Baby essentials - the first few months

When I was pregnant, I did a ton of research on baby gear.  I wanted to buy the best items that we could, but without spending a lot, and definitely not "overbuy" as people often do when preparing for the arrival of their first kiddo.  Well, that didn't exactly work out as planned...  I wanted one stroller that "did everything" and we somehow ended up with four...  The cloth diapers that I originally bought didn't work out for us and I had to buy a whole new system.  The Moby wrap ended up being a pain to put on so I bought a different wrap style carrier.  And the list goes on.  So here are the things that I did find the most useful.  The starred items are my very favorites!

★ JJ Cole Agility Wrap - I have previously wrote about this wrap on the blog, but I love it so much that it's worth another mention.  Ten times easier to put on than the moby wrap, much more compact and lightweight, but just as useful.  Perfect for running errands or anytime you want to hold baby but remain hands free to get a few things done.  The only downside is that it comes in various sizes for the wearer so it's not one size fits all, meaning I am pretty much the only one who is able to use it.  Erik uses my homemade baby wrap when he wants to wear Arlo.  Also, I feel that the product is a little expensive for what it is.  It is basically very expensive t-shirt material.  Then again, so is the Moby...

Whale bathtub - This tub helped calm the anxiety I had about the first few baths we had to give Arlo as a slippery little newborn, as it was easy to use over the kitchen sink in the early days and works equally well sitting in the big bathtub now that he is a little older.  The insert that keeps him from sliding down is removable so when he is able to sit up well on his own for the bath, we can remove it and he can still use the tub.  I didn't originally want a baby bathtub ("just another big piece of plastic" was what I had originally thought) but this really ended up being quite useful.

★ Grovia Magic Stick - I have a full cloth diapering review post in the works, but this product is absolutely on my must-have baby list.  Don't ask questions.  Just buy this.  It's awesome.

A few other items worth mentioning in the diaper department, are the disposables we use at night.  Ever since I discovered Nature Babycare I have not bought any other brand of disposables.  They are the most natural diapers I could find and they fit Arlo really well.  The wipes we used when we were still doing disposables full time are Water Wipes - and I put this item on the must-have list.  These wipes have nothing but water and a tiny percentage of grapefruit seed extract to prevent mold and stuff from growing on them.  They are awesome because they contain ZERO chemicals and can be used anywhere on the body.  Love these!  While we are now using cloth diapers and wipes (except one disposable at night), these products are still worth mentioning because they were so useful early on when poor Arlo seemed to be super sensitive to any little thing that touched his rear end!

★ Rock n' Play - Arlo has gotten so much use out of this little cradle!  It folds in half with the push of a button so it is quite portable and easy to move around the house.  We kept it primarily in our bedroom, as that is where he would nap most often in the early days.  We also used it at night to keep him at an incline when he was sick, as well as when he was dealing with reflux.  When we took our beach trip a few weeks ago, we brought it with us and he slept the night in it.  At almost five months, he doesn't spend much time in the rock n' play anymore, but this was still one of our favorite items from the very beginning.

muslin swaddle blankets - We have used these from the beginning, but are finding them especially useful now that the weather has warmed up.  I hardly ever used them for swaddling, mostly just as a light cover, or now a sunshade over the stroller during walks.  I never worry about letting him sleep with these blankets because they are so light and airy.  I bought several secondhand from yard sales and consignment shops for around $1 each.  The price of these things new is the only con I can list.  Find these used if you can!  The very best blankets we have were actually made by Arlo's Grandmas.  Erik's Mom made us some really great flannel receiving blankets, and when my Mom saw them she loved them so much she wanted to sew us a couple more.  I don't have a picture of those handy and I can't link to them online, so you will just have to find yourself a Grammie to make you one  ;)

In the feeding department, there are several items we have bought and really liked.  I feel like I am washing bottles and pump parts around the clock and for this the boon grass drying rack has been a great item to have on hand, and much cuter on the counter top than traditional drying racks.  We also have the twig to hold the nipples and small pump parts.  If you are doing any bottle feeding or pumping, you will need this or something like it!  Our favorite bottles are the 4 oz glass bottles by Evenflo.  We have been using Dr. Browns Premie nipples as recommended by the lactation consultants early on - good for breastfed babies of any age since the flow is so slow.  Only recently did we switch to the level 1 nipples to increase the feeding pace a bit.


And finally, I will mention all those strollers we ended up with...  I picked up a chicco liteway in like-new condition at a yard sale when I was pregnant.  I got an amazing deal on it, and we have used it a few times.  I know it will be great when he is a little bigger, but right now we are primarily using his car seat and his snap-n-go.  Since he has an infant car seat that easily pops in and out of the car, it is easy to just set it in his snap-n-go so if he is sleeping we don't need to wake him up to put him in a separate stroller.  I know they make entire car seat and stroller systems that go together, but those strollers always seemed to big and clunky to me.  This little stroller frame is super lightweight and easy to throw in the back of our cars.  Unfortunately both of these strollers are not practical for the long walks that we take everyday with Lucy.  Enter the jogging stroller.  After much research we decided to buy the Baby Jogger Summit X3. We absolutely love it.  I can't say that it is great for toting around town, but for neighborhood walks I can't imagine a better ride for Arlo!  I wish there was a single stroller system in existence that worked for all of our needs - getting around town, walking the neighborhood, super portable, etc. but so far I haven't figured out what that might be.  Always taking suggestions if you have them!


I hope that you found this list useful if you are furiously researching baby stuff as I did while pregnant, or if you are just keeping these things in mind for down the road.  Next up - little Arlo is almost five months old and some big changes have happened this month.  Stay tuned for the update!

Third Trimester Essentials

Even though I am nearly three months postpartum and pregnancy seems like a distant memory, my OCD won't let me skip the final installment of my mini-series: Trimester Essentials.  You can find my first trimester essentials here, and my second trimester essentials here.  Due to my lack of time these days, I am going to keep this short and sweet and just list a few things that helped me through the final trimester of pregnancy.

Birth Ball

Recommended by our Bradley class instructor, I purchased an inexpensive yoga ball online (I found a deal on Amazon for less than $5 shipped) and swapped out my computer desk chair for the large inflatable ball, somewhere around the start of the third trimester.  This gave me a little time each day in a squatting position, opening my hips and helping baby move down.  Plus it was pretty comfortable to sit on and allowed for good posture.  In fact, three months postpartum and I still use it as my desk chair, on the rare chance I get to have some computer time.  Side note:  putting Arlo in the moby or agility wrap and gently bouncing on the ball allows me to hold him hands-free, keeping him happy and allowing me to get these blog posts written!  ;)

My husband's t-shirts and winter coat

Erik doesn't actually own this shirt, but wouldn't have been sweet if one of us had showed up to the birth wearing it?

A few weeks before the birth, I started to raid Erik's closet for oversized t-shirts to sleep and lounge in since my maternity shirts were all pretty fitted and getting even tighter by the day.  Plus, my winter coat was just barely able to zip up over the bump, so when I was aiming to be more comfortable on the daily walks I was talking with Lucy, I borrowed Erik's coat!

Childbirth Books

Since we were taking a Bradley Class series, it would make sense that we focused on Bradley method books.  This one by Susan McCutcheon was highly recommended by our instructor and the one that we read the most.  Admittedly, I had purchased eight or ten other books related to childbirth, and didn't find time to read very many of them before the birth.  The best preparation was taking the class, and reading this book on the side.

 Evening Primrose Oil

The birthing center recommended that I start taking Evening Primrose Oil at 37 or 38 weeks of pregnancy.  I ended up taking it for just a few days, and then started having some signs that labor was not far away, so the midwife recommended that I hold off on continuing to take it.  I don't think the Primrose caused Arlo to arrive eight days ahead of schedule, but had I continued to take it perhaps he would have come even earlier.  However, Primrose Oil is supposed to be good for preventing post-term labor so for future pregnancies I would surely take it again.


That's all I can think of for now...  Next up, my list of post-partum and newborn essentials!

2nd trimester essentials

As a follow-up to my 1st trimester essentials post, I figured I would share (and document for my own future reference) some things I found helpful as I navigated the second trimester of pregnancy.

 

Earth Mama Angle Baby: Natural Stretch Oil & Body Butter

 
Starting at week 10, I have applied this oil to my belly religiously every single night before bed.  I absolutely love the smell and it really does a great job of moisturizing without being too oily.  I liked it so much I decided to try the body butter, and while I wouldn't say it's anything close to the viscosity of other body butters I have tried (it's more of a lotion) I still really like it.  I use this in the morning and it has been especially helpful for the itchy skin that started mid-way though the 2nd trimester.  I choose these products because they are completely natural, certified zero toxin, vegan and cruelty free.  So far they have worked against stretch marks as I don't have a single one, but I am getting to the point where my skin is really starting to stretch so we will see what happens at we get closer to the end!  I will report back.

 

Belly Band

obviously not me...

I picked up my belly band gently used at a yard sale for something close to $1.  It was money well spent I tell ya!  This thing worked great as I started to outgrow my pre-pregnancy clothes but was not quite ready for maternity wear.  I thought for sure it would be hard to keep in place or that my pants would eventually start to slide down being unbuttoned, but I found that not to be the case at all.  It gave me an extra few weeks out of all my jeans and shorts, but eventually I outgrew the band and was ready for...

Maternity Clothes

Silly thing to add to this list?  Maybe so.  But I am here to tell you that it's not hard to put together a decent maternity wardrobe for very little cost, if you know where to look.  Baby/maternity consignment stores, thrift stores, yard sales, and even the sale racks at Target & Old Navy have been my primary shopping locations for my "new" wardrobe.  I couldn't see spending a fortune on new clothes I would only wear for a few months, quite honestly I hate paying full price for non-maternity clothes that I plan to wear for a long time!  For work, I picked up some plain black maternity shirts and these awesome scrub pants.  Highly recommended if you wear scrubs to work.  They are so comfortable you just might want to wear them at home too... 

Favorite Water Bottle

I admit it, I am a terrible water drinker.  I almost never get thirsty and so it's very easy for me to forget to drink.  Carrying a water bottle with me wherever I go has helped me be better at getting in my daily fluid requirements.  I happen to love this water bottle by Lifefactory.  I know you have seen them around.  It's made of glass so it's BPA free, and you don't have any weird plastic water bottle taste with this.  Plus it's cute with the silicone sleeve and pretty much screams "drink me!"

DHA Supplement

So, technically I didn't start taking this until the very beginning of the 3rd trimester.  But I wish I would have started it earlier, so I am putting it on this list.  Around the beginning of the 3rd trimester is when the baby's brain really starts to go crazy making it's neurological connections and all that, and DHA is important for that brain development.  Since we follow a plant-based diet and don't consume any fish products, there is not much opportunity for us to eat foods that naturally contain DHA.  Fish and fish oil contains DHA because they have a diet high in algae, which is very high in DHA.  (As a side note, cows milk contains so much calcium because they eat leafy greens all day long, which are a great source of calcium.  You can cut out the "middle man", and save an animal, by going straight to the source - leafy greens for your calcium and algae for your DHA!)  After a lot of research, I decided upon this supplement which is made from algae, completely vegan, and carrageenan free.  In case you haven't heard, carrageenan is a food additive that is on the list of potential carcinogens.  A lot (and let me tell you A LOT) of pills and products contain this additive.  Until more is known about it, we have decided to avoid food that contain it.  As far as this DHA supplement, it is in liquid form so it has a bit of a "fishy" taste if you take it plain.  Funny enough though, I learned it's actually fish that smell like algae, not the other way around.  Mixed in a little OJ, the "algae" taste is masked and it goes down quite easily. 


So those are the things I found to be most helpful as I went through the 2nd trimester.  There are a few things I have started to use recently as I started the 3rd trimester, so plan to see one last "pregnancy essentials" post, hopefully before our little guy arrives! 

1st trimester essentials

I know I am now well over a month into the second trimester, but I thought I would put together a little list of the things that got me though those first few months of nausea, fatigue, excessive hunger, and the other fun symptoms that the 1st trimester brings!

Lemons

This was the first thing I would say my body was truely craving during the pregnancy.  I have gone through at least a pound of lemons each week since the very beginning.  The main reason they were so important early on is that they really helped me drink a ton more water and ensured that I stayed hydrated.  Plain water, especially dealing with the nausea, was something I had no desire to drink but I found that adding squeezed lemon actually made me want to drink it.  Limes are also a good option!

Prenatal Vitamin

I did a lot of research before we even started trying to get pregnant, as I wanted to find the best prenatal vitamin that was plant-based and as natural as possible.  Prenatal One by Rainbow Light contains no gluten, soy, yeast, milk, eggs, nuts, fish or shellfish. It is lactose-free and contains no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives or additives.  What is does contain is food-based vitamins, plant-source enzymes, ginger juice and probiotics that support digestion and absorption.  I have been taking this for over a year and a half now and have never had any issues with an upset stomach.

Pregnancy Apps

I don't know many first time mothers who don't measure the weeks of their pregnancy by the size of fruit that their baby has grown to.  There are several apps for your phone/ipod that will tell you all kinds of useful information on fetal development and pregnancy customized to how far along you are.  My favorite apps are BabyCenter and WhatToExpect which I read daily, and Sprout and TheBump which I read weekly.  They were all free in the Apple App Store!

 Sea Bands

I debated on adding this to the list, as I am not completely sure whether or not it really helped my nausea.  I can't say anything made me feel completely better, but I think these Sea Bands did help a little.  They are accupressure bands worn on both wrists to help with morning sickness and motion sickness.  At at around $6 per pair, they are definitely something worth trying if you are dealing with morning sickness.

New Bras

Before I was even out of the first trimester, I realized that new bras were going to be the first maternity clothes I would have to purchase.  Knowing they were only going to keep getting bigger, I didn't want to spend a whole lot on bras that would only fit temporarily, so I picked up a couple inexpensive bras from Marshalls and TJ Maxx.  I like the wireless customflex by Barely There.  They are so comfortable you can sleep in them if you want!  I like that they are quite stretchy too so they will hopefully grow with me for a little while longer.

Starchy Snacks

I found one of the best ways to keep my stomach happy was frequent snacks.  High carb with a little protein kept me the most satiated, although I still felt hungry most of the time - even when I was nauseated.  Weird, I know.  I brought several snacks to work with me everyday so I could eat every couple of hours, one of my favorites being rice cakes and peanut butter.  I also snacked on natural granola bars, dry cereal, and dried fruits.

Ginger Tea & Ginger Candy

It is true - ginger really does seem to help with nausea.  Organic Ginger Tea seemed to help settle my stomach most of the time when I drank it.  And the Candied Ginger from Trader Joes also seemed to help!  Plus it was a sweet treat when I was feeling like dessert and nothing else sounded appetizing.

Lists... lots of lists!

 

Yes, seriously.  "Pregnancy Brain" is a real thing (even though my husband thinks I am just using it as an excuse for being forgetful!)  If I don't write it down these days, chances are that I will forget it.  Even at work I have found myself forgetting to do things shortly after I am asked to do them!  Yikes.  Fortunately no harm has been done and it seems to have gotten better in the 2nd trimester.  Perhaps the 1st trimester fatigue plays a role in the forgetfulness?  Whatever the cause, I found it helpful to write everything down as that was my best chance at making sure it got done!

Hopefully this list will be helpful if you are newly pregnant or planning to become pregnant soon. I also wanted these things documented for my own future pregnancies.  I have started a list of 2nd trimester essentials, and I am continuing to add to it as the weeks go by and I discover the things I find most helpful as I find my way through this amazing adventure known as pregnancy  :)