Hey Readers!
As many of you know, I've just had a baby. I never thought I would be a mom, so while pregnant I did a lot of research on things I would need to make parenting easier. However, while on my search I realized that there is an overabundance of "mandatory" items that I found I honestly never used. I received so many incredible gifts for my baby shower, but I ended up returning a lot of them because I found that they just weren't right for me, and as a result they were starting to collect dust in a closet. Through trial and error, I like to think I found the real "mandatory" items. The real M-V-Ps of momming products. Items that are big and very helpful to my everyday life, and items that are small that have become staples of convenience. And guess what? I am going to share my secrets with you. I will tell you what I have learned so far that you really need, that way you can maybe avoid all the return trips to Babies R Us that I wasted my time on the first two weeks of Anastasia being home.
Also, all of the photos I am using are not my personal photos (except one, you'll know which one it is), but they are all photos of the specific items that I use
1. Bottle/Pacifier Sterilizer
This is the one I use. This is a bigger item, but its not huge in size, maybe about a foot tall. I don't use this on a daily basis, but I use it every other day and it is super helpful. Once I've collected up all the dirty bottles, I rinse them out, take them apart, and throw them in here. You fill the bottom with a little water, press the on button, and they are steamed and sterilized in 10 minutes. Seriously. Then just hang everything on a drying rack, and you wait for it to be dry and ready to use! I really like it because it's a super deep clean, and it's done in 10 minutes. And it stops itself when it's done, so I don't have to worry about forgetting to turn it off and setting my house on fire, which is an incredible help.
2. Drying Rack
This particular drying rack is also by Avent. I put this item on my registry just because I got Avent bottles, and I figured I'd get everything Avent that went along with it. However, I have since ditched the Avent bottles, but kept the rack. And it doesn't have to be this one, this is just what I have because I like that the bottom detaches to clean it easier. But ANY drying rack will do.. seriously. Any. Just get one, or you will be very sorry and tired after drying every awkwardly-shaped-full-of-hard-to-reach-spots bottle.
3. Plain Soaking Tub
Very simple. Nothing fancy. Literally just a plain tub to soak stuff in. I mentioned earlier I use the bottle sterilizer every other day to clean and sterilize everything, but you feed the baby a million times a day, and you don't always have time to wait and sterilize. Once something is dirty I'll rinse it under the sink, and then throw it in this tub filled with just hot water and dish soap. Then once its soaked for a bit I'll take whatever is in there and rinse it under the sink to get the soap off. But this is amazing for when I realize I've dirtied all my bottles, but she's hungry and ready to eat, and I have no time to do a full clean. I'll just throw the stuff in here, wait a second, swish it around, and then rinse and use. It's kind of hard to explain how important this is to my daily routine, but trust me- this item is extremely convenient to have. But make sure you empty it each time, and clean it with a sponge and soap, or it'll get gross.
4. Changing Pad Liner
I have a changing pad cover on top of my changing pad, but I also have a liner I put down on top of that. Babies R Us sells them in packs of three, which is nice because when one gets dirty there's another I can grab and use in the meantime. These can also be used in items like a Rock and Play or a swing. I never realized babies had blowouts, and I never realized how bad they can be. The one time Anastasia was in the Rock and Play sleeping, and when I got her I realized she pooped all the way up her back. It got on the Rock and Play, and it was a pain in the ass to clean. If you put a liner down in it, its much easier to take that out and clean than cleaning the whole Rock and Play. Also with the blowouts, when I put her on the changing pad, and the poop is all over her, it'll get all over the place while I'm changing her. So when the poop gets on the pad, I just put that in the hamper and get a new one, instead of having to take apart the changing pad cover and wash that and have her on the cold hard bare changing pad while I wait for it to be done washing. Also, my changing pad cover is cute, and the liners are plain and boring, and I'd rather have that covered in poop than my adorable changing pad. So these help keep my nice things clean, and they are very convenient to deal with when they get messed.
5. Rock and Play
The one pictured is the one I have, but there are tons of different designs if you don't like this particular one. I cannot stress enough how helpful this item is, and how much Anastasia loves it. I honestly have her sleep in this very frequently because she loves it so much. Also it is SO convenient if I take her to someone else's house, because instead of bringing the huge Pack and Play I can just fold this up and go. It's also very light, and it rocks and plays music. If Anastasia is being fussy, i'll put her in the Rock and Play. If she's sleeping and I need to do a long task that would require her sleeping for a while, I'll put her in the Rock and Play. If I need to put her down just for a second, but I don't want her to get fussy, I'll put her in here and turn on the rocker and the music. She loves this Rock and Play. I know they're supposed to go in the bassinet to sleep because of SIDS or whatever, but she loves it in here, and it's perfect for taking to someone's house, putting her down for a nap, and putting her down for a second to clean. I use this thing constantly, I cannot recommend this item enough, seriously.
6. Wipe Warmer
I love this wipe warmer. Also, if you've made it this far into my blog, and are actually taking the time read it, thank you! Anyway, anytime I would change Anastasia she would throw a fit because she hates to be cold. She doesn't like being undressed, and she doesn't like the cold wet wipes on her butt. Having them warmed up makes changing her so much easier. I mean she still doesn't love it, but she's not screaming her head off every time anymore. Seriously, she is so much more comfortable when the wipes are warm. And it's funny, because I remember I put one of these on my registry, and I removed it because I thought it was just an excessive unnecessary item that I wouldn't ever use. I ended up going out the first week she was home and buying one. And you don't have to go nuts; this is just a plain wipe warmer, and it was like $20. And to fill it I just went to Walmart and picked up a box of wet wipes, and it comes with bags of wipes that you take a few of at a time to fill the wipe warmer. And when you run out you just put more in. But this item I didn't think was necessary, until I saw how much she hated the cold wipes. Diaper changing is so much easier now.
7. Bottle Warmer
If you buy nothing else, buy a bottle warmer. TRUST ME. Before this I was heating up water in a pan, which would take a couple minutes, and then I would put the bottle in the pan to sit for a couple minutes, and then check it every couple minutes, and it took forever. When you have a hungry baby screaming her head off, you don't have time for all that. And I tried just giving her the food cold, but she doesn't like it cold. She wont eat it. She'll spit it at me, and then scream in my face to warm it up. I fill this up with water, I put the bottle in, I wait maybe a minute to two minutes, and it's warm. There's a way to time it out with specific amounts of water, but I never took the time to figure that out, so I just kind of play it by ear. But I'll leave it in there for 1-2 minutes and it turns out perfect. But I can't imagine life without a bottle warmer, I really don't know how she would eat. And it's also compact too, at least the one I have (pictured) is, so I can bring it to someone's house and back without making it a big production. But seriously get a bottle warmer. I didn't see that many blogs mention a bottle warmer, or talk in depth about its importance.. I don't know if they just don't talk as excessively as I do, or if they do something else, I don't know. But I'm here to tell you how great it is, so thats my two cents.
8. Bibs
This seems like a no-brainer, and I got a couple bibs from my shower, but get a lot of them. Have extras. And get ones to fit newborns, because a lot of the ones I got are for bigger babies, but her neck is too skinny for them. I went out and had to buy bibs that were made for newborns to fit her skinny little neck. And going without a bib is not an option, because she is a very messy eater; she drools, and she spits, and she spits up, and she makes an absolute mess. And I go through bibs like you wouldn't believe. She'll get one soaked and dirty, then i'll grab another, then another, and another, and I don't have time to launder the same 3 bibs over and over again. I honestly have about 15 bibs, and I use all of them at one point or another. Bibs to me are like socks: you can never have too many, because they get dirty and lost quicker than you can blink your eyes. Also, get bibs that are thick and made of terrycloth, because those are the most absorbent. I have some that are thin and made of cotton, and they just don't hold up. I mean they're still good, and they still get the job done, but if she's being especially messy they get messed up really quickly, and they'll get so wet that sometimes being on her clothes it'll get those wet too. Stock up on bibs. Nobody really thinks about it, so nobody really tells you how necessary they are, but if your baby is a messy eater this will save a lot of their cute little clothes from being destroyed.
9. Hand Sanitizer
Make sure you have this. Mandatory. Put it in your house. PUT IT IN YOUR DIAPER BAG. Do not leave the house without this in the diaper bag. Especially if you're going around people. Everyone wants to hold the baby, and you don't know what kind of germs people have. Think of all the things people touch in a day, and then them touching the baby. I don't let anyone hold Anastasia without using hand sanitizer first. Obviously this is important, but it's one of those things you don't really think about until you're in a situation where you think "I don't want this person holding my baby with their dirty hands, but I don't want to be rude". Get this right now, and put it in your diaper bag while you're at it. Do it. Don't forget.
10. Cool Mist Humidifier
This is really good with winter approaching with it's dry air. I really like this particular one because it's easy to clean, and it makes barely any noise. Sometimes I forget it's even on. I like to take Anastasia out for walks so she can see the outside, and so I can keep in shape, but as winter approaches the air gets drier. Also, the windows in my apartment are really shitty and drafty, so that dry air gets into my apartment as well. I mean maybe this isn't 100% necessary, but it is definitely helpful where I live because my apartment is so drafty. I definitely hear a noticeable difference in her breathing if I forget to put this on at night.
11. Pacifier WITH Cover
Make sure it has the cover. I remember my Nona always telling me pacifiers were no good, and so I was always really against using them. I also think they look kind of silly, and I don't like when a baby constantly has one in their mouth. But Anastasia has this thing where she has an excessive need to suckle, and in the hospital they would give her one to help calm down, and it works. Apparently babies don't know how to calm themselves down and self-soothe, so the pacifier does it for them. Thats what one of the hospital nurses told me, and they know more than I do, so I took their advice and got one. Now I can't imagine not having it. They're also good because she likes to eat her hands a lot, and sometimes I can't tell if it's for fun, or if it's because she's hungry, and I'll give her the pacifier and judge if she's truly hungry or not by how she sucks the pacifier. That is really helpful because it saves me a wasted bottle, because sometimes I'll put the bottle in her mouth and she'll suck it and stop. When she's already drank out of it I only have an hour to use it until it's bad, an formula is expensive, so it's nice having something to check if she's genuinely hungry, or if she just wants to suck and relax. And the cover is so mandatory with this, because they get dropped all the time. All the time. These Avent pacifiers come with one that snaps right on.
12. Pacifier Leash
I don't know if this is the technical term for this item, but it's what I call it. I love my pacifier leash. Sometimes she'll spit her pacifier out on accident, and sometimes on purpose, and it'll fall on the ground. Sometime's I'll forget to pick it up, and sometimes I'll pick it up and put it down somewhere on the fly and totally forget where I put it. These are also really nice for when she's in the car seat, because I'll hook it on her, and if she starts crying I can just feel up the leash to find it, instead of having to blindly search all over the nooks and crannies of the car seat. They also come in really cute designs and stuff, and they're not bulky or anything like that either. They have ones with a velcro loop, and then they have the ones like in the picture with the cloth loop. Its hard to explain how those ones work, but they're easy to do. I also prefer the fabric loop because ones its looped on its looped tight. I feel like velcro tends to come undone a lot easier, so that's why I have the other kind. But these can clip right on the baby's clothes, so that the pacifier is never far from her, and I always know right where it is so I don't have to look for it in a panic.
13. Pacifier Wipes
It's pretty self explanatory why these are awesome. I don't think I need to go into a ton of detail and say it over and over again. Pacifiers get dropped everywhere and get filthy, and even when they're on the leash they still touch stuff that has germs. These are such a necessity for my diaper bag, because when I'm home I can run the pacifier under water and sterilize it, but when I'm out and I don't have that option I have these. Sometimes I'll even use these at home if I'm feeling lazy. But anyway, diaper bag necessity for me. Love them.
14. Baby Monitor
I feel like these are never mentioned on blogs or anything because it's just assumed that obviously you need them, but I'm slow so I didn't even think to get them until I couldn't shower or go outside or anything without worrying what the baby is doing. This is another item I don't think I need to go on and on about how important it is because it's pretty obvious, but I wanted to make sure that I at least listed it for the people like me that forget everything. Super helpful for the shower though, because she would be sound asleep but I would still be too nervous to get into the shower, and once I got a baby monitor I'd just bring it in with me, and I felt much better. These are so great for helping to adjust, especially if you get really nervous over everything like I do.
15. Car Seat Carrier Cover
Before I had this, I had an item very similar that was meant to be actually inside the car seat; you would weave the car seat straps through the holes in it to keep it in place, and then it would zipper over. However, I took a parenting class that took time to teach about car seat safety, and the woman from the fire department who taught the class said that the item I just mentioned really wasn't safe. Something about it affecting your ability to tighten the straps. This is like the safe version of that item, and it's wonderful. it goes all the way around the carrier on the outside, and then you place the baby in and zip the rest up over them, and it's meant to work in place of a blanket. I would always get nervous putting a blanket in the car seat with her, because with her rear facing I couldn't see if she'd pull it up over her face, and if I didn't hear her breath I would be scared she was suffocating and get major anxiety. She can't pull this over her face like with a blanket, so it totally puts my mind at ease. And if it's really cold, instead of layering blankets on blankets, I can just put one blanket underneath this and she would be nice and toasty. It's like keeping her in her own warm little room. Another thing that's nice about it is it has a flap that works for total coverage, so if it's really windy or something I can pull the flap up for a second until it settles down. And it makes the carrier look a lot prettier and less cold. So I totally love this, and with it getting colder and colder I am happier and happier with my purchase.
So thats all, folks! My list of items that make my life a million times easier. Also, none of these photos are mine except for the one of the tub thing. And I am not endorsing any of these products or being paid or any shit like that, I just didn't see many of these on blogs I looked at while I was pregnant, so now I've made my own with them. I hope that my trial and error and findings can help out a couple new moms or moms to be with figuring out what you really use on a daily basis with a newborn baby. And with that, I bid you all farewell!
Love Always,
Liza Jane
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