Review: Mommy Must Haves Part I

I was sitting with J today and thinking a lot about all those baby items that I couldn't live without. I mean, there are lists and lists available online, in baby books, in magazines, from friends who list must have items. However, there are several that are just darn near essential and NOT part of the typical "needs" list.

Here are a few of mine:

The Fisher Price Papasan Cradle Swing:The reviews on this particular swing are outstanding (read 'em at Amazon, also where you can find it about $30-40 cheaper w/ free shipping!). It plays several tunes (though it is a tricky on/off maneuver you have to do to hear them at times). It also switches from side-to-side to front-back very, very easily. And, you can fold and store!

Diaper Wipe Warmer: OK, a lot of people will tell you this is a waste of money. I am a very practical person (in most respects) and I will tell you this is simply not the case. When I first got it I sorta laughed thinking this was a little extreme. But, let me tell you, if you need to do a midnight change on a sleeping baby, you don't want icy cold wipes touching his behind. J barely woke when we changed him after we started using the warmer. A simple little item that turned out to be priceless!

A Baby Carrier: Yes, you need one. The slings are great as well. Unfortunately, being on the petite side, the slings felt cumbersome for me, plus I wanted something that would work past his newborn stage. The Baby Bjorn is my favorite--I'm not a brand name fanatic, but this one was simply the easiest to put on and felt the best out of most of the others we tried. You can find the original Baby Bjorn for under $80 (under $50 from BabyAge in Denim). You don't NEED the more expensive sport carrier.

The Baby Book by Dr. Sears: This is a fantastic book. I've read quite a few baby books . . . and this is a great book. Before I proceed, I have to explain a few things about the reviews of baby books (and in some cases baby products). Now, a lot of moms, dads, and others will say that some of these baby books make people feel guilty (moms who don't stay home or don't breastfeed), tell them things they don't agree with (vaccinations), make people feel excluded (not written for the dads). So what! You aren't going to LIKE or AGREE with everything, but that doesn't mean the information is not useful or helpful. You take what WORKS FOR YOU!!! Also, just because you don't like something or it doesn't work for you doesn't mean it is bad! I get annoyed by reviews that say something is bad--just tell us it didn't work for you--give the facts of your experience and leave it at that. Sorry for the rant . . .

Anyway, this is a inexpensive book filled with lots of great information. Dr. Sears is all about attachment parenting (I think he even coined the term, not sure). I'm not 100% on board with all those ideas, but I like the philosophy and do practice some of the techniques and they have worked well for us. He also gives a lot of info on medications, baby development, illnesses, techniques for the fussy baby and much, much more. He has several other books that go into greater detail on several of the issues he discusses in the book (sleeping though the night, fussy baby, nutrition . . . ).

The Happiest Baby on the Block: Wow! What a lifesaver. My husband I used the techniques (the 5 s's) and we are happier for it. We can swaddle J, put him on his side, shhh him, and sway and he is typically out like a light in minutes. It is amazing. We aren't big fans of the "cry it out" method, especially at only a few months old (you can spoil a baby before six months!). This is a fantastic book. I can't lie, I skimmed through some of the reasoning for each of his techniques only because I didn't need any convincing.

Baby J calls . . . more later.