Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Month 2 Favorites And Flops

And just like that we're officially into November.  I feel like I tend to overuse this phrase, but time really is flying by.  How are we down to less than two months left in this year?  

Normally, I would be apologizing for the lack of posts lately, but this little person has been keeping me pretty busy over here.....



#WorthIt


So I've had several email & instagram requests to put together a post containing my favorite baby products.  Since we've officially entered into month two territory of 'all things baby', I thought now would be the appropriate time to fill you in on our favorite products, and also what have been absolute flops.  

It has been a lot of trial & error, and taken some experimenting with various products but I feel like we've finally gotten the hang of things.  Isla is starting to get into a morning + night routine {during the afternoon is another story}, and is giving us between 6-8 hour stretches of solid sleep every night!

Everything listed below is what we're currently using on a daily basis and I whole heartedly recommend every product on this list. 









Diapers - We've been using Honest Co. diapers & wipes since we brought her home from the hospital.  It is really important to me to use more all natural diapering products on her, and so far these have been great!  I know some people have complained that the diapers leak, but I haven't had any issues with leakage.  I did try out another brand that I purchased from Whole Foods, and I didn't like them nearly as much.  

I've also been using this soothing spray on her daily and I love that it contains all natural ingredients, and smells great!  I tested it on myself, and it really is a cooling & refreshing feeling.

If you're in the market for a good diaper pail, I highly recommend the Ubbi Diaper Pail.  This bad boy is pretty pricey, but it really does an amazing job of keeping any smells contained.  A huge added bonus is that you don't need to purchase any special bags for it!
 

Feeding - I am mostly breast feeding Isla on demand.  I did have some issues with breast feeding in the beginning which required me to pump and bottle feed her for 3 days.  Since she took a bottle so well, we've been doing 1 or 2 bottle feedings per day of pumped breastmilk.  This gives Adam the opportunity to feed her, and do a bit of father/daughter bonding.  I haven't tried any other bottles out since she did so well with Dr. Browns bottles.  I use these smaller 4 oz. bottles, with a size 1 nipple.  We're also currently using the Dr. Browns bottle warmer and it's been great.  It has a memory timer, so it automatically remembers the last length of time that was used, and heats up bottles relatively fast.  I've read some reviews that say that it works really well with most other brands of bottles as well.  If you're planning on doing any bottle feeding, I really recommend Dr. Browns products.

Along with feeding comes the need for burp cloths.  A big mistake that I made was buying Aden & Anais burp cloths.  The best ones that I've found so far are actually cloth diapers {particularly these from Gerber in this specific ply}.  They are durable, inexpensive, and can be used for so many other things besides being a burp rag.  I almost always slide one under Isla during messy diaper changes, which helps with having to wash the cover to my changing pad all the time.    


Bathing -  We established a nightly routine that included a bath when Isla was around 1 week old, and she absolutely loves it!  Every night we bathe her in her 4-Moms tub {couldn't recommend this tub more!}, and use this all natural lavender body wash/shampoo every few nights, followed by a mini massage with this calming lotion.  On the nights that we don't use the body wash, we just let her sit in the warm water and wipe her down with a washcloth {this one from RH is my favorite}.  She has really come to expect her nightly bath, and if we try skipping it she is really fussy, and has a difficult time falling asleep.


Swaddling - Admittedly, I purchased a ton of swaddle blankets {see this instagram picture}, but since having Isla I've actually purchased more!  We go through several every day since I use them for so much more than just swaddling.  They're great for those moments when you don't have a burp cloth handy, as stroller/car seat covers when baby is sleeping, spread out on the ground for tummy time or playing, rolled up under the mattress of her bassinet to help elevate her for acid reflux, etc.  Aden & Anais are an obvious choice for great swaddle blankets, but I also love these from Little Unicorn {although the quality of the cloth is a bit stiffer}.  Recently, I just discovered these extra large swaddle blankets {on sale!}, and purchased two packs of them.  I love the cute whimsical designs!  They're a bit thicker, and the longer length is perfect for swaddling since she is starting to get bigger.


Napping/Sleeping - I mentioned earlier that Isla is sleeping great at night, and has been clocking in 6-8 hour stretches of solid sleep in her bassinet every night since about week 5.  At night, we use this sound machine which is great for drowning out any noise {I actually sleep much better with it going!}.  Napping during the day is a different story however.  With the exception of our morning routine, in which I take a shower and she falls asleep from the sound of the water in her rock n' play, she really fights her naps unless she's snuggled on my chest.  I obviously love cuddle sessions with my baby, but holding her all day long makes it really hard to get anything done around the house.  Her morning nap does give me a small break, but basically the only way I can do any laundry/cooking/tidying up is by wearing her in the Solly Baby Wrap.  I even wear it while grocery shopping with her snuggled up next to me!  This has really been such a lifesaver, and I definitely recommend purchasing one.  Also recently after a conversation with my girl Brooke from Somewhere, Lately we added this swing to our fleet of gadgets, and I can usually get Isla to take a small 20-40 minute cat nap in this.  I'm hoping that as she grows she'll learn to love this, and go down for longer naps.


Clothing - I know firsthand that it's hard to not get carried away with all the adorable baby clothing, but when they're so little they really don't need anything besides onesies, and sleepers.  Some of our favorites have been these affordable zip up onesies {which make middle of the night diaper changes a breeze since there is not a zillion buttons to snap}, and also these super soft footed sleepers from Kickee Pants.  I love the fun designs that they feature, the cute little ruffles on the bum, and also the super soft fleece lining in the foot area to keep little toes toasty warm.  Since we don't swaddle Isla's arms {she HATES her arms being confined and will fight it until she breaks free}, it's really important to have pj's that have the mitten cuffs so her little hands don't get too cold, and both of these have that feature.


Playing - I was a little hesitant about whether or not a play gym was worth it at this age, and I'm really glad that I ended up purchasing this one.  At first she was mesmerized and would get a little overwhelmed, but lately she gets so happy and will smile + laugh at the little hanging animals.  She really seems to like all the different sounds, and the bright colors.  This mat also makes for the perfect spot for doing morning tummy time!




and for any mama to be's or new mommies who might be struggling with breastfeeding.....


This combo helped me tremendously during those painful early weeks of breastfeeding, and I highly suggest both of these products along with this nursing bra {I have it in 3 colors, and wear them 24/7}.




Flops:

So far these have been the biggest flops for us.  But since every baby is different, that doesn't mean that they won't work for your little one!  As I've quickly learned, it's a real trial & error process.....

sleep sheep - doesn't get the job done!  Better to invest in a real sound machine.

mamaroo - I wanted to love this because the look + concept is so cool, but unfortunately Isla isn't a big fan.  I don't think it moves fast enough for her. 

 expensive burp cloths - see above for my recommendation for inexpensive, durable ones.



I hope this helps you ladies, and if you have recommendations for must-have baby products leave a comment below.  Thanks for reading! xx



9 comments:

  1. Andy, she is such a cutie! Loved this update.

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    1. Thanks Leslie! We think she's pretty darn cute :)

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  2. This was super duper helpful (I think I clicked every link ha)!! Congrats on your baby girl, she's so sweet:))

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    1. Thank you! :) I'm so glad this was helpful to you! It's always nice to see what is working for other people....

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  3. Awesome stuff girl! a lot of our picks were on there as well. We love the rock n' play too! Little Isla is super sweet.

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  4. Are you sleep training her at all? Specific times for naps during the day? I'd love to know how you're getting her to sleep so long at night! What time do you start the nighttime routine? My 8 week old won't sleep for longer than 2 hours at a time 😁😴

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    1. Hi Dani! Sorry it's taken me a few days to get back to you! No, I haven't done any sleep training with Isla, I'm just letting her take the lead and really have just been looking for cues that she's getting tired during the day. I'd love to implement more of a schedule with her, but she's really not the best napper during the day.....The only real schedule we have with her is her nightly routine which we start with a bath at 7:30 every night. She does a lot of cluster feeding up until this time, then we bathe her and go through our nightly routine and I end up putting her down around 8:30pm. Hope this helps, and if you want more info I can always do a more in depth post on this! :)

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  5. Love this post - I love seeing what other people love/hate! She's sooooooo sweet <3 Can't wait to see you guys soon! xx

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