Here is my list:
Favorite baby products:
- "Substance" nipple cream - this stuff saved my life in the first couple of weeks. TMI warning - my nipples were cracked, bleeding and so painful and this stuff worked wonders. It is available without a prescription, it is all natural and doesn't need to be wiped off before your baby feeds. Best of all it can be used as a diaper rash cream (cloth diaper friendly) or on any other chapped/cracked skin. My son has a dry patch on his cheek and it has helped clear that up and I have also used it to treat dry skin on my hands. The fact that it has so many other uses is great because you most likely won't need nipple cream after the first two weeks and therefore, you will be stuck with a container of nipple cream that is 3/4 full. This nipple cream is lanolin-free and is a blend of calendula, marsh-mallow root, plantain and witch hazel leaf set in nourishing olive oil and grape seed oil. Below is a picture of what the container looks like and it can be purchased at Belly Laughs in the West end of Ottawa. By the way, if you are looking for a boutique that sells good quality, natural baby products and are very knowledgeable in regards to the products they sell, check out Belly Laughs. They were such a big help when I was shopping for my cloth diapers...
- medela swing breast pump - I know this might be a bit controversial with some breastfeeding mamas but honestly if it wasn't for supplementing with pumped breast milk the first couple of weeks, I may not still be breastfeeding. If you read any of my other posts you know that I had a hard time breastfeeding at first. My milk came in a few days late (day 6) and my son kept losing weight. I started pumping in between feedings and and supplementing with the pumped milk. I did this for the first 3 weeks and then gradually started pumping less because my milk supply went up and he gained enough weight. I want to start pumping more often again just so I can build up a storage supply in case I need to be away from Cooper for an extended period of time. I bought this pump right before he was born and I was really torn on what pump to buy.This model is a single electric pump. At first I was considering a double electric pump, but it was $400 or so. Then there were mothers who were against pumps all together. I ended up choosing the single electric pump because its price point was in the middle (around $225 and I had a coupon for 10% off) and I am glad I decided to get this model. It was used so much during the 1st 3 weeks and it was handy having it on hand during that stressful time. I definitely think I will continue to use it regularly in order to keep some milk stored for Mitch to feed him a few times per week if I am at the gym or we go out on a date night and get a babysitter. I find that this model has great suction and is pretty efficient in pumping. If you plan to pump exclusively or you are going back to work early, I would get a double electric pump but if you are planning to pump occasionally, then a single pump is fine.
- swaddle blankets - I am the type of person that hates buying extra gadgets or items that really only have one purpose especially if it can only be used for a limited amount of time. So when my friend showed me these swaddle blankets I totally thought that they were a waste of money. I just planned to swaddle my baby with a regular receiving blanket. However, since she was offering them to me for free, I decided to take them. I totally forgot about them by the time I was packing my hospital bag but then I was watching a YouTube video about what to pack for the hospital and it was suggested in that video. So I packed two. Even in the hospital, I was trying to swaddle my son with their receiving blankets but it wasn't really working so I gave the swaddle blankets a try. They were SO much easier to use. Given that I was recovering from a C-section and it was hard for me to stand, these made it so much easier to get him in a good, tight swaddle. I have no idea why I was being so stubborn about it. Unless you are great at swaddling, (and make sure you practice when you are exhausted at 3 am with a screaming baby) just suck it up and splurge on a couple of swaddle blankets. My son still uses them at 3 months and he sleeps so good when he is swaddled. He consistently slept for 5 hours or so at a couple weeks old and he was only breastfed so that is pretty good! Now he sleeps up to 7 hours at 12 weeks old!
- Bummis cloth pre-fold diapers/ Thirsties diaper covers - I love my pre-fold cloth diapers. When I was first considering using cloth diapers, I was definitely leaning towards the AIO type of cloth diaper, such as Applecheeks. I loved that the AIO was only one step and so similar to using a disposable diaper. It wasn't until I had my "Bringing Baby Home" prenatal class and I tried putting on a pre-fold diaper and I started to consider them. Pre-folds consist of a rectangular piece of cloth that is folded in 3, then folded around the baby, and then covered by a waterproof cover. Since you need two pieces of material and it is two steps to put on the diaper, many people think that it is too time consuming but after a couple of tries, it is really easy. The Bummis brand of cloth is made of organic cotton so it is non-irritating on your baby's skin and they are very absorbent. I only had a couple of leaks during the first day or so that I started using them and that was due to the cloth not being completely covered by the waterproof cover. Now I ensure that the cloth is completely covered and I haven't had a leak since. I have the "infant" size which is good for 7-20 lbs. We started using these cloth diapers when my son was 3 weeks old and I think this size will still fit for the next few months. Also, I find that the bummis pre-fold diapers are very economical. In terms of waterproof covers, I really like the "Thirsties" brand. The main feature I love about this brand is the double leg gussets. In my opinion, a double leg gusset is essential when considering cloth diaper covers. I also prefer velcro covers. I ended up buying a bunch of snap covers because I overheard someone recommend snaps to another customer, explaining that snaps are better because babies can't undue the snaps. However, I definitely think that velcro covers fit better and newborns can't undo the velcro anyway. Therefore, snaps may be preferred for older babies but I would say if your child is under the age of one, velcro is the way to go. I bought my cloth diapers at Belly Laughs in Ottawa and they were extremely helpful. I think they may even offer workshops so parents-to-be can learn about all the different types of cloth diapers.
- Swing - this might be another controversial item among crunchy moms but my son loves his swing. I do hold my son a lot and wear him in his baby carriers but there are still instances where you have to put your baby down and my son loves his swing. He doesn't usually fuss if I put him down to do a chore, go to the bathroom or even eat a meal. We have a Graco swing which is pretty light weight so it can easily be transferred to other rooms if needed. We were able to get his swing from a friend so we got a good deal on it and it is definitely an item I will keep for any additional children we might have in the future. A picture of a similar model to what we have is below. Ours is an animal print.
- jolly jumper nursing pillow - I rarely used a nursing pillow when nursing and when I did use a pillow, I preferred using a regular pillow. Now I use my nursing pillow for tummy time or propping him up on the couch while sitting but I definitely think that a nursing pillow is not needed at all. I found this model in particular to be uncomfortable. I would totally NOT recommend this product.
- applecheeks cloth diapers - Out of all my baby purchases I made, I was probably most excited about my applecheeks cloth diapers but I am really disappointed with them. I bought 4-5 size 1 diapers and they have leaked each time I have used them. I tried using them right away at 3 weeks when Cooper was still slightly less than 7 lbs. They leaked right away. I decided to wait until he was about 8 1/2 lbs and they leaked right away again. I haven't used them since but I might try one last time now that he is probably almost 12 lbs (guessing) and see if they work. These diapers are about $25 each so they are a lot more expensive than the prefold diapers which is why I was even more disappointed. At this point, I would definitely NOT recommend these diapers.
- ring sling - I bought a ring sling off a babywearing Facebook group after Cooper was born and I totally don't like it. I just don't find it comfortable and I intend to re-sell it. I know a lot of people that really like the ring sling so I think it is a personal preference but I definitely prefer a soft structured carrier.
- zip-up Pj's - I would stick to pyjamas that snap up and avoid zip-up pjs if you can. I prefer snaps because in most cases the snaps go down both legs where the zipper only goes down one leg so you have to bend your baby's leg a lot to fit him in his pjs. When your baby is first born and is tiny this might not be a problem but as they get bigger and start kicking a lot while you are doing diaper changes in the middle of the night, it might become more annoying. We have a lot of zipper pyjamas but I usually avoid putting my son in them because I find it so annoying. This is totally something that didn't even occur to me until after he was born so in the future I am going to make an effort to only buy snap pyjamas.
- bouncy chair - my son never really liked his bouncy chair. We got our bouncy chair off the same person as our swing. So again, we got a good deal on it but I intend to sell it because it never really gets used. I would suggest to pick either a swing or a bouncy chair cause I don't think both of them are needed. We got a bassinet, swing, crib, bouncy chair, bumbo, and an exersaucer. We got them off of friends and got good deals but I don't think a family needs all of these things so I would pick one or two that you will use most since most babies like being held anyway. My son is too small for his bumbo and exersaucer so he hasn't tried those yet but out of these items, he definitely prefers his swing and bassinet which we have beside his bed. However, he is almost outgrown his bassinet so if you intend to co-sleep past 3 months or so, I would buy something bigger than a bassinet so it lasts longer. I think I will buy a Pack N' Play to use beside our bed because it can also be used when we travel.
Again, this is just my opinion but I hope this list helps any mamas-to-be with their registries and thanks for reading!
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