The Things That Helped Me Make It Through the First 3 Months with Baby
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The first few months of being a new parent is undoubtedly a learning experience. Despite feeling prepared and having all my plans in place before my daughter was born, nothing went as I had expected. I mean, does it ever? Why would I think things would go the way I thought they would when a baby is involved?! 😛 Basically everything I had planned went out the window. Baby sleeping in the crib from day one – HA! She had other plans! Backup plan: Baby sleeping in the pack and play in our bedroom. Wrong again! She wanted no part of that. Intent: Never co-sleep. Riiiiight – see where I’m going with this? The only way the baby would sleep at all was if she slept in the bed with us. I said I’d never co-sleep, but the baby said otherwise.
Over time, I’ve learned to be more flexible, never say never, and to have several backup plans for when I just don’t know what else to do. I’ve also learned to have some really great “tools” in my ‘toolbox’ to help with said backup plans.
So, with that being said, let me share with you the 5 baby products that got me through the first 3 months of being a new parent.
1. Boppy Newborn Lounger
As I said above, Maddie wanted no part of sleeping in her crib or her pack and play. Instead, we found ourselves letting her co-sleep while she snoozed away in her Boppy Newborn Lounger on our bed. I wasn’t a fan of co-sleeping for safety reasons and I certainly didn’t want to ignore the warnings on the newborn lounger about not letting your baby sleep in it, but that’s the only place she would sleep so we let her. Definitely not the best feeling as a new parent to not follow warnings about something so serious. When you have a cranky baby that won’t sleep though, you do whatever you can to make her happy.
2. Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit
Once the time came for me to go back to work, I knew I couldn’t let Madeline co-sleep anymore. One of my friends told me about Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit and while it looked like a crazy little snowsuit that would overheat her for sure, I decided to give it a try. The day it came, I washed it and dried it then prepared myself for what surely would be a battle to get my 10 week old in this thing. Turns out, it was super easy to put on and once she was all zipped up in it, she instantly calmed down and was fast asleep IN HER CRIB in a matter of minutes! She slept through the night in her crib the first night she wore her sleep suit! It has now been 3 weeks that she’s been sleeping in her own room in her sleep suit and she only wakes once in the middle of the night to be fed. And as far as concerns over her body temperature, the sleep suit actually feels like a comforter, so it keeps her warm, but doesn’t overheat her at all.
3. WubbaNub
Pacifiers were another thing that I had said I didn’t want to resort to if I didn’t have to with my new baby. Yet again, she decided what was going to work for her and I just followed along. Pacifiers worked in calming her down, but they wouldn’t stay in long because she’d spit them out. Enter the WubbaNub. This crazy little stuffed animal/pacifier combo does just that. The little stuffed animal is attached to a pacifier and provides just enough added weight that the pacifier doesn’t easily come out of the baby’s mouth. And now that she can grab things, she like to sit in her swing or car seat and hold on to her WubbaNub while it’s in her mouth.
4. Skip Hop Chelsea Chic Diaper Bag
The Skip Hop Chelsea Chic Diaper Bag has been one of my favorite things that I received from my baby registry. This bag has so much room but yet doesn’t seem bulky. And because it’s black, it goes with just about everything! It also doesn’t look too much like a diaper bag, so you could use it as a weekend bag or large purse if need be. There are also tons of pockets inside and outside that make it easy to carry everything baby needs. And, my husband has even used it without argument. 🙂
5. ZoLi Baby Nail Trimmer
Trimming baby nails is one of the scariest things you can do as a new parent. You HAVE to do it because their little fingernails become like sharpened weapons if you don’t. A lot of people recommend trimming baby’s nails while they sleep, but I never had luck with that. So, I got the ZoLi Baby Nail Trimmer. This “trimmer” isn’t a trimmer at all really, but instead is a nail file/buffer. It comes with little nail file discs that go onto the trimmer and when turned on, it vibrates and files baby’s nails very gently. It can come in to contact with delicate baby skin without doing any damage or hurting. In fact, my baby smiles through her little manicure every time!
Update:
My daughter is now almost 15 months old and these are still the things I tell all new moms they should get. Obviously the sleepsuit and the lounger won’t work for Madeline anymore, but the nail trimmer is still a lifesaver, the diaper bag is holding up like a champ, and the WubbaNub is basically her security blanket that she curls up with at bedtime.
What baby products helped you make it through rough times?
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