Most Valuable Items for Baby 0 to 3 Months

Here is my list:

• Bouncer - We have a fisher price bouncer with a loop over her and toys dangling from it.  The price of ours was around $35.  I recommend getting one that bounces (not rock/recline).  It should also vibrate.  I cannot even count the times we put her in this.  She used to take most of her naps in it while it vibrated.  I continue to use it (she is 6 months now) while I take a shower.  It is important that you figure out a safe place to keep your baby while you shower.  I make sure she is fed, changed, and happy.  Then I strap her in the bouncer and keep her in the bathroom with me while I shower.  It keeps her happy and I feel like it is good for her sinuses too.
• Pacifier - We use the Avent brand.  I liked these because they are mostly clear so you can see more of her face.  She was not a fan of the soothies.  We also tried a few other brands recommended to us.  But Kayla chose Avent.  It is up to you whether or not you use one.  I found out that she was using me as a pacifier in the beginning.  Babies have a natural urge to suckle.  I thought she was hungry all the time.  Then the pediatrician said that if she was eating more than every 1.5 hours, then I was her pacifier.  That was an exhausting lesson!  We plan to transition her off of it once she gets teeth.
  
• Pacifier Clip - Save yourself a lot of frustration and clip the pacifier to her!
• Baby Bjorn - These are expensive and I only used mine for the first 4 months.  Every second I used it was well worth it!  I was lucky enough to borrow mine from my sister-in-law.  It has a lower back support that I highly recommend.  I believe this feature is call the "Active" version, not the "Original."
• Gas Drops - We use the generic brand.  If your baby is fussy and you know her needs have been met, try these.  It could be little gas bubbles in her tummy.
  

Baby's First Month - Eating

During the first month your baby will eat, sleep, and poop.  She will do a lot of each of these and not much of anything else.  These are what I recommend for feeding her.

• Boppy Pillow - If you breastfeed, there is no other pillow in your house that can position the baby as well as this pillow will.  You will need 2 covers for it, one to wear and one to wash.
• Bottles - Once she is 2 weeks old, it is important to give your baby a bottle once a week if you plan to go back to work. We first used Dr. Browns bottles.  They work well, occasionally leaky, but are a pain to clean all of the parts.  We are now using Avent bottles (the one piece valve system).  They work well and are much easier to clean!  Be careful though, it can leak.  If this happens you have to turn the nipple to a different position in the collar.
• Bottle brush - I have not found a favorite yet.  I do know that the dishwasher does a terrible job.
• Formula - We had samples of both Similac and Enfamil.  We chose to use Enfamil.
• Pump - I pumped when Kayla took a bottle and froze the milk to give her when Nana kept her.  Since I decided to go back to work and pump, I chose a double electric pump.  The Medela Pump In Style.  It works well and can be used in the car with an adapter.  This was useful on a later road trip.
• Burp cloths - For these we used cloth diapers.
• Gas Drops - Sometimes your little one will swallow some air.  If you see that she is pulling her legs towards her chest and crying, try gas drops.  We use the generic store brand and it works perfectly.
• Nipple Cream - She may not latch on well and can damage your nipples.  This happened to me and I used Lansinoh Lanalin.  Put it on after she eats and put it on before you shower.  It will really help.
• Nursing Cover Up - I bought one from Target and it was basically a short apron.  I don't remember the brand name of that one, but it did not cover me as well as I had hoped.  Then I ordered the one I love from Target.com - Balboa Baby Nursing Cover.  I LOVE it.  I got the one in brown/sage.  I would recommend getting a lighter color so it won't get as hot as mine can.

Your baby will go through growth spurts where she will be hungry all day it can seem.  This is normal and tiring.  Make sure you have help so you can shower and keep yourself happy during these growth spurts.

Epidurals

I delivered in a major hospital and had an epidural. I highly recommend epidurals. The medicine they used in them a long time ago drugged the baby. This is why a baby was "spanked" when they came out - to wake them up. With modern medicine, epidurals no longer drug the baby. They now use numbing agents that do NOT affect the baby. If you are worried about epidurals, talk to your doctor. The more information you know, the better decision you can make for yourself.

Love at First Sight

Many people speak of childbirth as finally understanding love at first sight.  Though it is very exciting and love is an emotion you feel when you first see your baby, I would not explain my experience as "love at first sight."  The first thing I said when I saw her was "Oh! She's cute!"  The whole time I looked at her in the hospital was a very surreal experience.  It wasn't until she was a month or two old before we "fell in love."

Thinking back, it makes sense.  She and I had never met.  We didn't know each other and she was just figuring out how to live.  The first few weeks I had the baby blues.  My husband, Mike, helped me a lot by just offering hugs and touch.  I highly suggest having someone available to you for your emotional needs.  As a mom, especially a breastfeeding mom, you will be the main person to fill all of this new person's needs.  Remember that there are many hormones going through you.  Everything you feel is normal, but if you have the blues for more than a few days call someone.  If you ever feel like harming the baby, put her down and call someone immediately.

"It appears that about 50 to 85% of women experience postpartum blues during the first few weeks after delivery. Given how common this type of mood disturbance is, it may be more accurate to consider the blues as a normal experience following childbirth rather than a psychiatric illness. Rather than feelings of sadness, women with the blues more commonly report mood liability, tearfulness, anxiety or irritability. These symptoms typically peak on the fourth or fifth day after delivery and may last for a few hours or a few days, remitting spontaneously within two weeks of delivery. While these symptoms are unpredictable and often unsettling, they do not interfere with a woman’s ability to function."   Full article

Once Kayla was around 2 months old, I fell in love.  I finally felt that mother and daughter bond.  And every following day I have continued to fall further and further in love.  So, don't be concerned if you do not feel an immediate connection with your baby.  You'll have plenty of time to get to know one another and fall in love.  :)

What to take to the hospital?

I went into labor a week early.  We had not packed anything to take to the hospital for ourselves.  The only bag that was packed was the baby bag.  I came home from work after my water broke to pack up our, my husband Mike and my, bag before heading to the hospital.  I do not suggest waiting until the last minute to pack your bag!  We ended up taking everything we could possibly need for a month!

After my experience, this is what I suggest packing:

For Mom
 -Toiletries

• Chapstick
• Toothbrush/paste
• Shampoo and soap
• Face cleaner
• Brush/Comb
• Glasses/Contacts and solution
• Make-up (I don't usually wear much, but it made me feel good to wear it when visitors came)
• Lotion
• Hair clips/ hair bands
• Any medications

 - Clothes

• PJs
• Comfortable clothes to wear when visitors are there (I just wore my PJs)
• A nursing bra and nursing pads
• Panties
• Socks
• A going home outfit (not pre-baby size)

 - Other (have Daddy keep up with these)

• Personal Information: ID, insurance cards, pre-registration papers
• Electronics: phone & charger, computer/iPad & charger, camera & charger

For Daddy or Partner

• Cash/Wallet
• Medications
• Pillow
• PJs (Keep in mind hospitals are usually cold and Mom will likely be hot, keeping the room cooler.)
• Toiletries
• Clothes for 2 days
• Boxers
• Socks
• Snacks (You will need to eat something during the labor even though she can not.)

For Baby
-Keep in mind the hospital will have everything the baby needs while she is there including diapers, wipes, diaper cream, shirts, hats, and blankets.  They also let us take the extra diapers when we left.

• Carseat (They won't let you leave with out one.)
• Going home outfit
• Blanket
• Anything she will need for her pictures if you decide to get them done at the hospital.
• Boppy Pillow (If you are breastfeeding, I highly recommend this pillow)

The Start

My first child was born January 9, 2010.  Her name is Kayla.  Before she was born, I tried to find information about relevant baby products.  I am one that likes to research things and learn as much about items before purchasing.  I found very little information when it came to baby products.  I am writing this blog to hopefully help some that are looking for honest advice about real experiences.