A girlfriend of mine was due 3 months after me. I feel like there are so many unknowns and personally, the pressure of buying EVERY product I needed before the baby came was my way of feeling like I had some sort of control of the situation I was embarking upon.... YEAH... One super awesome blog I found out about AFTER I went to all this effort is called "Lucie's List" I still kind of crack up that I read mom-blogs sometimes (WHO AM I?????) but the woman who writes this is hysterically funny and her research is extensive. I wish I had known about it before I went stroller shopping! Anyway, so my initial baby notes to Vanessa are below.... I hope they might be useful!
*Velcro swaddler: at 5am, it’s just a lot easier
*Crunchy Clean! It’s a hippie laundry detergent that I found, it works well and is like $0.11/ load
*Bioclean Bac Out - Another hippie product, stain removal is a daily task and I like this one.
*Dr. Bronner’s soap - that is all I use now! I’m just avoiding lotions and soaps that have chemicals
*Coconut oil - I guess lotion clogs their pores but their little hands and feet get dry. Come to think of it, the first couple weeks, she was getting dry patches everywhere. ALSO, the first week, I used this on her little tush, meconium is like tar and sticks to them so this works.
*Viva paper towels: I guess they aren’t supposed to have baby wipes in their first week or so (chemicals? I don’t know) and if you use these with warm water, they work well.
*Thermometer: Just a digital one to use under their armpit
*Baby Tylenol: Not that you’ll need it any time soon, but you don’t want to have to run out and get it when you DO need it.
*Little nail files and fingernail clippers with LED light: I filed her nails the first 10 weeks and just FINALLY got brave enough to use the clippers and it turns out, it has lights at the tip so it’s super easy to see!
*Air sanitizer/ Fan/ White Noise Maker: I am actually just using a little space heater on the fan setting. But the sound is really great for them. Also, Bowie gets hot in her swaddle sometimes and the fan is the perfect balance. The space heater feature is great for keeping on while giving baths because they get cold super easy.
*Smoke Detector and CO2 detector: A lot of people already have these. Well, moving into Andrew’s bachelor pad, I discovered he had removed his when the battery was low. So yeah, make sure you have one :)
*Baby Sleep Sack: I thought they looked like the most ridiculous things and refused to buy one. Well, I got some as gifts and I TOTALLY see why they’re so helpful. Changing a diaper at 6am and it’s a good way to keep them warm without using blankets in their bed.
*Lanolin: My poor nipples needed all kinds of help in the beginning! But this is safe for babies. I had these medicated pads and try washing your nipples off every time you want to feed the baby, that lasted like 1/2 day! *Lilly Padz: The whole milk thing is out of control in the first couple weeks. With these, I have yet to leak in public. Don’t make my mistake and get the starter kit, all you need are the pads.
*Brewer’s Yeast/ Ground Flax Seed/ Oats: My doctor gave me a recipe for these “milk makers” cookies. In theory, what better excuse to eat a cookie?!? But I read the ingredients and really, I’m sure I don’t need flour, sugar and butter when all I want to do is lose the baby weight. So my breakfast is usually greek yogurt + granola + a tablespoon of brewers yeast and flax seed + fresh berries and nuts on top.
*Mothers Milk tea: It certainly can’t hurt.
*Variety pack of pads: OK, I had huge ones and that became unnecessary after a few days. A variety is helpful is all I’m saying!
*Underwear: Yeah. I can’t remember the last time I wore pads, but I do know they don’t get along well with g-strings.
*Aiden and Anais Swaddle blankets: they’re just the best. You’ll see.
*Bassinet: It’s so great to have one. It’s a good transition from my bed to the crib and apparently prevents SIDS
*ONE nursing bra: Until your milk comes in, you won’t know what size you’re going to be. But it is good to have one to get started.
*Vibrating bouncy seat: I had a nanny friend suggest I register for one, the last thing I wanted was more STUFF. But it’s proven to be great entertainment and good for their tummies when they’re upset.
*Variety of bottles: You won’t need them right away but when the time comes, it’s great to have them standing by. You only need the smaller size and a “low flow” nipple. I didn’t want to buy a bunch of one kind and realize I didn’t like it so I just got a sampler selection.
*Simethicone Drops: My doctor said it’s normal for babies to have gas issues between 6-12 weeks and it was just DREADFUL watching my baby in pain and not being able to make it better! I tried the Gripe Water and it didn’t work but the Pedia Care drops worked within 10 minutes.
*Hats and socks: Their little feet get cold and finding socks that don’t come off can be tough. I hear Trumpette socks are good but by the time I got that memo, we were past that dilemma. And hats! Try finding hats small enough for their little heads in the first days, it’s hard! I had a hat knit to order in England from ebay but everything else was just too big. Or tacky.
*Diaper Genie: I’m not sure if you’re doing any disposables but this thing WORKS.
*Coffee cup holder: For your stroller. I’ve never needed coffee more and where the hell do I put it??? I think it should just come with the stroller.
*Night Light: Or two! In the middle of the night, I used my cell phone to light the way but it’s great to have one (or a few).
*Old sports bras: I got the double electric pump and there is a thing you can buy to hold them on but it’s like $40 and you’ll need to wash it a lot - it just didn’t make sense to me. But my girlfriend suggested cutting holes in a couple sports bras that are big enough to stick the pump flanges on and that works great... I ended up wearing those half the time with the lilly pads because I was pumping so much in the beginning.
***I've also created a registry! This site is so awesome to consolidate all registries onto one page: http://babyli.st/amandas-post-baby-notes
I hope this is helpful!
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