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Ummm, how did that happen? I swear that two seconds ago she was the 6-pounds-and-change wriggly little newborn we couldn't believe was ours. Now she's sitting up, learning to laugh, grabbing at everything, starting to push up on her hands and knees...and quite the little butterball, to boot.
I did a similar post way back when L was 8 weeks old that was mostly focused on breastfeeding, since that's pretty much what my life was consumed by at that point. (Still is, to be honest.) But I wanted to share some of the products that have made my life over the past 6 months so much easier -- some of them are repeats from before (because I'm still in love with them!), but most are new -- and are totally worth every penny. Am I compensated for any of these reviews? Nope, not a one. Just sharing the love!
1. Gerber prefolds: I go through so, so many of these every day -- and not in any way related to diapering! They are the best "clean up a mess" cloths ever. I'm sure that, once L has stopped spitting up and having blowouts (that's going to happen, right?), I'll make good use of them for all kinds of things around the house. But any new mom should buy stock in these -- no joke. If the plain ones are just too boring for you, I love these from the Laundry Monster.
2. Sophie the Giraffe by Vulli: This is the greatest baby learning tool ever invented -- which is bizarre, because it seems like a doggy chew toy. High contrast for baby eye development, rubber for gnawing on as baby learns to chew (and/or is teething), great squeaky sound when baby squeezes it, lots of different parts to grab onto -- totally worth the $15-20 you'll shell out for it. L adores hers (sometimes it's the only thing that will make her happy!)
3. Infantino twist-and-fold play gym: there are a lot of activity mats out there, and some that are unbelievably cute. I love this one (the "boy" version -- not a fan of the bubble gum pink one!) because it has an added bonus: it folds up for easy storage and transport. Considering that your house will be totally taken over by baby stuff, this is a huge plus.
4-7. Sakura Bloom sling, Baby Bjorn, Ergo carrier, and Moby wrap: I'm not exactly an attachment parenting person (more than I thought I would be -- probably a topic for another post!), but I use a baby carrier pretty much every day. Getting out of the house is essential for my sanity, and baby girl was until very recently way too small and not skilled enough with sitting up for an umbrella stroller. Also, she hates her car seat more than I have room to tell you about here, so even on errands I have to wear her into the store. The Sakura Bloom sling (which comes in an amazing assortment of colors and unbelievably luxe fabric choices) and the Moby wrap are awesome for little newborn babies who need to be cradled right at your chest (plus they are super snuggly for babies to sleep in!). Once she had decent head control, L was in the Baby Bjorn all the time. I still use it, but now that she is pushing 20 pounds it's starting to dig into my shoulders a bit, so we've recently switched to the Ergo. I'm not as sold on it as some moms, but I do like the lumbar support and the padded straps -- I could walk for miles and have no soreness afterwards -- and I'm excited for its functionality as a back carrier, too.
8. Lansinoh nursing pads: super soft and soothing for those agonizing first few weeks of breastfeeding when you are (TMI alert) leaking all over the place. Love these!
9. Bravado nursing bras: the most comfortable ones I've found with super easy access -- it's frustrating to have to fumble around to get things hooked back together during late night nursing sessions, and I can do this one with one hand no problem. It's also low cut enough to wear with a variety of tops.
10. Haba Flapsi: the second best toy around. This is great for when your baby starts grabbing and clutching -- it has so many little parts for tiny fingers to latch onto. Good color contrast and an appealing sound to it, too. Just be aware that your baby may be sad the first few times she puts the red ball end into her mouth, though, and realizes no milk will come out. :)
11. Woombie: swaddling your baby, especially at first, will make everyone in your house so much happier. We used swaddling blankets and sleep sacks in the early days, but after a while your baby will start to break free. The Woombie is a great solution -- still keeps your baby cozy and comfortable, but there is no way for her to get herself out of it (I always worried that a loose blanket in the crib would suffocate L after she had thrashed around and gotten out). Plus, the zipper, which works at both ends, makes for quick and easy diaper changes.
12. Earth's Best wipes: chlorine free, no chemicals to harm your baby's skin, soothing aloe and a nice soft scent (my husband can't stand the smell of other "name brand" wipes) -- and they will get baby stains out of your furniture, too!
Most of these products can be found at any good baby store, with the exception of the Sakura Bloom, Bravado bras, the Haba caterpillar, and the Woombie.
How about the rest of you moms? What baby products have you loved? What did you buy that you ended up never using?
I did a similar post way back when L was 8 weeks old that was mostly focused on breastfeeding, since that's pretty much what my life was consumed by at that point. (Still is, to be honest.) But I wanted to share some of the products that have made my life over the past 6 months so much easier -- some of them are repeats from before (because I'm still in love with them!), but most are new -- and are totally worth every penny. Am I compensated for any of these reviews? Nope, not a one. Just sharing the love!
1. Gerber prefolds: I go through so, so many of these every day -- and not in any way related to diapering! They are the best "clean up a mess" cloths ever. I'm sure that, once L has stopped spitting up and having blowouts (that's going to happen, right?), I'll make good use of them for all kinds of things around the house. But any new mom should buy stock in these -- no joke. If the plain ones are just too boring for you, I love these from the Laundry Monster.
2. Sophie the Giraffe by Vulli: This is the greatest baby learning tool ever invented -- which is bizarre, because it seems like a doggy chew toy. High contrast for baby eye development, rubber for gnawing on as baby learns to chew (and/or is teething), great squeaky sound when baby squeezes it, lots of different parts to grab onto -- totally worth the $15-20 you'll shell out for it. L adores hers (sometimes it's the only thing that will make her happy!)
3. Infantino twist-and-fold play gym: there are a lot of activity mats out there, and some that are unbelievably cute. I love this one (the "boy" version -- not a fan of the bubble gum pink one!) because it has an added bonus: it folds up for easy storage and transport. Considering that your house will be totally taken over by baby stuff, this is a huge plus.
4-7. Sakura Bloom sling, Baby Bjorn, Ergo carrier, and Moby wrap: I'm not exactly an attachment parenting person (more than I thought I would be -- probably a topic for another post!), but I use a baby carrier pretty much every day. Getting out of the house is essential for my sanity, and baby girl was until very recently way too small and not skilled enough with sitting up for an umbrella stroller. Also, she hates her car seat more than I have room to tell you about here, so even on errands I have to wear her into the store. The Sakura Bloom sling (which comes in an amazing assortment of colors and unbelievably luxe fabric choices) and the Moby wrap are awesome for little newborn babies who need to be cradled right at your chest (plus they are super snuggly for babies to sleep in!). Once she had decent head control, L was in the Baby Bjorn all the time. I still use it, but now that she is pushing 20 pounds it's starting to dig into my shoulders a bit, so we've recently switched to the Ergo. I'm not as sold on it as some moms, but I do like the lumbar support and the padded straps -- I could walk for miles and have no soreness afterwards -- and I'm excited for its functionality as a back carrier, too.
8. Lansinoh nursing pads: super soft and soothing for those agonizing first few weeks of breastfeeding when you are (TMI alert) leaking all over the place. Love these!
9. Bravado nursing bras: the most comfortable ones I've found with super easy access -- it's frustrating to have to fumble around to get things hooked back together during late night nursing sessions, and I can do this one with one hand no problem. It's also low cut enough to wear with a variety of tops.
10. Haba Flapsi: the second best toy around. This is great for when your baby starts grabbing and clutching -- it has so many little parts for tiny fingers to latch onto. Good color contrast and an appealing sound to it, too. Just be aware that your baby may be sad the first few times she puts the red ball end into her mouth, though, and realizes no milk will come out. :)
11. Woombie: swaddling your baby, especially at first, will make everyone in your house so much happier. We used swaddling blankets and sleep sacks in the early days, but after a while your baby will start to break free. The Woombie is a great solution -- still keeps your baby cozy and comfortable, but there is no way for her to get herself out of it (I always worried that a loose blanket in the crib would suffocate L after she had thrashed around and gotten out). Plus, the zipper, which works at both ends, makes for quick and easy diaper changes.
12. Earth's Best wipes: chlorine free, no chemicals to harm your baby's skin, soothing aloe and a nice soft scent (my husband can't stand the smell of other "name brand" wipes) -- and they will get baby stains out of your furniture, too!
Most of these products can be found at any good baby store, with the exception of the Sakura Bloom, Bravado bras, the Haba caterpillar, and the Woombie.
How about the rest of you moms? What baby products have you loved? What did you buy that you ended up never using?
I'm so glad you stumbled upon my blog so I could find your blog. I'm hooked already.
ReplyDeleteLove this post. I must confess that I'm feeling like quite the copy cat, even though I was unaware I was "copying" your exact idea within this post. My post is slightly different, but wow...
ReplyDeleteI do like seeing that we mothers think of so many of the same things. :)
No worries, Eleanor! "Best products" is a typical-but-perfect new mom post. I definitely wasn't the first to think of it :)
ReplyDelete