Erin's Baby Must-Haves
This week Helen turned 3 months old and I've been thinking of all the things I want to share about it, starting with the easiest—the THINGS you need to have a baby. Having your first baby is intimdating. Registering for the things we would need was so overwhelming to me, and we ultimately bought and received more stuff than we needed or ended up using, but I've had a running list of the things that have made it infinitely easier for us to adjust to life with a newborn and it seems the proof is in the pudding so far. Helen is a happy, healthy 3-month old who sleeps 10-11 hours every night, so I figure it's worth sharing the things I've loved on this first leg of the journey, or the 4th trimester as they call it.
SNOO by Happiest Baby
First and foremost, we are over the moon thankful for our Snoo! The first few nights before it arrived since Helen was born early were ROUGH. Once we started using the Snoo, nights became much more predictable. I never worried about SIDS because it keeps her swaddled on her back, strapped into the bassinet. It hears her cries and detects movement and rocks her a certain way depending on the way she cries. It makes the sounds of the womb, swishy sounds with a heartbeat, that she hears and knows its time to sleep. When we put her down, she's asleep within 60 seconds, and at the beginning would sleep 3-4 hour stretches before waking up hungry. By 6 weeks, she was sleeping through the night, and now she sleeps 10-11 hours. At 5 months we'll use the weaning feature that limits motion before moving her to the crib at 6 months. I can't say enough good things about it, but I know it's outrageously expensive. If you just found out you're expecting, I recommend watching for sales (we got ours 50% off at Christmas!) or putting aside $120 a month to pay for it right before the baby comes. It is worth it. Sleep makes us better parents and makes Helen a happy baby. This is not a sponsored post—we just couldn't make it without Snoo.
RIVA Ultra Lightweight Travel System
Not much for babies is made in the U.S.A. except Safety 1st baby gear, which I love. When we have to travel and I can't stand to leave Helen behind (basically every time we travel), this is the stroller that goes with us because it's super lightweight and folds up totally flat. Our jogging stroller is best for Laurel's bumpy sidewalks, but it's too heavy for me to lift into the back of the truck and drag through an airport, so this one comes in handy. The stroller and the carseat are made in America from recycled materials, which I think is super cool.
Land's End Scottish Lace Blanket
Our friend Mary Alayne gave Helen this blanket, and she loved it so much, she sent us another one in white. It's not too warm and not too thin, just right for swaddling and keeping warm on a long walk in the stroller. Helen loves to chew on it, too.
Green Sprouts Muslin Burp Cloths
These are the only burp cloths worth buying. They're soft and SUPER absorbent and go over your shoulder and stay there. Helen stopped spitting up around 6 weeks, but she sure is drooley and dribbly.
Avent Natural Bottles
We tried breastfeeding for a few weeks, but ultimately, soy formula worked best for Helen. We tried a lot of bottles. These are the only ones she likes and I like because it's easy to read the numbers, and easy to wash with as few parts as possible.
Rainbow Light Prenatal One Vitamins
My doctor said to find a prenatal with extra B-6 to help prevent morning sickness. The day we found out we were pregnant, these are the ones I started taking because they have 600% B-6, and I never had morning sickness, which was one of my biggest fears about pregnancy. So glad I found these! They don't have any fish oil, so no gross after taste either.
Sam's Club Diapers
Ben's parents hooked us up with a mega-box of these diapers and at .11 each, there's nothing better. We've not yet had a blowout or a leak these diapers couldn't handle. And they're unscented, which I much prefer.
Resinol
All diaper rash cream pales in comparison to Resinol, an old-fashioned skin medication recommended by my brother's best friend, a doctor and pharmacist. It's hard to find, so if you can get your hands on it, buy in bulk! It's made for grown folks, but clears up diaper rash in a day.
Zarbee's Gripe Water
Our friends Augusta and Nick sent this to us as a gift, and said "Ezra had tummy aches and couldn't fall asleep at night until we gave him this, then it changed the game." Truly—there is voodoo in this all-natural remedy. It cures what ails Helen when she gets fussy for no apparent reason, and helps with gas. We give it to her close to bedtime and I'm superstitious about its powers!
What works for us may not work for you, but I hope it helps when trying to figure out what you really need to register for. In my experience, these are the only must-haves I've found. Congratulations to you new parents and parents-to-be who may be reading!
