My life for the past several years has been full of babies and their stuff! As I start my third round of babyhood and baby gear, I thought for Works for Me Wednesday today I'd share some of my favorite baby items. The following are items that I use time and time again and have found to be worth the money. Let me know if you agree!
Velcro Swaddle Blankets
- These are ingenious, solving the problem of keeping a wiggly baby safely swaddled, without worrying about him suffocating in loose blankets. I have them in both cotton for warmer weather and fleece for upcoming cold nights.
Halo Sleep Sacks 
- For older babies who can no longer be swaddled, we use Halo Sleep Sacks. They are easy to slip on over a cotton sleeper for a safe alternative to a blanket. They now also make sleep sacks with a swaddling attachment
, so you can use them either way.Desitin Diaper Cream 
- it seems a simple thing, but it's important! In my mind, nothing beats thick, white Desitin for getting rid of a rash quickly or for preventing it. It's not cheap, but it's comparable in price to other name brand creams, and you can definitely find coupons.
- it seems a simple thing, but it's important! In my mind, nothing beats thick, white Desitin for getting rid of a rash quickly or for preventing it. It's not cheap, but it's comparable in price to other name brand creams, and you can definitely find coupons.
Mei Tai Baby Carrier
- I get comments on this baby carrier all the time; even a lot of moms have never seen one. It is similar to an Ergo
, but it is all soft, with no buckles. (It is also less expensive!) Mine is Baby Hawk brand; it was a gift from my aunt, who is a baby-wearing expert. I absolutely love it. It supports my back, and it keeps the baby safely upright. I love it for little babies like Gem to sleep in, and you can also use it on your back when they're bigger.Bumpkins Bibs
- Okay, I know I've sung the praises of these before, but I just can't say it enough. In my mind, they are the only bibs! This is because they can be wiped or washed out in the sink to be reused for several meals, but they can also be machine-washed for really bag messes. The velcro ones have an adjustable neck, to cut down on those collar stains, and they also make a sleeved bib 
with ties for my recalcitrant toddler. Reno Rose Nursing Scarf - I reviewed this item here, but that was before Gem was born and I used it for nursing. Update: I looove it as a nursing cover. It is breathable and lightweight, and it can be rolled up small enough to fit in a purse, yet it doesn't wrinkle. It also looks super cute, like a pretty wrap instead of a nursing cover.
Cloth Pocket Diapers
- I was so scared of trying cloth diapers for a long time, but pocket diapers make it so idiot-proof! They are practically as easy to change as disposables, and they are compact and cute. The brands I have used are Fuzzi Bunz and Bumwear, and I found both to be excellent quality.Kidco Baby Food Mill
and Trays
- These inexpensive yet sturdy items are all you need to make your own baby food. You can even just use the mill to grind up some of your dinner to feed the baby. I also use the
trays for other kitchen jobs, like freezing fresh pesto.
and Trays - These inexpensive yet sturdy items are all you need to make your own baby food. You can even just use the mill to grind up some of your dinner to feed the baby. I also use the trays for other kitchen jobs, like freezing fresh pesto.What are some of your favorite baby items?
Note: I have no affiliation with these manufacturers; these are just products that I use and love. However, this post does contain my Amazon affiliate links, for which I receive a small commission if you make a purchase.
I Love the Velcro swadlers and the Sleep sacks!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I totally agree -- esp on the Bumkins bibs, the food mill and the pocket diapers. :)
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite baby products are the Robeez baby shoes http://robeez.com/EN-US/default.htm?Lang=EN-US&PriceCat=2&RefID= or similar knock-off brands at Target and other places. I keep my babies in the soft-soled shoes for as long as I can since its so good for their developing feet to be in such close and flexible contact with the ground.
We loved that food mill!! It turns almost anything into baby food in seconds and is surprisingly easy to use and clean.
ReplyDeleteDo you have trouble with Desitin leaving an odor in your cloth diapers? We did! Turns out it contains fish oil. Balmex is zinc oxide also but doesn't have fish oil; it works very well. Here are my cloth diaper tips.
Some of my other favorite baby-related products were Lansinoh cream for sore nipples when I started breastfeeding, Boppy pillow for nursing and for propping baby in a sitting position, and the Target store brand of nursing camisoles. Having a winter baby, I liked wearing a camisole under my sweater so that when I pulled it up to nurse, my tummy didn't get cold! I wore them as tanktops in the summer too.
Becca, I should have mentioned that I don't use Desitin with cloth diapers (I disposables some of the time). For my cloth diapers, I use Method diaper cream.
ReplyDeleteAw, Liz, I was so honored to see my mention in the mei tai section - thanks! ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree that you don't really want to use ANY type of diaper cream with cloth dipes - they all can plug up the material and cause repelling (leaks) and stains/odors. But the good news is, with cloth dipes there's virtually never any diaper rash to worry about! :)
Anyway, I love some of these....but not the swaddle blankets, sorry :-P There was just a big discussion about these and the recent increase in their popularity lately on a listserv for lactation professionals. I'm sure they can be fine if not over-used...but I really don't encourage swaddling from a breastfeeding perspective, at least early on - for two main reasons. First, swaddled babies tend to be warmer and sleep longer, which might *sound* like a good thing, but it's really not - as you know, newborns need to nurse very frequently, and if they're wrapped up like a burrito they may be lulled into not waking up often enough, leading to supply issues and low weight gain.
The second reason is related to that - when we're teaching brand new moms to watch for a baby's early hunger cues (so the baby doesn't escalate to crying and learn he has to scream for food) some of the key cues we teach involve the hands! Like squirming, stretching the arms, bringing hands/fingers to the mouth, etc. - and a swaddled baby can't give those signs, so he often has to wait until he gets extra hungry and then screams, is frustrated, won't latch, etc.
So, just my random thoughts on that one, LOL. A baby who likes that curled-up tight and snuggly feeling can get it in a sling or wrap, where mom will notice when she starts squirming and trying to rouse herself and respond by helping her wake up and nurse, yk? Just my 2 cents....or 4 cents maybe, LOL.....spending too much time on lact. listservs anyway, studying for my exam, maybe I need to take a break LOL! Feel free to tell me that was WAY too long for a comment ;) xoxo