Mama J's New Mama Must Haves

A few weeks ago Mama Bird posted a great list of her favorite products for traveling with a new baby so I decided to follow suit and post my "must haves" for new and second time moms out there. Lots of these products are breastfeeding related, which was a whole new world to me this time around (as you all have heard me mention 100 times :). So without further ado, where is my list of must-have products for the breastfeeding/new mom:

I don't look this good in it,
but I wear them every day!

1. Glamourmom Nursing Tanks: I wear these most days - either by itself around the house, or under a non-nursing-friendly shirt if I am going out. That way if I have to nurse in public I don't have my jelly roll belly hanging out for all to see. I also sleep in these so I don't have to fumble with another layer when nursing half asleep.

2. Anita Nursing Bras: These are my go-to nursing bras, if not wearing a nursing tank. They are a little pricey but invest in 2 nude colored bras and you will be set. They give amazing support without having any padding. I will definitely wear these after nursing too. I was wearing a size 36D bra before getting pregnant, then I bought 38DD nursing bras without getting fit. I went to a fancy bra shop and found out that I am actually a 36F, and I was amazed at how well these bras fit! Get yourself to a bra fitter before you buy nursing bras that is for sure! And wait until after you have the baby to do so...

3. Mamajama sleep bras: I wear these when I am sick of feeling constricted in a bra, or when my boobs are sore and I want to feel naked but with a little support. So soft and comfy - but definitely not to be worn out in public if you have giant melons like I do!

My Breast Friend Forever!

4. My Breast Friend- Boppy's are baby school when it comes to nursing - and by that I mean a joke. They don't give the baby the support that the My Breast Friend gives them. I love it's firm pillow, with the two contoured areas for baby's head. And the fact that you can strap it to you to keep it raised in places is great. Every nursing mom needs at least one of these.

5. Lansinoh Nursing pads - Every nursing mother knows that if you don't wear nursing pads in your bra you are in for an embarrassing situation. I tried 3 different brands this time around, and found these to be the most absorbent, allowing me to change them fewer times than Johnson & Johnson and Medela brands.

6. Moby Wrap - Val is a baby that spends most of her day in my arms or in the Moby or Ergo carriers. The Moby is my favorite because it holds her so securely right against my body. Sure it takes a couple times to get the actual wrapping down pat, but once you have it down it is second nature and can be done in about 20 seconds.

Julia Roberts uses it, so
should you.

7. Ergo Baby Carrier - I tend to use the Ergo more when I am out and about than when I am at home. I can get it on much easier when standing outside the car (just two clips as opposed to 17 feet of fabric that will most likely touch the ground) than I can the Moby. Now since I first purchased this in 2009, I had the older infant insert (just basically a square piece of quilted fabric). I saw that it had been redesigned so I purchased the newer version (that looks like something an Inuit baby would be wrapped in). It was a total waste of money - in fact I think both are. You can just as easily wrap the baby in a substantial blanket (see #8) and then put her in the Ergo just fine. The idea is to give the baby more neck support and padding, and it isn't necessary to spend an addition $35 on the insert, when you are already spending so much on the carrier itself.

8. Stroller Blanket from PB Kids - I received two of these as gifts when Valerie was born. I never ever thought I would get so much use out of them! And I have yet to actually use them for what they are intended - a stroller blanket. I use them in place of the infant insert in the Ergo, for tummy time, for photo shoots, in the car, at home just as a blanket. They are so amazingly soft and luxurious. Best baby gift we got this time around for sure!

9 .  White Noise App for iPhone: Val hates the car - Hates with a capital H. Earlier this week I wrote a post about how I am like Sandra Bullock in Speed when in the car with her - as soon as I go below 60 she screams... that was until I put on a white noise app with sounds of the ocean the other day! I think at first she was a little scared by it, but she quickly settled and slept the entire 30 minute drive. M loved the white noise when she would sleep when she was first born too...there are a ton to choose from in the app store so check them out before you spend money on a white noise machine!

10. Petunia Picklebottom Diaper Bag: After a rodent got into my Petunia Picklebottom boxy back pack when we were at a music class in Southie last year, I went on a crazy search to find that perfect diaper bag when I found out I was pregnant with Val. I knew I wanted a backpack, as I have a bad back and carrying anything to heavy on one shoulder makes it worse, so I needed even distribution. After reading countless reviews of every backpack (diaper bag and plain old back pack) and trying most out in person, I settled on the same one I had last time. I love the choice of patterns, the size is perfect (but I do find that I fill it to the brim with two kids worth of stuff) and my husband can carry it without feeling like he is carrying a lady-bag (ok, it is pretty feminine, but it isn't one that looks like a ladies purse!).

11. Aden & Anais Muslin Blankets: I purchased these on a whim before I had M as I had to use up money on a gift card, and damn am I glad I got these! We use them for everything and anything - burp cloths, swaddling (when Val was first born, but she doesn't get swaddled now), to keep warm, etc. - one is always in our diaper bag, or on the couch, or in the car. And they wash up really nicely too!

11. A Nap - sleep as much as you can. Sleep when the baby sleeps...no matter if you are tired or not, lay down and try to sleep! I know everyone says that, but it is true, as you won't have any other time to nap during the day in the beginning.

12. A glass of wine - While I would love to polish off a bottle of wine, Val refuses to take a bottle right now so I can't pump and dump. I am stuck having a glass of wine here and there, and boy do I look forward to it and savor every last drop! And every Mama should indulge when they can...

13. An iPad for your toddler - Get one. Load it with educational apps, tv shows, movies. Let your toddler use it sparingly and don't feel guilty about it.

14. Alone time - Being a new mom is draining both emotionally and physically. Recharge yourself by taking some time for yourself, whether it be going for a run (ha - yeah I don't run) or getting a pedicure (more my speed). Don't feel guilty for one second about being away from your kids. You deserve that "you" time. And if you can, get a sitter to watch the kids so you and your husband can have some time to yourselves. We have yet to do this since Val arrived, due to the not taking a bottle fiasco, but I am dying for some adult time with my husband out in the real world!

Top Ten Favorite Products of a First Time Mama Bird (0-3 Month Edition)

Not too long ago, another Boston Baby Mama posted about a few of her “Little Luxuries”, and since my husband and I have been traveling with “Birdie” quite a bit recently, I have realized the products I not only truly love, but miss when we don’t have them with us!  My daughter is only 3 months old, but here are my top ten, why I love them, and where I got them...

Miracle Blanket:  This has been a lifesaver for us!  When I was prepping for baby I got a ton of swaddling blankets, but we find this one fool-proof.  With the fabric arm tabs and footsie pocket, our little Houdini is rarely able to break free.

GroEgg:  I must admit, I have three of these bad boys.  Overkill?  Maybe... but I love knowing that our little bird is neither too hot nor too cold.  It is rare that I can get our house the ideal temperature, but knowing we aren’t too far off gives me peace of mind.

Blooming Bath:  The perfect bathtub for those of us with small spaces!  It is super cushioned for baby, and fits into any sink.  Our daughter’s “en suite” bathroom only has a shower, so this is ideal.  It air dries well, but also machine washes wonderfully.

Zoli Nail Trimmer:  I have multiple nail trimmers, but this is ingenious.  A miniature orbital sander (as my husband describes it to his house-flipping father) comes with four different stages of files.  I prefer to take my time using this and get those nails perfectly smooth (and it does take a while), but not having to do it more than once a week makes it worth it.

Skip Hop Treetop Play Mat:  To be honest, I was really against this one.  Picturing an assortment of brightly colored contraptions dangling over my daughter on an obnoxiously loud mat was not something I was interested in.  However, I feel like I now owe a public apology to Skip Hop--our little bird loves the little birds on the “Treetop Friends” play mat.  Another favorite?  The TinyLove one my parents keep at their house (though I still refuse to use the music and light up option).

Green Spouts Brush:  A brush is a brush is a brush, right?  WRONG!  This one is over-the-top soft, and it gets the job done.  Love love love!

iPad White Noise App “Relax Melodies HD”:  This app has a free version, and it's truly awesome.  You are able to layer background noises: whether it is starting with rain and adding in city noises like cars whooshing by, or wind and adding in crickets and even a campfire (though I’m unsure of how many parents will really be wanting the “calming” sound of fire in the background)!

Boat & Tote Bag:  This is my new favorite thing!  If you have ever traveled with an infant, you know that despite them being small, they come with a huge amount of stuff!  Just go to the LL Bean website, and you are able to design your own bag--from the size, to the handle length, multiple colors, pockets and zippers.  We have the extra large, and we are able to contain everything we need for a weekend and more.  As a bonus, if "Boat and Tote" isn't preppy enough for your style, you can add a monogram!

Pacifier Wipes:  I have to admit, I don’t know one other person that owns these besides me, but if you have a little one who loves a good paci, this is a must.  Even bringing an extra pacifier doesn’t cut it sometimes.  Once both are dropped on the ground, searching for a bathroom to wash them isn’t always a possibility--and more so, using scented and dyed soap isn’t really an option either.  I keep one pack of these in the diaper bag and only use one if there are no other options- that way a single package lasts quite some time.

Babyganics Stain Remover:  Without getting into the details, we have sure called on this product a bunch.  Recommended by a friend, this stain-remover lives up to everything she promised and more!  In fact, even after washing and drying poop-ridden clothing, this still got it out!

Let’s hear from you, loyal BBM readers: What products got you through the first few months (besides caffeine and nap nannies of course!) ?

My favorite iPad/iPhone Apps of 2010

Over the last few days I have been trying to draft a clever post involving the typical end of the year "Top 10..." but I couldn't come up with anything...so I am finally writing the post I have been wanting to write for months. And now since I am the proud owner of an iPad (that hasn't left my side since I opened it Christmas morning) I figured I would share with you my favorite applications for both the iPad and the iPhone.

Drumroll please....Mama J's Top 11 iPad/iPhone apps of 2010 are...

Fuzzle's Holiday Version

11. Fuzzle/Fling: Ok so I ruined this list already by combining two games, Fuzzle and Fling, in one list, but since they are made by the same people I figured I would combine them into one. These crazy addicting puzzle games are tons of fun and don't use a ton of brain power so they are perfect for playing before bed, or while waiting in the drive through land at Starbucks, or while in the bathroom doing your business. And you can play them with one hand, so there is that too.

10. Weight Watchers: So I haven't gotten much use out of this app as I have been eating everything in site as of late, but upon my return to Boston tomorrow I will be back on points, so I will be using this all day. It is a crazy convenient way to track your points on the go, calculate points, and look up recipes if you are at the grocery store

Scrabble on iPad

9. Scrabble: Not much to say about this one, as you all know what it is. Even better on the iPad.

8. IMDB: This is one of my go-to apps. I am always trying to figure out "who's that guy from that movie..." so this is a popular one on my phone. It has a cool layout on the iPad...and it is free...so get it, you will use it.

7. Friendly (Facebook): I don't know if this is the official iPad Facebook app, but this is the one I downloaded for my iPad. It is very user-friendly and the set-up is really nice. I like it much more than the Facebook app I have on my iPhone. Much easier to navigate all around Facebook - which I do too often for any normal person.

6. Shutterfly for iPhone: Unfortunately they don't have an HD version of this for the iPad (yet) but if you use Shutterfly to share your photos, this is a great app to have. I use this to transfer my favorite photos from my albums already on Shutterfly to my iPad/Phone. You can also upload directly from your phone to the albums. Hopefully soon they will allow you to edit your Shared Sites on your phone, but not just yet.

5. Interactive Alphabet Flash Cards: This was a new application I downloaded on the iPad for Marlo, and it is crazy cool. It took her a little bit to warm up to it, but now she loves it. You go through every letter of the alphabet and it sounds it out, and along side the letter there is an interactive graphic. For example, Z is for Zipper, allows you to pull the zipper up and down and B is for Beach allows you to build a sand castle, and make the sun set...it is really neat.

4. Angry Birds: Voted the best gaming application of the year, this addictive, hysterical, charming, intelligent game deserves all the praise it gets. I am sure you already have it, but if you don't get it, play it, love it, kill those ugly pigs.

3. Baby Music: Marlo has music in her soul. Anytime she hears music she shakes her bum and claps her hands, and if she is the one making it, all the better. This application allows her to either play the piano, bongo drum, xylophone, or strum the harp. She loves sitting on my lap and smacking my iPad screen and watching the little graphics bounce around in time with her drumming...every kid will.

Plane Madness!!

2. Flight Control: This game is the reason my father purchased an iPad when it first came out, and I hate him and love him for introducing me to it. Hate him, because I have wasted more time playing this game (first on his iPad, then in a smaller version on my iPhone and now on my iPad), but love him for showing it to me because it is the best game ever. It is simply a game where you have to guide plains to land safely on their corresponding color coded landing strips...sounds simple, but it is anything but. I thought I was so super cool when I landed 120 planes in one game, only to find out the high score was something like 24,349. That person must have more free time than I do...but most people do!

1. Kindle for iPhone/iPad: When Amazon first introduced the Kindle I thought it would be something along the lines of Laser Discs. I said I would never choose to read a book on an electronic reader over holding a book in my hand. Then I read the first Twilight book, and wanted instant gratification and to start the second immediately, so I succumbed and downloaded the app on my iPhone...and I haven't looked back yet. And on the iPad, with the large screen, it is just like reading a paper book. I have read so much more this last few years because of this application. It makes going on vacation so much easier because gone are the days of packing multiple heavy books. Now I just  download them straight to the palm of my hand. In the past 10 days I read all three Hunger Games (highly recommend!) books on my iPad and didn't need to go anywhere to get them, or worry about finishing them in time to return them to the library. You pay anywhere from $4 to $9 for newer more recent books (most classics are free and older books are around $2-$3), but I think it is worth every penny. You can even get kids books on there, so if you are in a pinch and your kid loves to read you can entertain them with a tap of the finger.

Can't Live Without: Month Four of Motherhood

A lot has changed in the last month of my daughter's life: we are now feeding her solely formula, she is awake more (which means she needs to be entertained now), she is growing like a weed (almost three times the size she was when we left the hospital), the weather is finally nice enough for us to be able to get out and take walks and we've been on many outings and trips with her in tow. This all means I have new products to share that I can't live with out!

1. Links: The simplest form of entertainment, these links (or inter-latching rings) are technically supposed to be used to suspend toys from the arm of the carseat, but I use them as a toy themselves...and baby girl LOVES them. Whether they are hung from the carseat bar, or just dangled in front of her face, she screams with delight whenever she sees them. She just learned to reach out and grab them - mama is so proud!!

2. Formula Dispenser: Now that we are part of the formula clan, this little bugger is a big part of our every day lives. It is always in my diaper bag, and we fill it up and bring it downstairs with us when we go to bed so we don't have to travel to the kitchen for the nighttime feeding.

3. Bottled Water from Costco: This may seem silly but for all of you formula parents out there, you MUST buy your bottled water from a wholesale shop (whether it be Costco, BJ's, etc.). For $4 you can get 6 gallon jugs of Poland Springs water...$4!!! That will buy you about 2 bottles of Aquafina water at any store.

4. The Miracle Blanket: The most aptly named product out there! Our little houdini baby could get herself out of any swaddle, and therefore was waking herself up during the night and naps. Enter the Miracle Blanket! This swaddle pins down your babies arms separate from the main swaddle action, making it impossible for them to move their arms while they sleep (I have one friend that claims her daughter can get out of it, but I will have to see it to believe it :). I truly believe it is because of this product that our daughter only gets up once in the night, and now for only 30 minutes. Since the day I bought it, she instantly started sleeping at least 8 hours straight every night.

5. Tiny Love Mobile: Along with the Miracle blanket, this product change our whole sleep routine for good. Before we would have to rock her to sleep, or hold her until she fell asleep, but ever since we got this mobile, we can just lay her down in the crib and she will look up in amazement at the animals circling around her and soon after fall asleep. The music is a nice mix of classical favorites, that for once actually sound like they are played on a piano.

6. Shutterfly: Ever since I had my first digital camera in 2000 I was a Kodak Gallery (or Ofoto for those old timers like me) girl. Then my best friend from high school (and the best photographer in the world) introduced me to Shutterfly, where you can make a simple webpage to share your photos. Peace out Ofoto!! Now I share my photos using my own "share site" as they call them, to which I upload all of my photos of the peanut, as well as videos. You can create a unique URL by adding your babies name before the ".shutterfly.com" address and your friends and family can check the site for updates at their leisure. You can also post the photo books that you create to the site, allowing people to purchase them at their convenience.

7. Eurobath: I didn't register for a bathtub because friends had told me that you could just put a towel down in the sink and be good to go. Well, my daughter is Squirmy Pants Maguillicuddy, and it was too stressful for me to keep protecting her head from the side of the sink (we also tried the sling in the sink, but you had to fill it up too high to actually cover her bum - and we tried it in the tub but it was too awkward). I was lucky enough to have a friend that wasn't using her tub anymore, so she lent me the Eurobath she used with her son. Thus started our nightly bath ritual on the kitchen island: a.k.a. my daughter's favorite time of the day. While the tub is rather large, it has this fabulous slanted part that she can lay back and relax in and I don't have to worry about her sliding down, or hitting her head on anything. I think maybe because she was born 4 weeks early she loves the bath more than anything in the world, but this bath tub sure helps too!

Can't Live Without: Month One of Motherhood

As I was getting ready for bed tonight, I was frantically searching through a pile of clean laundry (that was on my not so clean floor waiting to be folded and at some point put away) for one of my Medela Nursing Sleep Bras. Due to the ginormous size of my boobs, and the over abundance of milk I produce (I am talking I could feed the entire Gosselin clan with these puppies), I have to keep them on lock down when I sleep at night, and the only thing I have found to be comfortable are the Medela sleep bras. After finding one that had become attached to the velcro tab of one of Marlo's sleepsacks, I thought to myself how I have come to rely on certain items the past 4 weeks and this led me to this post. I figured I should share with my other Mamas out there the things that I have found that I cant live without anymore (no longer is it my 5 inch Michael Kors heels and evening glass of red wine - ah how times have changed) in no particular order I should add:

1. Medela Sleep Bras: I mentioned it before, but I feel like I need to say it again - my boobs are huge. I can pump 2-3 ounces out of each boob every 3 hours, if that gives you any idea as to my milk production. But with this bountiful supply comes bountiful bosoms. BB (before baby) I liked my 36 small D boobs, and I liked to free them from their underwire cages when I went to bed at night. Those days are gone. Not only do I need something to put my breast pads (so that I don't leak through to my shirt) in, but I need something to keep them supported because otherwise I am in pain. Enter the Medela Sleep Bra. At $19.99 you can't go wrong with this sports bra-ish bra. I say "ish" because it doesn't have anywhere near the support of a sports bra, but it just looks like one. It is very thin and soft, and does the job I need it to do, without cutting into my boobs like most nursing bras do. I don't even feel it on when I sleep, which is what I was most looking for in a sleeping bra.
2. First Years Milk Storage Organizer: As I just mentioned, I am "Moo-tilda" so I need some place to store my excess. This organizer does just that. Keeps the bags of milk flat and upright, and doesn't take up too much room in the freezer. As for bags I love the Medela ones that attach to the pump, but they are pricey so I switched to these byLansinoh.
3. APNO: Better known as All Purpose Nipple Ointment, this prescribed ointment is like the La Mer of nipple creams. At $75 for approximately 3 ounces, this turned pumping around for me. I had yeast build up in my nipples (I know TMI) that was making them red and irritated and making feeding and pumping terribly painful. My Lactation Consultant called in a prescription (with doctor approval) for this wonder cream and away the infection went. I use it after each pumping and feeding and it makes everything soft and pain-free. I am not sure if the cost is due to my crappy insurance or not, but I do know that each batch is hand made when you order it, so that might have something to do with it. Either way, it is worth EVERY penny.
4. Carter's baby clothing: When I found out I was pregnant I went out and bought a bunch of baby girl clothes: short sleeved onesies, little dresses, and other impractical things for a newborn, but what the hell did I know! For the past 4 weeks, my daughter has lived in Carter's baby clothing. Especially the one pieces with the feet. Her little feet are too small for any socks, so these are perfect. Plus, it is 20 degrees outside! What was I thinking with the short sleeves? You can always find these on sale somewhere, be it Babies R Us, Target, JC Penny, Kohls or you can visit there fabulous outlet store in Wrentham. They are cheap, they wash up just fine, and you don't mind if your baby spits up on them, unlike the Ralph Lauren clothing she has hanging in her closet that she will most likely not wear while she fits them. So much for my fancy baby!
5. Things we stole from the hospital: OK, so we didn't steal all of these, they offer them to you, but I think we took more than alloted...and thank god! The first item is the white asymmetrical tops they put on your baby. For the first week or so at home, Marlo lived in these (whether solo or under Carter's gear)- wrapped in my second favorite item, the hospital blanket. My husband was obsessed with these for some reason, so we have about 15 of them. They are perfect for swaddling your little one before they can fit into any swaddling sacks. And finally the Nasal Aspirator Bulb-thing. I lived with this by my side for the first two weeks Marlo was at home (I got sick, therefore she was sick too and you can't blow a babies nose!). That was, until my dog got ahold of it and chewed off the pointy end (I should say she did this the two we brought home from the hospital). It is terribly gross, but so satisfying to suck out baby snot. HA! I have yet to find one of that size and quality in stores, so if you can get your hands on one, put it in a safe place!
6. My iPhone and holder: It gets lonely and boring to pump in the nursery for 15 minutes 8 times a day. My iPhone has become my new best friend. I just place it in the trusty holder (which about two years ago I was planning to invent and become a millionaire, but little did I know someone beat me to it), and hook it on my glider and play one of the many games I have on there (Scrablle, WordWorm, and Monopoly as of late). I have also loaded it up with a fabulous mix of songs (Disney, Rock Lullabies, some Indigo Girls, Ray LaMontange, Ella Fitzgerald, and instrumental music from movies) and put it on speaker while I am rocking the little peanut to sleep.
7. My Dutalier Glider: This was one of many very generous gifts from my parents, and has certainly been put to good use. We feed Marlo at night in this, we rock her to sleep, I pump while sitting in it, and I even take naps in it sometimes. We got the one with the highest back and widest seat to accommodate my large bum and my husbands crazy long body. Some people say you don't need one of these, but it has been a blessing to have.
8. DVR: I took a 3 hour long nap yesterday at 3 PM, and could have easily slept until this morning. Needless to say I don't stay up and watch tv like I used to - I don't even stay up to watch the 7:30 Jeopardy some nights. So I thank God for my DVR, and thank God that episodes will be new again this week!
9. SKYPE: I put Skype on my computer years ago so that we could talk to my sister-in-law and her family in Spain. Other than that yearly phone call, we never used it, until Marlo came. For Christmas I gave my grandmothers webcams (one is in Dayton, the other in Denver), and got them set up on SKYPE so that they could "meet" Marlo. My parents have it at their house in Florida now...we can chat with my brother-in-law and his family in New Jersey, and my father-in-law in upstate New York. While none of our family lives within a 4 hour drive, they are now in our living room whenever we want! For free! Who would have thought my 86 year old grandma would live to see the day when she would meet her great granddaughter via a camera on a computer. It is just like Horizons at Epcot!!!
10. My Husband: I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I am the luckiest woman on the planet as I married the best man alive. I kid you not. Despite having to be told on occasion that it is OK to buy your wife flowers (even if she says she doesn't want anything for her birthday or Valentine's Day), he is seriously the perfect husband. And now he is the perfect father. It makes me want to cry when I see him with Marlo in his arms (she is so tiny and he is so big) - I catch him just staring at her sometimes in amazement and my heart leaps. I sometimes forget that he too had been waiting for her so long...And now that she is here he goes above and beyond the expectations I had for him as a father. He is first to go to her if she makes a noise, always wanting to feed her, has no problem changing her (both diapers and outfits), always wanting to hold her in his long arms...he even came upstairs the other day with a book in hand and told me that he felt like reading to his daughter. I thought I would melt! Even being back at work, he is willing to get up with her in the middle of the night to allow me to get sleep. He is always concerned about me getting enough sleep, or being healthy (I was really sick for over a week and now again feel like I am coming down with something) - both physically and mentally. He has also taken over dog-walking duties for the next few months so that "his ladies" can be warm at home inside. Every day when he leaves work I get a phone call asking if he needs to pick anything up, and without question he will run here and there to pick up food or anything else I ask before running home to see all his ladies. I don't, and will never, take him for granted, and know that I am lucky to have such a loving husband (and a hot one at that). Sorry I got all shmoopy on you :)

What's in your diaper bag?

Here are a few extra things that we carry, outside of the obvious diapers/wipes/changing pad/sippy cup/pacifier:

- change of clothes (in case of spit up or diaper leak, or other messy situation)

- a little paperback version of "Your Baby's 1st Year" by the American Pediatric Association. So in case you ever need to look anything up in case of illness or just something you don't know what to do!

- sunscreen

- baby spoon

- hand sanitizer

- plastic bags for dirty diapers.

- travel size medical/safety kit, children's tylenol

- burp cloths (good to have if spit-up, need to wipe their face)

*Another tip is to make sure you replace the items that you use or take out frequently.

Your Medicine Cabinet

It’s always good to ask your doctor what they recommend, but here are some basic things I think most would recommend to have on hand. And buy two of everything. Pack the second set of products in a small bag and throw it in the bottom of your diaper bag.

• Infant/Child Motrin and Tylenol
• Triple Antibiotic Cream
• Hydrocortisone Cream
• Saline Drops
• Child Benadryl. Ask your doctor the proper dosage in case your child has a previously unknown allergic reaction.
• A&D Ointment. Good for diaper rash, burns, and lots of other things.
• Thermometer. Vick’s makes a good, cheap reliable brand. Most doctors will only take a rectal reading for the first year. Ask your doctor at your first appointment to show you the proper way to do it. And make your husband watch. He’ll make some inappropriate comment about violating your child, but he should know too!
• Bandaids
• Gauze Pads. Better than toilet paper when you’re trying to stop the bleeding on the way to your first set of stitches

- Mama E

What to Register for!

Here is a compiled list, made by us Mamas, of what we think every mom needs to register for (for more detail about each item, click on "Registry" on the right):

• Full-size stroller
• Umbrella stroller
• 2 Car Seats - both Infant and Toddler
• 2 Bundle Me's - one for winter, one for warm weather
• A Baby Carrier of your choice (Ergo or Bjorn, and/or sling)
• Pack n Play
• Diaper Bag
• Tub
• Activity Mat
• Bouncy Seat
• Exersaucer
• Swing
• BUMBO
• Bottles
• Breast Pump (you might be able to get this through insurance at hospital)
• High Chair
• Boppy (with multiple covers) and/or My Breast Friend
• Burp Cloths
• Bibs
• Diaper Genie
• Diapers, Creams and Wipes
• Crib, Crib Bedding
• Sleep Sheep
• Tiny Love Mobile
• Changing Table
• Glider/Rocker
• Sleep Sacks
• Swaddle Mes
• Monitor

Hospital: What To Bring?

Some of our Mama’s are low-maintenance, while others are on the high end of the maintenance spectrum. Wherever you fit, here is a compiled list of our must haves:

• Panty Liners: if you have a vaginal birth, you will be bleeding. The pads they have at the hospital are like putting a pillow in your underwear. Bring substantial, but comfortable ones with you
• Bathrobe & PJ’s: When people come to visit you absolutely do NOT want to be in that disgusting hospital gown. If for no other reason than because it has a tendency to spring open at the worst possible moments and honey, you may think you look slimmer now that the baby is out but, trust me, you’ve got a ways to go.
• Sweatshirt/Hoody
• Socks and slippers
• Going home clothes: something extremely comfortable but not very nice as you still might be bleeding a lot
• Nursing Pillow (if you are there for an extended period of time)
• “Soothies” for your boobs if you are considering breast feeding. Your nipples will be really sore at first and these silicone pads you put in the fridge are a lifesaver.
• Camera
• Laptop/Book – something to keep you occupied during the down time
• Car Seat
• Something for baby to wear home
• Toiletries for mom and dad
• Lip Balm: This is an absolute must. When you go into labor you are not able to drink anything all day, so it is nice to have something to keep your lips moist.
• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Face Wash
• Toothbrush/toothpaste