Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Baby Must Haves


I have quite a few friends that are currently with child and I've had a couple mom-to-be's contact me for advice on what to add to their own registries. As some of you know-I'm very opinionated, love to do research, and consider myself a little bit of a baby expert so this sought after advice I was happy to give! So to save any future moms a shit ton of time- here are my baby must haves when they are super new. I'll save the older baby must haves for perhaps another blog.

My sister-in-law very generously let me pick out any stroller I wanted as our shower gift. After honestly a month of reading reviews, watching YouTube reviews, and then reading a few more reviews just to be sure- I decided to go with the Britax B Ready Stroller. I compared it against every top of the line strollers and this one won out hands down. Plus it was half the cost of the other one I had my eye on. Still a little more on the pricey side but if you plan on having more than one child I think it's a wise investment because it's going last and you can customize it to your needs! I have a sensitive sleeper but Nico sleeps like a rock in this thing. The main seat reclines like a full bed. It also turns on a damn dime and rides like a dream. I have bought almost every accessory for it and have been happy with every piece. Plus they have AWESOME customer service! Downside-it is rather on the large side…I did have to buy a new vehicle to accommodate it. :) Or you can easily take off the wheels for more compact storage.

FYI: I did buy a Britax car seat and plan on buying Nico's big boy car seat from Britax as well. Their safety is top notch and you can just tell/feel the difference in quality. In other words...I heart Britax. 

When Nico was first born I was using a big named brand (that I'll leave unmentioned-they probably have really good attorneys) but after about a week I noticed his bottom started to get red. I used one on my face and after one swipe my face was burning. If it was burning my face, what the heck was it doing to my son's little bottom?! I did a lot of research and started using Clearly Herbal Baby Wipes and totally love them!
They smell great and keep his bottom healthy! Down side was they are expensive! Now they are no longer available!! I'm in a bit of crisis as I have used many other wipes that are more on the chemical free side-but none compare. I did find some great wipes in Italy-but yeah they are in Italy. UPDATE: Restocked through Amazon-I bought 3 cases. UPDATE #2. I just checked the link and they are 10 dollars off per case currently along with FREE shipping! I may order 3 more. I never ever want to run out of these bad boys AGAIN!

I super love Baby Butz Cream for a little extra protection in the diaper area.This is diaper cream I use overnight or if he's been pooping a lot to help his bottom from getting sore-it is free of chemicals, alcohol, perfumes, parabens, gluten, and hypoallergenic! What more could you want? I bought this 4 ounce jar at the start of November and I still haven't gone through it yet! And he's yet to have a diaper rash….

For bathing supplies-I've used a variety of natural washes. None that really stick out for me that I super loved but my advice is to get out of the your local superstore and find something that isn't harsh on your baby's skin. After every bath I use an essential oil with a carrier oil to give Nico a baby massage. He loves it! For carrier oils I use a variety of oils through NOW. Here is probably my favorite for him. Even Nico's Doctor always comments on his beautiful, soft, perfect skin. (Her words not mine-I just take the credit for keeping it that way) Oh and speaking of using things that aren't harsh on your baby's skin...put some fragrance free detergent on your registry. I made the mistake of using another big named detergent and it wrecked havoc on Nico's skin! I felt so terrible that his perfect skin was irritated! All it took was the change in detergent and the rash disappeared!

Let's talk about snot now. I believe within the first year of life a newborn gets up to 6-10 colds or something crazy like that. Let me tell you those bulbs from the hospital suck. Like for real. When Nico got his first cold it was so sad since he could hardly nurse because he was so stuffed up. It was like three in the morning and I next day shipped this bad boy out of pure desperation. It's called- NoseFrida The Snotsucker Nasal Aspirator
I will never live a day without this thing again. It's seriously a sick and disgusting concept but when your baby can hardly breathe, you'll consider sucking out boogers with your own mouth. I did. This is the next best alternative. Trust me-put this at the top of your registry. 
Have I totally disgusted you yet? If so, wait till you have that baby. Nothing will disgust you from birth on. :) 

Does the thought of clipping your baby's nails terrify you? So you decide to let your friend cut your new babies nails and he accidentally misses and takes out a chunk of your baby's thumb? Bad Unky Eric! Don't worry-babies heal fast and Nico doesn't even have any proof of the incident. May I highly suggest these Piyo Piyo Baby Nail Scissors? Pretty fool proof so I highly suggest that Eric invests in some of these as well for baby #2. 

Live in Wisconsin and need something to keep your little one's feet warm? Zutano Booties is exactly what you've been looking for! 


They come in all sorts of colors and prints and are so fun! These babies are way better than those annoying baby socks not to mention you don't lose them as you do socks! 

I really like all things Aden and Anais! Especially these Aden and Anais Burpy/Bib clothes. They served a dual purpose and washed up really nice. I also have Aden and Anais swaddles, sheets and a crib blanket from them too that are going strong. Worth the extra few bucks! 

Of course have to have a boppy pillow! I had a C-Section so I felt this was even more essential in being comfortable while nursing/holding the baby.


I also have the Leachco Podster Sling and really loved it! It was super handy when Nico was itty bitty!

One of my girlfriends generously let us borrow her 4moms mamaRoo. I would for sure invest in one in the future or if your a mom that is just starting a family and know there will be more to come! Nico loved it and was super content to spend time in it! It has 5 different movement paths that they say moves like you do!
 If you've have decided to breastfeed you will for sure need some nursing tanks

I received 2 nursing covers and I preferred the Udder Covers. It had the boning around the top so I could see what I needed to till I got the hang of it all! Even though I don't feel there is anything to hide when it comes to feeding YOUR baby-out of respect of others and till I got the hang of being able to discretely nurse I used the cover. In addition, I did feel that it brought the outside stimulation down a bit for Nico to be able to relax and not be distracted while feeding. 

I tend to shop pretty close to exclusively online. My husband tells me that our house is a UPS redistribution center since they are always there. But come on who wants to drag a baby (especially when they are really new) out in Wisconsin weather? Can we get an online grocery delivery service as well round these parts? UPDATE: You can now through Google Plus! Holla! Hope all my advice was helpful and steers you in the right direction of baby "stuff"! I just went to a baby shower and the mama-to-be received so many items that were totally unnecessary (cute but unnecessary)! And hardly anything she would really need. 😐  I'd love to hear what you couldn't live without with your baby! I'm always looking to try new things and I'd like to add to this list for future reference! 

Try to remember to not get too hung up on the "stuff". There isn't much babies truly need besides lots of love, mama milk, and a crap ton of diapers. 

SCREW EVERYTHING I SAID. JUST PUT DIAPERS ON YOUR REGISTRY…OF ALL SIZES. TRUST ME ON THIS. 

XO. 

JLOVE AKA "Mommy"

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