I currently have 5 friends who are expecting babies. Some are about ready to have their babies, some are just in the beginning months (bless your hearts!) I have a few friends with teeny, tiny newborns as well.
I've been getting lots of emails with questions about baby things, products, pregnancy, etc. I often ask myself why I'm being asked and then I realize that "Oh yeah, I've had three...I guess I might have some opinions on the matter."
So, without further ado, Baby Stuff I Can't Live Without.
If you are a woman in your childbearing years you should be taking these daily. They strengthen your uterus making labor easier and the recovery quick. While most women will tell you that the afterbirth pains are worse with each delivery, my third was the easiest by far. I was taking two capsules every day until the last three months of pregnancy, then I took four a day. I shudder to think what my posterior labor would have been like had I not been taking these. As it was, a posterior baby, with bad back labor was done in only 5 1/2 hours. Not too bad. The after birth pains were almost non-existent. Take them. You'll thank me later.
Cushy, soft, and so absorbent. Prefolds are easy to make, but if you have your hands full (like me!) and don't own a sewing machine (like me!) buy these. Lexi wears them daily.
Aaaah. The Bumbo! It makes the occasional visit to restaurant possible and gives you two free arms during meal time. (Well, not really, because you have to feed the baby with one arm and feed yourself with the other...) We love this.
4. The Walker
I realize the walker has had bad rap in the past few years, but I have two of my three girls have been very independent from the start. Having the walker has been a lifesaver. I don't think I would know how to raise a child without one. (I don't own this particular brand)
I'll be honest, this gets painful to wear after about 30 minutes. As I mentioned above, I've had two very independent girls who simply refused to face in when being held. From two weeks of age the cradling stage was OVER. They wanted to see, go and do. I recently purchased the Ergo which is known for not being painful in the shoulders, Lexi is still too small for the Ergo, so in the meantime it's the Bjorn. I wear her while washing diapers, cooking, folding laundry, you name it!
And now, Baby Things That You Don't Really Need:
1. Teethers.
Wash, peel and freeze a whole carrot instead.
2. Baby food in jars.
It looks and smells gross. Make your own whenever possible. There are always exceptions.
3. Strollers. That's if you live in Paraguay. There are hardly any sidewalks here and the ones that are here are not friendly to strollers. If you live elsewhere, go ahead.
4. Electrical socket covers, weird things that keep doorknobs from turning, rubber safety gadgets that keep cabinets from opening...etc.
Train the baby to obey your commands starting from six months or so. Otherwise, if I come to your house I won't be able to open any doors or cabinets. :)
Your turn. What one baby product can't you live without and which one did you buy and then later realized you would never use?
6 comments:
When I was living in TJ I used my stroller to death. No I did NOT take my baby out and walk down the road with him, (Not wise-it was Tijuana) I used it to carry my clothes down the hillside to the part of the property where everyone hung out their cloths. It's a perfect rolling laundry basket!
For baby, I only used packaged baby food on the road, when we were on furlogh. Otherwise I just squished up whatever we were eating before adding salt or whatnot. I could not have made it without my portable cribs. We had two crib dwellers at one time, and it was a sanctuary for them, no matter where they went to sleep, it was in the same bed. David especially loved it, because he was a homeboy who had a harder time dealing with moving around than the others.
Too funny....just last night I was talking with my in laws about how I hate when people baby proof their houses cuz I cannot get cupboards open! My baby proofing is "No" and a little smack on the hand!!!
After trying a half a dozen, could not stay sane without my Medela. That said, even full time BF moms should NOT feel guilty about a formula bottle here or there so you can do selfish, luxurious things like SLEEP. (Ethne had maybe 2 in 10 months she BF, but I remember one formula bottle that was at a crucial time for me)
I must be a real weirdo, b/c we hardly ever used the pack and play or any form of playpen.
I second the Bumbo!! (first saw it on Jackie's blog, way back when and HAD to have one. Thanks!)
We had those fancy bottle with the straw in the middle to prevent gas, whatever. They LEAKED like crazy and we had a good dose of colic anyway. Some people swear by them, but they didn't work for us.
I can not live without the baby swing. It works great for independent entertainment at our house. I have a few toys with suction cups that we stick tot he tray and the last 2 have sat there and played at great lengths (20-30 minutes) during meal prep, chores, etc...
I took the Red Raspberry capsules, 2 each day right up until delivery, and I had TERRIBLE postpartum cramping!!! It was pretty bad, but it only lasted about 3 days or so. Not sure that it helped me with that, but I did delivered little Miss C after only 7 hours of labor, and 15 minutes of pushing!!! So, I believe it may have helped there, either way I will continue to take it!
We bought a baby sleep positioner, because I heard so many SCARY srories about babies rolling around in the crib. While at the hospital, the nurse warned of the use of the positioner and told me a HORROR story involving one! It was thrown out before we even brought C home. I just prayed over her each night, and left the rest in God;s hands!
Wouldn't live without my sling. I only got introduced to them with the third, and I'm not sure how I did without them on the first two.
A hammock for mom and babe to swing in. So much easier on the back!
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