So, I’ve been at this for a few months and there have been lots of trial and error during those times. I finally decided that I needed to put together some of my favorite must haves for you and baby.
1) Zipper Jammies – FOR THE LOVE OF GOD – buy these. They will save you a good 5 minutes of snapping incorrectly and then correctly and profanity in front of baby. From personal experience. They will also save you from yelling at your husband when he tries to help, because they think the can do it better. Don’t help – buy them. My favorite ones have been the BabyGap Jammies. I wait till they go on super sale – like $12 and snatch them up. Carter’s also makes them and go on sale for about $8-10ish, but I find the BabyGap quality is nicer. Hattie has Flamingos, Cherries and Floral print. Definitely an investment.
2) Kiinde – Are you breastfeeding? Yes. Pumping? Yes – then this is for you. This system rocks. No more bottles. You use your pump, attach the adapter and poof the bag goes on the bottom. You pump directly into the bag, screw the lid on and pop in the freezer. Ready to use? Heat it up in the bottle warmer, snap the bag into the bottle attachment. Take off the lid and pop the nipple on. When done, throw the bag away and wash the nipple. Adios bottles. I randomly saw this on Amazon when we were deciding on what to use. The set is $99 and worth every penny. You can get a set of bags for $15 for 40. Pricier for bags, but in the long run, so much cheaper than wasting time washing bottles. Can I get an Amen?!?
They just introduced Foodii, the same system, so that you can use the bags to make purees and make squeeze bags. I’ll be looking into that as someone can start solids in 4 weeks. Insert Tear.
3) Ever go to the zoo and watch the Momma Monkey pick stuff off of their babies and eat it? This is in the same ballpark – but not so much eating boogers. That’s gross. The Nosefrida basically lets you suck boogers out of your babies nose with a tube. At first I was afraid and petrified, but Hattie HATES the bulb sucker from the hospital. She will go into a rage of pissyness. You don’t want that. She loves the Nosefrida- maybe because I stick it on her face like a vacuum and make funny noises and then suck boogers – maybe that’s it. But – it’s funny and makes gurgle sounds when you get a big one. Be sure to buy extra filters though.
4) Brest Friend – Boppy and I were not friends. At all. I was introduced to my Brest Friend about a month in. It’s great. Really great. But it can also be a crutch. I found myself using it every time and H would sleep on me for hours on end and I couldn’t do anything…even pee! Now we just use it when she gets up in the morning and when she gets up from her nap around 5. It’s super hands so you can use 2 hands. It goes around your waist and snaps shut. You can stand up and walk around if you really wanted to – probably not super safe, but you could. I’m about to phase it out, but for growth spurts or comfort nursing – this is a must have!
5) Lactation Assistance. One thing I learned was that if you stress about milk supply, it drops. You don’t worry about it – you’re just fine. However, I will say I make a batch of lactation cookies every week, drink Mother’s Milk tea and Gatorade. Honestly – Gatorade has really done it for me more than anything. Hydration is key. Anyone have a favorite lactation cookie recipe?
Those are some of my biggies from the first year. Any must haves for you as a new mommy?
tori wilkinson says
I could not agree more about the zipper pj's. I have already told my husband for #2, I don't want to see a single button. Sleep deprivation + buttons = torture! We are big jammy fans in our house. If you're as obsessed, then I highly recommend checking out Children's Place – they have footless zipper pj's that are the absolute best for the summer! My 18 month old loves them!
http://www.becomingthewilkinsons.com
Great list!! And I hate buttons and snaps too!