‘do i really need to get that, too?’ if you are new mom this is probably the thought running through your brain – day and night. it definitely was for me! this begs the question…what else DO you really need for your little bundle? maybe this can help a sista out:
[noise/sound machine]
YES we have one. thank goodness. between andrew’s noise and the dog – poor rett would never get a rest! we have this one. it works very nicely! i also find myself using this app on my ipad or phone a lot. one of my friends also uses this for her daughter. it works great! especially in the car. is a sound machine necessary? no. it is a nice perk to have, though, if you have a lot of noise happening around the baby. in our case, our house is very small – so it has been a little life saver!
[baby monitor]
i do have a monitor, even though my house is small. it is nice to have that extra security. we only have a sound monitor – this one. i like it. it does its job. i really like the feature where it tells you the temp in the baby’s room (come to think of it, i believe this is on MOST monitors, anyway) and i can talk to everett through it (kind of like a walkie talkie). it also has a nightlight feature which has proven to be helpful now that he is a little older. IF i could go back in time, i would purchase a video monitor, like this one. i’ve done a lot more research on them and will more than likely end up purchasing one of these when we move into our new house. many of my friends have them and it’s nice to be able to see AND hear the baby. sometimes i go in and check on him – which can disturb him – simply because i cannot see him. whereas, if i had a video monitor, i could just look at the screen and not make a peep to wake him up. so, all in all, i do use a monitor. they are nice to have, but definitely not a necessity by any means. you can get by without one, for sure!
[diapers]
i am not picky when it comes to diapers. i haven’t had any problems with any brand: huggies, luvs, pampers – whatever. everett isn’t sensitive to any of them. now…wipes are a different story. I. HATE. HUGGIE. WIPES. they tear so easily. pampers wipes OR walmart brand (parent’s choice) are the best. i do apply butt paste on everett (or coconut oil) nearly every time i change him. it is just preventative and helps his bum wipe clean for every change. (disclaimer: some of my friends use huggie wipes and SWEAR by them…love their diapers, just haven’t had much luck with the wipies!)
[bibs]
we didn’t use a ton of bibs when everett was a newborn. he wasn’t a puker, so we didn’t have much of a need. i think that will just depend on your bebe. now that he is getting into eating real food, i do use a structured bib. i was keen on these from tommee tippee, BUT my friend turned me onto THIS little treasure. and we love it…well, i love it. is that weird?
[pacifiers]
everett used the ones they gave us in the hospital for about a month and didn’t really take one much after that. so…i have about 15 of them (from gifts) and none of them get used…. clearly this is not my area of expertise. anyone have any suggestions on good pacies?
[swaddle blankets]
i really love these. they are perfectly lightweight and can be used for multiple things: nursing cover, blankie, spit/burp rag. we still use them for various things now that everett is bigger. love them. i also have a few of these. they are multi-functional because they can be used for burp cloths or a soft bib. can’t beat the adorable prints, either! side note: they do wash really well. it seems a little pricey to buy the swaddles, but they hold up VERY well. we didn’t use the funny swaddle blankets – you know, the ones that have the velcro and what not. this was NOT because we didn’t own any (i have three), everett hated being swaddled from day one. maybe i’ll try them out on baby number two!
[basic clothing]
i’m sure you have a closet and/or dresser full of cute baby clothes already, but i will still throw some ideas into the mix. i recommend getting some sleep sacks like this. they are nice for baby to cuddle up in and easy (no fussing with zips or snaps) for middle of the night changes and what not. and LOTS of socks! those sweet baby toes get chilly! speaking of clothing – i wouldn’t get all crazy with the detergent when washing baby clothes. i recommend using whatever YOU use on your clothing. figure this: the baby will be held mostly by you and your hubs, so it will be touching YOUR clothing and the detergent on your clothing. until you find or IF you find that your baby is sensitive to the type of detergent you use, i wouldn’t waste your money on it. it can be very expensive. again, this is totally up to you! i just found that it was better to get everett acclimated to what we used from the get-go.
[humidifier]
this has been a great product! we have ours on ALL. THE. TIME. it not only helps with everett, but it’s nice for our sinuses and skin, too. we have this one. it’s easy to use, easy to clean, and has different ‘strength’ settings. it’s especially nice for the cooler months (that are accompanied by drier air).
[lanolin/nipple creams]
i used lanolin – it was good. but honestly, using coconut oil was just as effective and i knew it was just fine to leave on when everett was feeding. i wouldn’t waste money on lanolin, unless you are having a major battle with drying out and cracking. besides, your hospital will probably give you tons of samples to take home anyway! so i recommend waiting it out a little to see how your girls respond to nursing your little bundle and then making your decision from there.
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if you are curious about what to pack for your hospital stay, i wrote a post about that here. also, i wrote another post on favorite products: newborn addition here. check ’em out!
do you have any other favorite products to recommend? leave a comment below and let us all know!
xx
house of beck 