What Works

Now that we've had our little Emmett for almost 2 months, I'm feeling a bit more confident as his mother. We have our routine down, I can interpret his cries, I know when he's about to have a big poop, and we share so many sweet moments throughout every day. He has the sweetest smile and he recognizes my voice and my smell, and it's magical to be his mommy.

I have had some help along the way, and no, I'm not talking about my parents or Alex (although their help is INVALUABLE and I would be lost without them!). I'm talking about baby merch! There are SO many things on the market for moms and their new babies, and it was quite a process shifting though all the options and finding what I wanted... And that was only step one! It matters much more what Emmett wants and what makes him comfortable and happy, and learning that was another process of it's own. So here is my review on the top baby items we have, what works for me and for him, and what I would recommend to new moms everywhere!

1. Fisher-Price My Little Lamb Platinum Edition Cradle 'n Swing : This nifty swing is a lifesaver for Emmett's daytime naps. He LOVES the gentle rocking and the mobile and blue light he looks up at, and most of all the sweet baby songs that I can play at different volumes. I even like listening to the cheesy baby songs. When they're on, I can hum along (I've listened to them hundreds of times now) and they make me feel like there's a baby in the house. (Weird, but I like it). Most of all, this cute swing plugs in. It's on so much that I would go through TONS of batteries if it didn't have an AC adapter. That was the number one thing I was looking for in a swing, and I'm so glad I did. Finally, we've had a few blow-outs (poop everywhere, for those of you who aren't parents) and the fabric lamb that Emmett sits in comes out super easy and is machine washable. This is a must. I would definitely recommend this swing and I'm so grateful to my "aunt" Lisa for giving me this at my baby shower!

2. Baby K'Tan Wrap Carrier : I use this carrier constantly. I have worn Emmett while grocery shopping, on walks to the park, and around the house to get work done. He feels so secure while I'm wearing him, and he almost always is sound asleep resting on my chest and hearing my heartbeat. It makes me feel so close to him, while also having two hands free, and I absolutely love it. It's super easy to put on because it's just two loops that you criss-cross and set him in. Some of the other carriers are just long pieces of fabric, and while I'm sure it's easy to get a hang of how to wear them eventually, this carrier was easy from day one.

3. Boppy Nursing Pillow : I try to never nurse Emmett without the Boppy. I have one upstairs in my bedroom and one downstairs in the living room. He is so comfortable on it and I can use my hands for adjusting his position or reading or eating instead of holding him up. I often times use a Boppy to just lay him close to me while he naps. I tried one on while I was still pregnant and was like "how am I ever going to use one of these!?" It is definitely do-able without that huge baby bump!

4. Medela Nipple Shield : Beginning to breastfeed was the hardest part of having a new baby. My milk didn't come in for 4 days and I was so worried it never would. Once it did come in, I constantly worried that I wasn't making enough. The pain was almost unbearable and I would cry almost every feeding for weeks. That's when I pulled out these Nipple Shields that the hospital had sent home with me. I used these for about two weeks and they allowed me to heal from my scabs and blisters and still feed Emmett 10 times a day. I've weaned off of them since, but I often doubt that I would have been able to stick to breastfeeding if it weren't for these. I swear by them now.

5. Summer Infant Swaddle-me's : Emmett has slept over 8 hours a night since we took him home. Granted, that's not in a row, but we've had stretches of 6 hours from the time he was a 2 week old baby! That's pretty amazing and I'm so grateful. I also attribute his great sleeping habits to these Swaddle-me's. They keep his arms in snug, keep him warm, and he is only able to sleep in long stretches at night while wearing them. We have 3 in the 7-14lb size and more in the next size up and I know we'll be using them for a long time to come!

6. Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat and Caddy Stroller Frame: This is one of the safest car seats on the market and has been really easy to use with Emmett. The worst part about it is how heavy it is, but I know that contributes to its safety. We have a base in our Highlander and in my parents' car, and recently got the stroller frame so we can keep him buckled in here and use an easy stroller device. (We were given a different brand of stroller as well that's a jogging stroller, but this car seat doesn't fit in that.) We also got a cozy insert for the carseat that is so soft and fluffy and keeps Emmett warm, especially in winter on the mountain.

7. Avent Electric Breast Pump : Like I said before, breastfeeding was hard. One of my biggest stressors was knowing if my supply was enough for my baby. I got this electric pump to help establish and grow my supply, and it has been great. Since I'm home with my baby all the time, I didn't need a hospital grade pump, just a nice one that I could use at home to get a backup of milk in my freezer. This is definitely that. It is comfortable and effective, just the other day I pumped almost 5 oz out of one side AFTER he finished eating! That's a huge success for me and I'm so glad I have such an easy and effective pump.

8. Anita Nursing Bras : This last item is something that Emmett doesn't care about at all, but has been great for me. Since giving birth, I went from a 38DD bra size to a 38H. That's a pretty big jump. All the bras I found in department stores either did not get big enough for me, or were a sports bra style with absolutely no support. And trust me, if you've got milk jugs like mine, you NEED support. I found these bras on Amazon and got 3 of them! They are great. They're big enough, they've got underwire, they have the fancy nursing clips for easy baby access. Just all around what I needed.

Well, there it is! These products have been awesome and I'm so glad that they work so well for Emmett and me! I'm sure in the next few months some of these products will stop being as effective and others will come up to be stars, but for now I am behind these all the way.

|| Posted by Kate ||