I say "must have" in quotes because I know it's pretty ridiculous what people say you "must have" for a baby. All you really need is food (which, unless you are using formula, is free), a place to sleep, and clothes/diapers. This list is, however, a list of baby items we have found particularly helpful in adjusting to parenthood with our newborn. I realize everyone is different and every baby is different, so these may not be helpful for the next person, but here are some items that have made our journey over the past two months much less stressful :)
LOVE this pillow. Had the ever popular "Boppy" pillow and found it really frustrating to use. After visiting the lactation consultant with some nursing issues in the first few weeks of Charlie's life, she introduced us to this pillow, which has been SO helpful. It wraps around you to support your back and provides a flat surface for your baby to lie on so that you are correctly aligned for feeding. It's about the same price as the "Boppy" so we exchanged ours for this. Highly recommended! (and it has a great name! :)
Prince Lionheart "WashPod"I've already discussed this on a recent post, but just wanted to emphasize how awesome of a baby tub this is. Also, I recently learned that while the "Tummy Tub" (another bucket style baby tub) is more expensive than the WashPod, it can be used up to age 3! As much as I love the price and stability of the WashPod, I believe you can only use it up to age 6 months - 1 year. Both are great bathtubs!
I really wanted a Moby Wrap before Charlie was born since I'd heard such great things about it, but didn't think I could shell out the $40 for a piece of fabric. A couple of my friends had made their own and told me how to make a very similar wrap cheaply. So, I went to the fabric store, bought a 5 yard piece of jersey cotton fabric, cut it in half length wise, and voila!...TWO baby wraps for $5.00! And I got to pick out a cute pattern. I have used this wrap a lot in the newborn position and Charlie absolutely loves it. He falls asleep almost immediately after being placed in it and I have my arms free to do whatever I need to do. Perfect!
When we were in the hospital, they put Charlie in one of these to sleep. It is a unique "swaddler" because he is zipped into a sack and can either be swaddled with his arms in or out. When we were leaving the hospital, they told us we could take two home with us (even though the tag explicitly said not to remove from the hospital :) Charlie loves just hanging out in these during the day propped up on the couch, as well. Kinda neat that the zipper is upside down for quick diaper changes at night. Sad that Charlie is outgrowing the newborn size!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Dustin and Mallory for giving us these! This may actually be my favorite baby item right now. All natural, inexpensive, and a God send. These tiny tablets melt in your baby's mouth and almost immediately calm him down when he is crying (or screaming, in our case) from gas pains, acid reflux, colic, or for no apparent reason. I hear they work for teething as well, but hopefully we don't have to deal with that for a few more months...
Moses BasketNot a particular one, but a moses basket in general has worked great for us in the past few weeks as we have transitioned Charlie out of our bed. Having him sleep in bed with us helped us get a lot of sleep the first 6 weeks, but we were ready to have him in his own bed, next to our bed. The moses basket is great because it's an affordable option for the in between stage, before he will sleep in his crib. It is portable, so he can fall asleep in it out in the living room with us, and then when we go to bed we can carry it to our bedroom. I really wanted a co-sleeper, but it was too much for us to spend after purchasing a crib, as well. This has been a great second choice!
Speaking of sleep...this little item has given our fingers a greatly needed break after the first few weeks of sticking them in Charlie's mouth to keep him happy. We didn't want to go the pacifier route, but it was the only thing that kept our sanity in the end. We're still searching for a good kind (so if you have any suggestions...), especially one that won't fall out of his mouth as much, but right now it does the job and helps our little one to sleep. Because of this item, we can also get some much needed rest!
Again, a generic item, but one that has been huge for us. We also didn't want to have a swing, worrying he would get used to being rocked to sleep and that we would over use it. This hasn't been the case yet, and we are very grateful Dan's brother and sister-in-law gave us theirs! Ours rocks from front to back OR side to side and has soothing ocean sounds. When I need to just put Charlie down and get stuff done or if he is really fussy and won't take a nap, this will usually do the trick.
This diaper pail is great. Ok, so it's the only one we've tried, but we still have no complaints. Many people swear by the "Diaper Genie," but we found that you have to use their special bags, which we weren't willing to buy constantly (you go through them so fast at first!). With the Diaper Champ, you can use any garbage bags you like. It also has a fun handle you lift up to expose a "pod" to place the diaper in, then put the handle down and your diaper disappears without you having to open the pail or smell anything! Genius.
Many many people love this carrier, so after many recommendations, we finally purchased one a few weeks ago. Since we didn't want to buy the infant insert that you are supposed to use until they are 15 pounds and can support their head fairly well, we will probably just wait to use it until that time. Charlie is already about 13 pounds and holding his head up constantly, so we may be able to use it a bit sooner than we think! I probably shouldn't say this is a "must have" item before I really use it, but I'm anticipating greatness from this. Will let you know... :)
Gotta love the name. And the pretty designs! Finally got this and love using it over using a blanket! Good coverage, cute look, and a stiff collar at the top so you can see your baby while he is feeding. It also folds up in a little matching bag you can stick in the diaper bag. It is a little pricey, but I have really enjoyed mine so far. So, "must have"? No, maybe not. But I have found it really helpful!
And finally, I recommend purchasing a ukulele. Ok, just kidding, but it has been a life saver for us! :) First time we discovered this helpful tool, Charlie was screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night for a diaper change when Dan reached over, picked up his ukulele (ok, so we have random instruments all over the house), simply strummed the open strings, and Charlie was instantly silent! Not only is he silent when we play him any instrument (or sing to him), but he gives us a huge smile! He sure loves music! Not saying this will work for all babies, but hey, it's worth a try!
So, now you know the secrets to having a happy...well...Charlie. Your items are probably completely different from mine! Any favorites you'd care to share?
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