Brie Fit

My life the past three months has been consumed with keeping Charlie happy and safe.  And there are some products that make that job way easier.  Here are some things I’d recommend to first time moms!

Fisher Price Rock n’ Play Sleeper

Charlie has slept in this every night since he’s been home.  Since the current recommendation for SIDS prevention is that baby and mom sleep in the same room for six months, he snoozes in this next to my side of the bed.  It’s light enough that I can drag it into the master bath one-handed in the morning to take a shower while watching him through the glass doors, and folds flat for easy storage.  Plus, I’ve heard the incline is great for refluxy babies.

Halo Swaddle Sleep Sacks (also pictured above)

Charlie was obviously super strong from all the CrossFit he did in utero, so normal swaddles didn’t cut it.  We used the SwaddleMe, and he busted out of it in less than three seconds. Regular swaddling blankets were okay (we used the much-recommended Aden and Anais ones, which I found extremely overrated) but he usually busted out of those, too.  This is bust-out-proof, and cuddly, warm fleece.  We also are now using it as a regular sleep sack with the swaddle done so his arms are out now, so it’s versatile!

Aveeno Eczema Therapy

Charlie’s got a touch of eczema.  This stuff works really well.

Bum Genius 4.0 Cloth Diapers

We tried a number of cloth diaper brands and these came out on top.  (Get the ones with snaps!)

We tried:

• Prefolds and covers (worked great for the newborn stage, but he outgrew quickly)
• FuzziBunz (okay, nice and trim but hard to adjust the sizing and didn’t like stuffing them—sold them to buy more BG4.0s)
• BumGenius Elementals (okay, Charlie seems to prefer fabrics that wick moisture away so the cotton is not ideal, plus they stain easily and take a long time to dry)
• Rumparooz (my second favorites—a bit bulky but they are great for overnights)
• Twinkie Tush fitteds (love them for overnights!  We use them with Blueberry covers.)
• Kawaiis (got one as a freebie and I really like it.  I’d recommend it for someone looking to cloth diaper on the cheap.)
• Ones & Twos (also got one as a freebie—I hate it because it’s hard to stuff and it has a narrow crotch)

My Brest Friend

I loathe the name of this pillow but it was great for nursing Charlie when he was teeny.  Way better than the Boppy.  I don’t use it much anymore but the firm surface was a must for maintaining a good latch.

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

Another cheesy title, but great info in this book.  I tried reading it before Charlie came and quickly got overwhelmed, but it’s great to reference when we’re having an issue or read along with, since it has sections sorted by the age of your baby.  There are some eyebrow-raising slash eye-rolling sections, like the “epidurals are the devil” section and the part that tells you to use breastmilk as a fun sexual aid, but all in all, solid advice.

Skip Hop Dunks Bath Toys

Look cute, but great for rinsing baby hair in the bathtub and can be a fun bath toy later on.

Ergo Baby Carrier

I have the Organic version, but I think they’re all basically the same.  I basically no longer use a stroller in public because Charlie p refers to be cuddled up on me in this. I put him in, and he will peep out of it looking around for awhile, and eventually settle his head on my chest for a nap. When he was wee we used the infant insert and it seriously saved my sanity.  For about the first ten weeks of his life, he only wanted to be held and cuddled but, you know, I also needed to do things like eat and go to the bathroom.  This allowed me to multitask.

Charlie has also attended two weddings in the Ergo.

Kicky Pants Sleeper

These are ludicrously expensive for baby sleepers but we got one as a gift and I adore it.  It’s super soft, adorable, and has the fold over hand mittens that keep your kid from gouging his eye out.

Squirrels!  (And baby acne.  He had an awkward phase.  Sorry, kid.)

So that’s that.  My favorite products (and Charlie’s!).  Enjoy!