1) Swaddle Me Wraps & Halo Sleepsacks - We learned very quickly that peanut loved to be swaddled. During her time in the intensive care unit it was really important that she was wrapped in many blankets to keep her little 4 pound frame nice and warm. Once she graduated out of the pile of blankets we realized she found comfort in being wrapped tightly. Enter Swaddle Me wraps. We used these until peanut was 7 weeks old and until figured out that she could raise both of her legs and slam them down repeatedly until she wiggled down to the bottle of the crib (she has always been crazy strong for her size). We then transitioned to the Halo Sleepsack Swaddlers which have wider bottoms so she wasn't able to get enough power to do the crib wiggle. Peanut has always slept amazing at night and I attribute it to these awesome products. Last night she slept for 9 hours straight. Booya!
2) Tommee Tippee Pacifier - We went through four different brands before figuring out that peanut liked these. When she was bottle feeding peanut took a pacifier no problem. Once she learned to breastfeed she no longer would take one. It was like she forgot how to suck a pacifier but for some reason she found comfort in sucking on my finger. Peanut hates the car and being in her car seat which is a massive challenge and trying to shove my finger in her mouth while driving felt a tad dangerous to me. I eventually found a pacifier that she would take and it makes car rides much better. Phew! We don't use a pacifier for sleeping purposes since we don't want her to become dependent on it at night. We are however giving it to her every time we go in the car and during her "witching hour" meltdowns (only after she'd been fed, played with, changed, and comforted). I did a lot of reading about the pros and cons of using pacifiers and decided that for our family, using them sparingly was a good fit.
3) Hospital Grade Pump Rental - My milk supply is amazing and I attribute it to the Medela hospital grade pump I rented for 2 months. I am now using a Medela home pump which does the trick now that my supply has been established.4) The Moby Wrap - There are a ton of mixed reviews about this product. It seems people either love it and can't live without it or think it's the biggest waste of money ever. We absolutely love it! Since peanut hates her car seat we haven't utilized the stroller as much as I thought. We get out for a long walk once per day and use the Moby. Peanut falls asleep in it every time! It is a pain to put on out in public since it has to dangle on the floor while putting it on but the wrap is complete washable and it super duper comfortable. I love that it holds peanut so close to me.
5) An old school breastfeeding pillow - We call this "the nest" because the babe loves to nap in it and has since she arrived home from the hospital. She has always had an amazingly strong neck, and I'm always close by when she naps so I was comfortable with her sleeping in this. She is able to sleep on her side and slightly upright which helps with her gasiness. It has been a lifesaver for us. Once she is old enough to wiggle around I will put a safty bed fence thing on the couch so she doesn't end up on the floor. 6) All Natural Baby Wipes - They can be used on her face and entire body and won't cause any irritation. Worth the extra money for sure. I'm not a fan of the super strong smelling big name brand wipes.
7) Exercise Ball - It has been great to bounce her when she is cranky.
8) Two Camera Video Monitor - having two cameras have enabled us to have one in her room and one in our living room. When she naps I am able to have a shower or do tasks around the house and know that I can see and hear her because of the second camera. Totally worth the extra money to add a second camera. It's also great for traveling so we don't have to take down the camera in her room.
