When I was pregnant with Knox and trying to figure out what I needed I, like most people, scoured google looking for the best advice. I felt like most of what I found was advice from earthy, breastfeeding in public, cloth diapering, granola momma's. Not that there is anything wrong with that (more power to you!), it's just not me.
So here is advice from a barely kept it together, breastfeeding, show me the easiest way to get the most sleep at night, fly by the seat of your pants mom. As for the expert mom thing, let's face it: I was lucky to keep my first kid alive through his infant years. So take my tips for what you will, friends!
1. Okay so this is a cheat #1 because it's three different things. But I figured it was worth bundling them together. So, we'll do it like this:
1a: Medela Spare Parts Kit. I pumped a lot when I was breastfeeding Knox because I was working. I found out very quickly that since I was only functioning at about 50% 30% at that point, it was rare that I remembered to wash my pump parts the night before. These were a saving grace for me to have on hand!
(side note: I learned a little later that you can rinse your pump parts, put them in a ziploc and put them in the refrigerator. This is good for about 24 hours.)
1b: Lanolin. I used the heck out of this stuff in the beginning of my breastfeeding adventures because, let's face it, it hurts sometimes. It's safe for you and for baby, so it's a win win.
(side note: It will stain your clothes. My trick was to always have on a bra/nursing pad BEFORE I used the lanolin so that all it touched was the nursing pad. Problem solved.)
1c: Medela Quick Clean Bags. These were SO great when we were traveling. I'll be honest with you, I'm not much of a stickler for sanitizing. And I'll be honest again, everything goes through the dishwasher in our house. But anytime we had to stay in a hotel, I'd take one of these to clean pump parts, bottles, whatever I would have run through the dishwasher at home.
2. A swing. We have this one. Man, oh man. I can't say enough good things about this nifty little invention. Knox LOVED his swing. It would soothe him when he was upset and as he got a little older he loved to watch the birds spin around and see himself in the mirror. When he was about six weeks old he got a nasty viral infection and was super congested. His doctor told us to elevate his head while he was sleeping to help with the congestion. I wasn't quite ready to put him in his own room yet, but there was no way to elevate his bassinet. Solution: we moved the swing into our room and he slept in it for a few weeks.
(disclaimer for all of you who are freaking out at the thought of my kid swinging a mile high in the middle of the night: we turned it off when he went to sleep. And yes, we buckled him in.)
3. Chicco Keyfit 30. When Knox was born, this was the best of the best in terms of safety and it was what everyone was using. So, it's what we got. I feel like now there are a lot more fancy carriers out there, but this one served every purpose we could have ever imagined and didn't break the bank. It will most definitely be used again for Gavin.
4. Up&Up Diapers. Y'all, diapers will cause you to file for bankruptcy. And I just don't have it in me to cloth diaper. Props to those of you who do, but I just can't do it. I discovered the Target brand diapers when Knox was probably 3 or 4 months old and never looked back. We had used Pampers up to that point because Huggies didn't fit him right. We are still using them to this day and will be using them for Gavin too! I would love to know how much money this saved us so far.
Up&Up Size 1 Diapers, 112 count: $16.99 vs. Pampers Size 1 Diapers, 100 count: $24.99
Even better? If you use the Cartwheel app, there is almost always at least 10% off Up&Up diapers and wipes!
5. Medela Freestyle Breast Pump. This thing was a life-saver. I am not a nurse in public type girl, even if I'm covered. I have nothing against those who do, I just choose not to. I was also working full-time when I had Knox. So I pumped a LOT. This pump is small and compact and uses a rechargeable battery, so it's very easily transported from place to place. I could usually carry it in my diaper bag if I needed to! It has a hands free gizmo, but it always reminded me of dominatrix type things and I was never able to figure out how to make it work. (If you've ever seen it, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Or maybe I'm just crazy. Could be that.)
6. Puj Tub. I LOVED this for bath time! It is one of the best baby inventions ever in my opinion. We don't have much any storage space in our house, so I didn't want one of those big bulky tubs that I was going to have to hide somewhere when we had company over. This fit perfectly in our kitchen sink and I could use the sprayer to wash Knox and stick the tub in a cabinet when we were done!
So, there you have it. The things that I need to go dig out of a box so that I'll have them when Gavin gets here come April!
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