My Recommendations--Part Two

This was originally written on Monday, February 23, 2009:

This is "part two" of my opinions on what we've used with our baby, so far. (For "part one," click here.)

For websites. . .

I forgot to mention in "part one" that my favorite website to go to when I was pregnant was Pregnancy.org They had the best pictures to see of babies each week in the womb. I also really liked the information found on American Pregnancy Association.com. After having Logan the site I've gone to the most is babycenter.com It seems like any question I have is immediately answered.

In my post titled First Pregnancy Signs, I gave a link for if you're trying to plan your next baby or you think you might be pregnant and want to figure out when you conceived -- and when your baby's due date will be. I was obsessed with this kind of stuff between February 2007 and when I got pregnant in August 2007.  If you want to check out the chinese calendar for gender selection (it is said to be 99% accurate, and was right for me with Logan, although it was wrong for 4 people I know), the most popular one is at The Labor of Love.

For Mom's back pain and stress relief. . .

After I had Logan in April 2008, my back was outta whack for about 5 months. It had hurt during my second and third trimesters so I started going to an excellent organic massage therapist in September 2008, CenterPointe Massage in Papillion, NE. My back hasn't had a single ache since October! I'd definitely recommend finding a good massuse in your area and going every other week if possible -- especially since it is an excellent way to relieve post partum stress.

For exercise. . .

I have two post-natal yoga DVDs that I've enjoyed: Parents' Mom and Baby Fitness (Yoga, Pilates, and Baby Massage) and Yoga Ma Baby Ga's Mama & Me Postnatal Yoga (with visually stunning images and enriching original music).

For registry items. . .

In my post titled, Pregnant and Sick, I showed a picture of the organic swing that we registered for. Logan liked it, but didn't love it. We used it until he was 7 months old; the first two months were the best and the last two months he only had a 5 minute attention span. I don't think it would have made a difference what kind of swing we had -- some babies love them, others hate them, and others are like Logan somewhere in the middle. His friend Jaxson loved his so much that he took naps in it and they had to wean him from it when he got too big! Needless to say his mom (my friend Stacy) HIGHLY recommends Fisher Price Smart Stages 3-in-1 Rocker.

Ours (Nature's Purest Swing-Hug Me by Summer Infant) wasn't rated very highly by other owners and so our version isn't even at Babies R Us anymore.

However, our pack n play by the same organic company has been rated highly. I first mentioned it and posted pictures in my blog titled, For Me, Third Trimester Is The Best. It's hard to believe there was a time when Logan was happy to just lay around -- but for his first four months he spent the majority of his day being very content in the bassinet. Whether it was taking his naps, resting and looking around, or lying on his back and playing with his toys -- this was the best place for me to put him when I was downstairs so that I wouldn't have to go up & down the steps and to & from his bedroom frequently during the day. I've used that changing table more than the one in his room!

Using the pack n play also felt safer to me when I'd leave the room, rather than if I'd left Logan on the floor. There were three songs he could listen to, as well as a nature sound and heartbeat. Even during months 5-7 (after he'd learned to roll over and sit up) he enjoyed the pack n play -- his attention span just became shorter. And, when he got too big for the bassinet, I took it out and he has since enjoyed the play pen. Even at 10 months old he will happily sit and play with toys, although his attention span is getting shorter so I assume he'll outgrow it by 12 months. But my mom & stepdad have the exact same one at their house, as it is a great portable crib up to 30 lbs. It folds easily and travels well, so hopefully Logan will sleep in it when we are traveling until he's ready for a big boy bed! :)

In that same blog (For Me, Third Trimester Is The Best), I posted a picture of his nursery. We bought the Goodnight Star bedding set/theme by Lambs & Ivy. It has been perfect for us because it can work for a boy or girl, so we plan to keep it for baby #2 and then move Logan to the farther away room when he/she is born.

Parents should really choose the theme based on what they want. I had originally planned to make the nursery a "boy room" but I was disappointed that pretty much the only choice was sports stuff. My husband loves sports but I could take them or leave them. Who knows how Logan will feel when he grows up. That's like me making a Barbie room for a girl and then she ends up being a tomboy who never plays with Barbies a day in her life. Once they're 2+ you can start to see their personality and interests and so then it makes sense to choose a theme based on what fits them and what they like (but obviously that can still change from year to year). So if Logan wants a sports theme when he moves to his "big boy room" then that will be fine with me (I'm assuming he will be a sports fan like my husband) but until then I wanted a room that was more "me," since I'm the one who spends the majority of the time in there! I didn't want to push something for Logan that ended up being the opposite of him years to come. The moon & stars stuff can fit anyone and has such a happy, peaceful feel to it -- I swear that positive vibes carries over to me subconsciously. The Lambs & Ivy brand has been good quality and, best of all, for the past month Logan has taken notice of the theme! It has made me so happy to see him look at the moon & stars and smile. :) (And, he adored his mobile from 6 weeks to 8 months old -- I had to take it down because he'd learned how to pull himself up to reach it and I was afraid he was going to break it!) If you're looking for organic bedding, I gave a list of sites in my last post under "organic matresses and covers."

For monitors, in my post titled For Moms Who Are Going To Have Boys, I gave a link to the AngelCare Movement Sensor and Sound Monitor. This was first recommended to me by Lisa P and then I discovered that pretty much every single mother I know uses this same monitor with their baby. It's incredibly popular for a reason: it saves lives. Personally, we didn't use the monitor every night because I tend to wake up at the slightest noise from Logan and those noises were magnified with the speaker. He has always been a loud sleeper -- as in, I could hear him from my room while I slept and if suddenly I didn't anymore then I would wake up! Those first two months he was waking up so often that we were still half-asleep when going to his room, so we wouldn't switch the buttons on & off correctly and the alarm would sound and wake the other one of us up. But it still gave me peace of mind to have, and when we did use it we had no complaints. Everyone else I know used it religiously for the first six months.

From the time Logan was 3.5 months old to 9.5 months old he LOVED his Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Bouncer. The last 2-3 months his attention span for it shortened quite a bit but this was a great way for him to be stimulated, entertained, and to also be able to strengthen his legs. I briefly considered a walker because Logan borrowed one over Thanksgiving at 7 months old loved it, but I have since learned that they are unsafe for a variety of reasons (I thought it was just if there was a possibility of falling down stairs, but my friend Chris gave me a link that explained many more) -- and also studies show they delay walking. A bouncer is safe and good "exercise," although babies should never spend long periods of time in them (or in anything) because they need to constantly be in different positions in order to strengthen their other muscles as well.

If you're breastfeeding, Medela is the best brand of pump. It's definitely worth the money to spend on the Pump In Style Advanced Breastpump Backpack. I thought the manual (Harmony) would be enough for me, but for those who have followed my breastfeeding journey know that even though I'm a stay at home mom who planned to hardly ever pump, I ended up having to pump a thousand times for a variety of reasons in order to continue breastfeeding for 9 months, so there's no way I could have survived with anything less than an electric. With that said, it did start to wear out towards the end so hopefully I will still stand behind Medela after baby #2. I used the Symphony at the hospital over a 24 hr period and that was definitely the best (hospital-grade) but even more expensive. Most women I know use the Pump In Style and have had a good experience with it. It's a pain to clean after each use, but you get used to it. For those in the Omaha area, Lisa P told me about a place affiliated with Methodist Hospital, called Breastfeeding Boutique. She said, "They will match any price on a breastpump. You can take them a quote for a new breastpump on ebay, and they will sell you one right there for that price. It's about $100 cheaper than at Babies-R-Us!"

For breastfeeding pain, lanolin is great, as I mentioned in my post, 7 Months Old. I just used PureLanolin and the Lanoish brand because that's what they gave me for free at the hospital, but I gave a link for herbal lanolin products. In that same post I gave a link for Milkscreen Breastmilk Alcohol Strips.

For bottles, the safest bet are Dr. Brown's. Over the past 10 months, Logan has used 6 different brands of bottles and from his perspective he doesn't care one from another. He's always been a good eater so he drinks the same from all of them and has never had any burping or digestion problems. (So unlike a lot of babies, he never had to wear bibs prior to eating solid food.) But, many babies who I know will ONLY take Dr. Brown's bottles. And, if your baby does have problems with acid reflux or other sensitivies, these bottles will help.

Despite having 2 extra parts, they aren't any harder to clean than a regular bottle -- in fact, if you get the glass ones then you can just put them in the dish washer and they clean up a lot better and easier than plastic. With Dr. Brown's you never have to worry about BPA (even in their plastic bottles), and if you use glass you don't have to worry about any other chemicals, either. I was scared to use the glass bottles at first, thinking they would break and hurt Logan -- but I've accidentally dropped one three times and it hasn't so much as caused a crack. I keep my eye on them (and him while drinking) and they are easy for both of us to hold and I've had no complaints.

My least favorite bottles turned out to be Medela's. I bought them because they were easiest to use with my pump (and small for when Logan was small), but I always had to wash them by hand and they still never looked clean. I had to throw several away, but I will be able to use Dr. Brown's with baby #2.

Also -- you may find that you only need stage one nipples. Logan has never liked anything but stage one, even now at 10 months old, probably because they are the most similar to when he was breastfeeding.

My favorite item for Logan? The Bumbo chair, which I first mentioned in my post When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade! I give credit to it for him sitting on his own (with no support) indefinitely so early (at 4 months). He started using it at two months old and almost immediately could sit up anytime without falling when he was in a regular chair or couch. I could just tell that this was because he'd "learned" how to sit from the bumbo. My friend Melissa gave it to me for my shower because her sister had loved it for her twin girs. Even though Logan's chubby legs started getting stuck around 4 months old, he still sits content in it now at 10 months old! I put him in it when I'm busy doing something in a non-babyproofed part of the house and don't want him to crawl around, but I still want him to be able to see me. It is where he sat from 5-9 months whenever I took a shower (prior to that had been his carseat)!

In that same post (When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade), I mentioned that we bought Baby Einstein's Ocean Adventure Play Gym for him which he LOVED from 2.5-7 months old. The last couple of months his attention span for it shortened quite a bit, and then once he started crawling I had to store it away. But it was his #1 favorite activity from 3-5 months old. He loved the music and the lights and the toys that he could hit and kick. It seemed very stimulating to him and kept him entertained. Play Gyms are great for when Mom needs a break!

Something else that used to keep Logan occupied and happy was his Baby Einstein DVDs. He only has two but he never got bored of them from 4 to 8 months old, especially Baby Da Vinci From Head To Toe . There were days when he'd cry and I'd try everything else and all it took for him to stop was putting in a DVD! Nowadays he wants to move too much to sit down and watch TV, which is fine, I don't want him to be a couch potato, but these are great for traveling in the car (if you have a portable DVD player) or if your baby is at that stage of needing constant stimulation but is immobile. To this day Logan recognizes the "head, shoulders, knees and toes" song, or when I point to a body part and say the name, he smiles -- understanding already! :)

For baby products, I assumed Johnson & Johnson was the way to go because that's what I grew up with. However, that caused Logan to have cradle cap and dried up his normally smooth and clear skin. Organic shampoo, soap, lotion, and diaper cream like Burt's Bees (which I mentioned in my post, Look-A-Likes), are what we've most often used and they do an excellent job. Logan has only had a diaper rash a couple of times in his life and it went away immediately with Burt's Bees. His cradle cap also went away once I started consistantly using their shampoo, as well as when I put olive oil on his head for a couple of weeks! (I recommended this tip in my post Look-A-Likes.)

At our hospital after Logan was born, and the childbirth class we took prior, the staff had discouraged us from ever using baby oil or baby powder. I read this in one of my books as well. Not only are they unnecessary, but they are on the list of "dangerous baby products." Click here for an article that explains why.

For parenting books. . .

If you want to get an objective view of the vaccine controversy, check out The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert W Sears. I gave an overview of this book in my post titled 4 Months Old.

If you want help for if your baby is fussy, The Fussy Baby Book by William Sears and Martha Sears. I absolutely loved it, and even though I haven't read any of the other Dr. Sears books, I recommend their website AskDrSears.com for you to check out their other work because they've written best selling books on every topic imaginable -- pregnancy, breastfeeding, birth, baby's nutrition, sleep, discipline, etc.

And, for what you can expect developmental-wise each month with your baby, What To Expect The First Year.

For teething. . .

In my post My Son's Fifth Month, I mentioned that my cousin in law, Kim, had recommended putting frozen fruit in a bag, as that is a great natural way to help babies with teething pain. Until Logan's most recent tooth, he never complained or acted fussy on the days his other teeth popped through, so we hadn't bought one yet. Plus, he's never been into regular teething toys for some odd reason. However, he seems to be reacting more to pain these days and so I plan to buy a Baby Safe Feeder Starter Kit the next time I'm at the store. Kim's son liked ice cubes in it. My friend Melissa said she's heard these are one of the best solutions as well.

Ever since Logan was 5 months old, on days when he's been fussy for no reason, I've given him Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets and 99% of the time those do the trick! (They also have organic ear drops for babies with ear infections.) I don't know if it's just a coincidence or whether Logan reacts to teething pain 1 to even 3 weeks in advance to his teeth actually coming through so the teething tablets ARE what he needs. They are organic so it makes me feel better than Oragel or Tylenol. I have given Logan Tylenol a half a dozen times during his 10 months of life when the teething tablets haven't worked -- and I also gave him Oragel twice one day, but it didn't work and he had some other strange symptoms so it is possible he had a bad reaction; otherwise, it was something else entirely causing him to be fussy. Melissa, who is a nurse, said that many people feel Oragel makes teething worse because when it wears off, the pain is magnified. Kim said that her son won't tolerate it because he doesn't like the taste. She says, "He would spit and drool if I tried to put any on his gums." However, other people I know have considered it heaven-sent, like my friend Lisa P. You just have to find what you are most comfortable with and what works best for your child. Many mothers find just a cold washcloth works good enough!

The only other pain relief we've given Logan during his 10 months of life is the all-natural gripe water, said to work best if babies are colicky or have gas. . .but as I said in my post My Son's Fifth Month, that didn't work for him. It looks like it has been improved and is now called Colic Calm, so I would still suggest giving it a try since in my post I made reference to a story on CNN about how too much Tylenol for children can lead to asthma.

For sleeping. . .

When Logan was 5 months old he began waking up during his 8-12 hr nights for the first time since 2 months old because his legs would get caught between the crib bars. I mentioned a great solution recommended by Lisa P in my post titled Baby's First Teeth. Since it is not recommended to use regular bumper pads before the age of 6 months, you can use breathable bumper pads instead. By the time I was going to buy these, Logan stopped sticking his legs through the bars at 6 months old. . .only to then bang his head against the crib during months 7 & 8! So, I put the regular bumper pads in for those two months but took them out when he could stand on them (since they're not recommended once babies can pull themselves up -- then they can fall out of the crib). Fortunately, he hasn't had any problems with his crib since and stopped waking up again at 9 months old.

Various other things we've liked. . .

The diaper genie. Wish we'd gotten two (we only have one upstairs in his room).

Our high chair (Safety 1st Recline & Grow 5-Stage Feeding Set) -- I always thought you had to have a big bulky thing that took up a lot of space in your kitchen, but this is a small, easy-to-travel with and easy-to-hide chair & tray that sit on a regular chair when it's time to feed. Several people I know also have the kind that are a chair that locks into the table. Both are a good alternative to the traditional high chair. The one we have is easy to clean, stable, and seems really comfortable.

Organic wipes. They're not that much different in price compared to non-organic wipes and they work just as well. Even though they're not free of ingredients, they have less than the standard kind which is good since we use a TON. Same thing with organic diapers. In my post More on Brachial Cleft Fistula, I mentioned that we most often use Earth's Best (in the past we used Seventh Generation and 365 but had a lot of leaks back during Logan's explosive diaper phase) because they are comparable to Huggies. (Pampers caused Logan his only external diaper rash.)

Not only do we use the wipes on Logan's bottom, but he cries the least when wiping his face of baby food compared to a napkin, paper towel, kleenex, or even a washcloth. And, Lisa P. gave me the suggestion for Logan's toys that I can't put in the washing machine or sink. (I recommend buying toys that can be submerged in water because then you know they're getting clean! But all of Logan's toys that make sounds will stop working if I do that.) Lisa takes a Lysol or Clorox wipe (for those who want an organic alternative there is Green Works) and then goes over it with a plain wet wipe or a wet washcloth so as to make it safer for baby's mouth. . . since you know that's where the toys will end up within seconds!

Mirror for baby in the car. I'm so glad I can see Logan in his carseat while I'm driving and he's facing the back. There have been several times when I can see his expression and he's about to start crying so I'll talk or sing to him, preventing him from starting! Plus, a couple of times the sounds coming from him were weird and if I hadn't been able to see him I would have thought he was choking or something was wrong with him!

As far as clothes, most people receive newborn clothes as gifts, but that tends to be the size babies wear the least of -- so buy your baby more of the bigger sizes. Just because it's cold or hot weather doesn't mean you won't need the opposite style. Logan got cold in the summer and hot in the winter so I'm glad we had a variety of short and long sleeve outfits. Especially since they can't sleep with blankets at night. Sleep sacks and gowns are great for this reason, although once Logan got to be 6 months old he didn't like the sacks anymore.

And finally, books. Logan really didn't care to be read to until around 7 months old, but over the past three months his attention span has really grown and he'll want me to read 3 in a row! :) I love it!

Kim said, "The kid's section of the public library is a great place to connect with other mom's. They'll have a kid's story hour and or craft time during the week. I met several mom's there and we ended up forming a playgroup. We've been friends for 5 years now and it has been helpful to have other women to talk to how are going through the same things with their kids."

Also on the lines of books, she said, "I've been meaning to pass along the names of 2 books to you that I think are terrific resources. The first one is The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. I think it is in the 6th edition now. The first half of the book discusses research on the benefits of reading aloud to children starting with when they are infants. The second half of the book lists some books the author thought were really good for reading out loud.

The second book is by Esme Raji Codell and is titled How To Get Your Child To Love Reading For Ravenous and Reluctant Readers Alike. It is a terrific book. Has all kinds of ideas for encouraging a love of reading and it lists a terrific collection of books for all ages that are good for reading out loud. Pictures books to chapter books organized by a bunch of different topics."

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but through my last post and this post you can see my main recommendations for pregnancy and after baby! :)