baby survival supplies

2/1/2013 We have successfully kept a human being alive for 347 days. I have a few friends that will be new moms soon and I thought I would share some of the provisions that helped us along our journey. I was inspired again by Lauren Hartmann to put this list together. She really challenges me to be a thoughtful momma. Looking back we have survived this past year with a little help. I have been asked by a couple of my friends what I use and I thought I would put a list together for them and those that are just plain curious.

When we found out we were having a baby I went into research mode and thankfully was able to ask my friend Akiyo all of my first time parent questions…Thank you Akiyo for being patient with me and answering all of my silly questions! I enjoy sharing the products that have made our first year with Zoe a success. These are some of the products that we like and would recommend, but they are what worked for us and they may not always work for everyone else. This post is strictly informational and I was in no way asked to promote these items. Additional disclaimer…I am not pregnant and we are not planning on getting pregnant any time soon. Any reference to Baby #2 is just future thinking.

The big one everyone always asks me is why cloth diapers? And the next questions is always…”What about the poop?” Here is what we use and why…

Tommy and I did a lot of discussing when it came to cloth diapers. I watched many YouTube videos about them and found that typically moms that cloth diapered had this things called “stashes”. They collected a variety of diapers and A LOT of them! We decided we didn’t want a huge stash. So we ordered 3 different types that we liked (Best Bottoms, GroVia, and Bum Genius) and we went ahead and ordered 12 Lil’ Joeys to get Zoe through the first couple months before we decided what brand we liked. We did a little math and decided that at the end of the day cloth diapers would save us around $1,000, but that wasn’t the only reason we chose cloth diapers. Typically cloth diapers do not cause as many diaper rashes (we found this to be true), they are environmentally friendly (go green), and they typically lead to faster potty training (we don’t know yet). Along with our diapers we decided to use cloth wipes. I figured if we were already washing diapers we might as well throw in the wipes. One of the brands that we bought was Charlie Banana and then I made a few using squares of flannel. For the solution we used water and a few drops of castile soap. I prefer the peppermint smell. After 3 months of using the Lil Joey’s we decided on using GroVia as our cloth diaper of choice. We went with GroVia because they will grow with Zoe until she is potty trained. We only have to buy one size inserts to use with the shells. The shells could be used more than once (costing us less). We have 5 shells and 14 inserts. We also have boosts for night time (these things work!). We decided to wash our diapers every day. We would just throw them in at night and they would be ready in the morning. It doesn’t always work out that way, but for the most part we haven’t had an issue with washing daily. We store stinky diapers in a wet bag from Planet Earth via Amazon. We keep that in a regular old trash can with a lid. So inevitably our stash has remained small. We didn’t see the point in a large stash if we were trying to save money on diapers. Admittedly the initial price for cloth diapers can be expensive, but there are plenty of different options out there for every type of budget. The final perk of the cloth diapers was that they are an investment. Future children (if we are so blessed) will be able to use them.

Now to answer the poop question…

Clean up is fairly easy and it is even easier with a sprayer that attaches to the toilet. I don’t have a picture of that in action, but trust me it is a life saver! Breastmilk poop is water soluble so technically you don’t actually have to rinse before washing, but Tommy didn’t like the idea of that. To wash the diapers we use Rockin’ Green detergent. It usually takes us about a month and 1/2 to 2 months to go through an entire bag. We use it to wash her clothes as well and sometimes ours too. Now that Zoe is older and eating solids we use biodegradable liners that lifts the poop off and then we flush it!

If we are on the go and/or staying over night we use biodegradable diapers that fit inside our GroVia shells. Or we have also used 7th Generation diapers that we pick up at our FAVORITE store Target.

We have been pretty much leak free. There have been a few explosive diapers, but for the most part the damage stays inside the shell (thankfully saving her outfit). We have run into a few funk issues, but that is to be expected so we have added the grapefruit seed extract (more on that little gem later) to our washing routine.

that right there is our stash...small, but mighty

When it came to choosing a bath tub we didn’t really want to store a bulky bathtub, nor break our backs bending over to bathe our beh beh. So I was on the hunt for a more functional option. I had found Puj Tub on Pinterest that I really liked and when I showed it to Tommy he was sold for these reasons…

1. It has a great design.

2. It can be assembled for use with one hand.

3. It is stored flat hanging on a hook.

4. The material is very soft and squishy.

Here it is in action!When I saw it at Buy Buy Baby, I knew we had to have it! Thanks Uncle Daniel! Zoe loved her Puj Tub and now they make a travel one, I think that’s something baby #2 might need! We used Puj Tub until Zoe turned 6 months and then she started grabbing at the handles and we worried about her turning the hot water on. She was also making a mess with her splashing! SEE…

Once she out grew it we went with another very functional bath tub that you are able to use in the big bath tub. You can recline it so I suppose you could use it when they are younger, but I would only recommend this tub when baby can sit up independently. Essentially it is a smaller tub inside the big one. We still use it because we are able to fill it up and she is able to splash. Otherwise in the big tub we don’t fill it up a lot (conserving water) and she gets cold. The tub is perfect for our apartment living because it folds flat and stores by hanging on the shower curtain rod. It is made by Boon, we like there bath toys too!

I knew no matter what I was going to need nursing pads so we ordered a few different types. Again since we were already washing diapers I felt it was best to go with washable nursing pads. Go Green! I tried them all out and fell in love with Toys R Us brand. They hold there shape. They do their job. And they provide a little extra support in a not so supportive nursing bra. <— Ally that’s a bonus for you and I, Ashlee not exactly necessary for you! You can see my medallions in the stash picture above.

Now I am no exhibitionist. I like my privacy and take pride in being modest. With that said I needed a nursing cover. I attempted to make my own, but I found that the boning was not sturdy enough for me to make sure everything was running properly. I think I lasted two weeks with the one I made before I decided I needed to invest in a real Hooter Hider.

I liked to wear mine like a bib (I spill a lot)

I knew I was going to need a pump since I would have to return to work and I wanted to provide Tommy milk to feed Zoe. I knew I would be able to feed her during lunch, but I was going to miss two feedings. So my pump got a lot of use. With that said since it was going to be used a lot and probably for the next baby as well (this mom is going to need some much needed breaks) we invested in a high quality pump made by Madela. I wanted a bag that would allow me to carry it easily so we went with a back pack. The pump we chose was able to pump double time, but I only used one side at a time…it was just easier that way and limited my supply to what we needed.

I was a paci kid (I actually called it a gi-gi) and I didn’t want Zoe to be a thumb sucker so we chose to go the paci route. We tried a few different brands, but Zoe ended up being a Nuk kid just like her momma. I believe babies find the action of sucking soothing. Since I didn’t have my mom here to help sooth my baby with her ticking heart I wanted to equip myself with everything I could to sooth Zoe. Thankfully Zoe didn’t cry excessively and paci always seemed to do the trick. She is starting to self wean off of paci which I am hoping will help us when it’s time to say “buh bye paci”. In one of my child development classes I learned a valuable lesson to calming Zoe, it is the 5 S’s swaddling, side/stomach positioning in the parents’ arms, shushing, swinging, and sucking — can calm most crying infants. This activates the baby’s calming reflex during the first three to four months of life by mimicking experiences in the uterus. I always told people holding Zoe, “don’t underestimate the power of a shush!” There aren’t many picture without a paci clipped to Zoe.

At first we swaddled using just a blanket, but it was becoming harder to swaddle her in a blanket as good as our technique was we would always bargain to get out of swaddling. So I saw a few different brands and we ended up going with the Summer Infant Swaddle Me. There is a Miracle Blanket that I am considering getting for Baby #2. This is basically a pocket for baby’s body and two flaps that secure the arms with velcro. We liked the swaddle because it worked…plain and simple. It was the best for Zoe’s first plane ride at 2 months.

For our family we chose co sleeping. We have a crib for Zoe and we actually kept it in our room because we couldn’t imagine putting our baby ALL THE WAY DOWN THE HALL!! It made night time feedings less disruptive and we all got A LOT of sleep! We used to not talk about it, but I can’t really think of a night we didn’t sleep for less than 4 consecutive hours on occasion we would get 6 whole hours of uninterrupted sleep. Then we moved! But I have to credit our first few months of sleep to Nap Nanny . This is one item I really wanted (A big thank you goest to Pam Barrie for the wonderful gift of sleep). Now I know it is a little pricey, but it grows with her and can be used again for baby #2 (different covers can be purchased). I really love Nap Nanny. I wish they made a grown up size!

I have done a lot of research on baby “stuff” and for Akiyo’s baby shower we purchased a Boba wrap, formerly known as a Sleepy Wrap (we actually bought two, because I was pregnant at the time). Personally I think they should have stuck with the Sleepy Wrap because every time I put Zoe in her the wrap she fell asleep. It was a beautiful thing! For the first month of her life I would walk over to Target for naptime and by the time I reached the entrance she would be out! It is a long piece of stretchy fabric and when get the hang of it, it is easy to get on…it just takes a few YouTube videos and a bit of practice. I don’t mind the ends touching the ground since that never touches Zoe and it is easily washed. Once Zoe got bigger and more mobile we switched out our wrap for a Boba Carrier. The Boba carrier is easy to get on and to get baby in and out. It also puts baby’s to sleep, which is a lovely thing! I currently use her carrier every day when I take out the dogs. I don’t know what I would do without it!

Like I mentioned before Zoe really hasn’t had too many diaper rashes. When I returned to work and she started bottle feeding we ran into a bought of thrush. The thought of antibiotics didn’t make too much sense to cure something that is caused by yeast/bacteria. Antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria. So I did a little research and found a few alternatives to treating thrush and the one I chose to try first was Grapefruit Seed Extract. It comes in a concentrate liquid form and capsule form. I got both! I took the capsules and I made a solution for Zoe to use in her mouth and on her bottom. One, it is safe to use with cloth diapers so that was a huge plus. Two, it didn’t stain and it didn’t consist of sugar. I was able to pick up the GSE at our local Vitamin Shoppe and it was so effective that her symptoms started clearing up the next day! I heart GSE!

One of my other favorite health tools we use is our nose sucker. We tried the blue bulb to suck out Zoe’s boogers, but it didn’t seem very effective for us. I also felt like I was blowing air up her nose. So we broke out of the box and tried the Nose Frida! Basically you use this contraption to suck the boogers out of the baby’s nose by using your mouth. Don’t worry there is a filter and you never get debris in your mouth. But I promise the Nose Frida delivers results that you can see! I have gotten big people boogers out of Zoe’s little nose. I can’t imagine how much better she felt. It was especially handy when she got a runny nose. She was able to continue eating and breathing. Win. Win.

Last, but certainly not least…Zoe’s accessories. Before Zoe got her shots I wanted to get her a Baltic Amber bracelet/anklet and on top of that I ordered her a Hazelwood necklace. I did a little research after I had noticed my friends babies wearing these necklaces. I ordered Zoe’s from Hazelaid. Amber is used to treat teething, as well as anti-fever. Hazelwood is used to treat teething as well as skin issues like eczema. I figured if these things could help Zoe naturally, then why not? We later purchased a Baltic Amber necklace. The key is both things need to be touching baby’s skin for it to be effective. Both can be used separately or in combination. Currently we only use the Baltic Amber necklace. I truly believe these items help Zoe!