(My) Baby Must-Haves, Part II

More baby stuff! Favorite products #5-8 below. #1-4 here!

5.)Marpac Dohm Sound Conditioner

This is what most people would call a white-noise machine. The difference between this one, and alllll the others, is that this is not producing the canned, electronic version of white noise that most of us are familiar with through apps and other baby sound machines. It has an actual motor that runs inside the housing, producing a constant, soothing hum. And somehow it is just perfect.

It is loud enough to drown out SO much background noise, yet its not disturbing. I don't get it, but I am a believer. The first time I used it I thought it was pretty loud, and I had it on the lowest setting (it also only has two volumes, which is nice and simple.) But the instructions say to give yourself about three days to get used to it, so I did. And I love it. And my daughter loves it.

As I mentioned in the last post Adalyn is pretty sensitive to noise. And I'm not talking steady noise like a TV on, or cars outside, etc. Our house is a constant madhouse of dogs barking and dinosaurs roaring and a certain boy running and jumping and falling throughout the house. I would probably have a hard time sleeping through all of that too if I was napping during the day. Or maybe I wouldn't. But anyhow, we tried everything. And there are a handful of other sleep machines that I really do like, and use, that help her calm down and get ready to sleep. But nothing that drowns out noise like this. I actually waited a couple of months before buying this machine, because of the lack of bells and whistles. I thought it seemed like a bit of an under-achiever as far as sound machines go. And I could just kick myself.

A couple other things I love about it:

• It is easy to use. The on switch either gets flipped up for low volume or down for high volume)
• It doesn't take batteries.
• It doesn't shut off.
• It is adjustable, but not overwhelmingly so. You just turn the outer housing to adjust the tone of the hum

The elephant in the room is that it is not the cutest sound machine out there. But if you can find me a mom that cares more about that than her baby's sleep I'll give you $20.

6.) MyBaby Homedics Sound Spa on the Go

Yep, another sound machine. This is one of those I referred to above, that I love because it helps induce sleepiness. It is just one of those things she has come to expect during nap time, and though it is not a magic pill by any means, it does seem to calm her down (she's not an easy napper if you couldn't tell by now.) The main reason I love this is because it is portable, and it stays on. I totally get the need for automatic shut off, but for a baby that takes forever to fall asleep sometimes, the machine turning off is like an overhead light turning on. It totally messes up her mojo. This little thing has four settings, but her favorites are the heartbeat and the lullaby.

7.) Bravado Nursing Bra

Kind of a weird baby fave, but kinda not. Also, I searched and searched but could not find a non-awkward picture of this product. Nonetheless, it is probably the best item of clothing I've owned these past few months. It's not the cheapest bra out there, but it's definitely not the most expensive, and for something you use all-day-every-day, it is worth it. My mom bought me two in the hospital, and when we got home I asked my husband to go buy me another one. It's not the prettiest thing around, but I love them.

8.) Noggin Stik

This was a toy that we registered for at the suggestion of our "registry helper" at one of the stores. She highly recommended it and said that customers loved it. I was, at that point, clueless about baby stuff. I became Ian's mom when he was 2, so this whole stage was brand new to me and I was so overwhelmed at the amount of choices to make. Now that I think of it, I am pretty sure I started crying during the store that day. Anyhow, I took several of her suggestions, and am so, SO glad I did. This one especially has been a life changer. Adalyn loves this thing. It has truly been our saving grace, because our sweet girl hated the carseat the first 3 months of her life, and going anywhere was so anxiety-inducing because we knew she would just get herself so worked up and upset. And it's never fun to see your baby like that. The only thing that ever calmed her down or got her attention was this silly looking toy. So we took (and still take) it everywhere. We will turn around after leaving to go back and get it if forgotten.

The Noggin Stik was created as a developmental tool, which is why we registered for it (but we love it regardless of what it does or does not do for her development!). The creator was an early intervention therapist who designed the toy to promote healthy brain development and bonding. There is a neat info graphic on their website, but here are a few key points they list:

• Captures a child's focus and increases attention
• Assists with the development of visual tracking-a critical pre-literacy skill
• Provides tactile interest to touch and visual interest to see
• Helps children auditorily locate sound
• Enhances grasping and holding skill

It is a bit expensive for a baby toy, but we only purchased one (one was a baby shower gift) and have EASILY gotten our money's worth. Adalyn has gotten a little better about being in the car, but still doesn't last very long without this rattle.  She is old enough now to hold it on her own, and it makes me smile to hear her back there just shaking away.

This was taken at home, but you can at least see how much she likes it :)

My Baby Must-Haves, Part I

I've been really excited to write this post and share all these things that have been so incredibly helpful to me these past few months.  I know that with the gazillion baby products out there, it helps to have a starting point and recommendation when deciding what to try. Obviously I think my baby would still be healthy and happy without these products. And what works for us may not work for everyone. Hence the (My) part of this post title.  As an example, I bought a used Rock N Play after trying just about everything else to help sweet girl nap. Everyone told me it was pretty much the best thing ever in helping babies sleep, and yet my daughter still hated it. So take these recommendations as what they are…my must-haves, and try what you feel comfortable with! When I was preparing for Adalyn's arrival I always thought it was kind of fun to read about what other new moms were loving….because you know, we're all bound to find something that has that magic. :)

My Baby Must-Haves:

1.) Snuza Go

I'm putting this first, because, well…it's just awesome. This would be the one product that I can pretty confidently say ALL moms would love. I had never heard of it before Adalyn was born, and a local mom was selling one on a Buy/Sell/Trade Facebook page. Some other moms chimed in with how much they loved theirs and how much peace of mind it gave them about their baby's sleep safety. At this point I still had no clue how it worked, but she was selling it for about half the retail price and I thought it was definitely worth a try.

And I love this thing so much I would happily pay double or triple for it.

Here's why: it is basically a movement sensor/monitor; similar in concept to the Angel Care sensor pad that detects movement and sounds an alarm if none is detected after 20 seconds. But, Adalyn has been sleeping in a playard/bassinet in our room, and since the Angel Care pad requires a hard surface (like a crib board), we haven't been able to use it yet. Enter, Snuza Go, and therefore, my sanity. I am a super anxious person, and worry constantly about her safety while sleeping. This little bitty thing has been such a godsend, and I don't know why it is not more publicized. The Snuza Go is about 2 inches in size and just clips on to her diaper. It has a little rubber tip that lays against her belly and detects movement. Now, at this point when I started reading about it after I bought I was pretty skeptical. I have to put something on her diaper? While she sleeps? No way she'll go for that. No way it will stay on. But I'm telling you…she is a sensitive baby and this has never bothered her. And it's never fallen off.

The sensor has slipped to the side once or twice when the band of her diaper gets loose (and the manual does say an extra full diaper  can cause this to happen). If it slips too far to the side and the rubber tip loses contact with her skin the alarm will sound, and this has happened 2-3 times for us. But with how much we use it, I am totally ok with that number.

We use this thing for every nap, every bedtime. We take it with us when we travel. I even put it on her if I am going to nurse her and think she might fall asleep. I SO wish I would have had this from the get-go. There were nights when she was a newborn when I would fall asleep while nursing, and I would wake up with her asleep in my arms, often nestled down in the crook of my elbow. They're so unbelievably squishy at that age, with ZERO head control, and all I could think of when I would wake up were the "what-ifs…." What if she had slipped down further, underneath a pillow, blanket, my arm, etc. Makes me panicky just remembering.

So if you couldnt tell by the thousand-plus words I just wrote up there about this little thing, I highly, highly recommend it. Go buy it. You won't regret it.

2.)Latchy Catchy

As I mentioned earlier, baby girl is super sensitive. Especially when sleeping. Yes, I know, you're supposed to vacuum around them and all that, but when you want your baby to sleep you will do whatever it takes to avoid waking her. Or at least I will.

I swear, Adalyn can detect when someone walks in the room while she's sleeping. My moving from sitting to standing will jar her awake. She will wake to the sound of my sheets rustling. She will wake when her Sleep Sheep turns off.

So yea, I'm not about to throw doorknob noises into the mix. Before finding this I would spend a good 30 seconds carefully and slowly turning the doorknob so as to not make any noise. And it would still make noise.

You could of course make these, and I've seen them all over Pinterest, but we all know there's not a whole lot of time to sew with a baby. This was definitely worth my $9. Now I just need one for every door in my house.

3.) doTERRA Lavender

I grew up with a pretty "crunchy" mom, and I've always known that A.) essential oils are good, and B.) lavender helps you sleep. But I have never used oils until recently, and I have never really enjoyed the smell of lavender.

But I'm a big fan now. While pregnant I used a lot of peppermint (for headaches), terra shield (to keep those West Nile mosquitos away) and lavender (because sleeping with a big belly is really difficult).

Now, I use this on my wrists before each of Adalyn's naps and before I feed her at bedtime. If she's cranky while I'm getting her ready for bed I sometimes even just put the open bottle near her nose and she pretty instantly calms down. I'm sure the smell is simply a sleep association to her now. But whatever works! The fact that it is an oil shown to aid in sleep can't hurt right?

Thank you Mama :)

4.) Zipadee Zip

This little family-owned-and-developed product has exploded in popularity as of late due to an appearance on Shark Tank, but it was my mom again who suggested this to me (who has time to watch TV with a newborn anyways??) ;) It is a sleep sack/wearable blanket-whatever you'd like to call it-that is designed to help babies ease the transition from the swaddle.

And thank goodness my mom bought her one of these when she did, because this tiny girl started kicking out of her swaddle at two and half months. I was kind of surprised, because she always loved being swaddled and it was the only way she would sleep at night. But once that blanket started becoming loose, I started becoming panicky mom again, fearing that somehow the fabric would end up over her face. I was a little concerned about effectiveness, because the website says 5-6 mos is the average age to transition, but fears over loose blankets in her bassinet won out and I made the move.

Adalyn has always woke several times during the night to eat, but the swaddle would help her go back to sleep when waking in between feedings. When she started kicking out of it, she wasn't able to go back to sleep as easily. This thing was like magic the first few nights. I really thought there was some kind of sedative in the fabric…she would just pass out when I laid her down in it. Because she was so small though, it did begin to lose its effectiveness after a week or so, as she was still able to move and kick in it quite a bit.

Fortunately, we kept on, and put her in it religiously every single night. Now she loves it, and wears it every night, and for every nap. I read on their site that it was designed to help babies "feel their edges," similar to the feeling they had in the womb. They are completely enclosed, so they never feel too "loose," which I've heard can make them feel like they are falling.

Whatever it is, it has been great for her, and it is something that she clearly associates with sleep. Every time I put it on her she curls her arms up towards her face and begins sucking on her hands. (She would never take a pacifier, so this is how she soothes herself.)

If you follow them on their Facebook page youll see there are a number of reasons moms love these…they are warm, they are safe, they are easy to transition from carseat to crib (not an issue with us because Adalyn would never stay asleep anyways), great for doctors visits, etc.

We have two in each size, and though I do have to wash one pretty much every day, it is worth it. She is comfortable and soothed, and I know she is safely dressed. :)

Whew...I will be back with Part II tomorrow…I didn't realize how much I could talk (write) about four little products, so I don't want to overwhelm you with even more today! I would love to hear if any of you have tried, or plan to try, using any of these and what your experience has been!