Products That Will Change Your Life

Okay, "life-changing" might be a sliiight exaggeration. But there are numerous items I wish I would have known about earlier in my mommyhood that would have made life easier and me and my baby happier. I give you PRODUCTS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

California Baby Calendula Cream

This is such a great cream for all types of babies' skin, but especially if your baby has eczema. Claire started out with great skin, but soon developed red and dry patches on her back. A few nights of putting the calendula cream on and it was gone! We don't use it all the time, but whenever Baby C's skin acts up, the calendula cream takes care of it instantly.

California Baby Diaper Rash Wash

I would like to toot my own horn for one sec - my baby is almost 11 months old and has had ONE instance of diaper rash (I blame the disposable diapers while we were traveling). This is actually quite a big feat! I most often credit that to the use of cloth diapers, but another saving grace is California Baby's diaper rash spray. I use it as a spray for cleaning Baby C's bottom at changes. And for diaper stuff, it smells really nice. No artificial powdery smell...just clean and a little herbal. You caught me, I'm a hippie. It's also marketed as a boo-boo spray and although we haven't had to use it in that capacity yet, I'm sure it'll come in handy soon.

Kirkland Brand Wipes

No matter what anyone says, do not bother getting another brand of wipes. I did and I sorely paid for it. Other wipes are thin or fall apart (uh, you do not want these when it comes to diaper situations). Honestly, if you don't have a Costco membership, get one just for the wipes. I promise you will not be sorry. Once you have a bad wipe experience, you don't even mess around. And that's all that needs to be said about that.

Nose Frida

When Claire was about 3 months old, she got very sick with RSV, a respiratory virus. This can be especially bad for newborns, particularly if their airways get blocked. My husband and I tried to clear out her nose with a bulb syringe and it was totally ineffective. Enter the NoseFrida, or as it's better known, the Snot Sucker. Yes, it sounds COMPLETELY disgusting. One end of a tube goes in your baby's nose and the other end of the tube goes in your mouth. Don't worry - there are filters so you're never in danger of getting germs (and no snot gets in your mouth). And it works like a charm!

Motherhood Maternity Nursing Tanks

I spent $80 on a nursing bra at Nordstrom. While it's great and pretty, the varying size of my breasts (prefeeding, postfeeding, etc) make it somewhat useless (something I wish I knew when I was picking out nursing gear). Enter the seamless convertible strap nursing cami at Motherhood Maternity. I tried a very different brands, but this one is my favorite! For one thing, there's SPANDEX! Spandex is a gift to postpartum women everywhere. Plus, it's very easy to work (no complicated clasps). My only complaint is the two colors...and really, just one. Don't get the white - the pads show through the material and your boobs look like saucers. For $25, it's a steal.

Hyland's Teething Tablets

I don't wish a teething baby on my worst enemy. It sucks. And it's never ending. Babies can be in the process of teething for months. It takes awhile for all 32 teeth to come in. While Claire has been a pretty good sport about it for the most part, sometimes she is a bear. And it's understandable - it has to be painful! I swear by Hyland's teething tablets. If Claire's slightly irritable, her mood changes instantly. Now that she knows what they are, she actually gets excited when she sees the bottle. They were recently put back on store shelves after a voluntary recall (the bottle was not childproof), but Hyland's is a very reputable brand, and this was its first recall in over 80 years. I'm so glad they came back because I don't know what we'd do without them.

Wine

Mama needs a break! RELAX! Wine will save your life. You can drink, even if you're breastfeeding. A tip I learned from my doctor - think about drinking and breastfeeding the same way you do when driving. If you can't drive, you shouldn't breastfeed. For most women, that means about a drink an hour. Just be sure to drink some water in between for hydration. If you don't want to risk it, just "pump and dump".  Also, allegedly some beer can help with milk production - porters and stouts! So cheers!

There you have it - LIFE CHANGING PRODUCTS! :) Of course, I also compiled a list of registry items if you're expecting or know someone who's expecting that I would have found quite helpful.

Do you think I missed something? Any products that have changed your life?