Newborn Necessities

My cousin is due with her first baby in June, so I’ve been promising to write a post about all the newborn items that have been useful. So…here we go! Most of the items are linked to Amazon, but you can buy them just about anywhere.

Swaddle Me

Caleb HATES being swaddled. Not your run-of-the-mill annoyed with swaddling, but blood curdling screams which leads to him wiggling his way right out of the swaddle. We tried the “impossible to escape” swaddle technique” and he couldn’t quite get his arms free, but totally got the rest of his body out. The Swaddle Me-s totally saved us. He is annoyed with them, but cannot escape and, therefore, sleeps soundly through the night. We are working on weaning him, but are stuck at the one arm out stage.

Rock and Play

This is seriously a life saver. Caleb feels like he’s snuggling, but I don’t actually have to hold him. He slept in it for the first few weeks because his crib was too big and it helped keep things moving (if you know what I mean!!). Now we use it for play time; I’ll put him in it with a favorite toy and he’s happy for awhile! We have a tan one (there are at least a dozen different colors), so future McBabies can enjoy it without being self-conscious.

Moby Wrap

Another life saver! Caleb loves snuggling, so when he’s in a super grumpy mood or when we are going through the airport, he’ll settle down in this. I haven’t even tried any other slings or carriers because I love it so much. And it’s so versatile because you can use it with toddlers as well and face in, out or on the hip. A friend of mine added a pocket to hers; I think that’s my next project!

Soothie Binkies

Caleb’s favorite. I had one of each kind ready for when we got home, but he used one of these in the hospital and refuses any binkie with a curved nipple. I know other kids who are exactly the opposite. You never know.

Receiving Blankets a.k.a. Burp Cloths

At first, when we received a bunch of those small receiving blankets, I figured we would never use them since they are too small for swaddling and too big for anything else. Negatory. We use them every day for burp clothes. You can never have enough burp cloths. And Caleb isn’t even a “spitter-upper”.

Fleecey Sleep and Plays

Since we spent just about 2 of Caleb’s first 3 months in New England, fleece pj’s were a must. It kept him cozy, especially at night, and I never had to worry about him being warm enough. There are also more substantial ones that work well as something to travel in.

Cloth v. Disposable Diapers

While we are mostly cloth diapering (will write an entirely different post on this later), when we travel, spend a day out, or are somewhere without a top-loading washing machine, we use disposables. I seem to be doing laundry all the time anyways, so washing cloth diapers isn’t really an imposition. We’ve been using Pampers because that’s what we used in the hospital and that’s what people gave us as gifts. We didn’t even dare start cloth until his poop transitioned and only recently started using flannel wipes instead of disposables. We use bummis prefold diapers and Thirsties diaper covers but will be switching to the diaper covers from Assunta Store.

Pump and Bottles

I knew I wanted to use the Playtex Drop In bottles since they are so easy to clean and there was no way I was risking nasty milk smell. Caleb doesn’t have any gas issues with them and doesn’t mind them one bit. I got a Medela hand pump, which is really easy to use. Around 2 weeks old, Caleb started biting, so around 4 weeks I got the Playtex pump. I’m planning on upgrading to the Medela electric pump since I use it every day. The Playtex pump would be great for occasional use (or mastitis), but it isn’t strong enough for daily use.

Binkie Straps

a.k.a. lifesavers. We have three, but I’m thinking of getting a few extra. They’re that wonderful. I got them for about $5 at Babies R Us. (DISCLAIMER: I do not like Babies R Us. They are overpriced and Target price matches with them now, so unless it’s something that’s not stocked anywhere else, I don’t step foot in that store. I’ve never had a good customer service experience and none of my friends have either).

Fleece for Diapers

This one is like it sounds: I went to the fabric store remnant section and got some fleece, cut it into rectangles, and use it in his diaper to wick away moisture because he’s such a heavy wetter. I’ll go into more detail in a cloth diapering post.

Teething Stuff

Since the poor boy is really young for teething, he doesn’t understand the concept of chewing on toys. I tried frozen washcloths, but he got mad that it wasn’t food. Then we tried Clove Oil, but he screamed louder from the taste of that then the pain (I don’t blame him, it tastes awful). He really likes the baby Orajel (it’s flavored like cherry), but I don’t want to give him too much since he’s so little. So we’ve compromised with the Hyland’s Teething Tablets; they don’t work every time, but they seem to help.

Swing

We did not get a swing originally because we figured it would take up too much space. However, in Connecticut we borrowed someone’s “monkey swing” and Caleb loved it. I underestimated how much sanity a swing can save a mom, so after a few days of one very cranky boy in Las Vegas, we ordered our own. Thank you Amazon and 2 day shipping!

Soft Blanket

Caleb is extremely tactile. The only guaranteed way to get him to relax is to snuggle him up in a super soft blanket. We discovered this at my mom’s house, so the first thing I did when we got home was to go soft blanket shopping :)

WashPod

I’ve posted about this a few times before. We absolutely love it! It’s good for up to 6 months when they can sit in the big tub on their own. Caleb LOVES bath time. He enjoys being able to sit on his own. Mr. Tactile’s favorite bath toy is the wash cloth and he splashes and smiles at all the bubbles.

The BOB

We splurged on this one and it was so worth it. This thing pushes like a dream. I even take him out on a walk or run EVERY DAY(!!) and he loves it. It has made exercising (almost) fun and Caleb likes having a chance to see other people and explore new places.

Slippers

The little Monkey has such skinny legs and ankles that slippers are the only thing that stay on! I found these on Amazon and they are perfect!

…

Here’s a list of things that I’m glad we didn’t end up getting:

• Glider – we have an old armchair that rocks and we got a rocking ottoman, so we are much more comfortable than any glider or rocking chair!
• Changing Table – We saved a lot of space by putting a changing pad on Caleb’s dresser. One of the best choices we made!
• Mobile – I’ve never really seen a mobile I’ve liked and I feel like they’re useless after a few months, so we let Caleb be entertained by his activity mat and other things around the apartment. Plus, he can get overstimulated since he loves to look around.
• Stroller System – In addition to the BOB, we got a Baby Trend Snap-n-Go. It’s perfect for errand running since it is so compact and works well in narrow spaces (it also has a lot of storage space). We have the car seat converter for the BOB, but haven’t used it yet since he’s sturdy enough to just sit in it regularly.
• Fancy Monitor – I decided early on that I didn’t want to be preoccupied or obsessed with what Caleb was doing during nap time and the best way for me to learn to do that was to learn his sounds. Using only a basic monitor has helped me distinguish between his normal sleeping sounds and his awake sounds. The one we have actually shows the decibels of sound in lights so we don’t have to even have the sound on!
• Bassinet – Another space saver. For the first couple weeks, we used the Rock & Play and that was just fine. He very quickly graduated to the crib, so there was no need for anything else.

There are other things that should be on each list, but I’m brain dead. Leave comments and I’ll edit the list as I think of things. Also, I’ll write an updated version once we enter the solid food stage!