A few of my favorite things: Registry Essentials

Here are my top must have registry picks that I could not, and will not live without. I actually went out and bought at least two of everything (with the exception of the stroller, of course:))

Clouds and Stars Zipper Sheets: Who ever created this - is a GENIUS. They recently announced that you do not need bumpers in cribs because of the suffocation risk but even still these make changing crib sheets so easy. They have a bottom and a seperate top piece that just simply zips on and off so you don't have to deal with lifting the mattress up and out of the crib to change the sheets. Love, love, love them.

 

Boppy: This is a must for breastfeeding Mothers. It is really difficult in the beginning to breastfeed a newborn since they are so teeny. The boppy was great to get my daughter in the right position. I also love it now because she's gotten so heavy it helps so I'm not putting my back out every time I nurse her. They come "naked" and the covers come separately (as far as I can tell) I recommend getting at least two covers.

UppaBaby Stroller: I love my stroller for a few different reasons. Let me count the ways. First of all, they are an ecofriendly company. For example, the bassinet material is fully made from soybean fiber. The second thing that really appealed to me is that you can add on to this stroller. So when #2 comes along you can add a rumble seat. Then when #3 comes along you can add a "piggyback" for the child to stand. I also love (and I didn't know this until after I bought a bassinet) that they sell a stand for their bassinet. I wish I would have done this because I would have saved $300 on a bassinet and my baby liked the UppaBaby bassinet better anyway! Figures. This would also help justify the cost to grandparents who think you've lost your mind for buying a $600 stroller:) It is also really easy to maneuver, lightweight, and (of course) super cute and stylish.

Carter's sleep and play: My child lives in these. They are easy, cute and inexpensive. So when your child happens to explode mid flight on the way down to Florida staining it beyond recognition and you just happen to forget stain stick - whatever! A word of advice, skip the newborn sizes. They will fit in that size for exactly 30 seconds. Move directly to 0-3 month sizes. Note that Carter's seems to run small, so don't obsess too much on the month your baby is supposed to be in versus and the size of the outfit. Also, everyone will buy you newborn and 0-3 month clothes so try to register for 3+ month clothes because you will find you will wake up one morning and having nothing to dress your baby in!

Fisher-Price Bouncer:

Before I had a baby I was really perplexed by all of the seats, bouncers, things they stand in - in short, what in the world is all of this equipment for? In short - it's a place to put the lovies in so you can get something, ANYTHING done. And in the beginning a place for the little doll to get a quick snooze. I love, love, love the Fisher-Price Bouncer. I have to tell you that, I don't think it's the most beautiful thing in the world - however when I travel this puppy makes the  trip. The reason that this is so great is that it vibrates and bounces. Some of the chairs out there don't bounce. Make sure whatever chair you do get - BOUNCES. Trust me. I have two and the other one doesn't bounce. And it doesn't no put the babe into a sleep coma quite like this one.  If possible, get two. I have one in my bathroom and I put her in it when I shower. This comes in really handy and is one less thing you will have to lug around.

Speaking of lugging around, my favorite baby carrier is: SugarSweetBaby.com. I love this wrap for a few reasons. First is, it is eco-friendly and made of bamboo. Secondly, when my daughter was first born she loved this wrap. She would go from screaming to sleeping within 30 seconds of putting her in this wrap. Literally.  It is extremely comfortable - I also have the Bjorn and couldn't believe how uncomfortable it was, my neck was hurting within three minutes. It's cute, stylish. It's also really compact so it's always in my diaper bag. I am a multi-tasker who can't sit still so this helped me be able to get stuff done around the house. I really don't think I could have made it through the first three months without this wrap!

1,000 things no one ever told me...

When I was pregnant I was always looking for lists - "What to get when I'm pregnant" (to make me less miserable, or at least not throw up in a Client meeting), "What to register for" (did I mention I'm the youngest of three who never babysat and up until I had my own child had no clue about babies?) , "What to do with the child once it arrives" (and I mean I need details, like lots - and what is this I hear about diaper "blow outs" isn't that why a child wears diapers?). I never found what I was looking for. I wanted real person advice. The boards can be so overwhelming and I wasn't feeling the "connection" with some of the moms to be on there. I honestly didn't get the whole DS (Dear Son) or DD (Dear Daughter) abbreviation thing. Why can't you just type son? It's one more letter and I don't need a decoder to understand what you're talking about.  I also don't like stuffed animals and refuse to take my child to Disney (long lines, large crowds, expensive crappy food, and hot, humid weather? Yea, no thanks) - let's just get that out of the way now.

What I am is a list person - I like a good check list - and I also like good advice, and when I have it - I like sharing good advice. So I thought I would share what I've learned as I've stumbled through this journey: babe on board.

You didn't ask, but I'm going to tell you: Must haves when you are pregnant

Nothing fits, grrrrr:

Until the very end, I found that I could get away with most tops that weren't maternity. H&M has a great selection of empire cut/flowy shirts that are cute, and are really reasonable. I was shocked to go to a maternity store early on and see that a pair of CARGO shorts were $60 (say wha??). I lived in button down cardigans, over sized shirts and leggings.

My favorite tank that I have in about 50 colors, and still wear and layer with EVERYTHING is the long and lean tank from Target. I think the best kind of maternity clothes are the ones that aren't maternity at all and that you can keep wearing after the babe arrives. Shop for tops that are long, baby doll  or empire cut. Dresses are great too in a babydoll or empire waist cut - just make sure it's not too short (yikes). You'll have more variety and not to mention save a lot of money. It's amazing (and so wrong!) that maternity stuff is so expensive! You can however find some deals at Old Navy, Target and Gap (when they have their Friends and Family 30% off Sale).

- And I'm supposed to sleep how?

We all know - you're not supposed to sleep on your back, and ehm, good luck sleeping on your stomach. So, on your side it is. A total body pillow will help get you some shut eye for now at least. At the end FYI - there will be no sleeping because you will be spending most of your time in the bathroom peeing about 900 times a night. I do however, recommend the the Boppy Body pillow because it is next to impossible to get comfortable and this definitely helps. Anything to get a better nights rest.

The ironic part is, I actually slept better and more soundly AFTER the babe arrived if that gives you a sense of how miserable sleeping was at the end. I also would recommend getting an extra cover so you can have one to swap out for washing. Now, I have to be honest. I purchased  the Snoggle, but I have to tell you after receiving a Boppy for the baby  I couldn't believe how much better it was made and comfortable it was. I was so upset I didn't have the body pillow. So, in case your shopping around that's my two cents.

- It buuuuurns:

Ugh, I do not miss the heartburn. Two recommendations here - buy Tums - and buy a bunch of smaller containers so you can keep them everywhere - your desk, your purse, in between couch pillows... you get the drift. I can remember getting quite panicky if I realized I didn't have Tums somewhere nearby. I also discovered the berry flavored Tums, which are quite delish. Hey, when you are eating them all day long, anything is an improvement.

- The small issue of stretch marks: "Miracle Creams":
I was certainly concerned about stretch marks but on one side you have the Doctors telling you that creams won't do anything for you - it's all hereditary and then you see ads EVERYWHERE for creams, lotions, oils claiming they will make sure you don't have any stretch marks. Some of the creams that I was looking at were $70... I wasn't sold. So what I did notice is that a lot of these creams and lotions are made with Vitamin E and Oil. I then noticed that baby oil contains these same ingredients - and began using it everyday after my shower (you put the oil on before you dry off and then pat yourself down - be careful! We really don't need a pregnant woman slipping in the shower). I will say this, I religiously used it - and my mom had stretch marks (sorry mom) and she was rather surprised to see at one of my last ultrasounds that I didn't have ANY! I'm not promising anything, but for around $2 a month, I think it's worth a shot!



- Heels = You're out of your mind

I'm going to be straight with you here - I'm not much of a heels person anyway, but you really are going to want to invest in a great pair of flats. I found a great pair of Sam Edelman's which are cute and comfortable. You can wear these to work, out to dinner, etc. Really worth the investment and I always get lots of compliments on them. Best of all is you can still rock them after the little one arrives. Merrells (for sneakers) and Cole Haan with Nike Air (for sandals) are also great. Listen here, take care of your feet and hopefully they will take care of you.

What's your drink?

When you're pregnant (and nursing) you're supposed to drink an insane amount of water. I would would recommend buying yourself two water bottles that you can reuse (you need to counteract the large carbon footprint your baby's diapers will be creating).

After about three weeks I was so sick of water. It was like kryptonite.  I needed to mix it up just to keep hydrated. I'm not much of a soda drinker, but I started exploring fizzy drinks. My go to drink was (and still is) Izze's. I had Izze's in my fridge at all times, no exceptions. It also helps with morning sickness. The little glass bottles are cute, and had no shame BYOI'ing (Izzes) to parties. I have more recently fell in love with Santa Cruz pink lemonade - and they are organic.


- Information overload:

Now, if you're anything like me - you're going to buy 900 encyclopedia like pregnancy books, and read them all (or at least skim). What you'll probably notice, is your husband, well - not so much. I bought my husband "The Expectant Father" . Do yourself a favor, and listen closely here, BUY THIS BOOK. What I loved about it was it helped give him ideas on how to help me (pitching in more on housework, grocery shopping (a pregnant woman's worst nightmare), etc). Let me tell you, I didn't do a dish past my third week of pregnancy. I'm not saying it was all the book but I think it definitely helped plant some seeds. While you're at it - get the set that includes the 1st year. You won't be sorry.

You will most certainly need some (more) practical advice as well as laughs during the pregnancy. I loved Jenny McCarthy's "Belly Laughs" - it will give you a break from all of the pregnancy encyclopedias you'll be reading (and that will make you more than paranoid).

The last book is one I recommend reading maybe in your 9th month. I, ehhhm, made the mistake of not reading really anything on what to do with the child once it arrived... not sure how I missed that. I highly recommend "The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer". This book has great advice for first time parents who have no clue what they are doing (like me!).