I had NOOO idea just how many baby things there are out there to pick from! It is pretty overwhelming. And of course as a new mom I have no experience with any of these things. Luckily, I have had a lot of friends that already have babies telling me about all these "Baby Must Haves"...so I decided to compile a list of everything and do some research of my own. Being on bed rest has given me lots of time to do this! I thought I would blog about some of the decisions I have already made and then once baby girl gets here I will share our experience with them :)
ONE: Cloth Diapers
This is the first big decision Nathan and I made together (and yes...he has been just as involved in this decision as me). I know what you are thinking...because trust me everyone is already giving me their opinions about it. Don't get me wrong, I very much welcome the advice of others (after all that is how I compiled this list) however, my decision to cloth diaper does not affect anyone other than me and my family. Needless to say...I have already made up my mind about this and there is no going back :) A few of the positives about cloth diapering include:
1. HUGE savings! I have heard it is around $2,000 per child and because we plan on having several children this is definitely a plus!
2. Environmentally Friendly! I think this is self explanatory.
3. Helps Potty Train Quicker! Today's disposable diapers have become so absorbent so that the child does not have to feel "wet". However, when the child feels wet they don't like it. Cloth allows them to have a more "wet" feeling and in turn gets them on the potty quicker! :)
4. Less Diaper Rash!! Cloth diapered babies have fewer diaper rashes than babies that use disposable.
5. CUTE! I have never liked the look of disposable diapers. But these cloth diapers are super cute because they come is several different colors/patterns.
1. HUGE savings! I have heard it is around $2,000 per child and because we plan on having several children this is definitely a plus!
2. Environmentally Friendly! I think this is self explanatory.
3. Helps Potty Train Quicker! Today's disposable diapers have become so absorbent so that the child does not have to feel "wet". However, when the child feels wet they don't like it. Cloth allows them to have a more "wet" feeling and in turn gets them on the potty quicker! :)
4. Less Diaper Rash!! Cloth diapered babies have fewer diaper rashes than babies that use disposable.
5. CUTE! I have never liked the look of disposable diapers. But these cloth diapers are super cute because they come is several different colors/patterns.
Since this is such a huge decision...I have devoted a TON of time to research. I have watched numerous demonstrations on different types of cloth diapers (amazingly there are like a million cloth diaper brands and types to choose from) and read even more reviews and personal experiences. With that said, I have decided to go with the BumGenius Freetime Diapers. This is an All In One Diaper(AIO if your up with your baby lingo) and everyone just raves about how simple and easy it is to use :) I plan on having a stash of 20-24 diapers. The great thing about them is that they grow with your baby. They come in snaps and Velcro but we are going to use the ones with the snaps. I also love how they come in all kinds of cute colors! We are really anxious to try them out!
TWO: Travel Crib
I have had lots of friends use the pack and plays that have all sorts of features that go along with them. Most of these friends also used the pack and play for their baby to sleep in beside their bed. But I have actually decided to go with a travel crib that is pretty basic. I am going to use a bassinet beside my bed until we move little one to her crib. Her nursery is right beside our room so I don't plan on her staying in our room very long...we will see how it goes :)
This is the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib. The thing I love the most about it is it's easy set up :) Watch THIS video and you will see what I am talking about! With a husband that is as time conscious as mine I don't think we can go wrong with it! It is also super light weight and SAFE (which is our number one concern with everything we want to use).
THREE: Bath Tub
Who would have guessed that there are so many baby bath tubs!
This is the Puj Tub and the thing I love so much about it is how easy it will be to store. A lot of the baby tubs I have seen are bulky and I just don't have room for that. This will come in handy because it flattens out and can hang :)
FOUR: Swaddles and Sleeping Bags
I see these everywhere (well at least everywhere online haha). I think most people I know these days are using swaddles but I haven't heard as many people talk about the sleeping bags.
This is the Aden & Anais Easy Swaddle. Like I said earlier I have seen a million different brands of swaddles but this brand has come up the most!! And the people I know that have used it have LOVED it!! So we plan to use these with baby girl while she is little bitty :)
And this is the Aden & Anais Sleeping Bag. The thing I like about the sleeping bag is that it helps keep baby warm without using a blanket (we will not be using anything in the crib with her because of the risk of SIDS). Nathan keeps our house a little chilly so this will be a great alternative to a blanket.
FIVE: Bouncer
A lot of people have told me about all these different kinds of bouncers and swings that we just have to have...but honestly I don't want 50 bouncers/swings sitting all over the house. I would rather have the minimum amount of these larger items as possible.
This is the Baby Bjorn Bouncer. It has 3 levels of reclining and the baby's movements are what causes it to bounce (No Batteries Required). Another plus is that it folds up flat for easy storage! And it can be used for newborns all the way up to approximately 2 years old! Notice the picture on the right...you can purchase a toy that connects to it for baby to play with! :)
SIX: Baby Monitor
I am one of the worst worriers you will ever meet! I know this is a terrible way to be and I work on it daily. I already worry about my precious baby girl so much...and this is only the beginning. So of course I have been looking into all types of monitors. I know we will use some sort of video monitor but I have also had a lot of people tell me about the monitors that track breathing.
This is the Angel Care Monitor. It will let you know if your baby stops breathing while they are asleep. I have heard some people say they are great and I have heard others say that they give a lot of false alarms. But one of my friends put it best...she said I would rather get a false alarm than my baby stop breathing and me not know about it. And I feel the exact same way. I am very anxious to see how this will work for us!
This list is only the beginning :) I am still researching so many other products so I know this list will continue to grow!!
I look forward to sharing our experiences with all of these "Must Haves"!
Kelsey
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