November 2015 Moms
eamarat
member
Rate Your Baby Items
eamarat
member
All righty. We've all now had a couple of weeks to use most of our baby items, time to rate them. What's your favorite thing you have for baby? Least favorite? What did you get that you weren't so sure about that surprised you? Anything you'd recommend for...? (Colicky babies, bigger babies, etc)
We bought both Munchkin Latch and Avent Natural bottles, both with the slowest flow nipples. I like the Latch a whole lot more, the Avent (whether it's because of my kid's mouth or just the bottle in general) seem to leak a lot.
Love the Graco Glider Lite LX we have. It's where he spends several naps per day.
No more bibs with plastic backs, I hate the crinkly noise and they're often way too stiff.
I love the receiving blankets we got from Target (Circo?), they're getting softer with every wash, but they do seem like they're not going to hold up for a very long time. Whatever, I still like them.
We tried the rash preventer from Boudreaux's and it worked but he doesn't have issues anyway if we keep him changed. I figure it may be good to have later on though.
We bought both Munchkin Latch and Avent Natural bottles, both with the slowest flow nipples. I like the Latch a whole lot more, the Avent (whether it's because of my kid's mouth or just the bottle in general) seem to leak a lot.
Love the Graco Glider Lite LX we have. It's where he spends several naps per day.
No more bibs with plastic backs, I hate the crinkly noise and they're often way too stiff.
I love the receiving blankets we got from Target (Circo?), they're getting softer with every wash, but they do seem like they're not going to hold up for a very long time. Whatever, I still like them.
We tried the rash preventer from Boudreaux's and it worked but he doesn't have issues anyway if we keep him changed. I figure it may be good to have later on though.
Re: Rate Your Baby Items
The boppy lounge pillow has been really useful, too. We can put it between us on the couch and lay her in it and she chills out while we eat dinner with both hands.
Got the lulyboo lounger and it's too big to go on the couch, which defeats the purpose of using it to keep the dogs off her. We took it out of the package once, thinking we might just return it.
I've been using the Kiinde Direct Pump system for pumping and bottles and I'm a big fan. You pump directly into twist-top pouches and then you can warm them and pop them into the bottle. The nipples are all one piece, which means they are super easy to clean. You just pop them onto the mouth of the bottle. My letdown is so fast that Cecily got frustrated with the slow flow nipples, so we had to start with the medium, but she does great and I haven't had any issues going from bottle to breast and back. I did have a defective nipple that came with my starter kit and I emailed the company and they are mailing me a replacement. Their customer service is great and they responded the next day! If you follow their Facebook, they are constantly posting what stores have sales and deals for Kiinde products.
Since he hates to be put down, our bouncer and swing are useless. But they were from DH's sister so we didn't buy them anyway.
Love the boppy. I hadn't thought about having LO lounge in it during dinner. Granted, half the time he decides he needs to eat during dinner too so I usually have him on the boppy and I eat over him.
Miracle swaddle blanket seems to have been a waste - kiddo hates being swaddled and managed to get his arms out of the "escape proof" swaddle on the first night we used it.
Love my nipple shield. Kiddo can't latch without it now, but honestly it makes nursing for us so much easier since I have crummy nipples so I don't care.
Burp cloths are my friend. Not because I need them for burping (he rarely burps and has only spit up once), but because he's like a leaky faucet when he eats so half the milk ends up going out the other side of his mouth and all over me and the boppy. Save me from having to change and wash the boppy cover every day
Burt's Bees products - the onesies, burp cloths, calming lotion, diaper ointment.. love ALL of it!
Nuna Leaf ( the velcro straps are a little annoying but she adores the swing and I like that it's a manual movement )
Lillebaby All Seasons Carrier
Summer Infant Swaddleme's ( passed down to us from my cousin- they're a godsend at night )
BornFree Bottle Genius ( it's a B+ machine.. Sometimes it stops working and that's frustrating but we save a ton of time )
Baby Brezza Sterilizer Dryer
My Snoogle! I finally love it! It was great while my stitches were healing and now I prop her head on it when I let her snooze in my lap.
I love the SwaddleMe brand baby swaddles. They're great for night time. Bridget loved them too at first, but she's six weeks old now and is starting to get frustrated with them.
I love my Lillebaby mesh carrier that I have. It's still anywhere from 60 - 80 degrees here in GA so it's been awesome for my tiny furnace. I've used it everywhere and it fits my partner (when he's around) and I.
I love Gripe Water. Bridget gets super gassy and this stuff helps out almost immediately. Happy baby equals a very happy mommy. Best $12 I ever spent.
I love Bordeaux Butt Cream Bridget blows out diapers constantly (despite being changed frequently) and this stuff was a godsend when she got her first diaper rash. It cleared up very quickly and she hasn't gotten any since.
I love Fenugreek. It has helped me increase my milk supply after it tanked after Bridget was born and then again after I was prescribed an antihistamine. Supply is still low, but it's not just droplets anymore.
I like my Medela Pump in Style breast pump. It gets the job done. I got the backpack style which I feel is more convenient.
I HATE the Kiinde brand bags/bottles. It's almost impossible to get an accurate read on how many ounces are in there! Bridget lost weight and has a weak sucking reflex so I had to pump from very early on and have suffered from supply issues. I thought I was pumping and Bridget was eating much more than she actually was due to the fact the bag has to be flared out completely to get an accurate count of how many ounces are in the bag.
Medela bottles have become my most hated purchase. We got the four that came with the pump, but because I'm exclusively pumping and we like to keep about a days worth of bottles in the fridge we bought an additional 3 pack for $17. Everything was good for a few weeks, but now the rings are getting warped or something and not screwing on right so they leak sooo bad.
Philips Avent bottles have been great. My son takes them well and we have had no issues with leaking or anything.
Fischer Price snugapuppy swing has been great for us. The little dude loves it, especially the little mobile it has because it gives him something to look at until he falls asleep. And my husband and I love one of the sounds that has like crickets and owls and stuff because it reminds us of summer nights back home (though that has no impact on how much baby likes it, just anecdotal haha)
Also I love the Burt's bees diaper ointment over the babyganics that I have tried.
The rock and play is godsend.
I love having a ton of blankets and any onesie with hand covers over them!
Haven't used my pump yet, but going to start tonight. I have the medela freestyle. Excited to try that...
Excited for lo to for in his cloth diapers.
I like that I returned the garbage pail and the changing pad.
I made cloth diaper dirty bags and plastic bags with just fine right now with just bm diapers.
We have little changing pad liner things that I just throw on the bed when w need to change him. So easy.
Also loving our Starry Night Cool Mist Humidifier. I might have to get one for myself!
The Fischer-Price Swing - even when he doesn't nap in it, the spinning mobile holds his attention for about 10 minutes.
The Ergo 360
My breastfeeding scarf - it's really light weight and easy to adjust. If I'm somewhere where I want to be covered at, I don't have to cover his whole head.
Sleep&play footed onesies - everything is covered and a zipper. Need I say more?
All of the reciving blankets. I use them for everything.
Lukewarm:
The packnplay.
Hate:
Every stupid grandma themed item my mom has bought him.
Could live without - white noise machine (I just use an app on my phone instead), halo bassinest, bassinet attachment for vista, nearby napper on pack n play, mamaroo, desitin (hate the smell), baby bathtub (I just take him in the tub with me)
Haven't used my ergo, baby monitor, or crib, so that's TBD.
-nursing scarf
-Fisher Price swing
-nipple shield
-changing pad
Not a fan:
-boppy (kept using it for nursing but so much better without it)
My Boopy Lounge Pillow. Has to be my favorite baby item. I use it during the day for Andrew to hang out in. I put it on the floor when I take a bath. It has to be my most used baby item.
My Eddie Bauer diaper bag from Target. It has so much room & so many pockets I can't even think of all the stuff I could fit into it if I tried & even when I pack it for a newborn & a toddler (usually my 3 yo has his own back pack) I still have plenty of room for more stuff.
My not so favorite items:
My sit n stand stroller. Got to say I'm not to happy with this thing. First off it is pretty hard to open & close. Also, I have a really big trunk & it's still hard to get that giant thing in there. I thought it would be nice with both kids & I gotta say of course it's better then using a single stroller but there is virtually no basket room underneath to keep bags & such. It's uncomfortable for my 3 yo when the baby's car seat is in the back part cuz he has to sit straight up & can't lean back. And it's really hard to maneuver it anywhere! Getting through stores at the mall or even the doctors office is a pain in the ass. Wish I had the budget where I could get a nicer stroller but I'm stuck with this one now.
Our SwaddleMe blankets. With my first these things were a godsend but this kid acts like he's being tied up & kidnapped when we swaddle him so now they're just a giant waste of money. (We bought about 6 or 7).
-swaddle blankets
-mei tai carrier
-my glider!!!!
-Boppy pillow
I also like the swing. I just wish I could cover the mirror when DS is sleeping. If he sees it in a drowsy state he wakes up.
Could live with outs
-napper/changer part of pack n play (useless)
-rock n play, we used it once, DS likes the swing
-stroller-still in the box because I like to baby wear, it will probably be useful later, but my mom went out and got a second one for her house which is dumb
-nursing cover, it gets in the way and I still end up exposing myself during latching. But I have a nursing sweater that I love.
1) the changing pad. Everyone told me you don't need one, you'll end up changing the baby on the bed. Well when I couldn't sit for the first few week, having a place to stand and change her was awesome. Also, maybe I'll change her wherever when she's older, but she still ends to projectile poop whenever I change her so I'll stick with the changing pad lol.
2) her bouncer. She'll sleep in it for hours on ends and is obsessed with the vibration.
3) the Rock and play (just finally set it up last night). Obsessed with it as well because it vibrates.
4) burp clothes because holy hell I did not think babies spit up that much!!
5) swaddled blankets. Especially the ones from the hospital.The swaddle wraps are too short for my LO (she's almost 21 inches. But she loves to be swaddled at night and it helps me breastfeed without hands involved.
6) fisher price musical giraffe. This magical little stuffed animal plays music for 15 minutes so I can retain my sanity in the car.
7) dr Browns bottles for pumped milk. I never liked how my dr Browns leaked with the kids I've nannied, but now I'm fortunate enough to have a baby who refuses to drink milk from any other bottle.
-bouncy chair: we just got the generic one from BRU, nothing fancy, but she loves sitting in it, it's a lifesaver for when you want to take a shower, do dishes, etc
-love our cloth diapers! We bought second hand so have a collection of a bunch of different kinds, they aren't any brands so far that I would stay away from in the future, but the two I love most are Coola Baby and Glow Bug, which I wasn't expecting as these seem like relatively little known brands (though I'm new to the CD world, so I could be wrong).
-Aden + anais swaddled blankets, she doesn't like to be swaddled but they're great for a light blanket to cover the car seat or put on her when we're out.
- dr brown original bottles ( tried the options bottles and they leak badly)
- Graco swing and pack and play bassinet part
- Graco verb stroller and click connect car seat! Stroller is very lightweight and easy to maneuver even in tiny stores! Very easy to transfer baby from car to stroller
- Sleepers with zippers and surprisngly the baby nightgowns
- Ingenuity automatic bouncer! Great for naps during the day
- Huggies wipes seriously best I've used so far
hated:
- tommee tippee bottles... Very disappointed. The bottle was an awkward shape to hold and my baby got way more air than she should.
-boppy, great for in the hospital but useless at home
- diaper genie..don't even get me started!
- Dr brown options bottles, as I said earlier they leak bad
- Sleepers with snaps because at 3am it's not very fun to snap it up
- Bibs with snaps... Just no.
- My glider is useless, I just feed her on my bed or couch
Footed onsies
Ergo 360
Cradle N Swing
Muslin burp cloths
Halo swaddle sacks
My brest friend pillow
Medela pump in style breast pump
Hated:
Costco baby wipes
Waste of money:
All those fancy nb clothes people bought
I vow to always buy side snap shirts and footed onsies for friends/ future baby showers from here on out!
Okay: RNP (it was awesome for the first month and now he's too big for it), swaddle me
Hate: Swing (takes up too much room and he HATES it), Huggies, Tommee Tippee pacifiers (the nipple is HUGE)
I hate that my glider is so narrow! Its nice to just rock the baby but at 5 weeks he's too tall to breastfeed him there. Boo!
I feel sorry for all the newborn clothes we didn't use. They were all gifts so atleast I didn't pay for them but I wish I hadn't removed the tags and prewashed all of them.
Footie pajamas: I go against the grain on this one. I prefer the ones with snaps by a mile. That's because I can change his diaper at night by just unsnapping the bottom half so he isn't getting his belly exposed to the air. It makes it easier to not have him super awake.
Things with vibration. My rock and play, bouncer, and tub all have vibration and my son couldn't care less about it. Not a bad feature, because if your kid doesn't like it you don't have to use it. But I wouldn't seek it out in the future.
That grass bottle drying rack thing. I'm sure we've all seen it, and I swore before I had him that it was just silly and unnecessary. We bought one and I love it sooo much.
Graco snug ride travel system. I find the click connect to be a bit hard to disconnect at times, but I suppose that is probably better than it coming loose easily. And the stroller is alright. I like how easily it folds down, but it's kinda clunky and the front wheels get really wobbly sometimes.
- Aden & Anais blankets
- MAM pacis
- Nipple shield
- Long sleeve onesies with the fold over mitts for his hands
- California baby lotion
- Halo swaddle sacks. He only wakes up once or twice during the night since we've been using these!
- Graco snug ride click connect travel system
- Newborn clothes and diapers. LO was 7.9 when he was born. 2.5 weeks later he is still in nb size.
- Arm & hammer paci wipes
- Graco little lounger
- Medela steam bags!!!!! Love
Okay:
- fisher price swing. LO doesn't like to be put down but I'm hoping he will grow into liking this
- Wipeable changing pad cover. It's great because it cleans but it's cold for LO.
- Boppy
Hate:
- fisher price bouncer. LO hates it.
- Eddie Bauer nursing cover. The sides expose me sometimes. Need to get a scarf.
- baby socks
-my nursing scarf. Life saver.
-my boppy. So many different uses.
-coconut oil. Also, manu different uses.
Don't like
-swaddle me blankets. I guess hes too long for them or something but they come way down on his chest and he can wiggle out of them because they don't go over his shoulders.
-my ameda breast pump. It lost suction many pumps ago. Thank goodness lo latches good now.
-rnp. His shoulders are too broad and it squeezes him!
Also agree with long sleeves with mitts.
I HATE parent's choice wipes. Opened some up last night, they feel rougher than others, not very moist, and the smell is awful to me. I used a few on lo, and will use the rest for myself or surfaces of something.
My Solly baby wrap. She loves to be held all day long. With this wrap I do t have to worry about her not being secure. It's so soft and super cute.
I'm obsessed with nightgowns for babies. But they aren't very convenient for the car seat. I found the knotted gown from CandyKirbyDesign. By far my favorite item!!!!
Like: Boppy pillow, Bordeauxs Butt Paste, Recieving blankets, Swaddleme sleepers, Medela pump in style
Dislike: Any kind of baby clothes with real buttons (seriously Carters has some). Dr Browns narrow nipple bottles. Baby winter coats.
A few items I love for me are bamboobies nursing pads and the simply wishes hands free pumping bra. Pumping without a hands free bra is the worst!
DS2: EDD- 09.08.17
Waterproof multipurpose pads (great for spit up and leaking diapers. Saves your sheets!)
Cloth diapers as burp cloths
Graco swing with vibrating seat
A&A swaddle blankets
Boppy lounger
Piano playmat
Nipple shield
Dislike:
K'tan baby wrap (I know it's supposed to be snug but I feel like it's too tight and LO hates it)
Infant bath tub (LO slides around too much)
Mamaroo (LO prefers swing. Good thing it was borrowed from a friend)
That's all I can think of for now
Medela sterilizing bags- Lifesaver for EPing moms.
A&A swaddles- I use them for swaddling, but also covering the car seat, as a blanket, as a changing pad in a pinch etc.
Lasinoh milk bags, Pampers diapers, Tommee Tippee bottles, GRIPE WATER,
baby bath thermometer- I feel like I would've frozen the baby in his baths initially, without this to indicate a good temp. I don't need it now, but for $5, it was worth it for a FTM.
Carter clothing, especially long sleeve onesies.
Regular detergent- DS has no sensitivity, and it's worth not having separate clothing washes/ using unscented detergents. I hate when my clothing doesn't have a clean smell.
Pumping bra- Required for EPing.
Pack N Play- DS loves the napper. We have the version with only the napper addition. He sleeps in the regular flat part as well without an issue.
Wash cloths- I have a ten pack and I leave them in all the places we usually feed DS. They work great for getting all the milk dribbles. Or when DS 'fake' feeds and just holds the milk in his mouth until I pull the nipple out.
Video baby monitor- Even in our small apartment, this was totally worth it.
Grace snug rider elite stroller
Don't love:
Playtex Ventaire bottles- I think because we don't have a dishwasher, they clogged easily. But DS had really bad gas after a week of use, he was sucking a lot of air when eating.
K'tan- like PP, it was too tight, and DS hated it. I'll probably get an ergo instead.
Baby socks
DS2: EDD- 09.08.17
Comotomo bottles- we tried many, and these haven't caused gas and have very few parts, so easy cleaning (Plus they feel so soft in your hand!)
Homedics Sound Spa for white noise
FP Kick n' play activity mat- baby LOVES this
Mustela products- especially the physiobebe for baby acne and cleaning milk dribble on neck between baths
Boba wrap- I haven't used my ergo baby yet, but I have really liked the boba for grocery store trips
Dislikes-
Honest diapers- leaked every single time we used them (at first i thought it was a size issue, but tried different size, same problem)
Burts Bees lotion- for some reason, this stuff stink so badly to me- ew
Mamaroo- baby hated this. i've kept it thinking she may like it down the road, but doubtful at this point.
I feel confident and secure leaving my baby to nap and go outside for fresh air or taking a shower.
I have a summer brand, and I love it. It is simple and reliable. My brother has had the same one with his boy for two years, no problems.
However, the battery sucks at keeping a charge. My brother said his did also, and even though I charged it according to instructions, iSummer doesn't stay charged very long.
Dislike or could live without: mamaroo (she only liked it for a couple weeks), boppy, fancy newborn clothes (she grew out of newborn after a few weeks and only wears footed onesies anyway), newborn bibs (just need burp cloths), napper/changer part of the pack n play
My Skip Hop activity mat came today and I must admit it's AWESOME. Of course LO picked today as the day to catch up on his napping! It has a sleeve for your phone so you can take pics, record, FaceTime and still interact with baby!