(Un)Necessary Baby Gear

I thought it might be worthwhile to write about some of the items that we’ve found to be most useful. I know that many or all of these items may seem like extras, but they have been invaluable to us these first two months. And it’s because they seem unnecessary that I feel compelled to tell you about them.

Wipes warmer
We use: Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer

Miss Leyba loves changing table time and we think these wipes play a large part in that. From the very beginning, getting her diaper changed has always been comfortable for her: a soft towel underneath her, warm wipes to clean her, organic diaper cream to sooth her tushie, and naked time to kick her legs and move around. What’s not to like?!

We use cloth wipes with our warmer and the whole thing is so easy. We have around 6 dozen wipes, so we don’t need to wash them too often. We just wet them down in the bathroom and then plop them in the wipe warmer. An hour later, they are toasty warm. It’s super easy! (Plus, using cloth wipes we don’t need to use their antibacterial inserts that need to be replaced regularly.) If you want you can even add soap, tea tree oil, or other essential oils to the wipes solution. Right now we are just using water because of Miss Leyba’s sensitive skin and it works perfectly.

Light dimmer adapter
Similar to ours: Plug-In Lamp Dimmer with Nightlight

Wow, I wish we had one of these the first couple weeks! At night we dim our bedside lamp so we can keep an eye on Miss Leyba while we co-sleep. When she fusses and needs to be fed, we just turn the light up ever so slightly so I can see well enough to help her latch on, then we turn the light back down and all go back to sleep (or try to anyway!). Miss Leyba sleeps through the whole thing. It’s a godsend. Buy one. Really.

Aspirator
Similar to ours: Nasal Aspirator

I thought this was the dumbest product ever before I became a parent. The aspirator we have came in our birth kit and I never in a million years thought we’d ever use it after her birth. Well, we use this thing pretty much every single day. You see when ever Miss Leyba has congestion she can’t breastfeed properly. See, pretty essential. A few squeezes and then we use a tissue and it works like a charm. She’s finally at an age when she understands what we’re doing, so she doesn’t squirm anymore. Makes it a bit easier to clean her out, but really it wasn’t that hard to begin with.

Nail scissors
Similar to ours: Safety Scissors

Did you know that cutting a baby’s nails is really easy? The hard part is remembering when she’s sleeping to actually cut them. You need a good pair of safety nail scissors and they are hard to find. (The scissors we are using were from when I was baby. Thank you, Mom, for saving them for us!) You place the nail that needs to be cut under the scissors before you cut that way you don’t need to worry about cutting the babe. (I’ve heard lots of horror stories!) I’m not sure I explained that so well, so please email me if you’d like more specific instructions.

Bouncing chair
We use a discontinued model, but this bouncer looks cool

I know, it seems like the ultimate indulgence, but here is why I love ours (which we got secondhand from my friend Jenn). In her chair Miss Leyba can sit comfortably and face me. This is huge. We stare at each other and make faces, chat with each other, and I frequently read to her this way so she can see my facial expressions (some times she just watches me instead of the book).

Also, the chair gives me a place to put her down, usually when she isn’t interested in being placed on her back and I need a break from holding her. I like to place her in the chair in our dining room where she has a great view of me while I unload the dishwasher or do the dishes (two activities certainly not conducive to baby wearing). She goes in the chair when I run off to pee. I also put her in the chair when I’m at home alone so I can eat my meals in peace. She likes to watch me eat and frequently opens and closes her mouth along with me (too cute!).

And let me say it again, the chair gives me a break from holding her. This is huge. Especially late in the day, I need to conserve my strength so I can comfort and hold her when she needs me. Trust me, holding her for sometimes upwards of 14 hours a day is no piece of cake. In theory I’d love to hold her all the time, but it’s truly exhausting. I need a place where I can put her down and she’ll still be comfortable, near me, and safe.

By the way, our chair vibrates, which totally reminds me of that episode of Sex in the City. The vibrating certainly doesn’t calm her (who came up with that part of the episode?!), but it keeps her fairly fuss free until she’s had simply had enough and is ready to get out. Right now, Mommy.

Do you know of any other baby products that may seem trivial, but are actually quite essential?