25 Gotta-Haves

I have several friends and acquaintances with whom I have recently discussed pregnancy and baby issues. Having these conversations has made me realize that I never wrote a post that I kept thinking I wanted to be sure to write. It's been on my mind for several months.

I've wanted to write a post on the topic of things related to pregnancy and new-motherhood that were lifesavers to me. I want to write this so that I remember those particularly essential items, and so that those who are now in those life stages will have me recommendations, whether or not they should choose to heed them.

Here they are. Some of them, at least. I'm sure I'll forget some, as some of them go back about a year. (Wow. Time flies.)

1. Anti-nausea wristbands. I had some fairly considerable nausea during my first trimester, and these bracelets were a lifesaver for me. Granted, I now know that my nausea was NOTHING compared to what some women endure, but for what I did have, the bracelets were wonderful. They are placed on pressure points on your wrists, and thereby alleviate nausea sans drugs or chemicals that could be dangerous for the little one.

2. Bella Bands. If you're not familiar with these, they're basically cummerbunds for pregnant ladies. They are elasticky bands that you can wear around pants that have become too small for a newly prego belly, or for maternity pants that are still too big. Later on, after the birth, they're also great for that strange adjustment period before you can fit into any normal clothes but when your maternity wardrobe is suddenly massive. They're cute, too, so they are a tasteful way to span the gap (ha) between the rubber band on your buttons and the pants that are actually made for this beautiful time.

3. Mylicon (or the WalMart variety). Gas drops are a MUST. When baby wakes up screaming for no apparent reason, gas drops. When baby suddenly seems to have forgotten how to use a bottle, gas drops. When baby is a virtual spit up fountain, gas drops. When all else fails, gas drops.

4. Lansinoh lanolin ointment. I never, ever would have made it three DAYS, much less three months, breastfeeding if it weren't for nipple ointment. It makes the owey less owey.

5. Bumbo seat. I'm jumping around a bit here, but this is the newest item on the "how'd we live without this?!" list. I had never seen or heard of these things, but little did I know......I needed one. It's hard to continually find places to prop Leah since she's awake more and more, wanting to be involved in everything, but still can't sit up on her own. This problem is compounded by our slippery leather couches which cause her to slide as soon as I take my hands off of her. The Bumbo seat, though, has fixed all of that. She has her own little chair and can sit as long as we let her, perfectly content to play and look around.

6. Lap pads. When my sister-in-law gave us some of these at my shower, I nodded and grinned and was thrilled.......but honestly, I had no idea what they were or what they were for until she explained it to me. They're washable WATERPROOF pads to put under baby's bottom for changing, and I've recently discovered they're great for letting her have some bare bottom time to relieve diaper rash without having to worry about, um, the consequences of having a diaperless baby.

7. A variety of shapes and sizes and materials of pacifiers. I wasn't aware of this, but not all pacifiers are the same. There are all different kinds, and each baby has a different preference. When Leah was first born we had a whole assortment on hand, and it was a good thing we did. It took some trial and error to find one she liked and could keep in her tiny little mouth, so we were grateful we got lots of different choices as gifts. And here's another piece of advice: the ones you think are cutest are NOT the ones your baby will like. Pick the weirdest and/or most obscure one you can find and that's the one your baby will crave.

8. Infant swing. This goes along with the comments on the Bumbo seat, but it also has the added benefit of allowing baby to sleep, and sleep SOUNDLY. This is good. Also, this is somewhere you can feel safe laying your tiny newborn without worrying if it's a safe place to leave her while you run to the bathroom.

9. Womb sounds bear. Mom gave me this and I am so glad she did. It's a teddy bear that imitates the sounds a baby grows accustomed to hearing in utero. (Presumably not all of them...) It's great for nighttime in those early weeks. Leah wouldn't sleep if it was too quiet, so this was a good solution that we could live with (and sleep through) while she slept in our room.

10. Crib aquarium. Same concept as the above, but for slightly older babies who are actually alert and looking around and aware of their surroundings. With this, I can lay Leah in her bed awake and she can lull herself to sleep with the music and lights and bubbles. I don't know what we'd use for this purpose if it weren't for this handy dandy thing. Also, this and the bear are good for white noise to drown out thigns that might otherwise disturb a sleeping baby.

11. SwaddleMe blanket. We didn't use this when she was teeny tiny, because at that point she could stay swaddled in a normal blanket when she slept. Later, though, when she went through a random phase of wanting to be swaddled again but wouldn't stay still enough to stay wrapped, the velcro on these blankets was perfect.

12. Two car seat bases. Our car seat says it will work without a base, but obviously it's best with one. We have a base in my car and in Scott's car so either of us can pick her up from our parents' houses, for example, when they've watched her while I'm in Bible study and he's still at work.

13. Bottle and nipple drying rack. For awhile, we used our normal dishrack for this, and gracious. What a mess.

14. Bouncer seat. Again, it's a place to sit her.....but this one provides entertainment, where the swing provides a sleeping environment. Beware, though - if baby is spit-uppy and the gas drops haven't worked, this could be a dangerous place to put her too soon after eating. (If your baby has reflux, though, this could be a dangerous place to put her at ANY time. We struggle some with this.)

15. Cloth diapers. I am using some cloth diapers for the purpose for which they were intended, but the ones I refer to here are used as burp cloths. We have the gerber tri-fold cloth diapers stashed everywhere. You can never, ever have too many.

16. Baby sling. Not to be confused with the baby sWing, this is awesome for quick jaunts into the store for which it seems ridiculous to use either the stroller or the carseat/buggy combo. I use it for church, too, and stores with no room for pushing anything around (like consignment shops). Leah loves to be all up close and cozy with me.

17. Flanders diaper rash ointment. Smells kinda nice, is thick enough so it doesn't wipe right off as soon as you close the diaper, and comes in mondo sized tubes.

18. Insulated bottle cooler. This isn't as important for those mothers who exclusively breastfeed, but it's great if you pump and/or formula-feed. We have one we take everywhere, just because you never know how long you're really going to be gone or how many times the baby will actually want to eat in that time period.

19. Safety pins and clothes pins. Safety pins are great for pinning tiny little socks together in the laundry, and both are good for keeping parts of outfits together in the closet.

20. Boppy pillow. Great for nursing, of course, since that's what it was made for, but it's also great for propping up baby......yeah, you get the picture......propping is a big deal. It's great for reflux-y babies, too, so they don't lay flat and get spituppy.

21. Anything made by Little Noses, Little Tummies, Little Allergies, etc. Those people KNOW what they're doing. I especially love their bulb syringe with the clear tip, so I can see just what I've unearthed from her little nose. (It's a mommy thing.) Saline drops are essential, too, whether they're Little Noses or not.

22. Lavendar baby wash and lotion. I don't know if the smell helps with the whole nighttime routine, or if it's the routine itself, but I love this stuff. Plus, it smells pretty amazing.

23. Baby tub with sling. Slippery babies who don't sit up on their own are pretty tricky. The sling makes them less tricky.

24. Johnson's nursing pads. These are so soft, AND they don't crinkle when you move.

25. Moses basket. This is great early on, when baby is still teeny. I loved mine for nights when she was noisy and I brought her out to the family room to sleep. Comfy and safe for her, which makes mommy happy. She outgrew it pretty quickly, but now it's great for her toys!

I think that's all I have. They're in absolutely no particular order, and Scott and I both are out of ideas.....and it's time for supper, so I'm going to scoot.