baby stuff - a review (finally)

Honestly, I've been really happy with all of our baby stuff. I like our pack'n'play (the changing station is awesome), our jogging stroller, our furniture, etc. I haven't tried our infant to toddler highchair yet, so no review there. But, below I list the things that really stick out for me... either because they are very good, very bad, or because there is something specific about them I want to mention.

As a side note, buy lots of plain, white, baby "under onesies" (as I call them). I like the Carter's and SpaSilk brands... Gerbers seem to run small. Their 0-3 fit like Carter's Newborns. They are great though for under one-piece outfits, as an extra layer under lighter clothes, or to keep diapers secure and catch any leaks!


Good:
- Methods Squeaky Green baby wash: OMG, I got this because it was made with natural ingredients, but I love it because it is gentle and smells AMAZING!

- wash cloth for covering baby in tub... I can't remember what this was called specifically, and can't seem to find it online. I know Babies'R'Us has them in store. Basically, any washcloth would work in theory, but we got this one as a gift, and Gwen loves it so much. Its a larger then normal washcloth that is (made to look like a duck! and) shaped to cover baby's body all the way over their shoulders, to keep them warm in the bath.
Bathtime went from this:

To this:

By the by... look how much longer/bigger my baby got! 

- Mei Tai: I do love my wrap! On the days that Gwen just refuses to be put down, and I need both hand, she gets wrapped. Its win-win, she's still being held, and I have my hands free! Its great for walks too, and she often falls asleep in it. Don't be intimidated by having to tie it... is so easy to learn, and once you do it a few times, its second nature.

- Prefold Diapers: They are perfect for wiping up spit up, or laying down under a slobbering baby, etc. I got some, not sure if we would use them... but we have them all over the house and use them constantly! Plus they are soft, and you really can't beat the absorbency. For something a little fancy, get one HERE... these are cute, and even softer then the regular ones. Gwen has one in Blue Brown Paisley.



A Waste:
- Simplisse Disposable Breast Pads: uncomfortable and stiff... I'll stick with the soft, flexible, secure Lansinoh ones.

- Nature Babycare diapers: I wanted to love these diapers... they are a green diaper, biodegradable and chlorine free... but they fit HORRIBLY and leak. We just had a big "poop-splossion" earlier today. It wasn't even a particularly full diaper, but it went everywhere. Not good.


In Between:
- Huggies diapers: We got five different brands of diapers to try at our baby shower. We had Pampers and Huggies in Newborn sizes, and Huggies, Seventh Generation, Nature Babycare, and Parents Choice in Size 1. The Newborn Huggies did not fit her well at all... they are the ones that we constantly had poop leaks from, while Pampers fit her great. Now we've moved her up to the size one diapers (eek!), and have found that the size 1 Huggies do fit her, no problems. So I guess its a bit hit or miss... and on that note:

- Seventh Generation diapers: They fit her great and I have no complaints. I love the wide tabs and, of course, that there is less harmful junk in them. The only reason they are here instead of in the "good" section is that they are definitely more expensive.

- Medela Swing Breast Pump: I really do love this pump, its works really well for me... but could I go back in time, I'd have registered for the double pump instead of single. Fitting in pumping is hard, it would be awesome to do it in half the time... especially when I go back to work and have to do it multiple times a day. But it is a good pump, and very compact.

- Our Swing, Playmat, etc: Gwen is JUST starting to be okay with being in the swing now, so if we hadn't gotten it for free, we definitely could have held off on buying it until later. But I know this one is totally different baby to baby, so...

- Snuggle Nest: This has been a lifesaver with having Gwen in bed, as I talked about here. My only complaint is, since we inclined the mattress slightly to help her with stuffiness, sometimes she would wiggle her little booty off one side. We were able to fix that by moving the sleep positioners way down, but could I go back, I probably would have gotten this one instead.