My baby is almost three months old and I’ve learned quite a few things about the realities of having a baby and what are the essential baby items that I should have. I’m still using cloth diapers, but my list of necessities has definitely grown! My baby turned out to be very fussy, as a result of a cow’s milk protein intolerance (it gets into breastmilk, so she was very unhappy until I went off dairy). The intolerance caused reflux, which caused her pain. We had our work cut out for us with this one!
Things to Buy for Baby: Essential Baby Items
I have a few additions to my must-have baby list from earlier:
Co-sleeper
a bassinet that attaches to the bed. My daughter nursed very frequently for the first few weeks, so it was very nice to be able to roll over and pick her up immediately. I also put a bench at the foot of the bed to hold the My Brest Friend support pillow. I could nurse without getting out of bed! I can also reach over to put my hand on my tummy to make sure she’s breathing or soothe her if she fusses in her sleep.
Swing
if you have a fussy baby, you must have a swing. My daughter would wake up after a 30-minute nap in her co-sleeper, but go three hours in the swing at the same time of day. We have a large swing, so I also bought a small rocker/vibrating seat that I can move around the house.
My Brest Friend
this breastfeeding pillow was key in the first several weeks. My daughter nursed a LOT, so I took to nursing her while I ate. I simply strapped the pillow around my waist, set her on it, and then slid my chair up to the table. The Brest Friend is better than the Bobby for this because of the strap that holds it to your waist and the flat edges – baby can’t roll off. The Boppy is great as a baby lounge chair and useful for tummy time.
Cloth Diaper update
I started my cloth diaper stash a few months before the baby came with the intention of trying several types out and then stocking up, but that plan was delayed. My baby was six pounds at birth and grew very slowly. She also has skinny thighs. That means that she was in newborn diapers for six weeks! Thanks to her dairy intolerance, she also went through 10-14 diapers a day for at least six weeks.
I was happy to have disposables for a while, although I didn’t like the way they stuck to her skin. However, had I known we would use them for so long, I would have purchased newborn cloth and then sold it when she made the switch. As it is, she didn’t fit into some of her diapers until two weeks ago and still doesn’t fit into some!
So far, I’ve found a few types that work this essential diapers are really working for us:
The gDiapers were the first to fit and have the trimmest fit because they come in three sizes. We’re still in the 8-15 pound diapers. On the down side, I find it annoying to change the plastic liner after a poopy diaper, especially with a squirmy baby on the table. My husband prefers them because he hates dealing with prefolds and Snappis.
Thirsties Duo Wraps (covers) and Duo Diapers were the next to fit. I love these! Thanks to their inner leg gussets, they hold in the poop well. The Duo Diapers make a great night diaper. The Duo Wraps are also great. I had planned to use trifolded prefolds or inserts, my baby still poops multiple times a day, so I have to Snappi the prefold around her to avoid going through three or four covers a day.
The Flip covers fit third, but only over a Snappi/prefold combo. Because her thighs are so skinny, there is a gap with just a trifold prefold, inserts, or the Flip inserts (which are huge!)
I recently ordered a few fitted diapers to test out. I suspect these will prove to be the easiest for my husband, the nanny, and me because we can just snap or velcro them and then put the cover over them. The Snappi is nifty, but my prefolds were designed to be trifolded as an insert and are getting difficult to wrap around her little waist. Fitteds will increase our total cost, but my husband told me last night that he wants us to pick one kind that works and then order a bunch of them.
