This appears to be Opinion Week here in Casa Booski, while there still is a full blown Casa of the Booskis.
Here are the things that we have used and appreciated the most in caring for The King -- at least so far.
Flatfold Cloth Diapers
- We aren't using these for diapers, in fact I think they would be a pain for that.
But they are great for catching baby-boy fountain action during diaper changes. They absorb most of it mid-fountain, and are big and absorbant enough to wipe up anything that they missed "in action." Although The King doesn't spit up much, they're great for cleaning that up too. And if you are using pocket-style cloth diapers, I think they'd be good inserts, because they're thin and flat, so you could fold them as needed. They seem quicker to absorb than the prefolds.
My Brest Friend - Incredibly goofy name, unbelievably useful product if you are breastfeeding. The Brest Friend has a wide, flat surface for the baby to rest on while eating. It also has an attached pocket, large enough for a tube of Lanisoh cream and a paperback. It has an adjustable strap so you can fasten it in place. It even has a small amount of lumbar support.
My only complaint is that the cover is made from a fairly coarse cotton weave. I normally spread a receiving blanket over the top to protect the skin on both my hand/wrist and The King's head.
We have one of these and a Boppy;
I think I've used the Boppy 5 or 6 times, including twice as a support
pillow to keep this pillow from pressing down on the still-healing
c-section scar. But the Boppy does have a softer cover, with more cute options. And I think it will be more useful for other things. My Brest Friend is a single-purpose tool. But one I've used sometimes 10 times per day.
Receiving Blankets -
- Bigger is better. We wash the larger ones every couple of days. (We might have used the smaller ones more if The King had been small at birth.)
- More is better. We rotate through at least half a dozen every couple of days, plus use the smaller ones for things like an extra layer between the baby and the sheet, reducing the number of times we have to wash the sheet because of overnight poopie blowouts. And on cold days, he's had a few wrapped around or on top of him in his bassinet.
- I think the double-layer cotton knit kind are the best. They stretch more, making any swaddling your baby will take easier to do. But the flannel ones are fine.
Mulitple Changing Table/Pad Covers - We bought a fancy changing pad that is also a dresser, and converts to a normal looking dresser after The King is out of diapers. Unfortunately, it turns out to be about an inch less wide than the standard curved-side changing pads.
We wound up buying 2 packs of quilted "multi-use" waterproof pads. They're all in a stack on our changing table, giving us about half an inch of padding. This has been great, because when The King has a poopie blowout and gets the top pad, we just toss it in the hamper. No stress even when he gets another one after we remove the first one. We've never actually gotten down to the 4th layer, but I recommend having at least 3 layers in place as a general practice. And having 4 means never worrying that you'll have to do laundry right away. :)
Footie PJs - Ideally, with zippers instead of snaps. Maybe The King just takes after Jill, but his little hands and feet get cold much more quickly than the rest of his body. And like most babies, he's skilled at magically getting his socks off, no matter how dorkily high up I pull them. He can't reach his feet, he can't grab things well yet (except fingers and Mommy's shirt) but he is never wearing 2 socks after he wakes up. Never!
I say zippers over snaps for just 2 reasons: speed, and first-time-parent condfidence. Some of these snap-covered outfits are as complex as Ikea furniture -- where the hell does this snap get snapped to??? But most of the outfits available have snaps, so you'll have to learn how Tab A connects with Slot B.
Eucerin Lotion - Our pediatrician recommended this, and it does seem to be helping keep the non-rash-crazed part of The King's skin from getting too dry. Plus we have it in rotation with the prescription creams for the rash, and it's keeping his whole face from flaking off. And I have to admit, I love how it feels on my hands.
Last but not least....
Baby Bjorn - We have the original style, and I love it. It almost always settles The King down for a nap, and I've manage not only to go on walks wearing it, and manage shopping wearing it, but I can also type and cook in it. The only thing that's really hard to do with the BB on is pick up something from a low shelf or the ground.
If I were buying one now, I think I'd go for the Active Carrier version, which looks more complicated to get on, but appears to have lumbar support, which would be a big improvement over the original.
I also absolutely love our swing and Diaper Champ, but The King is waking up, so I have to go deliver the milk truck.
