admin

Baby Registry Guide for the Smart New Mom – Part 6

 

 

Miscellaneous Registry Items

 

When baby gets sick

  • Nose Frida
    • You might be grossed out when you find out what this is, but keep reading! You will be glad you put the Nose Frida on your registry. Basically, the Nose Frida is a long fat straw with a filter in it that allows you to suck the snot out of your baby’s nose. Sometimes, they can get so congested that they literally can’t breathe. Temporarily, baby will scream bloody murder, but they’ll breathe much easier afterwards.
  • Humidifier
    • Jo Jr. has horrible eczema and both of my babies get nosebleeds. It is so helpful to humidify the air to help moisturize their skin and mucous membranes. Avoid the warm air humidifiers because those can breed bacteria.
  • Rectal thermometer
    • The hospital should give you the rectal thermometer used on your baby to take home, so you probably don’t need this on your registry. I’m not a pediatrician or anything, but it’s important to take a rectal temperature for the first 2 months at least, since it’s closest to core body temperature.
    • The first one to two months are critical for detecting fever, since baby’s immune system is still very weak.
  • Ear or Forehead Thermometer
    • When you’ve graduated from the rectal thermometer, the ear or forehead thermometer makes life way easier.
  • Infant Tylenol
    • Look for generic dye-free infant acetaminophen at the drug store.

 

Nail Care

  • Baby Nail Care
    • All Moms: baby nail file and baby mittens
      • Babies are born with nails!! They don’t get control of their limbs for a while, so they often scratch their little faces.
      • Please don’t do what I did to Jo Jr. and cut part of your baby’s little finger off with a baby nail clipper. This happens all the time to new mommies! The perfect solution is to use a baby nail file instead. The nail file is smooth enough that it won’t hurt the baby but also rough enough to quickly file down nails. This is a major #mommywin.
      • At least for the first several weeks, keep baby’s hands covered with baby mittens (or baby socks!). This will help them prevent scratches.
      • Another option, you can put long-sleeve onesies with mitten cuffs on your registry. These tend to keep babies hands covered better than the regular mittens since they’re less likely to fall off.

 

For Mom

  • Stretch Marks
    • All Moms: Burt’s Bees Belly Butter
      • I’m not totally sure this works, but I don’t think it could hurt. I used this body butter for both of my pregnancies. I still have stretch marks, but they’re not terrible. Remember to use it on your entire belly, even the bottom of it where you can’t see. I thought I went through my entire first pregnancy without stretch marks, and then when I could finally see my whole belly again, there they were!!
  • Body Pillow
    • All Moms: Full Body Pregnancy Pillow
      • The pregnancy pillow is a registry must-have! Once you get to 20 weeks or so, it is recommended that you lay on your side so that baby does not compress the major vessels in your abdomen. I purchased the C-shaped pillow, but I would recommend the full body pregnancy pillow so you can easily turn side to side and have equal support.
  • Books
    • All Moms: On Becoming Baby Wise, The Happiest Baby on the Block, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, The Wonder Weeks
      • On Becoming Baby Wise is a great book that covers a lot of different topics on parenting. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed with this new mom thing, I would suggest that you start here.
      • The Happiest Baby on the Block is a must-read for all moms. It pretty concisely tells you just how babies like to be soothed. You may be that lucky mom that has a baby that never fusses, but if not, you’ll be wishing you had some tools in your toolbox.
      • Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child is for the parent that wants to learn more in depth how to soothe their baby and the different techniques on getting your baby to sleep through the night.
      • The Wonder Weeks totally opened my eyes to just how interesting and complex a little baby’s brain is. The book spells out and very accurately times all of the fussy periods in infancy. I remember referencing the book every time my baby was fussy for no reason, or so I thought. Every time, it was because my baby was going through a phase of mental development. This book gives you actionable tips on how to smooth the transitions from each phase of development to the next.

 

Baby Registry Don’t’s!

 

  • Shopping cart cover
    • First of all, these things are super bulky! You are already carrying the car seat, diaper bag, and whatever else, so don’t add this on to your load.
    • Mommies use these as high chair covers too when they’re out at restaurants. Yea, it’s cleaner, but you’ll have to wash it every time you go out.
    • You won’t be able to use this until baby has enough head control to sit up on their own. By that time, baby should have gotten enough shots and their immune system should be able to tolerate some germs without majorly risking their life. Plus, according to the hygiene hypothesis, the lack of exposure to infectious agents in early childhood could increase a child’s susceptibility to allergic diseases by suppressing the natural development of the immune system. Read the study here.
  • Wipe Warmer
    • Oh my goodness. I love my babies, but I felt strongly that I was not going to get a butt wipe warmer. Who came up with this? Talk about first world problems. The reason I didn’t register for this was because I think it’s healthy for kids to have a little adversity, even if that means their tushies are cold temporarily.

 

Baby Registry Guide for the Smart New Mom – Part 1 – Which Type of Mom are You?

Baby Registry Guide for the Smart New Mom – Part 2 – Sleeping and Soothing

Baby Registry Guide for the Smart New Mom – Part 3 – Feeding, Furniture, and Gear

Baby Registry Guide for the Smart New Mom – Part 4 – Diapering and Bathing

Baby Registry Guide for the Smart New Mom – Part 5 – Clothes, Toys, and Babyproofing