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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Survival Guide: 0-2 Months

We, like many other parents, got a crash course in gear once Isaiah came home. I'm not kidding you -- I had no idea what most of this stuff was for, and even had to take pictures of some of it to ask others what I was supposed to do with it.




Feeding:

1. Bibs - As a spit upper, the bibs have helped me cut down on wardrobe changes.

2. Formula Divider - This has been a lifesaver when we're on the go. I can pre-measure before we leave the house, and if Isaiah needs to eat while we're out, I can just dump one of the compartments into a bottle of water and he's ready to eat.

3. Gerber Cloth Diaper Burp Cloths - I wish I had known this sooner. These are much better and more absorbent than the terry cloth with cute prints on it sold as a burp cloth. I'm a true believer.

4. Playtex Vent Aire Bottles and Dr. Brown's Bottles - We started out with the Playtex bottles at the recommendation of a friend. We didn't really have any problems with them, but Isaiah tends to spit up when he is on formula, so I wanted to try the Dr. Brown's Bottles to see if they helped now that we're off of the donated breast milk. I've noticed a slight improvement, but will most likely keep using both types of bottles.

5. Munchkin Bottle and Nipple Brush - I didn't know what the nipple brush was when I first saw it. It came as part of a diaper cake, so there was no packaging to be read, and I couldn't figure out how something that bristly wouldn't ruin something. It has turned out to be a life saver. Our dishwasher is great, but it seemed like the breast milk would never get completely out of the nipples, so I used the brush for that. The bottle brush is great for those times when there aren't enough dirty dishes for a full load, so I'll wash by hand.

Sleeping:

1. Bright Starts Ingenuity Automatic Bouncer and Fisher Price Rock N Play - The bouncer is our favorite for daytime sleeping, and the Rock N Play is our bassinet alternative. I didn't get a bassinet because I was certain that Isaiah would sleep in his crib from day one, so I'm grateful that I had the Rock N Play because that first night we came home, I knew I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He's still sleeping beside our bed in the Rock N Play and he loves it. Double bonus for both -- they're at an incline which helps with spitting up. If I lay him flat, I'm asking for trouble.

2. CD Player - Isaiah loves music. Especially B.B. King. I have noise apps on my phone, but those just don't cut it. A friend gave Isaiah a CD Player and his very first CD. It also plays radio, so we've had a few jam sessions in his bedroom.

3. Halo Sleep sack, Woombie, and stretchy blankets - We got a microfleece sleep sack at the hospital, and we've continued to use it because he sleeps so well in it. It's starting to get warmer now though, so I've taken to putting him in the sleep sack with only his diaper on, or wrapping him in a lightweight blanket with his clothes on. We also use the Woombie at the recommendation of a friend, and it works well. I like the lightweightness of it.


Travel:

1. Graco Snugride Travel System and Jeep Stroller - The infant car seat has ultimately been a great thing to have. It was less than 30 degrees when we came home from the hospital, and carrying Isaiah to the car to put him in a convertible car seat was out of the question for me. That being said, we do have a convertible seat, which has its own perks, but for the colder weather, I prefer the infant seat. On our first trip to the mall we used the accompanying stroller and it was fab. The cup holders are a dream and Isaiah slept the whole time snug as a bug. While it isn't necessary to have two strollers, it was a blessing on the day Josh took my car to work that had the stroller in it. I had to assemble the Jeep stroller so we could go on our walk. The weather was too nice to stay inside. We aren't going off road strollering, but the Jeep stroller is pretty amazing. It is a bit taller than the Graco stroller, so it makes it easier on the back. I like that this stroller will last long after the infant car seat goes away.

2. Diaper Bag - We have a very large Eddie Bauer diaper bag that I picked out from Target. Within the first few days I realized that I didn't need something quite so big right away. I shelved it for a later date and switched to this Peg Perego diaper bag when I received it as a gift. I love it because I just throw my wallet and keys in the front pocket and leave my purse at home. Carrying one bag is the best when you're also carrying the carseat.

3. Car seat cover - I ordered our cover from Carseat Canopy . They have them advertised for around $50, but if you use the code CARSEAT you only have to pay $12.90 for shipping. I wanted to go this route instead of the cover that has elastic around the edges. Just a personal preference.

Health:

1. Enfamil Vitamin D Drops - When Isaiah was using the donated breast milk, our pediatrician told me to get these drops to supplement his Vitamin D. Now that we're using formula exclusively I haven't been using them, but they were a necessity the first seven weeks.

2. All Free & Clear - I used this on our clothes before Isaiah was born, because it is one of the least expensive detergents that won't ruin your clothes. We're still using it instead of buying the more expensive baby detergents. Isaiah isn't having any skin issues from it.

3. Nivea Cream - I fought my mom on this one. I have a cream that I pay quite a bit for from Target. It's an all natural baby cream that I've used as my face moisturizer for years. I just knew it would be the best thing to take care of Isaiah's dry skin. But I was wrong. Nivea cream is really the only thing that has helped his dry skin.

4. Vitamin A&D Ointment - I use the generic of this, mostly to make sure I'm getting the right thing. I almost bought the diaper rash cream when Isaiah was first born because A&D is a brand name as well as the name of the main ingredients. The hospital told us to use this, and we still do.

Optional:

1. Diaper Champ - The first seven weeks this wasn't a necessity. Isaiah's diapers didn't really smell and he didn't poop all that much because of the breast milk. Now that we're off of it, and on formula, they're pretty gaggy. I chose the diaper champ because I don't have to buy refills for it, and the design is pretty uncomplicated, as well as being affordable. In the coming months it will be necessary, but the first seven it wasn't.

2. Boppy - This was the one baby item I knew I needed to have. And it turns out it's just a pillow. The only time I really use it is if I'm putting Isaiah on his back on his play mat to avoid spit up. It is nice to have, but not necessary for a non-breastfeeding mama.

3. Summer Infant Babytouch Color Video Monitor - In the future, this will be a necessity, but since we're not using the crib a whole lot yet, we haven't used this monitor too much either. When we have used it I've loved it.

What did I miss? What couldn't you live without?

2 comments:

  1. We used the rock n play with Dakota for a couple of months as well. I loved it! I also used it while I showered and she loved just hanging out in it. Glad to hear you love it too. I will have to remember to buy the carseat cover for the next baby. I didn't have one and I wish I would have! This is a great post for new mamas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The car seat cover is free! (If you don't count paying shipping, it's free :))

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