I thought I'd share some of my favourite baby items thus far in the journey. I really enjoyed reading about what worked for other moms when I was putting together my registry and I thought maybe there are those out there who might be interested in what I've liked.
1) Aden and Anais Bamboo Swaddles Theo and I both love these; they're so soft and light. Part of our evening ritual is swaddling him in one before bedtime. He's quite wriggly and can escape any swaddle or sleepsack if he wants to, but he enjoys being wrapped in these so much that he'll normally stay put for a least half the night. We also use this, especially after a bath, because it's extra snuggly, and he's willing to stay swaddled in it as well.
2) Baby K'Tan This is has been wonderful. I have always liked the concept of the Moby wrap but I wasn't a fan of the amount of fabric or how many I've seen looking quite dirty. The K'tan allows for similar style carrying without all the extra bulk and it's very easy to put on. Theo typically falls asleep within minutes of my putting him in and he'll sleep for hours which allows me to cook, clean, or whatever else I need to do that involves two hands. I don't know how much of a longer term carrier it will be, but it has definitely been worthwhile for the newborn days.
3) JJ Cole Changing Clutch I use this as a my diaper bag and just slip it into whichever purse or bag I'm carrying, along with an extra outfit, and my nursing cover. I initially intended to get Skip Hop's changing clutch but it has a less compact footprint when folded. JJ Cole's doesn't come with a wipes case so I use these, I like that they come in a set of two, so I can have one that I carry and another ready to go.
4) Baby Bjorn Bouncer I really wanted this bouncer but kept hesitating due to the price. I loved the concept of it being bounced by the baby's own movement rather than offering a form of passive entertainment, that it could fold up flat (important when you don't have much storage space), and that it has a streamlined aesthetic. In the end we got it 40% off at Zulily and I'm so glad we did; Theo loves it and it didn't take him long to figure out how to bounce himself, he'll sit in it for hours.
5) Mamas & Papas Armadillo Stroller I researched strollers quite obsessively because I had a lot of requirements and I only wanted to buy one. Andrew and I walk and metro a lot, so we needed a sturdy, versatile stroller that didn't weigh too much and offered a compact one handed fold. The Armadillo is a new stroller (released Fall 2013) so there were limited reviews available but they were overwhelmingly positive so I decided to take a leap of faith and get it; it's been great. After one metro trip, multiple grocery runs, and many miles of walking I have absolutely no complaints, and it fits neatly into our coat closet, even when unfolded.
6) Waxelene (Petroleum Alternative) I use this on Theo's bum, I didn't discover it for the first couple weeks but since I started using it we've had no diaper rash. I don't really like using too many products on Theo (especially not petroleum based ones), but I use waxelene for his bum and coconut oil for baby massages. I had initially intended to just use coconut oil, but Theo's skin is a bit sensitive and needed something thicker to act as a barrier cream. We use Mustela during bath time and have had no cradle cap.
7) Gumdrop Pacifiers We tried soothies initially but they got knocked out too easily. The gumdrop pacis have the same shape but are contoured to fit against the face rather than knocking against the nose. I also like that they come in individual packaging so I only have to open them as I use them.
8) Baby Ddrops When the pediatrician recommended vitamin D drops I initially just went and picked up the brand carried at CVS which was Enfamil D-Vi-Sol which Theo refused to swallow and just ended up all over his clothes. I'm actually quite glad that he disliked it so strongly because then I did some research and found Baby Ddrops which only require a single drop rather than a dropperful and don't contain a multitude of unnecessary ingredients (why would a vitamin D supplement require caramel colouring or artificial flavouring?).
9) Seventh Generation Wipes I use these wipes which I like because they're natural and soft. And we use these diapers, which are unscented, hypoallergenic and work quite well.
10) Tommee Tippee Bottles Theo gets a bottle every day or so, he took to these without batting an eye. We haven't needed to bottle feed but it's been nice since Andrew can feed him in the morning before heading to work or in the evening while I'm making dinner.
Favourite Resources
Books
1) Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman. Andrew and I read this book together when we first found out I was expecting; it helped prompt a lot of conversations about how we wanted to parent and was much more enjoyable to read through aloud than a normal parenting book since it's also a sort of memoir.
2) Parenting Without Borders by Christine Gross-Loh. Another really great parenting book, I really enjoyed the way the author offered multi-cultural perspective to parenting, looking at the history that has led to differing parenting philosophies around the world.
3) The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp. We have been fortunate that Theo is a very even tempered baby, but I attribute that in part to reading this book ahead of time. I've heard quite a few different child development experts talk about the "fourth trimester" concept in relation to interacting and caring for a newborn and I think that Dr Karp does an excellent job of laying it out and offering advice, especially for parents who have a more sensitive baby.
4) Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth. I haven't read this book in entirety yet, only up through the section on babies newborn to four months, but I have really appreciated the information. Understanding sleep in babies and how to encourage healthy sleep habits was really important to me going in and this book helped me to have clear expectations during the early months.
Websites
1) BabyGearLab.com I used this website exhaustively when researching for my baby registry, they do detailed comparative reviews of popular products which I found extremely helpful. I've recommended this website to quite a few people already.
2) ScienceOfMom.com My sister-in-law shared this website with me and I found it incredibly interesting and helpful. There has been a trend in parenting in the past for recommendations to be given without offering the science behind them, which makes it hard to make an informed decision and can often result in not really knowing what is important and what is preference. Science of Mom looks at and explains the research behind a lot of those questions but also offers the perspective of a parent who knows and understands that babies don't always go along with what might be scientifically optimal. She also dispels the misinformation distributed about "studies" that have gotten sensationalize and misinterpreted by media. If you're a research nerd like me you'll find this very helpful.
3) Baby Sleep Science Another website from my sister-in-la with an excellent resource blog.
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