7/3/12

Calling All Moms!

I have been working on some wishlists and registry items for Baby Bass (because, let's face it, I've got some time on my hands these days) and I need your help.  I am overwhelmed by all the baby stuff.

Please tell me:
- What are your three favorite products for baby? Maybe it's some cool gear, the perfect blankie, or a really special toy.
- What are your three favorite products for new moms? Maybe it's your favorite lip gloss, a tote bag with the storage capacity of Mary Poppins' carpet bag,  or the world's greatest crockpot recipe.  Whatever it is, please tell me!

Nooooowwwww, GO!

14 comments:

Dana said...

For baby:
swaddlers
baby einstein videos
pampers swaddlers diapers

For mom:
1. L'oved baby nursing shawl, it covers the front and the back so I was confortable nursing when I was out and it doubles as a blanket too. (you can order it online)
2. Lanoish nipple ointment (Kyle won't understand...just trust me on this one. You don't want to send him to Target to get this a few days after nursing.)
3. chocolate

sarah said...

for baby:
1. dr. brown's bottles. if baby has issues with gas or reflux, these are life savers.
2. gas relief drops (mylicon). there were nights when these were the reason we got to sleep.
3. a compact swing. we don't have a ton of room for a full size swing, but sometimes this was the only place sam would nap.

for mom:
1. lanolin. helps with tenderness from breastfeeding.
2. nursing pads. no leaks on your clothes.
3. nursing bras. convenient for nursing and they kind of...change size...with you, to a point, which you will need.

Dana said...

Yes, I couldn't think of the name of the ointment...it's lanolin...Lanonish is the brand name.

sarah said...

oh...for mom, some more that i just thought of!
giant pads. gross, i know, but so very helpful. (i recommend always infinity because they are super absorbent but not super thick.)
comfy underwear that is cheap...ahem...for the same reason as the giant pads.

Phyllis said...

3 favorite baby products (if I have to pick just three):

1. Ergo Carrier
2. Aden & Anais swaddling blankets
3. Activity Gym for the floor

And a few others:

Boppy pillow
Chicco infant seat
My First Year calendar (I have found that I can't keep up well with baby books, but I can do this)
Cloth diapers for burp/puke rags

3 Favorite New Mom Products (that some moms may not know/think about):

1. Baby Bargains book (helps you choose wisely when you're picking baby/mom products.
2. Traditional Medicinals Mother's Milk Tea (helps you keep a healthy supply or get it back if it dwindles)
3. Norah Jones music... it calms most people in our house. :)

~lady j said...

I did this too-- EXCELLENT idea. :)

In my very limited experience, I would say that so far
1) Aden & Anais swaddle blankets. I know you'll have a winter baby, but these big, light muslin wraps are amazing. Violet loves them and I do too.

2) Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles. They just make sense to me. :) And they warm nicely in the baby chef bottle warmer/food blender

3) Plain ol Gerber Birdseye burp cloths. They come like 10 in a package for $15 and you can use them for EVERYTHING. I love them.

And I won't tell you all of my mommy stuff because I'm already planning to get you some of it. :) But I will tell you that:

1. I really like my Skip Hop diaper bag. Functional and fashionable. :)

2. I really like our Britax travel system, but the carseat isn't much fun to carry. Todd says he wishes we had one with a handle that runs parallel to the carseat. Keep that in mind when you pick one out.

3. Sign up for Lucie's List. (www.lucieslist.com) It's funny and informative on many subjects-- but don't let the weeks where she talks about preterm labor and preeclampsia and other scary things freak you out. You will be fine. :)

4. Can I have four? I just thought of this one. :) If you have a good blender or food processor or magic bullet, start collecting healthy smoothie recipes. When you need a quick pick-me-up, there's nothing like a yummy healthy snack you can throw together in a couple minutes. It feels almost indulgent. :) I've got a few recipes I can send you that have become favorites of mine in the last few weeks!

love you girl. :)

Stephanie Caldwell said...

The things I would say were used the most with Isaiah were:
- Those mirrors for the car that allow you to see baby while rear facing.
- Ring sling carrier/maya wrap
- swaddlers (I preferred the light cotton ones to the fleece)

As for me:
- Nursing tank tops
- The Vaccine book by Dr Sears. I think all parents should be informed about what the vaccines are for, when they are given, the ingredients etc. This book is non-biased and incredibly informative.

Kristin said...

For Baby:

1. I am also a believer in the Dr. Brown's bottles. Ryder had reflux issues and I can't imagine how it would have been without these.

2. A bouncer seat. I was recommended to buy a cheapy, because by the time they are able to reach the cool dangly toys, they are too big to sit in it. Seemed to be true. Ours came from Target, and did vibrate, which I would highly recommend.

3. Rockabye Lulaby cd's. Google them. Ryder still goes to bed listening to the Bob Marley one, which is our favorite, but they make Eagles, Aerosmith, U2, and many many more!

For Mommy:

1. Baby 411. I believe these are written by the same author as the "What to Expect" books, but this one reads as a reference. It sure came in handy for us!

2. If you haven't already, sign up at Babycenter.com. This will provide you weekly updates during pregnancy and after baby is born as well. I still get the updates, and they are so on target every week. I really enjoy them!

Ashley Taylor said...

With so many friends having babies, I've been thinking about this exact thing lately.

1) Rock-n-play sleeper. Caroline slept in it for the first 6 weeks. It gently swaddles the baby and is very light to carry around the house or to grandma's.

2) Aden + Anais swaddle blankets! I've heard Target doesn't have them anymore. They're in high demand, though, so you might start looking on eBay.

3) A few different kinds of bottles and pacifiers. We started with Tommee Tippee but had to switch to Dr. Brown's, and we like "soothie" pacifiers (Google Wubbanub - we love it). It's nice to not have to make an emergency trip to the store for these things.

A few other things to keep around: gas drops (we like walgreens brand), Karo syrup, a boppy, and sage tea (incase, like me, breastfeeding doesn't work out - it slows your milk production).

I'm still learning. Hope this helps!

Kristin said...

I'd like to add to my recommendations for mommy. Several pair of "hospital and first weeks underwear". I preferrend close fitting, cotton, cheapies that I threw away. Without going into a lot of detail, trust me on this one ;-)

amanda weber said...

for baby:
aden & anais swaddle blankets
maya wrap or ring sling or ergo carrier. my carrier was and still is my #1 essential.

for mom:
chocolate
nursing camis
lanolin (they gave me some at the hospital)

I don't think you need that much stuff, really. Much of what we got we didn't really use. But then, we're minimalists.

Keli B. said...

for the babe:
1. most definitely aden + anias swaddlers. the. absolute. best.
2. boppy pillow. useful for so many things.
3. newborn gowns. waaaaay better for middle of the night diaper changes. all those snaps on regular sleepers + exhaustion = frustrated fits of tears. also, they're so cute and they fit for the first several months.

for the mama:
1. lily padz nursing pads and lily wash.
2. if you plan on breastfeed and going back to work, a good quality breast pump. don't skimp here. i used the medela swing pump and loved it.
3. KIND bars. i like all the flavors and i ate them like they were going out of style. breastfeeding all day and night makes you ravenous. it's handy to have a nutritious snack ready that you can eat with one hand.

for the dad:
1. manly-lookin' baby carrier. basically a baby bjorn or ergo style instead of a wrap or sling. that way he can look & feel masculine while he walks that baby to sleep!
2. frozen pizzas. because he may have to fend for himself quite a bit the first few months.
3. "The Church History ABCs: Augustine and 25 Other Heroes of the Faith" book. he will be father of the year by teaching both the alphabet and church history!

Alisha said...

For Baby:
1. Big ol' flannel-type blankets Ellen Peradotto's mom & grandma made for Charlotte because they're bigger than receiving blankets giving you a better swaddle and you can swaddle longer (Charlotte got swaddled til 9 months in those and still sleeps with them!) They're just a big piece of soft fabric with crocheted edging.
2. Floor swing because it takes up less space, is cheaper and you can take with if you travel.
3. I'm with Keli on the gowns.

For Mama:
1. A couple good nursing bras (read comfy and give support) but beware of underwire because of mastitis! I went thru mastitis once with Jonas & twice with Charlotte and would not wish it upon anyone! If you use a nursing bra with underwire, do so sparingly!
2. Some fun magazines, books or apps you can do one-handed while nursing. Yeah, it's nice and sweet to watch Baby nurse at first, but if you have a 45 min/session nurser, you'll get bored.
3. Dry shampoo. You might not get to shower as often as you'd like if Baby is a light sleeper or catnapper and Kyle has to go to work...

amy said...

For bebe:
1. Swaddle blankets
2. Exercise ball to bounce them on
3. Anything Baby Einstein. Seriously, those people are geniuses.
4. Portable DVD player for the car, when baby is older.

For you:
1. If you're nursing, lanolin, lanolin and more lanolin
2. Yoga pants x50
3. Seasons on Friends so you can watch an episode during a 2 a.m. feeding
4. This blog so you can vent :)