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April 2018

Personal Care / Child, Personal Care / Mom, Personal Care / Parent

Newborn Essentials

Finally!  It’s about time I posted this one.  Sheesh.

This blog summarizes the newborn items I recommend (and some that I suggest you steer clear of).  Here’s a hint – you truly need only a small fraction of the things the baby stores (and maybe your friends) are pushing on you.  Trust me – I’ve now been through this twice.  I took the bait with the first one and had a closet full of short sleeve tops, long sleeve tops, sleep sacks, onesies, socks, booties, hats, mittens, diapers, wipes, breastfeeding pillows, etc.  Not to mention all the other things like bassinets, swings, toys, teethers, books, music, etc. (plus all the things my friends “donated” to help).  My god – what a racket (my grandmother would be proud of me for using that word).

Some of these products are green and many are not – I tried green options when possible and provided you with a review on whether they’re worth it or not.  The one thing to remember…babies grow and grow fast.  Everyone will have her own opinion, and I appreciate this, but I’m hoping to shed some light on the essentials you’ll truly need for the first few months.

A helpful hint – take all the freebies you can get from the hospital:  wipes, diapers, formula, nipples for the formula bottles, disposable underwear (trust me, just get a huge stack to take home), etc.  Some hospitals will even give you a girdle thing if you’re super focused on things like that.  And, take advantage of the nursing staff you’ll have available to you – while each one may have her own opinion on things, they are valuable wells of information.

This is a pretty long blog, so for those of you who just want the answers (the Cliff Notes version for those of you who remember those) – here they are (if I haven’t included it on this list, I personally don’t think it’s an absolute requirement.  If you have specific questions, please reach out to me on my Facebook page):

DIAPERING

Why Huggies Little Snugglers?  They absorb and have elastic in the back waist so they don’t leak as much.  Why do I like them better than Pampers?  (a)  the side tapes are longer and easier to adhere; (b) they have genius purple color sides in the front near the tabs (sounds weird, but when you are tired, it’s a godsend to know you haven’t put the diaper on backwards AGAIN); and (c) they’re cheaper.  Sold.  I actually used Pampers Sensitive for my first child –  only because a friend recommended them to me, and I never tried Huggies.

What about green options?  With my first, I tried several green disposable diapers.  None of them worked.  The Honest Company diapers actually gave my child boils.  Seriously?  Other options, like Seventh Generation and Babyganics just didn’t absorb pee (if any), and I was constantly changing wet onesies.  Not to mention how uncomfortable it must have been for my baby to be covered in pee all the time.

For newborns, you won’t need a specific overnight diaper yet.  That comes as they get older.  As my youngest go older, we added Huggies Overnights to our stockpile.  Man, do they hold a lot of pee.  This is the only version that worked for us.  The Pampers ultra absorbent left a weird green dye on my baby, and also disintegrated into pee pebbles in the morning (if you’ve ever wondered what they put inside these diapers to absorb the pee, this is a way to find out).

One non-green brand that definitely did NOT work?  Target.  Supposedly they reformulated their diaper line a year or so ago.  They just don’t absorb anything.  Nothing.  Nada.  Total waste.  This is such a shame because they can be half the price of other brands, and now we know why.

A thought – it really sucks to run out of diapers.  Newborn can go through 10+ per day.  Do yourself a favor and get the diapers on automatic subscription through Amazon.  You can edit your automatic delivery at any time.

WIPES

There are a ton of wipes out there – many are very similar.  I want to try and find something that had as few chemicals as possible, while still working.

I haven’t found much difference between the various sensitive brands of wipes, whether Pampers or Huggies.  The one sensitive brand that I’m not a fan of is the Target brand – the wipes aren’t wet enough so I had to use a ton, and the packaging is that super noisy crunchy plastic (have fun with that – a startled cry from your newborn may make you think you’re having a heart attack).

What about green options?  The Babyganics wipes are great, but super expensive – I tend to save these to use for hand wipes only.  Oh, and the ever popular Water Wipes.  I just don’t get it.  They are ridiculously expensive, and I’ve actually heard of people receiving ones that are moldy.  If you haven’t heard of them, they are wipes with 99.9% water and then a little bit of grapefruit seed extract as a natural “skin conditioner.”  The idea is that water is best as a wipe (can be – I learned this in a baby class), and that anything else in wipes can irritate a baby’s skin (also a possibility).  What about just putting water on a soft cloth?  Anyways, I figure if the hospitals are using traditional sensitive baby wipes, thats what I will stick with also.  To each her own.

OINTMENT

Your newborn most likely won’t need much ointment.  Yeah, she’ll be peeing a lot (could be 8 – 10 x / day) as well as pooping (1+x / day), but you’ll be changing diapers so often that most likely the baby won’t get much redness or a rash.  It is advised to really only use ointment if necessary.

But, if your baby does need it, there are some great ointments out there.  On the green front, I love Alba Botanical Un-Petroleum Multi Purpose Jelly.  Yeah, it’s a bit pricey, but my little squeeze bottle has lasted me for a long time (again, I only use ointment when necessary).  Its main ingredients are castor seed oil, coconut oil and beeswax.  Same consistency as traditional petroleum jelly.

Otherwise, the tried and true ointments work very well – Aquaphor Baby (basically a petroleum jelly substitute), A&D (petroleum + lanolin) and Triple Paste (white ointment specifically to treat the redness and irritation of a diaper rash).  Another neat little trick – your baby’s cheeks may get red and chapped. Why?  Drool, face rubbing, etc.  You can use lotion (see below), but you need to be careful with all the additives and fragrance.  Instead, I use either the Alba, Aquaphor or A&D on her cheeks, mainly before naps and bedtime.  Voila – redness disappears.

BABY MONITOR

So, I’ve been through more than my fair share of monitors.  The best in my opinion?  Infant Optics DXR-8 – maybe you haven’t heard of this brand.  I heard about it through a friend in San Francisco years back.  One of the main reasons I chose it is that it operates on a frequency band that doesn’t interfere with most other frequency bands out there.  Also, it’s not WiFi – not WiFi???? How dare I!  Hear me out – I didn’t choose WiFi for security reasons.  There were many reported cases of crazies tapping into people’s WiFi streams to watch the baby monitor feeds.  Freaky.  Wrong.  Disturbing.  So, I decided I did not want WiFi.  If you choose to go this route, I don’t have much to recommend as I haven’t used any.

Back to Infant Optics – beyond what I mentioned above, it has an amazing battery life (6+ hours unplugged), has the option to not have the automatic video shut off after a few minutes of being unplugged (this is SO ANNOYING) and has crystal clear night vision.  Also, the customer service is amazing.  I dropped my monitor right on the charging cord input – oops.  The company sent me another charging cord for free.   No questions asked. Sold.

Summer Infant?  I had the Side by Side version (I initially liked this as it was the only monitor I found that could show both video feeds of my children on the same screen – didn’t have to toggle back and forth – as well as the temperature in each room.  Sound only could come from one room at a time, though).  Why don’t I like it anymore?  Horrific battery life.  The worst ever – maybe will last 20 minutes unplugged.  You also cannot turn off the automatic video shut off which happens almost immediately after unplugging it and probably every 30 seconds thereafter.  Also, it’s clunky and not well made.  And, the camera, even when turned off, runs hot.  Odd.  Finally – customer service is the worst out there.  On 2 occasions, the monitor just stopped charging.  I don’t know why.  Customer service was relentless in saying they couldn’t do anything for me and that I should just go out and get another monitor (I was able to get a new charging cord after tears – oh, if you ever have a 2nd monitor you aren’t using, that power cord can almost always be used as a substitute for the monitor charging cord).

Motorola?  It’s ok.  I actually liked the compact design.  But, my Motorola monitors each lasted less than a year.  Kind of unacceptable when you’re spending $200+ for a monitor.

Each of the monitors mentioned has the ability to move the camera remotely through the monitor controls (important so that you don’t need to run in while you’re baby is seeping to adjust it), as well as the ability to talk through it (I’ve never used this feature), zoom and several other options.  One final thing, the temperature gauges on monitors vary wildly with reality – I had one (it was a Motorola one – that averaged 7 – 8 degrees hotter than the actual room).  When you have an infant, it can freak you out.  I called, and they asked me to build a hollow, wooden box to put it on.  REALLY??????? For f’s sake.  Just fix the temperature sensor.

CLOTHING

Ok, so for you first time moms and dads out there…newborns need to be changed A LOT.  So visions of changing your little cherub a few times a day into super cute outfits turns out to be a royal pain in the as*.  Trust me.  Save those super adorable outfits for when you’re out with friends or relatives come and visit.  It’s just not practical.  And, do you really want to be pulling a onesie over your child’s head if that onesie is covered in blowout poop?  Yes, there’s a reason they’re called blowouts.

So, what is practical?  A great onesie.  And here’s how I define great:

  • Zipper (no snaps!!!!!!!!  I am convinced someone who never had an infant invented the onesie with snaps.  Who the hell would do this to me when I’m trying to change a diaper in the middle of the night?  Never again)
  • Zips from the top down – this may sound weird and backward, but it is a nifty thing  when changing your child’s diaper b/c you only need to unzip from the foot to mid chest to change the diaper
  • Soft cotton – I don’t want a ton of strange synthetic material against my newborn’s skin
  • Fold over mittens (important so that your newborn doesn’t scratch herself when she doesn’t have control over her limbs quite yet) AND footies
  • Affordable

Thanks to my aunt who found my favorite onesie…Target’s Cloud Island onesies.  They check all the boxes, and get this…3 for $12.99.  I tried to find affordable organic cotton onesies, but most of them were expensive, had snaps and many times didn’t have the fold over mittens or footies.

With respect to other clothes, you really don’t need them unless you really want to.  One option which can be great is a kimono style top (short or long sleeve) right after the baby is born.  These style of tops are much easier to put on (not over the head) and are gentle against the baby’s umbilical cord until it falls off (which happens generally 1 – 2 weeks after birth).  I skipped pants, pull over shirts, shoes (really?  I  mean they’re cute, but trust me, the baby will somehow get them off) for months and months, Again, a personal preference.

FORMULA

I am a huge believer and supporter of both breastfeeding and formula feeding.  Each mom knows what’s best for her and her child.  For my first child, I was medically unable to breastfeed due to nerve complications from a severe case of Bells Palsy.  I was able to pump, so I bottle fed and then started mixing that with formula over time.  As you are already aware, everyone has an opinion on this so do what you feel is right – my view is that let’s all be respectful of others and their choices.  Ok, I’m off my soap box.

For both of my children, I needed to supplement in the hospital given their weight loss (I had c sections for both so my milk came in late).  For my first, we used whatever the hospital had (it may have been Enfamil, I don’t remember).  For my second, I actually asked that she be supplemented with donor breast milk.  After a day or so, she still was losing too much weight, so I was strongly encouraged to switch to formula.

The only formula I’ve used at home is Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity Formula (note:  this product can be bought at various grocery stores as well as Target – it can be pricey, so you may want to comparison shop vs. Amazon).  Given it worked for my first child, I never tried anything else.  Also, when thinking about baby formula, I think it’s very important to choose an organic version.  Why?  Because generally one of the first ingredients will be corn syrup solids – unless the can states organic or non-GMO, you are putting genetically modified corn into your infant … a no no for me.

BOTTLES

Here again, I didn’t try everything under the sun because I was fortunate to find some that worked for us right away – with my first child.

As I mentioned, I bottle fed my first for a year.  I used Dr. Brown’s bottles throughout, and just changed the nipple as she got older (allowed for faster flow).  I used both plastic and glass bottles (pros and cons to each).  This bottle has a funky way of reducing gas / colic and seemed to work for us.  And, while this seems like an odd thing, they actually print the nipple size on the nipple (many companies do not, so you are left guessing which nipple flow rate you are using which is super annoying – hello Comotomo).  Dr. Brown’s now has a wide neck bottle and nipple option, but I have never used that so can’t provide an opinion.  I always used the standard sized ones.

For my second child, I didn’t use bottles – a long laundry list of reasons, but it just didn’t happen.  So, at 7 months, I tried to introduce one.  It just didn’t work.  I tried SEVEN bottle types and nada.  I was at my wit’s end.  Everyone kept telling me to “persevere.”  WTF.  What ended up working?  A sippy cup!  the ZoLi BOT cup to be exact.  I am now weaning her onto formula and will skip bottles altogether (maybe a silver lining in that I won’t need to wean her from a bottle).

Remember, for all bottles, check which nipple come with it.  Many times they come with the newborn, slowest flow nipple.  You may have to buy the right nipples separately.  It’s also helpful to have a bottle brush to clean the bottle and parts.

BREAST PUMP

Do yourself a favor and rent a hospital grade breast pump.  Why?  It will extract more milk from your breast than any consumer version.  Period.  You generally can rent these by the month (mine was $40 – $50 / month if I remember), and then you return it when you’re done.  And, many times your insurance will cover this.

One piece of advice, make sure you have the right flange size – the flange is the ever so pretty cone thing that you put on your boob and over your nipple.  If you have the wrong size, you can get blisters.  Awesome.  Another helpful hint – if you plan on breastfeeding, ask the nursing staff right away to get you a hospital grade pump to use while you are in the hospital.  They can help you find the right flange size, but it will also help start your milk flow sooner.

SWADDLE / SLEEPSACKS

I’ve had great success with the Halo sleep sacks.  Your doctor would / should recommend that infants be in a full swaddle (or a burrito wrap with a blanket with her arms tucked in).  Most sleep sack brands have infant versions that have velcro to help with this (trust me – the nurses at the hospital make the blanket wrap look so easy – both of my babies were able to get out of my version of the wrap.  A swaddle with velcro tabs made it MUCH easier, and they couldn’t get out).

The Halo 100% Cotton Swaddle comes in both a lighter cotton material and a heaver fleece like material.  I use both depending on how hot / cold the rooms are.  The other great thing about a sleep sack?  As the child gets older, it makes it nearly impossible for her to climb out of her crib.

One option I just cannot recommend?  Lotus Baby.  I tried this with my second because it seemed to be all the rage this past year.  They are insanely expensive ($75.00 each) but the company claims the swaddle is made from a NASA-inspired material which regulates the body heat of your child.  Enticing.   But it didn’t work.  Also, the infant swaddle version has a huge chest plate size of velcro on the front –  nothing quite as sweat-inducing as scaring the living sh&t out of your infant by ripping off a huge velcro thing from her chest when taking her in and out of this.  I will say the company gave me a full refund when I called, and the head engineer also asked to speak with me so they can improve the product.

BLANKET / WRAP

I have an almost full drawer of “blankets” that are bigger than burp cloths and smaller than actual blankets.  So annoying – they aren’t useful really.  Do yourself a favor and invest in a handful of really good blankets / wraps – some that are lighter (made out of muslin – you can use as light blankets / wraps as well as for a cover for your stroller if sunny) and heavier (for feeding, cuddling, etc.).

I’ve tried almost everything out there – name brands, discount brands, etc. – I always come back to Aden & Anais muslin blankets for the lighter ones (note:  Amazon won’t let me provide a link, but they do sell it on the site).  These are made out of cotton muslin, are huge and are light.  They aren’t cheap, but I have had the same ones for over five years, and they look brand new.  Worth every penny.

For the heavier ones, I love Little Giraffe.  This is definitely a splurge.  But again, I’ve had the same ones for over 5 years.  They withstand washing, spit up, etc.  And, they are super cozy and wonderful.

BURP CLOTHS

Again, you’ll see tons of different kinds of these in the stores.  And again, I need to go back to the tried and true Aden & Anais burp cloths (note:  Amazon won’t let me provide a link, but they do sell it on the site).  Why?  Because they’re made out of super hefty, thick cotton, are a bit larger and they have snaps so you can transition them into bibs later.  And, like with my other Aden & Anais products, I have had the same ones for 5 years and they look like new.

BASSINET

I respect parents have various opinions on sleeping arrangement for their infants.  For me, I chose to put a bassinet next to my bed for 3 months or so.  And, I chose the Fisher Price Rock n Play (note:  Amazon won’t let me provide a link, but they do sell it on the site).  I didn’t buy it because it rocks (in fact, I don’t know if I ever used this feature), but more so because it is on a slight angle and almost at my bed edge level.  It made middle of the night feedings a lot easier.

In fact, a little hint for those of you that may be on baby #2 or more…get another one of these to put in or near your other child’s room.  Why?  It’s extremely convenient to have an extra bassinet to put your baby into while you’re helping your other child get up or be put to bed.  Or, even more convenient for those times when you desperately need to shower (nothing like your infant staring at you from her bassinet while you’re trying to shampoo furiously).

For my second, I also had an Uppa Baby Bassinet which would click into the stroller.  The bassinet is also approved for sleeping – in fact, there is an Uppa Baby Bassinet Stand just for this purpose.  For some reason, my infant didn’t like sleeping in this, but it was a great (if expensive) option for the stroller so my baby could lie flat (my pediatrician always told me, “the CAR seat is for the CAR” and urged me to use a stroller that would lie as flat as possible for an infant).  Note – if you get one of the stroller systems I recommend, it will lie completely flat and you will not need a separate bassinet.

CAR SEAT

There’s nothing like walking down the aisles of a baby store and seeing endless numbers of car seats and strollers.  The main thing I focused on for a car seat was safety (you can review safety ratings for car seats online), ability to easily click it into a stroller and then weight.  If it was pretty, that was awesome, but that was not my focus.  And remember, you need to make sure whatever car seat you are buying is either specifically for an infant, or is a car seat that has the required inserts / parts for an infant (there are many “convertible” car seats that will grow with your child from the infant age up through toddler and even beyond).  I chose to get an infant specific car seat knowing I would need to transition to a larger one most likely within a year.

For my first, I used the Chicco Cortina CX Travel System – it was fantastic.  It was the car seat (fairly easy to install) as well as a stroller.  The car seat clicked easily into the stroller without any accessory parts, and this is one of the only strollers that lies completely flat when used in stroller mode without the car seat (Note:  the Bravo version does NOT recline flat).  Amazing.  And, compared to many other car seats and strollers, this was extremely affordable.

For my second, I used an Uppa Baby Mesa car seat.  Why did I change?  Several reasons:  (1)  you’re never supposed to use a used car seat – this is a cardinal rule; (2) I gave away my Chicco stroller to a neighbor when we moved from San Francisco; (3) I had an Uppa Baby stroller already (purchased it for my first child when she was a bit older).  I really love the Uppa Baby Mesa car seat – while the base installation is a bit annoying (the clips that go onto the hooks in your car automatically retract all the time to ensure the car seat is installed correctly – but if the clip slips out of your hand when you’re installing it, it automatically retracts.  Over and over and over again), getting the car seat in and out of the car is easy.  It clicks right into the stroller, and there is a single button release on top of the handle to get it off the stroller.

STROLLER

As mentioned above, I used the Chicco Cortina CX Travel System for my first child – the entire system included a stroller.

For my second, I had an Uppa Cruz stroller.  It’s expensive, I won’t lie.  But it lasts – I’ve had ours for almost 5 years and it has been through hell and back with us.  This is one you put on your registry and hope an uber generous person buys for you!  It folds very quickly with two release buttons, has an adjustable handle bar as well as a great canopy for blocking the sun (along with an additional silver, UV shielding extended canopy).  The downside is that the Uppa products are pricey – but, it is very high quality.

STROLLER COVER

Some people use the muslin blankets and drape them over the stroller – this works, especially if you can tuck them under a handle of the car seat or into the sides of the actual stroller so the wind doesn’t blow them away.

If you use the car seat in the stroller for walks, running errands, etc. another cool option is a Baby Car Seat Cover Canopy which has elastic around it to hug the car seat.  The one I like is made out of t-shirt like material and comes in several designs.

BABY SHAMPOO

You won’t be able to give your infant a real bath until her umbilical cord falls off.  Before that, you can use wash cloths with just water as necessary.  Also, understand that baby’s skin is very sensitive, so you won’t even really need to use soap very much once baths start.  A helpful hint:  don’t use bubble bath.  And this isn’t only for infants.  My pediatricians both San Francisco and Colorado have told me to not use bubble bath as it is extremely irritating to babies’ skin, especially girls.  Girls can get vaginal infections from bubble baths so it’s best to steer clear.

With respect to shampoo, I have always used the mildest product I can find.  And who doesn’t love smelling a baby’s head?  Yum.  I have used Mustela Foam Shampoo for Newborns for both children when they were infants.  It is expensive, but this version is a foam which is a very mild cleanser and the bottle lasts a long time – I’m still on the same bottle after almost 8 months.

Separately, it is very common for infants to get cradle cap – this is basically pretty intense dandruff.  There are products out there specifically for this condition, as well as special combs / brushes to help if you need it.

BABY LOTION

You won’t really need to use baby lotion for quite some time – maybe even months.  But, it is sometimes very relaxing for your baby to use some lotion for a baby massage after baths, before bed, etc.

Again, you need to take precautions that whatever you are using is mild and fragrance free given how sensitive babies’ skin is.  I use(d) California Baby Sensitive Lotion for both children.  It is a vegan lotion free from fragrance and has soothing ingredients like organic calendula and aloe vera.

NIPPLE PADS AND CREAMS

Oh yes, how fun.  If you choose to breastfeed, you may experience some odd/interesting/painful things like leakage, sore/cracked nipples, plugged ducts, etc.

I wore / wear Lansinoh Nursing Pads in my bras during the day – they help with not only leaks (I actually didn’t have much of this) but also with comfort.  Sorry if TMI, but your nipples most likely will be quite sensitive and maybe even sore at times.  The pads help with this so they aren’t rubbing against your bra all the time.  Why do I like Lansinoh?  They stay put (most of the time) as they have 2 adhesive strips (Medela pads only have one adhesive strip, and they’re awful), and they don’t show that much underneath clothes.  Sorry, but if any brand says they don’t show, they’re lying.  You’re putting a round cotton pad inside your bra.

If your nipples do get dry and / or cracked, you will need nipple cream.  You want to get something that is 100% lanolin.  This is safe to apply as often as needed and is safe to use while breastfeeding (you don’t need to wipe it off).  I’ve always used the Lansinoh Breastfeeding Salve, mainly because that’s what I saw first in the store with my first child. There are other brands out there, but just make sure you’re getting 100% lanolin.

I hope these suggestions are helpful – while I think I remembered everything I feel is essential, I could be missing somethings.  I tried to really focus on the basics – you may feel there are some things you need that aren’t on this list.  And, please, if you have a question, always feel free to reach out to me on my Facebook page, and I will do my best to provide an honest answer.

Congrats on your little one(s)!

 

Love and Peace,

The Almost Green Mom

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Amy Smith is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com