Baby Must-Haves

Once again, I'm not an expert...  however I do like when other mom's tell me what products they like and what worked for them. 

So here are a few things that I think are must-haves when I have a baby. I also don't don't like to spend a lot of money on baby stuff; hand-me-downs and garage sales are the way to go on most baby items, however I do feel there are some things worth the extra dollar or two.

Here are my baby must-haves

- Aveeno skin products.  I have two very busy boys and neither one has had any skin issues (except for an awful allergic reaction, but that story is for a blog for another day) and I think much of it is due to the Aveeno skin products that I use with the boys.  They do cost a little more then the generic brands but I think it is worth it and I try to find coupons for them whenever possible.  I LOVE and stand by the Aveeno diaper rash cream.  It is very thick so it stays on your baby's skin and it really seems to calm down the rash on contact. It also prevents diaper rash for long durations because it stays on the skin and continues to protect it after many diaper changes.  I lather their bottom with it everytime they poop and I have never had an issue with diaper rash, even when my babies were/are teething and then pooping every twenty minutes!  I also am a huge fan of their lotion.  I use their daily lotion myself and on my preschooler after every bath and he has never had patches of dry skin.  It has no fragrance so my four year old doesn't mind it, he even tells me if I missed an "itchy" spot:).  When my boys were little babies, I used the Aveeno baby lotions which I just love.  They are creamy but not too thick. They coat the skin but are not too oily.  I also like the way their baby shampoo smells but that is not a "must-have" it is just something I "like" to have:)  I promise I am not representing Aveeno, this is just one mom expressing her opinion of what worked for her.

- Cloth diapers for burp clothes.
There are different cutesie burp clothes out there, but I found the most absorbent burp clothes are the simple, old-school cloth diapers.  And if your kids are anything like mine, you will need absorbent burp clothes with the amount of spitting up that will take place!

- Pampers diapers.  I have my sister to thank for this one, she told me before I had my own kids, that Pampers was the way to go and I am glad I took her advice! I have babysat, nannied, and been day care credit giver for 16 years now and by far my favorite disposable diaper is the Pamper diaper.  It is well made, soft to their skin, and keeps most everything inside the diaper.  I know it is just a silly piece of padding that gets thrown in the trash, but when you are out and about and your baby is teething and just started table foods, you will glad to have a diaper that keeps it all in and doesn't ruin your baby's skin if you can't change him the very second he poops.  Your sitter will thank you too!  Some mom's may argue with me, but I have no complaints about Pampers other then their price:)  But as my husband says "it's the high price we pay to keep our kids' butts clean. 

- Multiple changing stations.  This is not something you really buy, it is just something I suggest to all new mom's.  Have multiple changing stations, especially in the rooms where you spend most of your time.  When you just come home from the hospital with baby, you are tired to the bone, you may have multiple other children needing your attention, and your body hurts everytime you move. It is best not to have to go very far to change baby.  Especially because newborns are constantly pooping!  When my boys were newborns and still sleeping in a bassinet in our bedroom, I would keep a changing station on the bedside table.  I also keep a little basket in the living room, even now that my you.gets is almost one, with a changing pad, diapers, wipes, and Aveeno diaper rash cream in it.  This way, a diaper change is at my finger tips. With multiple children running around this is a must-have! 

- When I asked my husband what he thinks a baby must-have is, he said three things that I totally agree with:  a cloth hat, a pacifier, and a swaddling blanket.  All three are extremely important but are pretty self-explanatory and on every baby list so I'm not going to go into details about them, but are good things to keep in mind for sure! So I will add one more of my own.  The last must-have for baby that is needed even at the hospital before you go home is: baby-sized nail clippers.  I love the first pair I got, a simple, cheap pair with a little magnifying glass attached to the end of it.  Anyone that knows me, knows I'm a little OCD about cutting my sons' nails.  I just figure, if I can do anything to help keep them from scratching themselves, I'm going to do it, and as often as needed!

I posted this and them I realized I forgot one of my top favs!

- A white noise maker is a must-have for me!  We have a small, older house and so we all hear each other in the house.  We also have a protective dog who barks when anyone comes up to the house.  So when the boys nap, they each have something in their rooms that makes white noise so that they don't hear every noise in the house. My oldest son has an air purifier in his room that makes white noise.  We actually bought my second son a white noise maker and it is nice because when we go places and he has to nap in the pack'n'play, we turn it on and he knows that it is naptime and it drowns out any extra noises.  A white noise maker, is a must-have on my baby list!

Once again, this is a short list of things that I like, not necessarily what every other mother might like or agree with, it is just one mom's small opinion.  Take what you will from it...