Fourth Baby Favies
I've never been one to really like baby stuff. I'm not at all into researching the perfect stroller or reading reviews of baby products. In fact, once I was pregnant with Bran, I took my sweet time gathering everything we "needed." By your fourth child, you have a pretty great idea of what you need as a mom. And I do mean you or, rather, me. I know what I need. Everyone is different, but I'm pretty certain NO ONE needs all the stuff Babies'R'Us or Target recommends when filling out a registry.
Here are my Fourth Baby, Jesky-Approved FAVORITE Baby Products:
The Arms Reach Co-Sleeper. A friend of mine and I managed to stagger our 4 babies apiece just right so that her one co-sleeper has housed all 8 children. It has now moved on to another home for cradling baby number 9! I think that says a lot about its quality and usefulness. I loved having the option of putting the babies to sleep in it, but even when they just slept on me it made for a great shelf for burp cloths, my extra pillow, and the occasional giant plate of eggplant parm.
The Solly Baby Wrap. I'm a big fan of baby-wearing. It's just a must for a non-firstborn, and I wish that I had been even better at wearing my first one. There are so many carrier options, but for comfort the Moby and Solly style wraps fit my body best. The Moby is great, and I used the same one for all the babies. BUT, a friend introduced me to the Solly, I followed them on Instagram, snagged a deal during a sale, and completely fell in love. It is SO MUCH lighter, cooler, and softer than the Moby. Bran spent lots of time in there everyday until he was about 6 months old. Because it's a thinner fabric, the Solly doesn't hold a baby more than 25lbs, so I still have my Moby. And, yes, I absolutely recommend having both. (As much of a Solly fan as I am, I found having the sling with me for quick in-and-out-of-the-car-a-lot situations was helpful. The asymmetrical pressure on my shoulder from the sling would leave me hurting if I wore it for too long, but it was easier to deal with sometimes.)
Breastmilk. PLEASE see these words: I completely understand that not all women can breastfeed and that some don't. I was not able to breastfeed my firstborn nearly as long as I wanted, and it was very difficult for me. But, breastmilk is amazing stuff, and everyone who chooses to use it should enjoy it thoroughly! It's great for treating rashes, softening cradle cap, cleansing stuffy baby noses, and rinsing goopy eyes. Oh, and babies drink it.
Beautiful Scarves. Speaking of breastfeeding, I'm sorry if you live in a place where you are made to feel offensive for breastfeeding in public. Here in Seattle, I feel free to feed whenever, wherever my baby and I need. I do, however, really like using a pretty scarf as a breastfeeding aid. I use it to help cover up as much as makes me comfortable. I used the chance here to plug Noonday Collection because I love them, but there are also companies that make nursing specific scarves (but they're just scarves, so buy what you like! Goodwill scarves are great because then you can use them to clean up blark and feel no guilt at all!)
Nursing Bra by Bravado. I LOVE my Bravado bra. It was pretty affordable, especially for something I wear almost every day. It has held up beautifully through lots of wear and washing. I'm not a big fan of nursing specific clothing. Here's what you need: A good nursing bra, these camisoles from Costco, and a top that you can pull up. Shirt goes up, cami and bra go down, (breast comes out and into baby's mouth).
Snuggly Blankies. Satsuma Designs makes my favorite baby blankets. If I didn't already have those, I might have (definitely would have) bought a Solly swaddle. We swaddled Bran (and all the other kids), but then I read some new thoughts about swaddling and switched to sleep sacks. I really liked the SwaddleUp and now use fluffy, fleecy, minky sleep sacks that are just, oh, so delicious to cuddle.
That's about it! The rest, for me, is just gravy. I do love Haba baby toys. Adequate rest and time to enjoy the baby are the other MUSTS. Stay-tuned for next week when I'll share another postpartum related article that I wrote for Scary Mommy!
Of course, all these things can be expensive so SHOP CONSIGNMENT! Seattle has fantastic options. Kids on 45th is my very favorite. I always find what I need there, and their staff is knowledgable and helpful. I call them before I go to save myself drama of dragging 4 kids on a fool's errand, and they will always search the store for me and give me detailed information on what is available.
I'll end on this sweet note: God has always given us what we need. After Hazel's 20 week ultrasound, I decided to give away all the boys' clothes. I kept a few little heirloom pieces, but I gave all the rest away to others in my community who needed it. Why should our stuff take up space and collect dust? When we decided to have Bran and learned that he was a boy, I put out the word that I would need boys clothes. As bags of things came my way, I was delighted to find that most things had belonged to us once before. My little boys' clothes came back to me even though I had long considered them gone! So, keep an open hand with things and lean on your people! If you don't have any people, I encourage you to find some. Visit a church. Join a Buy Nothing group. Or contact me, and I'll help you figure out where to find some community because I think our community is the number 1 baby help I needed. I love them. They love me. And we pass the love to our children.
