All through out my pregnancy I was constantly Googling and searching for the best baby products out there on the market. Becoming a first time mommy is scary enough, so the added stress of having everything you need is not necessary. One thing I learned through out the baby registry- up until now process is to never trust what you read online. I know this may sound obvious but every baby is different, and just because one teething remedy that cost $20 helped one mom, doesn't mean it will help me. And same goes for something cheap, yes you get what you pay for but sometimes, it works just fine. So I made a list of what helped me during pregnancy, postpartum and Breella. I'm money savvy, so even if you were to try these items and they did not work, it would not be a big hit to your wallet! And I believe some stores will take back certain items.
Pregnancy:
1. I had hyperemesis which is the worst form of "morning" sickness. And when I say morning sickness, I mean, morning, afternoon, evening, late night sickness. I was miserable! Finally my doctor saw how sick I was when I lost 7 pounds in less than a week and she prescribed me Zofran- a.k.a life saver in a bottle. They're little pills that dissolve under your tongue and help stop nausea immediately-- for me. Some people need IV's with Zofran because the pills did not help, and for some people it did not help at all. But if you're like me and NOTHING else helped, try talking to your doctor!
2. A body pillow. Once I reached about 13 weeks of pregnancy, it started getting hard for me to get comfortable in bed. Not because of my belly but because for some reason my legs needed a pillow between them as well as I needed to hug a pillow. After a ton of research, I decided on spending around $55 for a Snoogle. The Snoogle is a giant pregnancy pillow that is supposed to help your sleep position. They even make ones that help make sure you do not roll onto your back. Well after two nights of using the pillow, I hated it and ended up selling it on eBay. I found that a $5 body pillow purchase at Walmart helped me much more. But I know a handful of woman who swear by this pillow. I think I felt more guilty at the fact that I spend $55 on a pillow, which ended up making me hate it.
3. A pregnancy book/keepsake. You first pregnancy is such an amazing journey that you only get to experience once, so make the best of it. I purchased this cute calendar keepsake and kept track of anything exciting that happened, such as when I first felt her kick, doctor's appointments, etc. You don't have to be a first time mom to get this obviously. I know for a fact I will do this for every pregnancy. Every book/calendar is different but mine cost about $12 on Ebay and came with cute stickers that coordinated with the events.
4. Palmer's Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks. Okay, okay, I'll admit that after spend around $8 for a jar of this, I only used it maybe 3 or 4 times. It's really greasy but smells great and really moisturized my skin. I hated to use it because I was afraid of ruining my clothes, so make sure you wear a shirt that you don't care about in case it leaves a grease stain. I got NO stretch marks so I guess the 3 or 4 times helped?
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| Side note: almost everyone will say that stretch marks are hereditary- so don't spend too much on trying to prevent them. If you're going to get them, you're going to get them.
4. 3D ultrasounds. This is something fun for you and your significant other or a family member to enjoy! I got two done, one at 15 weeks ( I lied and said I was 17 weeks so the place would tell me the gender- shhh) and one at 26 weeks. My doctor's office did not offer these so I went to an independent place and paid $85 for the first session- we got about 20 prints, the gender, a DVD of the scan, a disk with all of the pictures taken and a coupon to go back for the next visit. We went to a different place for the second one and paid $30 for 6 prints and a 30 minute scan. It's always better to get one further along so you can see the details of the baby.
5. A belly casting kit. I mentioned in my last blog post how relieved I was to be able to cast my belly before Breella came. This is something that is so fun to do and is also a great keepsake! You can get the kit at Babies R Us, and it comes with about 6 rolls of the paper casting stuff, petroleum jelly and instructions. You should wait until you're pretty far along, but not too far so that you don't miss the chance to do it. The kit cost around $20 and came with more than enough to cover my belly. It's cool to look back at the cast and see just how big you were. I casted my belly 6 days before Breella came so it is almost the exact size that I was when I delivered.
6. TUMS. I lived off of Tums and Rolaids from the second trimester until I gave birth. I had the worst heartburn imaginable. I thought I was going to burn a hole through my esophagus. I hated the fruity flavors. Wintergreen Tums were my favorite, they tasted the least like chalk. Rolaids helped but in my opinion were too chalky.
Postpartum:
1. Lansinoh Affinity Pro Double Electric Breast Pump. Everyone will tell you that the Medela is the best breast pump out there and to be honest, they're probably right. I used the Medela Symphony in the hospital and LOVED it. But I won't drop $300 on a breast pump, so I decided on the Lansinoh Affinity Double Electric Breast Pump and I loved it. It had two types of suctions and several "sucking" strengths. I got it for $149 at Babies R Us, along with a few bottles that Breella still loves besides the Dr. Browns.
2. Go Lacta. This also has to do with breast feeding. I always felt like I wasn't producing enough milk so I purchased all natural, vegan pills called Go Lacta. I would talk 2-3 pills, 2-3 times a day and by the 3rd day I was pumping about an ounce to two ounces more than normal. I swore by these pills. They leave a green tea after-taste though, but that was my only side-effect. http://www.golacta.com/ is their website for more information.
3. Carvel (or whatever ice cream shop you have). When I was in the hospital and for about a month after, all I wanted was a chocolate Carvelanche from Carvel with extra hot fudge and extra crunchies. I must have had one every single night. I'm not sure how this might be helpful to everyone, but ice cream heals the soul.
4. A make-over. Listen up husbands, fiances, boyfriends, fathers- after we give birth, most of us do NOT feel sexy, or remotely close to it. We don't have time to shower, we have a mom pouch, we're sore, tired, engorged, you name it. After Breella, I went to the salon and had my hair done. I felt so much better after it, and who know guys! She might just thank you!
I guess you can say that I was pretty easy after Breella came. The main things that I relied on at first were my pump and Go Lacta.
For Baby:
I had a lot of life saving products when Breella was born, from her swing to her bouncer to her car ride simulator. I suggest that everyone buys at least one of those because you and your baby will love it!
1. Gas drops. When Breella hit about a month and a half she became extremely colicky and cried nonstop. We found that gas drops really helped and they still help to this day. At first we used Little Remedies but we use store brand now, from Target to Babies R us, they're all the same and the store brands are cheaper!
2. Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water. This came hand in hand with the gas drops. I found that this brand helped the most with Breella and since it had no alcohol in it the doctor said I could give Breella this and gas drops all day as much as I needed. I would pour a little in her bottle with the formula and give it to her. It may be a coincidence but once I started using this, her colic went away. I found this at Walmart for $10.
3. Dr Browns bottles. After and even while I was breast feeding, I used Dr Browns bottles, and we still use them to this day. They have a "straw" like tube in that goes in the bottle. This is to ensure that there is always milk/formula in the nipple. This results in less gas and a happier baby. Yes they are a pain to clean but everything is dishwasher safe. Plus the dishwasher gets so hot, that it also sanitizes the bottles! If you do not have a dishwasher, I suggest getting the Dr Browns bottle brush, it makes cleaning them a whole lot easier. They also come with a wide neck for breast feeding babies, PLUS different colors, like pink and purple.
4. Bedtime body wash, bubble bath and lotion. I use Johnson and Johnson but any brand will do! I have the all in one, shampoo, wash and bubble bath that we use during bath time and then once we dry Bree off well lather her up with the bedtime lotion. It comes in a purple bottle and smells amazing! I use it on myself sometimes. I am not sure if this work, but I feel like Breella gets a better night's sleep when we use it. Plus it leaves her smelling nice, clean and soft.
5. A Boppy pillow. This comes in handy when nursing but it also has many other uses as you baby grows! Of course it is a place for the baby to lay while breast feeding, but the baby can also lay on the pillow, use the pillow for tummy time and when older, use the pillow to sit in to help gain balance when learning how to sit up. Even if you are not breast feeding, you should invest in a pillow like this. Breella loves to sit in it or lay her head on it and drink her bottle while watching tv. Plus it comes with different covers to put on it so if later on you have a different gender baby- all you have to get is a different case!
6. Rich. He is the reason I stay so sane while being a mommy. Having a positive support system will ALWAYS be the biggest and best thing you need when becoming and being a mommy. And I couldn't thank him enough. Thank you Rich, I love you.
As I mentioned above, most of the essential baby items I used for Breella are things such as her seats. As I continue down the journey of motherhood, I will be sure to update this post with more things that I love for Breella. I hoped my first time mommies and mommies to be find this a little helpful! I have provided links below to where you can purchase everything! If you have any favorite baby products, feel free to mention them in the comments.
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Links:
Pregnancy calendar: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/my-pregnancy-keepsake-calendar/1042394815?mcid=PS_bingpla_nonbrand_none_&device=c
Belly Casting Kit: http://www.toysrus.com/buy/prenatal-care/pearhead-pregnancy-belly-casting-kit-82100-3730808
Go Lacta: http://www.golacta.com/
Dr Browns Bottles: http://www.toysrus.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=3088660
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