What I Did and Didn't Need - The List

A lot of blogs I have read list out their top baby items.  Why not jump on the band wagon?  My list might be kind of long because J is now seven months old so things that may not have been necessary in the first few months certainly are now.  And I am fully aware that these are the things that worked or didn't work for him.  Any and every other baby and family will have a different list.

Top List of Our Baby Must-Haves:

Swaddle Sacks

These. Are. Magic.  For the first four months of his life, J was wrapped as tight as can be in one of these swaddle velcro sacks.  And did he sleep.  I would wrap him up and he would be out cold almost immediately.  Best thing we had.

Crib

J has been in his every single night since we brought him home. I refused to crib train him later.

Glider

I sat in this glider at every middle of the night feeding and still use it during J's bedtime routine.  We sit and rock and J has his bedtime bottle - every single night.

Car Seat/Stroller Frame

If I had to take J out of a car seat every single time we went out or on a walk, I would have thrown a nutty in some parking lot somewhere.  But I could just take his whole car seat out, snap it in the stroller frame, and off we went.  We walked twice a day, every day during my maternity leave.  I don't know what I would have done if he was a winter baby.  These walks were my salvation.

Boppy

These are great for feedings, propping baby up to sit, and photo shoots.  I used it at every feeding until he got too big to fit in it.

Top Things I Didn't Need

Pacifiers

Such a victory here!  I wrote once before that I abhor pacificers and never wanted him to use one.  Well haha folks who told me good luck with that one.  He doesn't use one - ever!  Nor does he suck his fingers.

Swing

I realize this might sound crazy.  But J didn't care for the swing.  He didn't dislike it.  But it wasn't the baby sleep crack that it is with most babies.  Yeah, sometimes he fell asleep in it, but if he was fussy, the swing didn't help.

Bottle Warmer

I was told I would absolutely need this.  That baby would only take a warm bottle.  Untrue.  J will take a bottle straight out of the fridge.  Plus the bottles we have have a thick bottom and did not warm in the warmer so the few times I used it, I had to warm in different bottles and transfer to the ones he actually drank out of.  Not happening so much at 2am.  I tried a cold bottle one day, he took it just fine and that was the end of the bottle warmer.

Snuzzler Head and Body Support Insert for the car seat. 

I suppose we probably should have used this but it was the dead of summer when he was born and this insert was fuzzy as all get out.  He would have melted.

Breast Pump

As previously written, not needed in my house.

Sling or Baby Carrier

These were just not my thing.  I used the Ergo I bought maybe twice.  Once in the grocery store and once at the farm stand.  He slept once, the other time he screamed.  Maybe now that he's older, we'll try it again but it has pretty much sat in a closet.

Things I had NO IDEA about and wish I had much sooner

Crib sheet saver

After many a day of changing a crib sheet because of spit up, my friend said "You don't have a crib sheet saver?"  I was like "What is that?"  The dear she is she went out and bought me one.  I now have two.

Noggin Nest

I had always been concerned about J getting a flat head and to my chagrin, he had quite the flat spot.  At his 2 month check up, I mentioned it to the doctor and she said get him a Noggin Nest.  Again, I was like what is that?  One of the things I wish I had known about at the VERY BEGINNING.  I would have used it when he was in the swing or the bouncy seat or car seat when we went on two walks EVERY DAY!  It would probably have lessened the flat spot.

Aquaphor

I had used this on my skin before.  J had broken out in horrible acne around week two.  It was terrible.  All over his face and eye lids which freaked me out.  In my awesome new mother panic, I called the doctor and she said yeah, that's normal.  Put Aquaphor on it.  My baby's beautiful alabaster skin was back in a couple days.  I use it regularly on his skin just to keep it soft and kissable.

Randoms:

The Panic-Free Pregnancy Book

My doctor specifically told me NOT to read What to Expect When You Are Expecting because it could be alarming.  She recommended this book.  It is excellent and answers so many questions.

Exer-Saucer

Baby entertainment.  Mommy break.  Dinner made.  Bathroom break.  Blog writing.  A mother's best friend.

Lambie Lovie

J loves this.  He snuggles it, holds it, and pretty much mouth rapes it every day.


So, that is my list.  I know everyone's is different which makes it so awesome.  A baby's personality is amazing and makes each one unique.  That's the best part of it all.