of nights that I had to wake up Dave to swaddle her because I couldn't do it and I was too tired and frustrated to get it right.
Pacifier - My mom convinced us not to use one so Alta doesn't really need it. But, there have been key times when it has saved our lives. I gave her one for the first time like a week or two after she was born because I honestly could not leave the house with the stroller without her screaming. This is the only way we got her to get used to her car seat/stroller. Shove it in her mouth and hold it while we buckle her in and she'd be fine. We still use it now whenever she is super fussy and we need something to distract/calm her down. She doesn't usually fall asleep with it or ever have it in her mouth when she's awake.
Bouncy Seat - Best purchase, ever. I worried when we got home with her that we didn't really have anywhere to put her. We just had her cradle, her car seat, and the floor. I ordered this and she really likes it! At first she seemed way too small for it and the toys seemed totally useless. (Now, at 10 weeks she is working super hard to grab them) The vibrating is really comforting and usually distracts her if I have to go to the bathroom or shower. She usually spends an hour or two in there each day.
Car Seat - We have a Maxi Cosi one because it will go into our Bugaboo stroller. It's fine, nothing to get excited about. You have to get these adapters too
Bugaboo Bee - We bought a display model from a store in Boston. Very lightweight and fits in all the tiny doorways and aisles in stores! The seat folds all the way back so they can lay down as infants. If you buy the adaptors you can put the Maxi Cosi car seat in instead of the seat. I carry this thing up and down stairs everyday. It comes with a rain cover and there are a ton of other accessories you can buy if you want to.
Cradle - We have this one. We never actually rock it, it sits still on the pins. We live in a tiny apartment and this was a good size for us. I think it will only work up until 3 months. Once they start rolling around I guess. It comes with a waterproof mattress and she just sleeps on that. I bought sheets for it but she spit up on them all the time and they were pointless.
Nosefrida- yep, it works.
Baby Monitor- We have this one. Works well. Our apt is really small so it's only been used a few times.
Bath tub - We have this 7 buck Ikea one. Her first few baths were sponge baths on towels. Then I filled it with a few inches of water and that was okay. Seemed kind of cold? Dave did the next bath and he filled it with a lot more water and she floated. She loves this! She first began pushing off the sides with her legs and now she kicks her legs and arms like crazy. We have this baby soap. Sometimes we use washcloths. We got a few hooded towels from Target but any towel will work. I lay a towel on the floor and put her on there before her bath to take her diaper off and then put her on the afterwards when I dry her off, put her diaper on and get her dressed
Car seat cover - Our friend made us one. The item we didn't know we needed!
Burp Cloths - Get tons of them. My favorite ones are like these ones
White Noise App - Essential. Only way we can survive having her sleep in our room let alone our tiny apartment. I've been using a white noise app on my phone which is annoying because I lose my phone every time she goes to bed. If I can find my iPod, I'm going to use that instead. You can buy a white noise machine too. We've used the app on my phone to quiet her down when we are in the car. The best noise is loud rainfall, I think. Fans are nice white noise too. Our room is super loud at night. AC unit + Fan + rain.
Toys with smiling faces - I always see these magical looking cloud mobiles that are so stylish and simple. That stuff is boring. Get the cheesiest most colorful stuff you can find. Every morning Alta wakes up and smiles at these bright colored flowers with ridiculous smiley faces in her crib.
Lysol Wipes - To wipe down the changing pad and crib and anything else
Diaper bag - I have this one. I guess I like it? It's kind of thick and bulky. The thing is, you really don't need that much stuff with a newborn. I'm guessing all the different pockets and waterproofness will come in handy later. This diaper changing kit is awesome though
Changing pad - this one. It's a lot bigger than you think it will be! Fit right on top of our dresser before and on a shelf now. I got a cover for it but just like the crib sheets, the cover is totally unnecessary. You want to be able to wipe this down a lot.
Baby wipes- We use the Costco Kirkland ones. Super cheap, biodegradable I think, the package is great (not those bulky plastic containers), and you can buy a lot of them at once.
Diapers - Pamper swaddlers. I bought a box of 204 newborn ones from Amazon which we used because she was really small when she was born. She lasted through a 204 box of size 1 after that. Now we're on 2s at almost 3 months.
Breast pump - The huge bonus of Alta not being to latch at the hospital, getting a free breast pump! (our insurance covered it for "latching problems" but not for pain or really any other reasons) We got this one. Honestly, I don't blame her for not latching. There was hardly anything in there. Just start pumping a lot and your milk will come in faster. (just don't do this and wear a tight bra. That would be how I got mastitis. Feel free to ask me about that)
Nursing bras- My friend told me she walked around shirtless for the first few weeks which I thought was hilarious. Then it was true. You can nursing bras or tank tops from Target for pretty cheap. They aren't really amazing but they work fine. I wear this one for sleeping and this one during the day. I wouldn't really buy too many of these in advance because you won't know your size until after you have your baby. I have like 3 or 4 bras sitting in our apt that are useless because they are too small. (Feel free to ask me more details about this too)
Nursing pads - I read somewhere that you should make your own nursing pads and put darts in them! Biggest waste of my time. The reusable ones are the best but making them takes forever. (especially that dumb dart) I have a few sets of these and a few sets that I made. The disposable ones are ok at first but they get kind of tiring especially because they are sticky on the back.
Nipple cream - Lasinoh - put it on every time you nurse for like a month. Eventually you will be able to hug someone without cringing in pain. I honestly thought I would forever be in pain while nursing but after a month everything got better.
Diaper trash can - We didn't get one of these. Newborn diapers don't really smell that bad so we just throw them in the kitchen trash which goes out every few days. Eventually I'm sure we'll have to buy one!
Saline drops - only used once when she got a cold around 5 weeks. They work amazing.
Nail clippers - We have clippers similar to these. Some people say do it when they are sleeping, we clip while she's nursing.
Baby laundry detergent - I thought about this for a long time. We bought some natural, nice detergent from Costco, used it for a few weeks, and left it on accident in our old apt. Now we send out our laundry and I'm sure they don't use baby friendly detergent so whatever. I'm not sure if it really matters.
Baby lotion - She only gets lotioned up after a bath. I guess you could do it everyday if you wanted to.
Brest friend - Yep, I have one. I used it a lot in the first few weeks and now not at all. I wish I had taken this with me to the hospital! It really just helps you to get good form with breastfeeding so that it's not more painful than it needs to be. After we got the hang of it I got sick of putting that thing around my waist and now it's in storage.
Nursing shawl - I made two.
Diaper cream - don't over research this. We have this one and it's fine.
A bottle of Shout.
----
Maybe if I think of more things I'll add to this list? Alta is almost 3 months so I'm sure there are a million other things we will buying and experiencing. (especially more toys and teething items!)
Overall I would say - be patient (trying to hold a newborn with a floppy head while digging for your keys in your purse can be incredibly frustrating), be tough (breast-feeding and sleep deprivation, mostly the sleep deprivation), ask people you know or don't know questions whenever you have one, be prepared to feel guilty all the time (I think this is a first time mom thing) and be prepared to hate all of your clothes all the time. Turns out that dressing for nursing is way harder than dressing for pregnancy. I wish I would have known that.
First, I read this post on Cup of Jo like 50 times. I still read it. I read through the entire post and all the comments and took notes.
We registered on Amazon.
What we use-
Blankets, lots of blankets - People will give you these and you'll think I don't need this many. YES YOU DO. Some will be perfect for swaddling when she's a newborn and some will be too big. You'll quickly figure out which ones are your favorite. Thin cotton ones work the best. We have one of these muslin blankets which we hate for swaddling because it's stretchy and she gets right out of it. But it's the best for throwing over the stroller for sun cover. You'll also use blankets to lay them down on the floor or wrap them up when it's cold.
Swaddling - Swaddle blankets like this didn't work for us because they weren't tight around her legs. Definitely practice swaddling before you have your baby. There were a lot of nights that I had to wake up Dave to swaddle her because I couldn't do it and I was too tired and frustrated to get it right.
Pacifier - My mom convinced us not to use one so Alta doesn't really need it. But, there have been key times when it has saved our lives. I gave her one for the first time like a week or two after she was born because I honestly could not leave the house with the stroller without her screaming. This is the only way we got her to get used to her car seat/stroller. Shove it in her mouth and hold it while we buckle her in and she'd be fine. We still use it now whenever she is super fussy and we need something to distract/calm her down. She doesn't usually fall asleep with it or ever have it in her mouth when she's awake.
Bouncy Seat - Best purchase, ever. I worried when we got home with her that we didn't really have anywhere to put her. We just had her cradle, her car seat, and the floor. I ordered this and she really likes it! At first she seemed way too small for it and the toys seemed totally useless. (Now, at 10 weeks she is working super hard to grab them) The vibrating is really comforting and usually distracts her if I have to go to the bathroom or shower. She usually spends an hour or two in there each day.
Car Seat - We have a Maxi Cosi one because it will go into our Bugaboo stroller. It's fine, nothing to get excited about. You have to get these adapters too
Bugaboo Bee - We bought a display model from a store in Boston. Very lightweight and fits in all the tiny doorways and aisles in stores! The seat folds all the way back so they can lay down as infants. If you buy the adaptors you can put the Maxi Cosi car seat in instead of the seat. I carry this thing up and down stairs everyday. It comes with a rain cover and there are a ton of other accessories you can buy if you want to.
Cradle - We have this one. We never actually rock it, it sits still on the pins. We live in a tiny apartment and this was a good size for us. I think it will only work up until 3 months. Once they start rolling around I guess. It comes with a waterproof mattress and she just sleeps on that. I bought sheets for it but she spit up on them all the time and they were pointless.
Nosefrida- yep, it works.
Baby Monitor- We have this one. Works well. Our apt is really small so it's only been used a few times.
Bath tub - We have this 7 buck Ikea one. Her first few baths were sponge baths on towels. Then I filled it with a few inches of water and that was okay. Seemed kind of cold? Dave did the next bath and he filled it with a lot more water and she floated. She loves this! She first began pushing off the sides with her legs and now she kicks her legs and arms like crazy. We have this baby soap. Sometimes we use washcloths. We got a few hooded towels from Target but any towel will work. I lay a towel on the floor and put her on there before her bath to take her diaper off and then put her on the afterwards when I dry her off, put her diaper on and get her dressed
Car seat cover - Our friend made us one. The item we didn't know we needed!
Burp Cloths - Get tons of them. My favorite ones are like these ones
White Noise App - Essential. Only way we can survive having her sleep in our room let alone our tiny apartment. I've been using a white noise app on my phone which is annoying because I lose my phone every time she goes to bed. If I can find my iPod, I'm going to use that instead. You can buy a white noise machine too. We've used the app on my phone to quiet her down when we are in the car. The best noise is loud rainfall, I think. Fans are nice white noise too. Our room is super loud at night. AC unit + Fan + rain.
Toys with smiling faces - I always see these magical looking cloud mobiles that are so stylish and simple. That stuff is boring. Get the cheesiest most colorful stuff you can find. Every morning Alta wakes up and smiles at these bright colored flowers with ridiculous smiley faces in her crib.
Lysol Wipes - To wipe down the changing pad and crib and anything else
Diaper bag - I have this one. I guess I like it? It's kind of thick and bulky. The thing is, you really don't need that much stuff with a newborn. I'm guessing all the different pockets and waterproofness will come in handy later. This diaper changing kit is awesome though
Changing pad - this one. It's a lot bigger than you think it will be! Fit right on top of our dresser before and on a shelf now. I got a cover for it but just like the crib sheets, the cover is totally unnecessary. You want to be able to wipe this down a lot.
Baby wipes- We use the Costco Kirkland ones. Super cheap, biodegradable I think, the package is great (not those bulky plastic containers), and you can buy a lot of them at once.
Diapers - Pamper swaddlers. I bought a box of 204 newborn ones from Amazon which we used because she was really small when she was born. She lasted through a 204 box of size 1 after that. Now we're on 2s at almost 3 months.
Breast pump - The huge bonus of Alta not being to latch at the hospital, getting a free breast pump! (our insurance covered it for "latching problems" but not for pain or really any other reasons) We got this one. Honestly, I don't blame her for not latching. There was hardly anything in there. Just start pumping a lot and your milk will come in faster. (just don't do this and wear a tight bra. That would be how I got mastitis. Feel free to ask me about that)
Nursing bras- My friend told me she walked around shirtless for the first few weeks which I thought was hilarious. Then it was true. You can nursing bras or tank tops from Target for pretty cheap. They aren't really amazing but they work fine. I wear this one for sleeping and this one during the day. I wouldn't really buy too many of these in advance because you won't know your size until after you have your baby. I have like 3 or 4 bras sitting in our apt that are useless because they are too small. (Feel free to ask me more details about this too)
Nursing pads - I read somewhere that you should make your own nursing pads and put darts in them! Biggest waste of my time. The reusable ones are the best but making them takes forever. (especially that dumb dart) I have a few sets of these and a few sets that I made. The disposable ones are ok at first but they get kind of tiring especially because they are sticky on the back.
Nipple cream - Lasinoh - put it on every time you nurse for like a month. Eventually you will be able to hug someone without cringing in pain. I honestly thought I would forever be in pain while nursing but after a month everything got better.
Diaper trash can - We didn't get one of these. Newborn diapers don't really smell that bad so we just throw them in the kitchen trash which goes out every few days. Eventually I'm sure we'll have to buy one!
Saline drops - only used once when she got a cold around 5 weeks. They work amazing.
Nail clippers - We have clippers similar to these. Some people say do it when they are sleeping, we clip while she's nursing.
Baby laundry detergent - I thought about this for a long time. We bought some natural, nice detergent from Costco, used it for a few weeks, and left it on accident in our old apt. Now we send out our laundry and I'm sure they don't use baby friendly detergent so whatever. I'm not sure if it really matters.
Baby lotion - She only gets lotioned up after a bath. I guess you could do it everyday if you wanted to.
Brest friend - Yep, I have one. I used it a lot in the first few weeks and now not at all. I wish I had taken this with me to the hospital! It really just helps you to get good form with breastfeeding so that it's not more painful than it needs to be. After we got the hang of it I got sick of putting that thing around my waist and now it's in storage.
Nursing shawl - I made two.
Diaper cream - don't over research this. We have this one and it's fine.
A bottle of Shout.
----
Maybe if I think of more things I'll add to this list? Alta is almost 3 months so I'm sure there are a million other things we will buying and experiencing. (especially more toys and teething items!)
Overall I would say - be patient (trying to hold a newborn with a floppy head while digging for your keys in your purse can be incredibly frustrating), be tough (breast-feeding and sleep deprivation, mostly the sleep deprivation), ask people you know or don't know questions whenever you have one, be prepared to feel guilty all the time (I think this is a first time mom thing) and be prepared to hate all of your clothes all the time. Turns out that dressing for nursing is way harder than dressing for pregnancy. I wish I would have known that.
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