Meredith is nearly 3 months old now (wow!) and has pretty much left the newborn stage in favor of babyhood. There are a lot of things I didn't know I needed before she came around, but now I wouldn't parent a newborn or small baby without.
1. The SwaddleMe Blanket: The nurses in the hospital (or wherever you give birth) are blanket-swaddling pros. They somehow manage to pin down a wriggly newborn and wrap 'em up so tight, the kid stops fussing and falls right to sleep. Plus, they can't startle themselves awake as easily. I never quite got the hang of this at home; I can blanket-swaddle, but Mer, Queen of the Wigglers, always got out of it within 10 seconds. The SwaddleMe uses velcro, and once you get the process down (check out YouTube videos for help), it's awesome. Babies look like the world's cutest burritos, and they have a way harder time getting out of 'em. After the first few weeks, we started just swaddling her at night and during her big afternoon nap, to signal that this is sleepytime. Buy multiples. Trust me. We've recently upgraded her to the larger size, too, that's how much we love these blankies.
2. The BabyConnect App: I had originally planned to fork over ~$20 for an ItzBeen Baby Care Timer, but this FREE app does the same thing for iPhones, iPads, or Android phones, plus gives you the option to add categories like solid food, medicine, sleep, etc. It makes it so much easier for me to just glance and see how long it's been since she was fed, had a diaper change, or has had a poopy diaper. I usually just use the bottle and diaper categories, and add on the medicine icon when she's sick or on antibiotics. You can also download the data as a spreadsheet. Yep. A poo spreadsheet. Will the wonders of the 21st century never cease?
3. A Boppy Pillow: You end up feeding your child all over the house: In bed. On the couch. On the floor. In a rocking chair. At the dining table. This supports the baby at the right angle for bottle or breast feeding, and provides a comfy cushion for them to lie on. Later, you can also use it for tummy time or to help them sit upright.
4. A Pacifier Attacher: Many babies have issues keeping pacifiers in their mouths, and this little clip-strap-thingy prevents pacis from falling to the floor fifty billion times a day, thus preventing you from having to wash & disinfect the paci fifty billion times a day. I'm not about to tell you which pacifier you HAVE to use (we use NUK since they seem to stay in her mouth better), since all babies are different, but this strap works with pretty much every brand. I throw it in the washer once a week then let it air dry.
5. Puppy Training Pads: Hear me out, this is weird, I know. But our childbirth instructor told us to keep some of these on hand for after birth - they're pretty much the same thing as Chux Pads, but way cheaper. We buy the cheapest, biggest package we can find at PetSmart or Target, then cut them all in half and lay them lengthwise on the changing table pad. That way, we don't have to wash the changing pad cover constantly - baby peed or pooped on the puppy training pad? Throw it away, it cost you almost nothing! I also stick a few in the diaper bag for particularly messy dirty diapers when we're out and about, to protect the portable changing pad that came with our diaper.
6. The Fisher-Price My Little SnugaBunny Cradle and Swing: Expensive, yes, but this is a miracle swing. You can change the swing direction from side-to-side to front-to-back, there's a little birdie mobile and mirror you can set spinning, there are sound effects and music with adjustable volume, five different swing speeds, and an AC adapter so it plugs in and you're not spending $$$$$$ on D batteries. It's also got removable extra cushions to keep smaller babies properly positioned.
7. Kiddopotamus Cradler Adjustable Head Support: Meredith's PT recommended these instead of the newborn head supports that came standard with her car seat. It's adjustable and she looks like Princess Leia with them on, plus it keeps her head in a safe, secure, ergonomically correct position.
8. The Sleep Sheep: The 'Ocean Waves' sound setting puts Mer right to sleep. I use it at naptime and bedtime. My only gripe? It only has one time length, about 20 minutes. After that, it automatically shuts off. I wish there was the option to extend the time to 40 or 60 minutes. I found ours for $5 at a used baby store. Score!
9. Pandora Internet Radio: Babies like music. Pandora is free, and they have iPhone and Android apps for your phone, too. Mer loves the Lullaby Station during naptime or when she's having a freak-out moment, and I often play the classical station during the day to have background noise and, duh, make her smarter.
