Pregnancy, Parenthood & Playtime

I was thinking about this for the past couple days, in correlation with the “What Do I Really Need?” Posts…

So I thought I would put together MY top 10 must have items for making it through parenting with your sanity!

1. A Baby Swing – I had so many sleepless nights before I got the guts to put my oldest into the swing, I thought at first he was just way too small, or the swing swung way too fast, even at the lowest setting there was. He loved it, and as a result of that we used the swing again for our second child, who couldn’t sleep anyplace else but the swing! I think a swing is a total MUST HAVE!

   

2. Baby Carrier!  A wearable one at that. I heard some horror stories of those Baby Bjorn type carriers and their connection to hip dysplasia, so instead of investing in one of those where the baby is supported fully by their crotch, we got a Mei Tai baby carrier. They are made by several different companies, but my #1 choice is a company called Baby Hawk as pictured above. As the baby gets older, the carrier can also be used on your back.
   
3. Lasninoh, better known in our home as “boob cream” but it is a complete life saver for breastfeeding mothers!

   

4. Stroller, but not just any kind of stroller!  The Graco Metro Lite series. Not only are they MUCH lighter than most strollers, and travel systems, they are easy to use, don’t take up a ton of trunk space, and overall are amazing. I don’t think I will ever go back to any other kind of single stroller but this one!  They are also available for travel systems including the infant carseat.

   

5. The Arms Reach Co-Sleeper!  We got this for our second child to help with midnight feelings, and still have him in our bedroom, and it works awesome, is well made, and we are still able to use it and he is almost 9 months old. It doesn’t take up a lot of room, it folds down easy for storage, and overall promotes the reduction in the risk for SIDS by co-sleeping!

   

6. Boppy!  But above all the naked boppy!  And separately buy the removable covers. Not only is it awesome for nursing, but it dubs as so many other things as your baby gets holder, including a great way to help your little one sit up. The reason I recommend the covers instead of the covered boppy’s is because the removable cover makes life so much easier for washing!

   

7. Glider!  I can’t tell you how many nights I slept in one of these while rocking my little guys to bed and being far to scared to put them down in the co-sleeper or crib fearing they would wake up. Not only are they comfortable for mom, but they can be used for other things in the long run. Ours has become part of our living room furniture now.

   

8. Baby Bouncer!  A total life saver, easy to bring places or take out of town for vacation as something to help entertain your baby!  I can’t tell you how many times ours made the trip to grandma’s house, or where ever we were going to be camping out for the night!
   
9. In the case you are using bottles, I highly recommend the Born Free BPA free bottles. They are awesome!  It is all we use in our house, they also help reduce gas in your little one. I will never go back to using any kind of bottle again after using Born Free!

   

10. Bumbo!  The bumbo has become a total lifesaver for our family. We use it for everything from a feeding chair to an activity tray with the optional tray you can buy. Also it makes for an easy chair to bring place with you, especially when going out to eat.