Baby Items...

...we could not live without.  I'm making this a "we" and not a "Carter" or "I" because these items have created peace or joy for Carter, thus creating peace and joy for me.  Ok you get the picture.  It's a domino effect.  If any of you have had a baby with reflux, you know how hard it can be to soothe and comfort your baby.  And you find yourself seaching the internet for products and/or tips that will help you calm your baby and make your life somewhat easier.  Here are the items that I might fight someone over if they tried to steal them from me.    These products are by no means meant purely for babies with reflux. Infact several of them are hand-me-downs from Aiden, I just have a new love and appreciation for them now.

The Miracle Blanket

I need a picture of Carter all wrapped up in this, but for now you'll just have to go to the website and see what all the fuss is about.  I was very skeptical of this glorified swaddle blanket, but after reading tons of reviews and very desperate for sleep, I bought two.  In my opinion they are pricey, but totally worth it.  We were having to rewrap Carter 4-5 times a night and now once he's wrapped he's good until we unwrap him. He can no longer break his arms free. Now we're getting more solid sleep, still getting up some to put his paci back in, which any mom with a newborn will tell you makes all the difference.  So, if you're all about swaddling and getting sleep, buy this.  Seriously.


Cradle Swing

Ok, its no secret that swings are miracle workers.  It is how Carter takes most naps and even sleeps in it until we move him to the crib when we go to sleep.  This keeps him at just the right angle to help ease his tummy will clam him most of the time when he's fussy.  We just wrap him up and put him in the swing and its off to dreamland he goes.   We have an older version of this swing, as it was a hand-me-down from some good friends of ours.  It is seriously on its last leg, but we're just praying it will make it until Carter is done with it.  We just keep a very large supply of  D batteries on hand.


FisherPrice Newborn to Toddler Rocker

Love this. We got this as a baby shower gift for Aiden and I have since gotten it for friends who have had babies.  When Carter's reflux was at its absolute worse, he would sleep all night in this while someone slept beside him on the couch.  I'm almost speechless about this chair, that's how much I love it.  And yes, it does get used when you have toddlers, too.  Before Carter was born I took this chair away and hid it for a while hoping Aiden would forget about it.  No such luck.  He remembered and it took quite a bit of time for him to get over the fact that it was now Carter's turn. 

Safety 1st Humidifier

We just bought this for Carter because both boys had colds and we only had one humidifier.  I like this one so much, I'm contemplating purchasing another one to replace Aiden's.  Aiden's is a cheapo one that he was given in the hospital when he had rsv.  It works ok, but gets moldy and is very loud.  This one is silent, seriously.  And is very easy to use.  Plus, it was the cheapest one I could find and believe or not it had the best reviews.  Go figure.

Sound Machine

I can't find the picture for this or a link to the one that we have.  I bought it when I was trying to get Aiden used to his crib for naptimes.  Worked like a charm.  I've used this from the beginning with Carter because with his reflux he's been a very light sleeper.  It is basically a little machine that plays different sounds.  I have it on waves because it seems to be the most soothing to me.  You could put it on heartbeat, but that freaks me out a bit.  And they have others, I just don't use them.  I like it because it doesn't use batteries and you can have it play for one hour or all night.  We just leave it on all night and since we don't use monitors, it doesn't bother us at all.

There are other little items that are noteworthy, like pacifiers and a mobile, but I'm tired of typing and I'm really thinking you've got the gist.  Every mom has items that she just loves and can't live without.  What are yours?  What has helped soothe your baby or made your life easier?