Baby Essentials

Five months into being a mom of a baby, I've been able to look back and consider what products and advice were actually helpful to me and which weren't.  Now before I get too ahead of myself, remember that with every "baby essential list" the reader must take into consideration the parenting style behind such a list.  Not everyone is a "conventional" parent and not everyone is "attachment." Likewise, some are adamant about "green" living while others are more focused on efficient and frugal living.    As I've mentioned before, I fall into the efficient and frugal camp.  The greenest thing I do is buy quality used or new items and try to treat them well.  While I'm not wholly on the AP side, I don't know if I'd be considered "conventional" either.  I do wear Grace part of the day but we do not cosleep.  So take these considerations into mind when looking at my list.

Some of the products I use everyday for Grace:

Swaddlers-- either SwaddleMe brand or Kiddapotomus.  Grace loved to be swaddled and we started her on these swaddlers as soon as we brought her home.  It instantly soothed her so that she was able to sleep in peace.  I loved that they were easy to put on her and take off for all those early diaper changes when she was a newborn.

Our minimalist baby

Gerber Brand Cloth Inserts.  We used some for burp cloths but most of the time, we use them as an added protection between Grace and the diaper changing pad.  It's so much easier to swap one of these out than change the entire pad.  It also makes for a nice makeshift pad for sleeping on a hot day!


Activity Mat-- Grace has been on a couple activity mats.  Her personal one is used that was passed down to us.  It's a nice safe spot to place Grace while I run back outside to get my groceries or answer the phone.  Lately, I also been using it to gauge how tired Grace is before bed.  I lay her on there and let her play it out and watch for her to rub her eyes or get quiet (her sleepy cues).  Once that happens, I scoop her up and I nurse her to sleep.

Swing/Bouncy Chair-- We only use the swing or bouncy chair when we're having dinner.  It's a nice place to put her near us while we eat.  We've never had to use it for soothing or naps as Grace usually responds to the Five S's.  Our swing was bought used and the bouncy chair was passed down.  Both are Fisher Price brand.

Those are the basics for Grace!  Next time, I'll talk about the products that were useless to us!