First, I would say that the most invaluable thing when it comes to babies and children is the advice of experienced moms. I have a wonderful mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, and sisters-in-law who have been my "go-to" people for each and every question I have. They have never let me down and I would advise anyone to find an experienced Momma to guide them through this journey!
The one and only product that I absolutely cannot live without is Aquaphor! It is a bootie saver - keeps those sweet booties healthy and free from rash. I use it on my girls constantly! I have tubes in the nursery, the diaper bags, the overnight bags, and at grandparents' houses!
I've glanced at some posts from the list and a theme I've seen is that no one uses all those receiving blankets that are too cute. Well.... I used them with the tiny newborns but then there wasn't much to do with them... until my girls started playing with baby dolls. A whole new use for those little blankets arose! We wrap the baby dolls up and put them to sleep with their blankets. So my little opinion is to save those blankets if you have girls because they become great baby doll accessories! As do the preemie diapers that you have left over :)
Aveeno baby wash and lotions. I love the smell of Johnson's pink baby lotion but the Aveeno is incredibly gentle and makes baby skin so soft. My girls both were irritated by the pink lotion and wash but Aveeno cleared it up almost immediately.
And bags. I have a number of tote bags - all different sizes. I use them ALL THE TIME! Whether it is to pack some things separately for my girls for church nursery or to pack toys for car trips, they are always handy. I use bags to hold their clothes for overnight visits (we have suitcases for them for extended visits, but tote bags are perfect for a night at Nana's or Mimi's). I love bags and we definitely use them constantly.
A few other thoughts -
- Bumbo chair is great for a "traveling" high-chair.
- Baby swing is a must!
- You can never have too many burp cloths - they make great nose wipers once your babies grow a little and are always useful. Plus they fold up small enough to fit in a purse or whatever you take with you when you are on the go!
- Sturdy passy clip - a life saver in the car. The passy never gets lost and you can usually get it back in baby's mouth with little effort!
- Tide Free detergent or Cheer Free or any laundry detergent that is free of dyes and perfumes. It is considerably cheaper than "baby" detergents and I love using it on our clothes as well - it doesn't irritate skin or have a strong fragrance.
Ok so that isn't all "gear" but it is the baby stuff that I love and can't live without :) However, I've learned the hard way, that what works for one mom doesn't for another and what works for one baby doesn't for another. So there is a lot of trial and error - and I'm still learning things that work for us. But hopefully my list gives someone some thoughts because I've gotten some ideas from some of the posts I've read on this!
Hope you all have a great Friday and a great weekend!!!
3 comments:
Great advice!
Just read this....I am catching up on blogs! I use the receiving blankets (and good gravy did I get a ton...with both girls) for burp cloths. When you have spitters like me, you have to have something more than the 1000 burp cloths in the drawer! We use those too but my girls are/were fountains. I agree about Aquaphor. I use it on Lauren's chin from the drool and when she has the paci, it just makes her chin so irritated.
I am glad I stopped by to read your list. Good point about buying free and clear detergent that isn't specifically for babies. The baby one is ridiculously expensive for the same thing!
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