I decided that this post would be about the "must-haves" that I would highly recommend to other new or expecting mommies! Had it not been for my mommy friends, I would have never known all the stuff to register for. I hope some of you will find this list helpful.
1. Nap Nanny - now I know this item has recently been recalled but we have thoroughly loved ours & I don't know what we would have done without it. Hatcher has been napping/sleeping in his since he came home from the hospital. We're going to start weening him out of it at night though in preparation for moving him to his crib next week. It's great for babies who either don't like to lay flat or have acid reflux issues. Hatch didn't love laying flat to begin with so the Nap Nanny was very helpful & he spits up a lot so having him sleep elevated gives this mommy peace of mind!
2. Wubba Nub Pacifiers - I had no idea what these were until I was reading a celebrity baby blog on People.com. The mom swore by them so I looked them up & found a kid's shop in Macon that sold them. It's basically a First Years Soothie pacie (similar to the ones in the hospital) connected to a little stuffed animal. They're great because they weigh the pacie down a little so they aren't constantly falling out of the baby's mouth. Hatcher has three of them & loves them. He even holds onto them now! He has the puppy, the monkey (thanks Hunter & Haley Davis) & the giraffe (thanks Mom)! They cost $14.95 & are 100% worth every dime.
3. Swaddle Me Blankets - Now I didn't start using these until Hatch was 4 weeks old because when I first tried it with him I thought he hated it. Later, I realized part of the reason he was waking up all the time was because his little arms & hands were startling him causing him not to get a restful sleep. So enter the Swaddle Me blankets & we started sleeping 4-6 hour stretches & now we're up to 7-9 hour stretches. These come in small-med & med-large sizes & can be bought just about anywhere. I've even seen them at TJ Maxx. I do however recommend washing these in cold water & on a very low heat or even air drying because they do tend to shrink.
4. Aden & Anais Muslin Blankets - One word for these blankets...AMAZING!! They feel so good & are light weight & airy. I have about 10 of them & use them daily. They're great for swaddling as the baby gets bigger, as a breast feeding cover and even for just simply keeping the baby cozy! We just starting using these this week for nap time as a swaddle blanket & Hatch really seems to like them.
5. White Noise - A must have for sleeping babies! Hatcher has the Sleep Sheep which I've pictured below. Now, I love this cute sheep but it is set on a timer for 25 minutes or 45 minutes & I like white noise through the night. It really helps Hatcher sleep better. He likes the sound of rushing water. I use the sleep sheep but I also downloaded a white noise app on my iPhone that I use too. It will play all night & has lots of different sound options to choose from. I also took a recommendation from a friend & use a box fan in his room during nap time to block out daily noise like Dooley barking or the doorbell ringing!
6. Cool Mist Humidifier - My doctor recommended this at Hatch's 2 month check-up because he was congested. Johny & I both have allergy issues so Hatch could certainly have them too. So we bought a Crane humidifier at Babies R Us & it does seem to help Hatch breath better during the night & provides some additional white noise as well. I love the Crane ones because they come in all different animal shapes & are just too cute! :)
7. Mama Roo - Now this is a newbie for us! A friend is letting me borrow hers because her baby has grown out of it & Hatcher isn't a huge fan of his swing which limits our options of places for him to lay while he's awake & having play time. This contraption is FABULOUS!! It's almost $300 but worth every single penny. I will likely buy one before we have our next little one! It's shaped like an egg & sits on a moving base. It has 5 different motions like kangaroo, car ride & tree swing. It also plays different types of music/sounds. Hatch loves it!!
8. Gripe Water & Gas Relief Drops - These have been a life saver for us. Hatcher had colic for about 4 weeks & without these two items I'm not sure what we would have done. Up until about 3 weeks ago, he was getting gas drops before every feeding. Now he only gets them if we notice he seems gassy or is fussy after a feeding. The gripe water is all natural & is a combination of ginger & fennel. You can mix it in with a bottle or give it to the baby straight from the syringe which is what we do because Hatch doesn't mind the flavor & takes medicine well. If your baby has hiccups, give him a little squirt of Gripe Water & poof they're gone!! I'm not someone who likes to take medicine often & certainly am careful what I give to my sweet boy so having something that's all natural is wonderful!
Well, these are just some of my faves that I wanted to share! It's time to do some laundry & house cleaning while HT naps!! A mommy's work is never done...
