1. Infant Gas Drops - so helpful for cranky tummies, and even if they don't help per se, it will make you feel like you are doing something to help them. :-)
2. Butt Paste - A&D ointment, Desitin, Aquaphor - they all work well. Use them at the first sign of redness to ward off nasty diaper rash.
3. Swaddlers - either extra large blankets like the Aden & Anais muslin blankets, large flannel blankets (I made my own from a yard of flannel and just hemmed the edges) or a specific swaddler like the SwaddleMe
4. White Noise - great for drowning out background noise so either you or the babe can sleep. We downloaded a mp3 file that we play on repeat - cheaper than an actual machine!
5. Earplugs - when you ask for help and have someone watch the baby while you sleep, put these in so you don't hear the baby.
6. Fragrance Free Detergent - no need to pay for pricey dreft, there are several other options for fragrance free detergents. We use Purex Free & Clear, but that's just what's typically cheapest in our area.
7. Bath Sponge Mat - I used this in our kitchen sink in the beginning for baths, and then as a stabilizer in the big bath once Javi could sit on his own. It wrings out and hangs to dry, and stores in the same bin as all the other newborn stuff. No big plastic tub to store!
8. Baby Oil - a combination of baby oil and dandruff shampoo were the most effective things I found to combat cradle cap. You rub the baby oil into their scalp, let it sit for a minute, then comb it out. Then you carefully wash their head with the dandruff shampoo. Javi's cleared up in about three days by doing this once a day.
9. Burp cloths - babies are messy. All the time. I had a variety of burp cloths given to me, but ended up liking a few hand towels the best. Just be sure to have enough on hand to go through a few a day.
10. A swing - I loved the one we had - a girlfriend gave it to us and it worked great. He would nap in it, chill in it, and even slept in it at night for a few weeks when he wouldn't sleep anywhere else.
Just my opinion, but these are all things that I thought were great!
I totally agree with all your picks. We haven't death with cradle cap, but I'm keeping your advice in my arsenal in case we do.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I didn't bother to buy gas drops with my third baby because I figured I hadn't needed to use them much with the last two. When the poor thing cried from gas pain for 5 hours straight one night, I put it on my shopping list first thing the next morning!
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