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.