Newborn Essentials: Part II

Last couple days to enter my Zara plaid blanket scarf giveaway!

Diapering: Diaper Genie, Changing Pad, Wipes Warmer, Diaper Rash Cream Bathtime: Bathtub, Shampoo / Body Wash, Washcloths, Brush/Comb Set, Lotion Lounging: Newborn Lounger, Swing // Playtime: Travel Mobile, Activity Gym
In case you missed it, Part I of my newborn essentials series.

I can't even believe I'm 31 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Am I in single-digit countdown mode already? As far as gear goes, I think we're ready but the mental aspect of juggling a newborn and a toddler is still an idea that scares the bejeezus outta me. In any case, going through and writing up this newborn essentials series has reminded me of the early days with Dylan and at least I have the comfort of having gone through this newborn phase before -- even though it can be tough, it's such a short period of time when you look back on it and I know I'll just have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy it.



Diapering:
I remember I was changing diapers 12-15 times a day for the first month or so before Dylan's stomach finally grew big enough to stretch out the time a little bit longer. For the first 6 weeks, we used disposable diapers (we used Pampers as it was the only brand that didn't leak) before then switching to use cloth diapers (I was finally able to convince Adrian as he started realizing the diapers weren't so bad).

• Diaper Genie This was probably the most important item in the diapering process as dirty diapers definitely will start to stink up a room if left in a normal trash can. I love that the Diaper Genie has a foot pedal and I can use one hand when throwing away dirty diapers while my other hand stays on my baby to make sure he doesn't roll away.
• Summer Infant Contoured Changing Pad A changing pad is crucial as the curved shape and waist belt really help hold the baby in place when you need to change the diaper. We've also had a few blow-out incidents where the poop just is everywhere. Having a pad that you can just wipe clean is convenient!
• Munchkin Warm Glow Wipes Warmer I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical about the warmer as it seemed like a luxury baby item at first. But in those first few days out of the hospital, Dylan would have a poop in his diaper and would instantly start wailing once the cold wipe hit his tush. I decided to try out the warmer just out of curiosity and lo and behold, he was able to continue sleeping through middle-of-the-night diaper changes and I didn't have to feel my heart by every time.
• Mustela Vitamin Barrier Diaper Rash Cream Dylan had a couple instances of diaper rash and this cream fixed him up almost instantly! A super small pea-sized amount would go a long way.
  
  For a peek inside our diaper-changing station and how everything is set up, check out this post.

Bathtime:

• The First Years Infant to Toddler Bathtub I actually first bought the Blooming Bath after reading all of the good reviews online but Dylan ended up hating it. We then went to Target and picked up this traditional baby bathtub and not a single tear. I still don't get why but it worked for us.
• Mustela Foam Shampoo / Body Wash This foaming shampoo is super gentle and easy to wash out of hair while still leaving it clean. For baby #2, I also found some organic, all-natural bath products from Little Twig that I'm hoping to try as they look really gentle and have nothing but pure ingredients.
• Spasilk Washcloths We used these for every bath and they were real troopers. They're soft yet have just enough friction when wet to still clean all the dirty spots.
• Skip Hop Brush/Comb Set Dylan had a ton of hair straight out of the womb and it was a bit crazy to tame at times. This brush worked really well for us and even today Dylan still enjoys holding up the mirror sometimes to look at himself.
• Burt's Bees Multipupose Ointment Lotion Dylan inherited my dry skin and he also had small patches of eczema on his thighs. We applied this lotion and within a couple days he was baby soft again! The ointment is a bit on the thick side and can be a bit greasy, so I would also make sure I wasn't wearing anything nice when I applied this on him.

Lounging:

• Boppy Newborn Lounger Whenever I needed to get something done in the house, I would first try to put Dylan in this lounger. Half the time he would be ok laying there while I took care of a few things while the other half of the time he insisted that I pick him up (that's where a carrier came in handy -- see Part I for my rec!).
• Fisher-Price Snugabunny Cradle 'N Swing The Snugabunny swing was magical and would instantly soothe Dylan when he was being fussy. Adrian and I would say that it would work pure magic. I have also heard really great things about the mamaRoo (and even now when I go to baby stores Dylan loves to get into them) but didn't really get a chance to use it with Dylan when he was a baby.

Playtime:

• Manhattan Toy Travel Mobile Dylan loved looking at this high-contrast mobile when he was a baby. I could clip it to his stroller, carseat, or playmat and he would just love batting at it!
• Skip Hop Treetop Friends Activity Gym We used this playmat daily for his tummy time and the little pillow that it comes with was perfect for Dylan to practice lifting his head. The hanging animals are all super cute and I actually really like that this mat doesn't make any annoying electronic noises.

Hope you found this helpful! Let me know if there's something you swore by with your baby that you don't see here on this list! I'd love to get more recommendations too that might work for baby #2!

P.S. In case you missed it:

• Newborn Essentials: Part I - Hitting all the big-ticket items like strollers, carseats, and sleeping necessities!
• Glitzy Holiday Makeup Look - An easy look that's perfect for your holiday parties using MAC's latest collection!

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