Safe Sleep

As a first time mom, there's a lot that I didn't know about babies (and a lot more that I still don't know).  One thing that I wish I had been more informed about was safe sleep.  Before Jackson was born, my OBGYN gave me a little brochure on the ABC's of safe sleep, and that was that.

The more I learn, the more surprised and disappointed I am that there isn't more emphasis on the important of safe sleep and more education on what exactly it entails.

Here are the most shocking things that I've learned (affiliate links included):

1.  Babies should only sleep on a flat, firm surface in a crib or a bassinet ONLY.  Something like a Rock N' Play SLEEPER is not considered safe for sleep.  I think this catches many people off guard since it is called a sleeper, yet isn't technically safe for sleep.  However, the Rock N' Play BASSINET is safe!

2. This goes along with #1, but babies shouldn't sleep in a swing.  You can place the baby in the swing to help get them to sleep, but you should transfer them to their crib or bassinet once they fall asleep.  The angle of the baby in the swing or other similar devices can lead to their chin touching their chest, reducing their oxygen intake.

3.  Car seats are meant for the car ONLY.  A baby shouldn't be in a carseat as part of a stroller travel system, at a restaurant, in a shopping cart, in your house, etc. - ONLY the car.  Outside of the car, the carseat isn't at the correct angle and therefore you run into the issue of decreased oxygen levels again.

4.  Pack N' Plays are safe for sleep IF used correctly.  The sleeper attachments are NOT safe for sleeping.  The bassinet portion is what you should use for sleep.  ONLY use the mattress that came with the Pack N' Play - it's ok that it's thin and firm, that's how it's supposed to be.  If you want a Pack N' Play, I strongly recommend the Simple Solutions Playard.  We use this and just removed the "changing pad" attachment completely because I honestly find it flimsy and useless.

5.  Bumpers are NOT safe on a crib (even if they are "breathable").  The issue is not the breathability of the fabric, but rather the baby getting trapped or strangled between the mattress and the bumper.  If you are concerned about your baby getting their legs stuck in the crib slats, you can try putting them in a sleep sack.

First Disney Trip

Jackson's first Disney trip was yesterday and we had a blast! I wanted to share some tips and tell you why I'm glad that we brought our 5 month old to Disney.  (Affiliate links below)

Tip #1:  Pick the right park.  We went to Magic Kingdom because they seemed to have the most baby friendly rides.  We went on Dumbo, Under the Sea, Jungle Cruise, It's a Small World, and Haunted Mansion.  It's a Small World was definitely his favorite!  There are many, many other baby friendly rides, but there's never enough time for everything.  To give you a good idea, we were at the park for about 5 hours and went on 5 rides, so about a ride an hour.  We also saw, The Muppets Present Great Moments In History, which I highly recommend.


Tip #2:  Pack your gear (though if you forget something, you can always stop into the Baby Care Center and purchase whatever you need).  Here's what we brought with us:

• Diapers (I always bring one per hour, just in case)
• Wipes
• Stroller fan - I like the Dream Baby fan because separates into 2 pieces for easy packing
• Frogg Togg Cooling Mat - this was the by far the best thing we brought with us!  We only brought one for Jackson, but I purchased one for both my hubby and myself after we got home
• Rain cover because no one wants to deal with a wet stroller
• Water (I like to freeze a few bottles the night before so that I have ice cold water throughout the day)

Tip #3:  Bring your own stroller.  I liked having our own stroller because it was something that Jackson was familiar with and I wanted a stroller that reclines to allow him to sleep throughout the day.  If you're looking for the perfect park stroller, I HIGHLY recommend checking out the Maclaren Quest.  

Tip #4:  Get your little one their "1st Visit" pin.  These are completely free and make for an excellent souvenir.  You can ask any Disney cast member at Guest Relations or in any retail store. 

Tips #5:  Be prepared to "park" your stroller.  Each ride has a designated "parking" area where you will need to leave your stroller.  You will want to have any valuables in a "go bag" that you can easily take with you, so that you don't worry about anything being taken while you're on the ride.  I love my Under Armour Ozsee Sackpack.

Tip #6:  If you're like me and want your little one sporting some Disney apparel, I'd strongly recommend buying it ahead of time - it will save you some money.  Amazon has a large selection of Disney baby clothing.  

Tip #7:  Get a FastPass!  If your little one is anything like mine, you won't want to spend time standing still in a line (especially in the Florida heat).  Having the FastPass really was a lifesaver!

Tip #8:  TAKE LOTS OF BREAKS - seriously!  Even with only 10 minutes or less waits for rides (thanks to the FastPass), we only did about a ride an hour.  We made our way to an air conditioned restaurant or store in between each ride and took decently long breaks.  Every other break we changed Jackson's diaper and fed him.

Tip #9:  Don't forget the sunblock - for both the adults and the kids.  Before going, we asked our pediatrician if we should or shouldn't use sunblock on Jackson.  They said that after 4 months, it is safe to use, but you just need to be careful not to get any on their hands.  We were also reminded putting sunblock on a baby isn't a free pass to have them baking in the sun all day, but more of an added layer of protection.  We use Babyganics Sunblock for Jackson and love it.

Tip #10:  Babywear (if that's your preference).  We brought our Baby K'tan Active and it was perfect for the park.  When we wanted a break from the stroller and wanted Jackson to take a nap, I could just pop him into the wrap and walk around a wonderful, air conditioned gift shop.

Tip #11:  Most importantly, have fun and don't forget to take lots of pictures!

Registry Help: Caring For Baby

This is the last installment of my registry help posts.  In case you've missed it, I've gone through each category on the Babies R' Us registry checklist and given some recommendations.  You can see all of the other sections through the links below:

• Sleepy Time
• On the Go
• Time to Play and Getting Dressed
• Feeding Baby

Caring For Baby

Diapering:

• I basically bought 3 value boxes of every size up to Size 3 and just plan to exchange things as needed.  After reading lots of reviews and getting lots of opinions from friends, I decided to go with Pampers Swaddlers.  They seemed to have the least blow-outs and were best for babies with sensitive skin.  They also just seemed to fit better on Jackson.
• Baby wipes - after lots of reviews, I went with the Huggies Natural Care wipes and have been very happy with those.  I got two of the starter kits, so I have one pop-up box for downstairs and one for upstairs and then we've just bought refills.  
• We've been using A+D Ointment regularly and it is supposed to prevent diaper rash.  I don't know if the cream has worked, but he hasn't had any rashes.  I have the giant container of it for home and then a few small tubes for the diaper bag.
• We have the Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail and it's awesome.  It traps in the smell and it uses regular garbage bags instead of having to pay for expensive pail-specific bags.  As a bonus, it comes in lots of colors and patterns!

Bathing:

• We have the First Years Sure Comfort Deluxe bathtub.  It's nice because it can be used from infant through toddler.  The only downside is that it's bulky and not easily stored away (we just keep ours in the hallway).  I think there are some tubs that fold flat, which might be worth looking at.
• As far as towels and wash clothes, we went with whatever we thought was cute.  I think we have about 6 towels and 12 wash clothes and that seems like a good amount.  If you have a boy, wash clothes are nice to cover up their danger zone during a diaper change in case they decide to pee (which the definitely will).  
• For body wash, we kept it simple and went with Johnson & Johnson Head to Toe wash and it's worked for us so far.  We give him a "bath" every night but only use the body wash every 3 to 4 days, so it lasts a long time.  
• We use the Aveeno Calming Comfort Lotion after his baths when we use soap to keep his skin from drying out.

Health and Safety:

• We haven't bought any baby-proofing stuff yet,since I figured we'd have some time
• I didn't bother with a first aid kit, but did buy some infant Tylenol to have on hand in case of a fever.
• You don't need to buy a nasal aspirator, the hospital should send you home with one.  The bulb has worked for us, we didn't bother with anything fancy.
• We have the Exergen Original Temporal Thermometer.  It's nice to have for a quick reading, but they will tell you at the hospital that taking their temperature rectally is the best and they sent us home with a cheap thermometer to use for that.
• We have the Safety 1st Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers (they light up to make it easier to see what you're doing) - I have 2 sets one for upstairs and one for downstairs since you never know when you'll have the perfect opportunity to clip their nails (which you have to do WAY more than you think)
• If you have gas problems, I recommend Simethicone Drops (we keep 3 bottles on hand - upstairs, downstairs, and the diaper bag) and the FridaBaby Windi.  I'd recommending at least having a bottle of the Simethicone drops (gas drops) handy for the early days since it's typical for babies to have gas issues.
• Our doctor also recommended Simply Saline Nasal Relief spray (babies are typically congested for the first few months and you just use this on them once or twice a day if it becomes an issue to help clear them up).  Jackson was choking on mucus one night, so I was happy to have this on hand.  

Registry Help: Feeding Baby

This post is specifically about all of the odds and ends that you'll need for feeding your baby.  I've gone through the Babies R' Us registry checklist and given my input on everything they recommend.  I am exclusively breastfeeding (and pumping at work), so you these recommendations are specific to that.  

Check out my others registry help posts:

• Sleepy Time
• On the Go
• Time to Play and Getting Dressed

Feeding Baby

• Your insurance should cover your breast pump.  I just called and got a list of what was covered and picked from those (there were only about 4 choices).  I got the Spectra S1 and it works well.  It's the same as the Spectra S2, except the S1 can run on a battery or be plugged in, whereas the Spectra S2 doesn't have a chargeable battery.
• Lansinoh Lanolin is great to "lube up" the flanges so that your boobs don't get sore when you're pumping.  I have 2 of those small bottles and they seem like they'll last a while.
• The Simple Wishes Hands-free Breastpump Bra is great for when you want to multi-task while pumping.  
• I use Bamboobies Bamboo disposable nursing pads.  You will leak, it's inevitable.  I have tried other brands (that I got as freebies in goodie bags), but they aren't as soft as the Bamboobies.  In the beginning, your boobs will be sore, so it's nice to have these soft pads.  I am already on my second box of these (I use at least 2 pads per day, so a box only lasts a month).  
• Breastmilk storage bags - I'm currently using NUK Seal N' Go bags and haven't had any issues yet, but they also aren't anything special.  I think any decent brand will do.  
• Nursing covers - I have 2 Milk Snob Covers which seem great, but I haven't really used them.  I attempted to early on and decided it was honestly more of a pain to try to nurse with a cover and that I didn't care what people saw.  If you do plan to use a cover though, these are nice quality and can also be used to cover up the car seat to keep the baby warm.  
• Nursing pillow - I have 2 Boppy Pillows and love them.  I started with one, but decided to get one for upstairs and one for downstairs because I use it EVERY time I feed him and was tired of having to go find it.  I have a protective slipcover for each boppy.  And then I also have 3 decorative slipcovers for the boppys (which go over the protective cover) - I have one for each and a spare if one gets dirty.  
• I didn't bother buying any bottles at all because I was breastfeeding, so I knew I wouldn't need many.  I just collected an assortment of freebies from registry goodie bags.  We tried a few out with Jackson to see what worked best for us and we landed on the Philips Avent Natural bottle with a Size 1 nipple (this is lowest flow).  We have a set of 9 of these bottles now, which is plenty.  My lactation consultant told me for a breastfed baby there is no point to getting lager bottles or different sized nipples - her point was that our nipples don't grow as the baby grows, so there's no reason to change the bottle nipples - just stick with Size 1.
• I didn't buy specific burp clothes, I used the receiving blankets for this.  
• For pacifiers, I got Wubbanubs and love them (we have 4, so we can have them all over the house and in the diaper bag).  Jackson can hold onto the animal and it makes it harder to lose them.  I also got a few regular Philips Soothies pacifiers (they're the same as the ones attached to the Wubbanubs).  I got one 2 pack of the 0-3 months and one 2 pack on the 2 3 months+
• For teethers, we just got Sophie the Giraffe.  I also think that the teething jewelry is cool, but haven't used it yet, so I can't tell you if it's worth it.  
• We haven't picked out a high chair yet, because it takes up space and it's not necessary until he's a little older.  
• For drying bottles, pump parts, pacifiers, etc. we have the Boon Lawn -it's adorable and works well.  If you don't have the space for it, you can get the Grass instead - it's a little smaller, but I wanted the Lawn to fit all of the pump parts.  I also have 2 Boon Twigs for the bottle nipples and pacifiers.
• We use the Muchkin Dishwasher Baskets to safely wash all of the small pump parts in the dishwasher.  

Registry Help: Time to Play and Getting Dressed

This is part of my series of posts of registry advice.  I've gone through the Babies R' Us registry checklist and given some advice on each category.  Check out my posts about On the Go and Sleepy Time.

Time To Play

• For a swing, we have the Graco DuetSoothe Removable Swing and Rocker.  I like that it does everything.  It swings in all directions  and plays music.  The swing itself can be removed from the stand and used as a bouncer and can vibrate (with the use of batteries). This has been a great place to set him when I need a few minutes to get something done.
• We have 2 play mats in our house - one for upstairs and one for downstairs.  Jackson loves them both!  They're great for tummy time and just for daily entertainment (I usually put him on one of these so I can go shower and get ready in the morning).  We have the Fisher-Price Rainforest Music and Lights Deluxe Gym Playset and we also have the Fisher-Price Kick & Play Piano Gym (we have a second one of these at the grandparent's house too).  
• My absolute favorite toy (which Jackson also LOVES!) is the Fisher-Price Kick & Play Piano.  It's small and super portable.  It also has strings on it to tie it to wherever you want.  
• We have the Evenflo ExerSaucer Jump and Learn Jumper.  We picked this over a door way jumper because it's portable and can be used anywhere.  I also wanted one that had the pad below their feet since our floors are all hardwood and don't have any cushioning.  It is highly reviewed, but I can't give you my own review yet because he can't use it until he has better neck control (so in a few more months), but it looks like a lot of fun!  
• We didn't bother buying any other specific toys because people just picked out odds and ends and we didn't bother with specific books since people brought them to the shower.   If you're looking for other toys though, any of the Lamaze ones are great - the more colors, movements and noises in one toy, the better!

Getting Dressed

• I didn't bother registering for any clothes because people will buy what they want.  If there is certain seasonal stuff that you'll want (like hat and mittens or sunhat and sunglasses, I'd maybe add those).  Also if you decide to put clothes on, the zippered Sleep N' Plays are the best!  The button ones are a pain in the butt when you're sleep-deprived and trying to quickly change a diaper and get back to bed.  These are pretty much all Jackson wears unless we're going out somewhere and we want to put "real" clothes on him.

First Road Trip

Our first official road trip with Jackson was this weekend and things went better than I had expected!  What is normally a 7 hour trip, took 10 hours, so not too bad.  We stopped about every 2 hours to take Jackson out of the car, feed and change him, and stretch our legs.  He basically slept most of the ride, which was pretty convenient.

Registry Help: On the Go

To give more in depth registry advice, I've broken down the Babies R' Us registry check-list by category and given my opinions.  Check out the Sleepy Time section here.

On the Go

Car seats/Strollers:

• We have the Chicco Bravo Trio Travel system.  It includes the infant car seat, the base for the car seat and a stroller that the car seat can click in to.  The Chicco car seats are rated as one of the safest on the market, so that's the brand I wanted.  Some people opt to go straight to the convertible car seat to save money, but it's nice having the infant one that I can pop in and out of the base and carry him in to where I'm going.  The convertible ones stay in the car and you just pull the baby out.  You'll probably also want a base for the car seat for each car that the baby will be frequently riding in (we have one for mine, one for my husbands, and one for his parents).
• The one downside to the stroller that came with that travel system is that the seat doesn't fully recline.  Again, I'm crazy about safe sleep, etc. and the guidelines say that the baby should only be sleeping on a flat surface whenever possible.  So I really didn't like the idea of popping the car seat into the stroller and letting him sleep in that (since they're not supposed to be in the car seat unless they're in the car) and the stroller itself doesn't lay flat.  I ended up caving and purchasing the Maclaren Quest, which is lightweight and lays completely flat for the baby to sleep.  If I could do it over, I would have only bought the Chicco infant carseat and the bases (not the whole travel system) and then the Maclaren stroller, but that's just my personal preference.

Diaper Bag:

• I LOVE my JuJuBe BFF.  It was expensive, but totally worth it.  I can't say enough good things about it.  

Babywearing:

• We already talked about this, but we have the Baby Bjorn One and the K'tan Active and I like them both.  These are definitely something that you'll want to go and try on because I think part of it depends on your body type.  We got the Baby Bjorn because it was simple to get on and it fit comfortably on both my husband and I.   I wanted the K'tan Active because it can be easily thrown in the diaper bag in case you need a carrier last minute and it's mesh so it's good for a hot day.  The problem is that is not a one size fits all.  Again though, go and try out the carriers and see what works for you.  

Registry Help: Sleepy Time

I've already told you about all of my favorite, must-have baby gear, but I recently helped a friend work on her registry and have some more in-depth advice.   I've taken the Babies R' Us registry check-list category, by category, and given advice.


Sleepy Time

Furniture:  

• We bought a crib and a dresser with a changing pad topper for his room.  I didn't want to buy a stand alone changing table because that wouldn't get as much use as an actual dresser. 
• We have the Graco Pack N' Play Playard Simple Solutions. We keep it set-up downstairs for daytime naps (since all of the bedrooms are upstairs) and we also use this for when we go to a friends house or travel anywhere.  It folds up easily and very compact.  You can get ones with more gadgets, but I didn't think they were necessary and they were more pain to assemble.  We bought a set of Graco waterproof sheets to go with it.  I find that depending on how wet something gets, it still goes through the sheets a little, but overall they keep the mattress in good condition.  Some people buy a special "comfy" mattress to put in the Pack N' Play, but we are using what came with it and it works just fine and folds up for travel.
• I can't recommend the Fisher-Price Soothing Motion Bassinet enough!!!  It was a lifesaver for us.  In the beginning Jackson hated to sleep anywhere except on us. This helped us get him used to sleeping on a flat surface and we actually still use it.  This is what he sleeps in every night in our room.  It's nice and small and fits nicely next to our bed.  It's also nice and tall, so I can just roll over and grab him out of it when he needs to eat at night.  This was great when he was waking up every hour or two to eat.  The downside is that the vibrate function uses batteries quickly.
• On a related note, a heating pad was another lifesaver for us. If you don't have one, it may be a good thing to pick up.  We put it in the bassinet while we're getting him ready to sleep to get the mattress nice and warm.  We would let him fall asleep on us while he was nice and cozy.  Once we he was asleep, we'd take the heating pad off the mattress and then lay him down - it definitely helped!

Bedding:

• A crib bedding set is super unnecessary.  Most of them include a fitted sheet, a quilt, a diaper stacker and a dust ruffle.  We didn't use the diaper stacker at all, it's just a pain in the ass honestly.  They can't have a blanket in with them until they're over a year old, so the quilt is just sitting in the corner as decoration.  We have the dust ruffle on right now, but I don't know if we'll keep it once he starts sleeping in the crib.  Every time that you need to change the fitted sheet (which will be often) the dust ruffle will need to be adjusted, so I don't see that lasting very long.  I'd just get a bunch of cute fitted sheets and any blankets you want separately.  
• Changing table pad covers - we have 2, but a 3rd would definitely be nice.  There have definitely been nights where both of them have gotten dirty and then we had to through a blanket down to hold us over until we did laundry.
• Blankets:  They can't use them until they're at least a year old, so they're purely decorative at this point.   They all just sit in a basket and take up space in the nursery.  I did like having one smaller, but heavy blanket that I use to put over him when he's in the car seat.  I also don't let him sleep in the car seat when we are out eating, so I use the same blanket and lay it out on the table for him to sleep on.
• Swaddle Mes are the best thing ever!  Babies will startle themselves awake while sleeping so having them wrapped up as tight as possible prevents that.  You can just buy blankets and wrap them up like they do in the hospital, but we weren't very good at it and these are so much quicker and easier when it's 3AM, dark, and you've only had an hour of sleep.  We had 4 of these and that was a good amount .  I also wouldn't bother with any size bigger than the small since they aren't supposed to be swaddled once they are 8 weeks old.  Also, I only got cotton ones (not fleece) because I could always just add layers on underneath if it was cold.
• Receiving blankets - we have about a dozen of these and use them for anything and everything  (we have one four pack of the Aden +Anais muslin ones and the rest are fleece)  
• Gerber Prefold Birdseye 3-ply Cloth Diapers - again, we use these for everything.  Our changing table is upstairs in the nursery, so we used these as "changing pads" to set up a mini changing station downstairs.  These were also good to keep in the diaper bag to set down on whatever surface we were changing him on.  We have one 10-pack and that's sufficient.
• Changing Pad Liners - These were nice to lay down on top of the changing pad covers.  They protect the changing pad cover and we don't have to pull of the whole cover and can just wash one of these.  We have 3 packs of 3, so 9 total, but 6 would be sufficient. 

Accessories:

• I didn't bother buying hangers because I just used the ones that came with the clothing.  And we change clothes so frequently, that we don't hang up his current size, I just keep those in the dresser.  
• Hampers - I didn't buy any specific for him, I just threw his clothes in our hamper.  We did (and sometimes still do) laundry every day, so having just a single hamper of dirty clothes was sufficient.
• Humidifier - you can buy one of those cute animal ones - they have good reviews.  We had a spare, so we just stuck that in the nursery.  
• Monitor:  We have the Infant Optics DXR-8 and I think it works extremely well.  It's nothing fancy, but does what it needs to do and had excellent reviews.  
• I am paranoid and was terrified of SIDS, so we got a Snuza HERO and recently bought the Owlet 2.  I use them both and I think they were both worth the cost for the piece of mind they provided me with. 

Maclaren Quest Review

We started with the Chicco Bravo Travel System (affiliate link), which was super convenient.  I loved that you could just snap the carseat into the stroller and go. Or if you're running a quick errant that doesn't require the stroller, you can just carry in the carseat.  However, with our Disney trip approaching, we were longing for something more compact and lightweight.  And with Jackson getting heavier and heavier, the convenience of just grabbing the carseat for a quick errand was fading.   

This led us to the Maclaren Quest (affiliate link).  It's compact and folds up like an umbrella stroller and weighing in at 12.6 lbs., it's not much heavier than one.  When folded, the Maclaren Quest sports a very convenient carrying strap.  

Unlike an umbrellas stroller, it actually has some storage.  There is storage both below and on the back of the stroller.  When going to the mall or the grocery store, I find that there is enough storage space that I don't need to carry in the diaper bag, which is an added bonus.  

The stroller has a 50 SPF waterproof sunshade featuring a peek-a-boo window so you can protect and check in on your little one.  Additionally, the stroller comes with an easy to attach rain cover, which is compact enough to stow away in the strollers basket.  

For safety, the stroller has a 5-point harness and 4 wheel suspension.  And finally, my favorite feature, the stroller has multiple reclining positions.  It can fully recline to allow your little one to sleep safely and comfortably.  

Merlin Magic Sleepsuit

If you're new to this whole parenting thing, the idea of a swaddle is to to dampen your babies startle reflex, so they won't wake themselves up (as often).  This reflex is stronger at birth and then lessens over time.  At the hospital, the nurses were master-swaddlers - turning our son into a baby burrito in a matter of seconds.  We were not as talented and opted for the easier route - SwaddleMes (these are the best, seriously, you need these).

Unfortunately, once your baby can roll or is 8 weeks old (whichever happens first) you can't have their arms inside the swaddle anymore.  We tried to use the SwaddleMes with Jackson's arms out, but he was a little Houdini.

Like any new parents desperate for sleep, we scoured the internet for a solution and discovered the Merlin Magic Sleepsuit.  I like to call it the "next level" swaddle.  The heaviness of this suit helps to lessen your babies reflex to prevent those extra wake-ups.  People will commonly ask me if Jackson is too hot in the suit.  We have the cotton suit and he sleeps in it in either just a diaper or a diaper and a onsie and we've never had a problem with him overheating.  The fabric actually seems quite breathable.  As for safety, babies can stay in this suit until they are able to roll while wearing it (I am not looking forward to that day).

I know that it really depends on the baby, but the Magic Sleepsuit really works for us.  Jackson seems to like going in it and he sleeps so well in it.  We were using it just for bed time, but started using it for naps as well and he instantly napped about 10 minutes more than normal.

If you're impatient and don't mind paying full price, then you can purchase the sleepsuit from Amazon for $40.  OR, if you don't mind waiting a little longer, you may be able to snag an open-box suit for half the price!  All you have to do is call the company and ask if they have any suits available in the size and material that you need.

The one downside to the suit is that you can't put it in the dryer, you're supposed to air dry it and it takes FOREVER to dry.  We pull it out of the washer as soon a possible, flip it inside out and hang it on a hanger in an open area and even so, it takes almost the full day to dry.  With that being said, I strongly recommend purchasing two suits!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from my snuggle bunny!!!

Baby Gadgets and Gizmos Must Haves

Now that we've almost reached the one month mark, I wanted to give some insight into all of the baby gear available - what we returned, what we sent our parents out on a emergency run for on our second day home and what we couldn't live without.

The Must Haves

1.  An easy to use stroller.  Make sure you try these out in the store!  On our many trips to Babies R' Us, I've watched parents struggling to put together strollers that look like they should require a degree in engineering.  Our stroller pops up and down with just the click of a button - something that I can easily do one handed, which is great when you're holding a baby in a car-seat and a diaper bag in the other hand.

2.  A safe sleeping area for your little one.  We had originally planned on using our Pack N Play for the baby to sleep in our room, but our little one wasn't a fan in the beginning.  After a few sleepless nights, we sent out our parents to buy this Soothing Motion Bassinet - it was a life saver.  It plays music, vibrates and projects lights onto the ceiling (which our now one month old loves to stare at).  We keep it upstairs in our room for him to sleep in at night and the Pack N Play stays downstairs for daytime naps.

3.  Boppy Pillows if you are breastfeeding.  We got the Bare Naked pillow, the waterproof protective cover, and 2 slipcovers.  After 2 weeks of carrying the pillow upstairs for night time feedings, downstairs during the day and loading it into the car for our outings, I caved an purchased a second pillow and 2 additional covers.  It's not necessary, but it was totally worth it to me.  I know have one for upstairs and one for downstairs/the car.

4.  SwaddleMes.  These were a life saver!  Unlike the nurses at the hospital, my hubby and I were not experts at swaddling our little man as snuggly as he wanted to be in those cute little receiving blankets (I'll talk about those in a minute though).  We have 5 of these and sometimes have used all 5 in one night (our son spits up a lot in his sleep, so some nights we have to use a new SwaddleMe every time he woke up).

5.  Receiving blankets.  I honestly didn't understand the purpose of these blankets until our son arrived.  The answer is EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING.  Cleaning up spit-up, swaddling him, extra coverage for him while he's in the car seat/stroller, laying down for a diaper change, covering the Boppy when all of the covers are ditry, and so much more.  We have about a dozen flannel blankets and another half dozen of the light muslin blankets and it still seems like there are never enough.  We also had 2 packs of these cloth diapers that we use for the same purposes.

6.  Wubbanubs.  We have so many freebie pacifiers that we got and we don't really use any of them.  We almost exclusively use these adorable Soothies.  Not only do the little animals make it easy to keep track of the pacifiers, but they also make for a great distraction during diaper changes!

7.  Snuza Hero.  This is probably my favorite baby item!  It is a little expensive, but totally worth the peace of mind that it provides.  The little device clips on to baby's diaper and monitors their breathing.  If they go too long without breathing, the clip vibrates to remind them to breathe.  If that doesn't work, then an alarm sounds so that you can check on them.  During a night time diaper change the other day, the warning light was red, which meant that at some point the clip had to vibrate to remind our sweetie to breathe.  This device potentially saved our sons life and we make sure to have it on him at all times.

8.  A baby carrier for baby wearing.  I know that this isn't for everyone, but my hubby and I are both huge fans.  It's a nice way to get around with our son when a stroller is inconvenient and is also awesome for keeping baby near you while doing things around the house.  Depending on the situation, I think it's nice to have both a structured carrier as well as a fabric one.  We have the Baby Bjorn One and the K'tan Active and are happy with both.  The Baby Bjorn is quick to use and provides a lot of support for my back, which was important to me.  The K'tan Active is very lightweight, which means when we wear baby out for a walk around the neighborhood and it's hot out, I don't have to worry about him overheating.

9.  Bravado Dream Nursing Tanks.  At $50 a pop, these are a little expensive , but totally worth it.  I tried several different tops, but nothing gave me the support I needed (I was a D cup prior to pregnancy and I'm now an E, so support was extremely important to me).  I have 2 of these at the moment and have been living in them.  Around the house they're about all that I wear and when I go out I just throw a nursing top over it.  No additional bra necessary.

10.  Breast pads.  Your boobs are going to leak - it's unavoidable.  And if you don't want to change your bra and/or shirt multiple times a day, you'll want breast pads.  I went with Bamboobies - they are nice and soft and didn't irritate my nipples while I was adjusting to breastfeeding.

11.  Lanolin cream if you are pumping.  I place this on the inside of the flanges of my pump to reduce friction and make pumping a little more comfortable.

12.  Changing pad liners.  These make the middle of the night blow-outs suck less. Instead of having to pull off the whole cover to the changing pad and put a new one on, we just had to switch out these liners.  We have 9 of them and that seems like a good amount.

13.  Sleep N' Plays.  At one month old, these are pretty much all our little man wears.  Those cute outfits people will buy for you are great and adorable for outings and pictures, but not realistic when you are doing diaper and outfit changes every few hours.  You will want lots of Sleep N' Plays and you want to make sure they are the ones with zippers, NOT snaps.  Trying to match up the snaps at 2AM when you've only had an hour of sleep is not fun.  We also preferred the footed ones, that way we don't have to worry about putting on socks.

14.  Baby first aid kit.  You can buy an actual kit, but I just bought what I thought we'd need. This included nail clippers/nail file, a thermometer, gas drops, infant Tylenol, a nasal aspirator (the hospital sent us home with one) and Band-aids.  We have already used the nail clippers, the thermometer, and the gas drops.  It was great to already have these things on hand and not have to make an emergency run for them.

Postpartum Recovery

I previously wrote about what I included in my postpartum basket here and decided to revisit that list now that I'm home and recovering.

I was extremely fortunate to have, what I'm guessing was, a fairly easy recovery.  I didn't have any hemorrhoids and only had a 2nd degree tear that required only a few stitches.  Since I didn't have any hemorrhoids, I can't speak to any of the creams and wipes, etc. that I had bought for those because I didn't use them at all.

The maxi pads came in handy both before and after the baby arrived.  I used a lot of them once my water broke at home and was extremely glad that I had them.  Nothing else would have helped at that point.  I also used them at home for a few days (once I used up all of the hospital freebies) until the bleeding slowed down.  Starting around 10 days postpartum, I was able to switch to the Always Infinity Overnight pads.

Once everything started healing and itching, the Dermoplast came in handy to provide some quick relief.  I liked having one can of spray in each bathroom and just used it every time I went.  I also found it necessary to have a peri bottle in each bathroom since you have to rinse instead of wipe until everything is healed.  The hospital sent me home with one, so I was glad I had extras at home.  Though, I'm sure that I could have asked for a second bottle and they would have gladly provided it.

Which brings me to the most important part of this post - most of what I needed for my recovery, I was able to get from the hospital.  They were excellent about restocking anything I was out of or just giving me more of something if I asked.  I had spare bag that I had brought and would toss in some extra goodies to take home with me and then ask them to refresh my stock.

My hospital provided all of the following items that I may or may not have accumulated a nice stash of before leaving:

• peri bottle
• maxi pads
• mesh underwear
• Dermoplast
• hemorrhoidal cream/pads
• sitz bath
• lanolin cream
• breast pads
• ice packs for down there
• grippy socks
• baby hats
• vasoline/gauze (for his circumcision)
• rectal thermometer
• hair brush/comb
• basin for bathing him
• baby body wash/shampoo
• diapers
• wipes

Hospital Bag Revisted

I originally posted about what I packed in my hospital bag here.  Now that I've gone through the whole experience, I wanted to share what I'd change.

For Labor (packed in a small tote bag)

• Birth plan
• Insurance card
• Driver's license
• Hair ties/bobby pins
• Battery-powered massager
• Sugar-free candies
• Tube sock with tennis balls for back massaging
• Essential oils
• Sports bra for use in the hydro-tub
• Phone with music
• Bluetooth speaker

The hair ties came in handy for while I was in the hydro-tub and to move my hair out of the way while breastfeeding.  I had planned on using the essential oils in the hydro-tub, but couldn't since my water broke.  Instead, my husband did add them into a container of hot water, sock a washcloth in it and lay it on my head and back during labor.  I thought I'd want the sports bra to be comfortable in the tub, but by the time contractions started I had no interest in having any clothing on.  

We also used the phone for music and the Bluetooth speaker for most of our stay.  I liked having all of these immediate necessities packed in a small tote bag, so that was all that my husband had to carry in initially.  Everything else below was packed in a small suitcase that he grabbed much later after our little one arrived.  

For Mom

• 2 pairs pj pants
• 2 nursing tanks
• nursing gown
• Robe
• Socks
• Nursing bra
• Nursing pads
• Nipple cream
• Shower flip flops
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Body wash
• Deodorant
• Lotion
• Face wash/wipes
• Chapstick
• Makeup
• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Going home outfit

As you can see, I didn't use most of what I had packed for myself.  From the time I was admitted to the hospital until my post-delivery shower, I lived in the gowns provided by the hospital.  They were easy to get on and off, convenient for breastfeeding and I didn't have to get any of my own clothing dirty.  Post-shower, I LOVED having my own nursing gown and robe to wear while we had guests.  Being completely honest though, when we didn't have visitors, I spent most of my time in just a pair of the mesh underwear the hospital provides because it made it easier to do skin-to-skin and to breastfeed.  

I didn't need any extras for nursing, the hospital had all of that.  I didn't even need nursing pads while I was there, but they still gave me some to take home.  

The thing I was happiest to have were my favorite toiletries!  That first shower after labor is AMAZING and having my favorite shampoo, conditioner, etc. made it even better!!

For Dad

• PJs
• Socks
• Boxers
• Hoodie
• 2 t-shirts
• Flip flops
• Deodorant
• Toothbrush/toothpaste
• Shorts for the hydro-tub
• Blanket/pillows
• Going home outfit

My husband used everything that I packed for him, except for the shorts because I didn't have him join me in the tub.    The hospital had pillows and blankets that he could have used, but he was extremely happy to have his own.  

For Baby

• Car seat with infant insert
• Boppy for breastfeeding
• Going home outfit
• Nail clippers/nail file
• Olive oil for baby's butt
• Baby book if you want baby's footprints
• Baby Blanket
• Infant sleepers
• Hat
• Socks
• Mittens
• Swaddle me/sleep sacks

The hospital provided all of the baby's necessities, but there were a few extras that were nice to have.  Most of the time he was just in a diaper doing skin-to-skin with either me or my hubby.  When he wasn't, the hospital had little shirts for him to wear that folded over his hands (so no mittens needed) and was swaddled in the hospital's baby blankets.  

We weren't as great at swaddling him as the nurses, so it was nice to have some Swaddle Me's when we wanted to get him snuggled up quickly.  The baby blanket was nice to have to get him swaddled in something cute for pictures.

The other two things that I was very glad we brought were the nail clippers and the olive oil.  He needed his nails cut when he was a day old and the hospital won't do it and doesn't provide clippers.  If we hadn't brought out own, he would have been scratching himself a lot.  The olive oil was also helpful - we put a little on his butt before putting the diaper on.  This helped to prevent the initial tarry poops from sticking to his little baby butt.  

Technology

• Tablet
• Phones
• Camera
• Chargers
• Nightlight

These all came in handy.  We kept the nightlight in the bathroom, which was very handy.  The nurses even commented on how they were going to add that to their list of things to bring.