A few of our favorite things

It’s amazing how many different items are sold for babies. Infants are so tiny but need so many things! Before I had Graham it was overwhelming trying to prepare and buy all of the things that I thought we would need for this new little person. There are so many decisions to make, so many brands and types to choose from. Now that we’re about four and a half months into parenthood, I’ll share some of what I’ve learned about the baby items that have made our lives a little easier.

These are a few of our favorite things so far …

Diapering:

We’ve tried everything from the Honest brand to Luvs in the diaper department. By far our favorite diapers have been Pampers. They are super soft on baby’s skin, very absorbent and have a wetness indicator line. Other more expensive brands either seemed too stiff or just didn’t hold in the blow-outs like Pampers have. Some of the cheaper brands just didn’t fit him well and didn’t seem to absorb very much before leaking (more absorbent diapers = less frequent night wakings for diaper changes = win!).

Our favorite wipes are Huggies Pure and Natural. They don’t rip easily and don’t feel slimy like some other brands’ wipes do. The Honest brand wipes are great too but are a little pricier.

Finally, our favorite diaper rash cream is Triple Paste. Graham has only had once case of diaper rash so far, but it wasn’t any fun. Triple Paste seemed soothing and cleared the rash up overnight.

Sleeping:

The Aden and Anais swaddles are a must! The muslin fabric is light and soft, never too hot. We tried a few other swaddles, including the sleep sacks that have Velcro closures (straight-jacket style!), but Graham seemed to get too hot in those.

The Rock ‘n Play is also a must! Super portable and keeps baby nice and snug and slightly upright. Graham slept so well in this, but he recently outgrew it. (Sob!) The Mamaroo is nice to have as well; it’s another item that Graham has slept pretty well in. However, if I could have only one of them, I would choose the Rock ‘n Play as it is less expensive and more portable. (Obviously if it’s the movement part that soothes your baby, the Mamaroo wins.)

Carriers:

I can’t say enough nice things about the Boba wrap. We use this item all of the time! It’s soft, comfy for both Graham and me, and easy to use. I can’t imagine grocery shopping without it—I just put my wrap on before I leave the house, pop Graham in it when we get to the store, and he happily snuggles or naps in it while I get all my shopping done. It’s also nice to wear him while doing chores around the house. Lastly, when Graham’s having a fussy day or just needs extra cuddle time, wearing him in the Boba is soothing for him and makes life easier for me.

Pumping:

I have two different double electric pumps—one for home and one to leave at work. The Medela In Style is my favorite! The letdown feature helps me pump more milk in less time. I have the metro bag version; this suits me just fine as I can’t imagine why I would ever need to be able to separate the pump from the bag. The Medela hands free pumping bra is a must; it’s great to be able to multitask while pumping. Also the Medela microwave steam sterilizer bags are nice to have. I hated having to boil big pots of water every day to sterilize my pump parts before I got these.