Motherhood: Baby Favourites 0-3 Months

Baby Favourites 0-3 Months

Now that I have cleared the newborn phase of my little babe's life, I thought I would share some of the products that helped us most while our baby was in the 0-3 period. It's such a precious but crazy time and I know I appreciated all the advice and sharing that my mom friends did with me to help me through the transition.

Today I thought I'd write about some of my essentials for life with a baby that I found to be helpful to have around during the early days.

Of course, I loved having traditional items like Muslin blankets (a must), a stroller (we chose the Uppababy Vista and Mesa car seat ), burp cloths and bibs. They were so so helpful and if you want to see the items that were the best for our little family, I have linked them all in my Amazon Storefront to make it super easy to shop from.

Resources

My number one favourite book during this time was The Wonder Weeks. There is also an app you can make use of.

The theory behind the book is that all babies go through 10 fussy periods in their early years and that these phases are linked to developmental growth periods. By knowing what is going on developmentally, you can prepare yourself and support your child without getting frustrated or losing your cool!

Loved this book and highly recommend it.

Sleepers and Gowns

In the beginning, we used sleepers all day, because our babe was literally sleeping almost all day. I loved cotton one pieces with zippers and my favourites were from Burt's Bees, Carters and Baby Gap.

I really loved these Kimono style robes from Parade Organics. We still use these in the 3-6 month phase that we are in now. These robes make night-time diaper changes a breeze and also doubles as a bit of a sleep sack.

Toys

At this stage babies don't really need much to entertain them. But books are always a great thing to start collecting as they can grow with them.

For a 0-3 month old, I'd recommend books with high contrast, black and white pictures. As baby's eye-sight develops, high contrast really helps them to focus and build concentration. Small sized board books are great for baby to hold and to take with you on the go.

Colourful, soft toys with rattles, tags and mirrors are also a crowd-pleaser at this age!

                       

Having a place to lay baby down for tummy time is very helpful. We loved our Skip Hop Play Mat. Bonus- the Farmstand theme helped expose her to fruit and vegetables way before she was even ready to eat.

Sleep

For bedtime, we preferred the Halo Bassinet which was gifted to us. It was truly amazing- especially for me as I was recovering from a C-Section. The sides were made out of mesh so our baby felt comfortable as she could see us. We also loved that it was easy to get her out of bed for night feedings and changes.

We also absolutely loved the Snuggle Me Organic lounger. This was one of those products that I didn't know I needed at all. It was probably one of the best surprise gifts we received!

Our baby was super comfy and cozy lounging in this for short naps when we were watching her. This was a product I really didn't know I needed until I was in the Newborn stage and realized all she wanted was to feel close and secure.

These Sleep Sacks with the wrapped arms were so helpful too! They are made by Halo and we loved them to help transition her out of a swaddle and into a sleep sack. 

Feeding

For Feeding, I was lucky to be able to breast feed my baby and used a pump so dad could help with the bedtime feed. Our favourite bottles were the Como Tomo bottles - they had the most real look and feel as well as anti-colic valves to help the baby's tummy.

My pump of choice was the Medela Free Style. After some time, I learned that washing the parts was the most tedious part so I used one side of the set up for a morning pump session and the other side of the set up for an evening session. This helped me avoid washing both sides twice a day - which mostly saved my sanity! (lol- but not really.)


Hope this list of my favourite things for the 0-3 period and helps anyone doing some shopping or planning for a baby in their future. These are just some of the items that were helpful to us. If you want to see more of the items that were best for our little family, you can check out the links in my Amazon Storefront and shop away!

Life With Baby: Diaper Bag Essentials

What to Pack in a Diaper Bag

These days I'm out and about quite a bit with my little one. My right hand man (aside from dear hubby of course), is my diaper bag.

I have this one from Skip Hop and find it to be really roomy and great for cramming a lot of stuff into. The one con of this diaper bag is also that there's space for a lot. You want to stream line and clean it out from time to time so you're not lugging around extra things when you don't need to be.

I try to carry the minimum amount of extra items in my bag but here are the staples that I can't go without.

Note: I love the idea of having a backpack diaper bag because it means you are hands-free but if I were to buy one today I would go with my original instinct to buy one in a faux leather look - something that I can take to any occasion and not feel like I need to take a different bag.

This is the one I originally wanted but the grey one we went with was my hubby's choice - either way - both great bags!

Change Pad
This one from Skip Hop is great - it has a change pad as well as a place for your diapers and wipes so everything you need to change a diaper is in one place.

Wipes
I always have a light container of wipes (choose one that is skinny and light so it doesn't bulk up your diaper bag). If you buy the Change Pad - it actually comes with the perfect container for wipes too.  I also got a sample of a soft dispenser like this which has come in handy.

Diapers
We love Pampers Swaddlers the most. I have tried other brands and styles but these are our favourite for fit and leakage protection. I also love that it has a wetness indicator built in, so you know when the baby needs a change based on the colour of the line.  (yellow for dry, blue for wet)

Diaper Cream and Dry Cloth
We use Earth Mama's Organic Diaper Balm and love it. It's actually great for any scratches, cuts and rashes too. I used this on sunburn and it helped heal it over night! We also keep a dry wash cloth to wipe up any access moisture before putting on a new diaper.

Tip: buy washcloths in two colours - one for bum stuff and one colour for wiping their face and for baths.

A Set of Clothes
I like to pack socks, an extra outfit (t-shirt onesie, pants or shorts) and something comfortable to go straight to sleep in if we are out late.

Extra Items

There are some things you can add to your bag to make it your own and to help you out while you're out of the house.

• face cloth 
• burp cloth
• bibs (2)
• hair brush                                         

A Few Other "Nice to Haves"

Muslin Blanket

These blankets are a must have and I love buying them in fun colours and patterns. We use these to put down on the floor when we are out so baby can play on it. We also use them to keep her warm, or even as a nursing/car seat cover. There are so many uses for these thin, light blankets - we even play games with them or use them as a burp cloth in a pinch. So versatile! 

Car Seat Cover
I have really enjoyed having a car seat cover. It's great for creating a quiet and dark space if your baby needs a nap, but it was also great during cold and flu season for an extra layer of protection. The one I bought is by Milk Snob and doubles as a nursing cover. It's super lightweight and rolls into a little ball so it's easy to carry around.



Nail clippers
I don't know why but babies' nails grow extra fast and they are razor sharp! Always good to have some clippers in your bag in case you didn't get the chance to do it at home.


Sweatshirt or light jacket
I like to be prepared so I tend to keep a sweater in a neutral colour in her bag too.


Pacifier and clip
If your baby takes a pacifier, it's something you will want to pack along if you're headed out. I love having a pacifier clip too. These are awesome for clipping toys, soothers and teethers to your babies' clothes or car seat so they don't fall and get dirty. I've linked a similar one to what I have here.

Stroller fan
We purchased a stroller fan when we were going on a beach vacation but it's been amazing for summer walks and time outdoors. Our baby runs hot so this is great for keeping her cool and comfortable.

Noise-canceling headphones
These headphones have been a life-saver for us on more than one occasion. We have used them to help our baby get to sleep while we went for dinner, at a sporting event and at a wedding. We are getting great use out of these!

Hope these tips help you as you pack and prepare a diaper bag for your little one. When we go out we also like to keep a rain shield and bug net with our stroller in case we need it. They are super helpful!

If there is something else you like to pack along with you when you head out with your little, let me know! Find me on Instagram @angeliesood

Motherhood: Tips for Getting Out of the House with an Infant

Leaving the House with a Baby

New moms will know, sometimes it takes awhile to get a groove going and to streamline certain aspects of life with a baby. Take going out for example- there's a lot more moving pieces then there used to be.

From getting the baby ready, feeding and changing them, to packing a bag and trying to figure out all the extra items you may need for your outing - the "getting ready" process can take forever!

I knew I had to figure out a way to make the process easier on myself otherwise I would just end up staying home all the time.

Here are my tips for getting out the door a little bit more quickly and efficiently with a baby (though I think some of these tips would work for parents of toddlers and school age children too).

Have a Catch All

We have a basket in our front foyer that we use to catch all of Liyana's miscellaneous going out items. Her diaper bag, a warm blanket, a muslin blanket, a sun hat  - all of these are housed in the same place. This cuts down on going up and down the stairs trying to find that one thing with a crying baby on your hip.
(If you want to know what baby items I usually take with me for an outing then you can read about my Diaper Bag Essentials here. )

Don't Unpack your Diaper Bag

I keep my Diaper Bag packed and ready for the most part. If there were no accidents that day, I just leave the same emergency outfits in the bag for the next outing. It really cuts down on time spent packing extra sets of clothes for the baby. I use a thin packing cube to contain the extra clothes so they fit nicely in my Diaper Bag.

Restock your Diapering Essentials At Night

When you come home from an outing or day trip, check to make sure you have enough diapers and wipes for the next time you will be going out. It's much easier to do this when you don't have a time crunch or when you need to get out the door quickly.

Have an Emergency Bag in the Car

I learned this one the hard way. I had just come back from vacation and the next morning we had a Mommy and Me dance class. I rushed out the door without checking my Diaper Bag and Liya picked that day to have a major blowout. Of course I had no extra clothes for her and it was rough. Luckily the other moms in the class came to my rescue and lent me a onesie for Liya to wear and we were good to go. Since then, I decided to keep a few extra things in a zippered bag in my car. In the kit I have an extra outfit (a long and short sleeved diaper shirt and pants - this will work if it's warm or cool) and extra diapers and wipes.

To see what else is in my emergency kit, you can watch here.

Buy Certain Things in Pairs

While I love the Minimalist approach, I find that with certain things, it's helpful to have pairs. Stroller fans, hair brushes, pacifier clips, nail clippers, car seat covers, sunglasses and sunhats are a few things that I'm enjoying having doubles of right now. For her car seat cover (also a nursing cover - I have this one) I found having two was helpful because I could wash one and still have one available for the next time we went out.

Other Tips

• Keep your stroller in the car
• Keep your stroller accessories with the stroller (mosquito net, rain shield , stroller caddy etc)
• Go easy on yourself and take your time to learn the basics. It took me a couple of outings and week by week I learned how to use a different piece of baby gear until I felt comfortable taking her out on my own
• Smile! It may take awhile but the more you practice, the easier leaving the house will be!

Hope these tips help to stream line your "getting out of the house" process so you can enjoy more outings with your little one!

Have any tips to share with me? Send me a message on Instagram @angeliesood I'd love to chat!