When I was expecting, I found it very helpful when mommies would blog about what products and items they recommend for their babies. Now that Caroline is four months old, I know what
I like and what makes our day to day routine easier. Below are pictures of what I use pretty much every day.
Aquaphor: I buy this stuff by the case, literally! I actually by the Target brand because it is a little bit cheaper and does the same thing. We apply this pretty much every time we change Caroline's diaper (trying to avoid diaper rash). We apply Aquaphor normally during the day, and then right before we put her to bed, we apply a large amount of Boudreaux's Butt Paste.
Swing: We have the Graco Silhouette swing. Caroline sometimes takes a nap in it or she will just hang out and swing. It does the trick for us.
Baby Einstein Gym/Play Mat: Definitely recommend one of these!! We didn't register for one, but ended up buying one when she was around 2-2.5 months! It has become a life saver! It allows me to get things done around the house, and she loves it! Put it on your registry!!
Boppy Lounger: Love this pillow! It is just something nice for her to lounge in rather than being on her back all the time. It is also the perfect angle to give a bottle! I've put Caroline on hers, pumped, and fed her a bottle all at the same time and it worked perfect!! She definitely laid on hers a lot more when she was a newborn, but we still use it occasionally.
Boppy Waterproof Changing Pad Protectors: Definitely a MUST!!! These things save me from changing our changing pad cover DAILY!
Diaper Genie Elite: This is nice because it keeps the smell away.
Sterilizer: One of these didn't even cross my mind until I read another mommy blog. I'm glad we got one because we use it probably 6 times a day!! It is so quick and easy to use. Only takes two minutes in our microwave!
Monitor: We have the Summer Infant Best View Digital Monitor. We LOVE it! It has a really good picture and it is super easy to travel with. Definitely recommend it!
Stroller: We have the BOB SE Revolution stroller. When the weather is nice, we go on walks and this is so much easier to walk with than a travel system stroller (which is what we originally had).
Car Seat: We have the Chicco Key Fit, and love it! Almost everyone I know with a baby has this car seat and loves it too! Caroline seems to enjoy it too as she sleeps pretty much every time she rides in it!! It has very good safety ratings as well.
Medela Pump in Style: I feel like this thing and me are BEST FRIENDS!! We spend around 2 hours a day together!!! I breastfed and pumped for the first two months, but now I'm just strictly pumping mainly because of convenience. This pump works great for me and definitely gets the job done! I definitely recommend having an extra set of breast shields, connectors, valves, and membranes! I was using the Medela bags to freeze milk, but just recently I switched to the Lansinoh bags because they are half the price and can hold 6 ounces of milk.
Humidifier: We just went with the Safety 1st one from Target. It works good.
Velcro Swaddles: These things are a life saver. We were never able to get our handmade swaddles to stay tight. We just use the Garanimal brand from Wal-Mart. Cheap and work great!
Drying Rack: Get one! It is an easy way to keep your bottles, nipples, caps, and breast pump parts organized and clean when not using them!
Boppy Pillow: We have one, but honestly I don't use it a lot. I have never breastfed with it. We have used it for tummy time or just an arm rest when we are holding Caroline.
Baby Einstein Jumper: Oma and Opa just bought this for Caroline for Christmas. She is still a little small for it, but she can play in it if we are right there with her. I know she is going to love it when she gets bigger because she is already showing interest in it!
Heater: I'm convinced this is the reason Caroline sleeps so well. The heater has it's on thermostat, so we can keep her room warmer than the rest of the house.
Pampers: We started stocking up on Pampers diapers and wipes when we found out we were pregnant. I've heard great things about Pampers and thankfully they have worked great for us. We had a small package of Huggies so I tried them out and they leaked. The legs weren't as tight as Pampers. However, I have heard good things about Huggies wipes, but I've never tried them.
Pajamas: At first, we used those little gowns when Caroline was a newborn. They were OK at first, but honestly I think I prefer footed zipper pajamas. We use the Carter's brand and LOVE them! They are easy to get on and off, and I think they keep Caroline warmer than the gowns.
Bumbo: We haven't used this just a whole lot yet, but the few times we have sat Caroline in it, she likes it! It gives her just enough back support that she can sit in it by herself. I have a feeling we will use this before we bring out her big girl highchair.
Pack and Play: Use this ALL THE TIME! We have this set up in our living room, and this is where Caroline has her individual play time and nap time. I haven't been brave enough to let her nap in crib yet for nap time. I'm worried it will mess up her night time sleeping. It is also a secure place for her to lay away from the dogs while I do other things around the house.
Glider: This is a MUST in our daily routine. I tried to find a picture of one of ours. This was a last minute purchase before Caroline arrived. We bought a recliner/glider for our living room. And then we decided we wanted another one for her bedroom. I honestly don't know what we would have done without it! Every night we feed Caroline in her bedroom in this chair, and almost every morning this is where I feed her. This chair is perfect for breastfeeding as well. It is so narrow that you don't need the breastfeeding pillow which is why I never used our Boppy. We went with the Best Chairs Storytime Series. In our living room, we have the Tryp style glider/recliner, and in Caroline's room, we have the Peyton glider chair and glider ottoman. We LOVE both of them!
Hope this helps any new or soon-to-be mommies out there!!
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