My First-Time Mommy List
When I was preparing my "baby registry" as a Mom-to-be, I made sure I had everything I "needed" on the list. I had cute decorations for the nursery, receiving blankets, adorable clothes, bottles, diapers and much more stuff. What I didn't realize is that only a handful of those things are actually necessary and there are loads of other things that I didn't even know I was going to need, therefore never made the "registry".
Sorry if this next part of my post is T.M.I. for men - please skip to the next paragraph :-)
During the first few days at home - as a post-baby woman - there were a lot of feminine products that I needed. I was so worried about getting everything the baby needed, that I didn't even think about what I was going to need for myself (thank goodness for the nurses on the OB floor who are paid to know these things and thank goodness they sent some of those products home with me)! So my advice to any first time Mom-to-be's out there - stock up on the feminine products before your baby arrives because chances are, you're not going to feel like going to the store to pick them up! P.S. include "granny" (comfy cotton) panties, preparation H, TUCKS® Medicated Pads | TUCKS®, and sensitive intimate liquid wash (i.e. Intimore Fresh‑Sensitive Feminine Wash). You can thank me later.
Colton was a very fussy/colicky baby and during those first few weeks, it was stressful. I had plenty of cute onsies to put him in, but I didn't have a thing to give him for an upset tummy. GRIPE WATER (I can't say it loud enough or too many times) - get it, stock up on it, love it...it might just save your life! FYI - the generic brands (i.e.CVS Gripe Water for Colic - CVS pharmacy ) work just as good as the Mommy's Bliss brand and are much more affordable. Mylicon drops and infant Tylenol are also great to have on hand (especially for baby's first shots).
I had no idea how many choices for bottles there are. It can get overwhelming. I really felt like this was true trial and error for us. We started with Medela Bottles (mostly because they were compatible with my Medela breast pump). Those were allowing a lot of air through the nipple and into Colton's tummy (I'm convince that this was adding to his already sensitive tummy) so we then tried Philips Avent Baby Bottle and Colton didn't take to this one at all. I had one of the Playtex Baby Bottles to try and that wasn't helping the gas situation either so we finally went with Dr Brown's Baby Bottles and those were a keeper. I, originally, didn't want to go the Dr. Brown's route because there are so many parts to the bottle and I thought it would be a pain cleaning them. Let me just say, this bottle is totally worth the cleaning time (and the cleaning - with a good bottle brush - really isn't bad at all) and it made a huge difference in the gas (or lack there of) in Colton's belly. I'm a huge fan of Dr. Brown's!
Diapers. There are so many brands, where does one start? It seems that the Pampers Swaddlers Diapers are the most popular for newborns (even the hospital where I delivered Colton had this brand). We loved the "Swaddlers" for Colton as a newborn. I had thrown the idea of using cloth diapers around (before Colton was born) - and it still might be an option later on - but, for now we are using disposable. We tried Huggies Little Snugglers and those absolutely did not work for him. We also tried the Pampers brand "Baby Dry" (a little more cost efficient than the "Swaddlers") and these did not work for us either. We were given a pack of Discount Diapers - Discount Baby Supplies From Dollar General and they are okay to use throughout the day, but aren't great for overnight wear. We price-checked (trying to keep a log of the brands that we had used and do not work for Colton) and were comparing other brands to the "Swaddlers" that we loved. We found that Luvs Brand diapers were about $0.05 - per diaper - cheaper, so we bought our first box. The Luvs are now our favorite for the quality to price ratio. They hold very big messes with no blow outs (so far) and hold lots of wetness with no leaks (so far). Maybe, down the road, we will find something that works better for us and saves us (even more) money. I did read an article from a second-time Mom who tried the Up & Up Diapers at Target® and had great reviews. I think the next round of diapers, we might try the Target brand. But, for now...we love our Luvs.
Side note - Have you seen the Luvs commercials with the "first baby"/"second baby" skits? - if you haven't seen them - try to find them on YouTube or at www.luvsdiapers.com! Cute.
A few other things I have found helpful...
Bumbo Floor Seat. These are normally around $40.00 which is why I had not originally added this to my registry. My Aunt works at a daycare and they have an annual consignment sale, so I was lucky enough to grab up a (pretty much) brand new bumbo seat for just $5.00 (a steal, I know). I'm so thankful for this seat now that I have it. I purchased the tray that attaches and it has been Colton's "high chair" until he is able to fully support himself and sit in his big boy high chair. This bumbo seat also is great for taking Colton outside to sit in the yard and play with the dogs. It's also great for helping him build his stomach muscles.
Side Note: there was a recall on the bumbo seat with reports that babies can "wiggle" out of the seat and there were two dozen reports of infant skull fractures. My opinion is, like anything else, never leave a baby unattended if they are not properly secured. We have had no problems with our seat (minus me squishing Colton's hand once - see previous blog entry "boo-boos...)!
Baby Security Blanket. Colton has recently fallen in love with his little giraffe security blanket. The blanket is made out of a velour material that is so soft and the giraffe is perfect for snuggling. It also helps him to hold his pacifier in his mouth. It's quite precious :-)
Baby Einstein Jumper (or one comparable). I had no idea that I would "need" toys for Colton at such an early age. Actually, we didn't get any toys at any of our showers and I hadn't bought any either. I could tell early on that I was going to need something to entertain this little creature...something more than just my face! My Mom found us this awesome Baby Einstein Jumper. Colton isn't quite big enough to reach the floor yet but we just put a pillow on the floor for his legs and a little padding (blanket) behind him and he loves it.
Things opted not to use...
A wipe warmer (it dries the wipes out faster than you can use them)
http://voices.yahoo.com/ten-reasons-not-buy-wipe-warmer-70042.html
A diaper genie (I bought a small step-peddle trash can at the dollar store)
http://voices.yahoo.com/ten-reasons-why-not-buy-diaper-genie-69958.html?cat=25
Every Mom is different and every baby has different needs, so obviously "lists" can change from kid to kid. This post is simply to share some things that I found helpful (or not). Some of these things I was told before I had my baby, and others I had to experience and experiment for myself. I'm sure as I continue on this amazing journey I will do much more experiencing and experimenting!
Sorry if this next part of my post is T.M.I. for men - please skip to the next paragraph :-)
During the first few days at home - as a post-baby woman - there were a lot of feminine products that I needed. I was so worried about getting everything the baby needed, that I didn't even think about what I was going to need for myself (thank goodness for the nurses on the OB floor who are paid to know these things and thank goodness they sent some of those products home with me)! So my advice to any first time Mom-to-be's out there - stock up on the feminine products before your baby arrives because chances are, you're not going to feel like going to the store to pick them up! P.S. include "granny" (comfy cotton) panties, preparation H, TUCKS® Medicated Pads | TUCKS®, and sensitive intimate liquid wash (i.e. Intimore Fresh‑Sensitive Feminine Wash). You can thank me later.
Colton was a very fussy/colicky baby and during those first few weeks, it was stressful. I had plenty of cute onsies to put him in, but I didn't have a thing to give him for an upset tummy. GRIPE WATER (I can't say it loud enough or too many times) - get it, stock up on it, love it...it might just save your life! FYI - the generic brands (i.e.CVS Gripe Water for Colic - CVS pharmacy ) work just as good as the Mommy's Bliss brand and are much more affordable. Mylicon drops and infant Tylenol are also great to have on hand (especially for baby's first shots).
I had no idea how many choices for bottles there are. It can get overwhelming. I really felt like this was true trial and error for us. We started with Medela Bottles (mostly because they were compatible with my Medela breast pump). Those were allowing a lot of air through the nipple and into Colton's tummy (I'm convince that this was adding to his already sensitive tummy) so we then tried Philips Avent Baby Bottle and Colton didn't take to this one at all. I had one of the Playtex Baby Bottles to try and that wasn't helping the gas situation either so we finally went with Dr Brown's Baby Bottles and those were a keeper. I, originally, didn't want to go the Dr. Brown's route because there are so many parts to the bottle and I thought it would be a pain cleaning them. Let me just say, this bottle is totally worth the cleaning time (and the cleaning - with a good bottle brush - really isn't bad at all) and it made a huge difference in the gas (or lack there of) in Colton's belly. I'm a huge fan of Dr. Brown's!
Diapers. There are so many brands, where does one start? It seems that the Pampers Swaddlers Diapers are the most popular for newborns (even the hospital where I delivered Colton had this brand). We loved the "Swaddlers" for Colton as a newborn. I had thrown the idea of using cloth diapers around (before Colton was born) - and it still might be an option later on - but, for now we are using disposable. We tried Huggies Little Snugglers and those absolutely did not work for him. We also tried the Pampers brand "Baby Dry" (a little more cost efficient than the "Swaddlers") and these did not work for us either. We were given a pack of Discount Diapers - Discount Baby Supplies From Dollar General and they are okay to use throughout the day, but aren't great for overnight wear. We price-checked (trying to keep a log of the brands that we had used and do not work for Colton) and were comparing other brands to the "Swaddlers" that we loved. We found that Luvs Brand diapers were about $0.05 - per diaper - cheaper, so we bought our first box. The Luvs are now our favorite for the quality to price ratio. They hold very big messes with no blow outs (so far) and hold lots of wetness with no leaks (so far). Maybe, down the road, we will find something that works better for us and saves us (even more) money. I did read an article from a second-time Mom who tried the Up & Up Diapers at Target® and had great reviews. I think the next round of diapers, we might try the Target brand. But, for now...we love our Luvs.
Side note - Have you seen the Luvs commercials with the "first baby"/"second baby" skits? - if you haven't seen them - try to find them on YouTube or at www.luvsdiapers.com! Cute.
A few other things I have found helpful...
Bumbo Floor Seat. These are normally around $40.00 which is why I had not originally added this to my registry. My Aunt works at a daycare and they have an annual consignment sale, so I was lucky enough to grab up a (pretty much) brand new bumbo seat for just $5.00 (a steal, I know). I'm so thankful for this seat now that I have it. I purchased the tray that attaches and it has been Colton's "high chair" until he is able to fully support himself and sit in his big boy high chair. This bumbo seat also is great for taking Colton outside to sit in the yard and play with the dogs. It's also great for helping him build his stomach muscles.
Side Note: there was a recall on the bumbo seat with reports that babies can "wiggle" out of the seat and there were two dozen reports of infant skull fractures. My opinion is, like anything else, never leave a baby unattended if they are not properly secured. We have had no problems with our seat (minus me squishing Colton's hand once - see previous blog entry "boo-boos...)!
Baby Security Blanket. Colton has recently fallen in love with his little giraffe security blanket. The blanket is made out of a velour material that is so soft and the giraffe is perfect for snuggling. It also helps him to hold his pacifier in his mouth. It's quite precious :-)
Baby Einstein Jumper (or one comparable). I had no idea that I would "need" toys for Colton at such an early age. Actually, we didn't get any toys at any of our showers and I hadn't bought any either. I could tell early on that I was going to need something to entertain this little creature...something more than just my face! My Mom found us this awesome Baby Einstein Jumper. Colton isn't quite big enough to reach the floor yet but we just put a pillow on the floor for his legs and a little padding (blanket) behind him and he loves it.
Things opted not to use...
A wipe warmer (it dries the wipes out faster than you can use them)
http://voices.yahoo.com/ten-reasons-not-buy-wipe-warmer-70042.html
A diaper genie (I bought a small step-peddle trash can at the dollar store)
http://voices.yahoo.com/ten-reasons-why-not-buy-diaper-genie-69958.html?cat=25
Every Mom is different and every baby has different needs, so obviously "lists" can change from kid to kid. This post is simply to share some things that I found helpful (or not). Some of these things I was told before I had my baby, and others I had to experience and experiment for myself. I'm sure as I continue on this amazing journey I will do much more experiencing and experimenting!
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