Baby 101 by Team Oakley

We interrupt your normally scheduled post to bring you this special topic, Baby 101!

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to what is best for having a baby. Every parent wants the best for their bundle, and they all have a different way of getting there. 

Team Oakley has been asked many times of late to share what we have liked, chosen, and used in bringing up Emery. Specifically this post is for some good friends of ours who are having a baby soon and will be registering for baby products even sooner. It can be very overwhelming. Beka almost went into labor over the whole process! Plus if you have showers in different areas of the states and you need to return or you are not sure how things will work out. It is stressful! 

NOTE: unless you hand made a gift for a friend having a baby, or gave them an heirloom from your family treasures, PLEASE do not be offended if they return something that you bought them off of their registry. It is hard to know what you need before you actually get there, and that is why people make a registry, to return and buy things.  

So to try and help, here are Team Oakley's reviews and recommendations on things we have used/ wished we used for Emery, and some special thoughts along the way.

Disclaimer; Every single baby on earth that has been born, is currently being born, or will be born soon is different and special. Not one set of products or instructions will be one size fits all. YOU KNOW YOUR BABY BEST! Always remember that. 

And we begin:

Maternity

Hey Ladies! This is all for you. There are not really any maternity items for the fellas (though you should keep reading! Know how to best pamper your lady!).

A body Pillow was very helpful for Beka to try and get as much rest as she could. It gets rough towards the end, and some friends of ours were kind enough to to let us borrow one. It was amazing! Your hips will thank you. There are many different kinds out there, but we just had an original body pillow, and it worked.

Comfy shoes. Some women do still wear pumps, but Beka was not one of them. She worked 10+ hour days up until a few weeks before her pregnancy, so Adidas it was (those were her work shoes). Her feet were very swollen, and some comfy kicks are a must. You can still be cute, but be nice to yourself. Hubbys: RUB HER FEET! don't ask if she needs you to, just do it. She needs you too.

Interesting fact: watermelon helps swollen feet. Eat a bunch, and for good measure Beka used to put some of the skins on her feet. It works. 

Maternity bra: They will change, and you need to adjust accordingly. You may have to get a few different sizes, but they will change after the baby as well, so you will use them again. Plus the better fit and support the better results for the girls after the baby. Try and get nursing bras (with clips) during pregnancy so you can use them after the baby. We did not do this and Michael had to run out the day we got home to get one for Beka, without her being there. He got the right size. Points for him. 

In the hospital

Radio/ iPod dock: it was awesome to have some relaxing tunes. We put Pandora on Ray LaMontange and it was awesome. The nurses appreciated it too. 

Maternity pajamas: We got a cute a modest maternity night gown that Beka would be comfortable in with people coming in and seeing the baby. It should be nursing capable. It came with a matching robe, and that was helpful. She still wears it. Thinking back we would have brought three of them. 

Food bringers: Both mom and dad will be hungry, and don't rely on hospital food. If people ask if they can come up and see you, and you are starving, ask them to bring you food! It is not a bother. Put yourself in their shoes; would it be a burden if they asked you to do that for them? 

Note: if you are going to see a mom and baby in the hospital, you should bring a little gift. You don't have to, but Beka got a small gift in the hospital that was just for her, not her and the baby, and it made her feel great. Like a person. Just a thought. 

Baby Mittens: The hospital provides gowns, but not mittens, and Emery was a scratcher, so these were a necessity. 

Note to Moms and Dads: Take turns. You will want to be a help to the other, but it was so important for Team Oakley to take turns. Beka would wake up and feed, while Michael slept, then when the baby needed a change or some snuggles, Michael would take over so Beka could sleep. We tried it the other way, and we were exhausted. Those first few days are drought, so give your self a break. 

COMING HOME

We chose the Baby trend system for Emery's stroller and car seat, and we could not be happier with it! It is great! We very much recommend them! Plus you can get more than one base if you have different cars or a sitter. 

Baby heads are small, so something to keep their head from rolling around is helpful. We used something like this that grew with him

We bought a sun shade, and we still have not taken it out of the box. 

We love our baby mirror! It can be distracting, but we love the peace of mind it brings.

Someone in target said we needed this toy, but later found out that the car seat, if installed properly, should not have any toys attached to it. Actually, if you get into an accident where the baby is hurt and there was a toy attached to your car seat, some insurance will not be valid, so this toy is not at home, in a box. 

AT HOME

BATH

We used this small bath sponge when Emery was really little. The blue button in the middle turns colors if its too hot for the baby. You set it in the sink and you are good to go. 

When Emery was a bit bigger and could hold his head up better, then we used the whale tub. We would set it on the counter or in the bathtub. Beka sits in the tub with Emery, but Michael reaches over the side of the tub. The green piece in the middle of the tub comes out when baby gets too big and Emery is still using this tub. We love it. 

We also have this tub, but we have not used it yet. It was going to be more for fun anyways. 

We have this spout cover. It has not been useful yet, but Emery is not standing yet, so I am sure we will love it soon. We only have one bathroom, so it is weird when Beka is trying to relax in a bubble bath and theses beady eyes are staring at you. 

 This duck was helpful. The bottom of it tuns white and says 'hot' if the water is too hot. 

Emery is into toys in the bath now, and anything that squirts water is gold.

We use johnson and johnson bedtime lotion, bedtime bath, and no tears shampoo. 

We have a few generic wash clothes for Emery, and they work just as well as the ones Beka and Michael use, but they are cuter. 

Baby bath towels are a bit softer than regular towels, so it is nice to have a few of them. Plus your bug gets to look like a shark or a lion.

BED

Emery did not sleep in his crib for three months. We co-slept for two days of Beka not sleeping (in fear of rolling over on Emery), then we switched to a cradle by the bed so she could nurse him though out the night. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS! 

We used the bottom photo which is a fisher price cradle. There is a new one out, which is the upper photo, that matches our bouncer and swing, so we would have gotten that one for sure. 

Emery slept by our side until three months, then we put him in his own room (in his cradle, which made the transition easy for us and him). 

At six months we moved him to his crib.

 We did not get a bed set because you are not supposed to have blanket in there with the baby, so we just got a mattress that you can use one side for baby, and one side for bigger baby, a mattress pad (for when they wet out of their diapers) and some fitted sheets. We had no bumper or mobile, but we did have a turtle that lights up in it's shell, and Emery Loves it! 

We recommend having some sort of noise machine for the baby. We play a radio, but it is kinda harsh when the commercials come on, so we recommend a noise machine. Emery was used to noise since the day he was born (on purpose). Now he can sleep through anything!

Monitors are a must! We LOVE our video monitor, because if the baby makes a noise we can see if he needs us or if he just sneezed or something (or passed gas and woke himself up. That happens often). 

They do have a breath monitor, which is great, but not with a video option yet. 

Sleep Sack: We liked using a sleep sack on colder nights. It's safer than a blanket 

Swaddling works for many babies, and Emery liked it when we was very little. We recommend a swaddle me. It does the work for you. 

We found that easy to get into jammies were helpful. We prefer gowns, or zippers. Trying to snap snaps at like 2am with a wiggly baby in the dark is awful! Zips all the way!

Emery's room

We love our wipe warmer! Some people thing it's unnessicary, but those nights when you are trying to change a sleeping baby without waking him up, warm wipes are helpful. There is also a nightlight option on the munckin model. That is the one that we have. 

We loved the wipe caddy that goes with it from Munchkin. It holds everything you need in arms reach!

Items that we keep in it are - alcohol swabs (for the belly button stump), cotton swabs, butt paste, arm n hammer scented bags, pee pee teepees, diapers, a nasal aspirator, and a toy to entertain emery. We also had petroleum Jelly and gauze for his circumcision. 

You will need a hamper. They go through so many clothes! 

We LOVE our glider. There were many sweet moments of feeding Emery, reading to him, or just holding him and staring at him in wonder. 

We think any changing table mattress will do. We got a serta. Make sure you fasten it down. We put it atop Emery's dresser instead of buying a changing table. And you will need a dresser of some sort. 

You will need multiple covers for said changing table pad. Especially if you have a boy. The pad's themselves get cold, so we like the covers. 

GET A DIAPER GEENIE! it is worth the money. We recommend the elite because you can open it with your foot, and that is helpful. 

Black out curtains will help baby sleep at all times of day. We got some for our room too, as you will be trying to sleep at all times of the day too. 

A lamp with a soft glow bulb is very helpful to not wake baby up fully. 

We do not have this, but we think it would be helpful. Emery is so wiggly on the changing table that we just give him a toy. 

Breast feeding

Beka breast fed Emery for as long as she could (six months). It was not easy, and def not this magical experience that she thought it was going to be. Here are some things that helped her. 

Burp rags that are shaped like this were better than the square ones. Babies dribble. 

If you nurse them with a bib on, it helps with when they make a mess. 

THESE ARE A MUST! Breasts get really sore! These are pads that you can heat or freeze for dis-comfort. When you heat them them also increase milk flow. These saved Beka. She Loves them!!

A boppy was really helpful and worth it. Just make sure you get more than one cover. 

If you can figure out how to nurse in bed, nights will be MUCH easier. Be patient. 

For pumping, we went all Medela. Pumping helped us a lot! We found it more successful than going to the breast most of the time, and we liked knowing how much Emery was eating. Also, giving him a bottle of breast milk at night made him more full than breast feeding, and he slept for a longer amount of time. So for us, pumping was great. Plus Beka went to work when Emery was only about 6 weeks old, so she would need to pump while she was away. 

We borrowed a medela pump and go in style, and loved it. We recommend it! They are pricey, but I do think they are worth purchasing one for yourself.

Make sure you get the right size flanges. It is not one size fits all. They come in small-xl

We loved all the medela bottles too. 

We like these breast milk storage bags better, however, because of the double lock. They are lansinoh.

With bottles come cleaning. We do not have a dishwasher, so we hand sanitized everything with hot water, dish soap, and a bottle brush. We loved this one. It's from Munchkin.

And a drying rack is helpful.

And a bottle warmer. The munchkin one also heats baby food, and sanitizes pump pieces and pacifiers. 

Also, we got a medela hand pump to keep in Beka's bag incase she did not want to take the big pump. We went back and forth between a manual hand pump or a battery powered one, but we needed up going with the manual. We liked it, and it was a pain saver when she needed to pump quickly.  

You will need a cover. The bigger the better unless you are ok with flashing some skin (which Beka was not, but more power to you if you are!)

Make sure you get age appropriate nipples. Babies will gag if it is a fast flow, or get frustrated if it is flowing to slow. They have ages on the packaging. 

These little membranes are very important with your pump. IT WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT IT! Make sure you pick up some extras. 

A small freezer bag like this is helpful for taking milk with you. 

This nipple shield is by Medela too. It is great to help if the newborn is having a hard time latching on. It is VERY helpful. I would get one just in case you may need it. It is good to have in the hospital. 

Landolin cream is a must. If not your nipples can crack and bleed. 

But if there was one item that I could recommend it is these tender care hydrogel pads. They will SAVE sore nipples, and help a ton. Pick some up BEFORE you need them. 

Breastfeeding is very hard. Please be nice to yourself. Know that it is difficult, and if you can, keep trying. If you can't, formula is OK! Babies, smart and healthy babies, grow up on formula all the time. We had to use formula with Emery when he was two weeks old because he was not gaining weight. We used similac, and use it now because he is done with BF. We used the regular version, but there are many different kinds. We also tried different brands, but his tummy likes Similac best. GO online and sign up for similac strong moms, and they will send you coupons and free samples. It is not cheap stuff. 

If you do formula, get something to store it in. We love this:

SOLID FOOD

At four months we started Emery on solids (our peds gave us the go). We are pretty convicted with not giving him anything but food (no salt or additives) so we are making our own food for him.

The baby bullet system is amazing! We recommend the whole system. But if you already have a blender, then we recommend the jars and freezer system. They work great! They also have date labels in the lids to show when the food was made, and the silicone freezer pack is very easy to use. 

If you don't have a steamer, then you will need to get one. I think Baby Bullet makes them.

These fruit nets are great for babies to eat things they would regularly choke on. Don't put banana in them, that is a joke to try and clean! 

Make sure you get soft tipped spoons. They are easier on baby gums. 

For on the go feeding, this is great! You put the food in it, then squeeze it out each time you spoon feed. 

We love our baby trend high chair. In general, baby trend is great. 

Wipeable bibs are great! especially with a pocket. 

ON THE GO

We liked the Moby for when Emery was very small. We would recommend it, but it is hard to get on and off. Those who master it swear by them. 

We really like our front pack,

 but if it had been out when we were pregnant, we would have gotten the ergo. We still may. 

We got this grocery cart cover, and when Emery was finally able to ride in it, we opened it, and it was pink! So Beka sewed some dino fabric over the pink. Anyways, it is a good thing to have. It can also be used as a high chair cover. Those things are gross! 

We had a general diaper bag (like the one below) and it worked great for the first few months when Emery needed SO many diapers and changes of clothes.

Then we were gifted a skip and hop one like this, an WE LOVE IT! we love that it closes too. We would recommend this one. 

THIS IS A MUST! This changing pad may be a favorite of Team Oakley's. It allows you to keep the baby clean when chaining them in public places, and you can just take this sleeve into the bathroom/grocery store, not your whole bag. GET THIS! 

Again, our stiller is bomb (baby trend jogger). 

Pacifier wipes are really helpful on the go. 

These are a must too! They are lined bags that keep smelly things from smelling up your diaper bag. GET THESE! 

Others: 

You will beed a rectal thermometer.  This one has attachments for oral, rectal, or underarm. 

We likes huggies diapers best. They also have a wetness indicator that is very helpful. Also, they have codes inside the wipers and diapers that you can log online for prizes. We like their wipes best too. We have tried all the different kinds, but blowout after blowout, we always go back to huggies. Get coupons online for them and they usually end up around the generic prices. 

B. toys are the best. 

Baby saline is good for runny noses

We love our fisher price play mat and jumper. 

You will need pacifier clips, and lots of them. The Velcro ones are best. Put them on rattles, teethers, or anything that baby will drop, then put in the mouth.

Emery loves this teether. 

We have not used our play yard much. This is the one we got, but have not had use for it yet. 

We love our fisher price bouncer and matching snugabunny swing. THEY ARE AMAZING! Especially the swing. So good. 

Bumbo for the win. We love this. 

As for pacifiers, When Emery was a newbie, he liked these

Make sure you check the age of the pacifiers, or they will not fit in your baby's mouth. 

As he was a few weeks old, he liked these gum drop ones

after a few weeks, he only liked the nuk ones. 

If you get fancy pacis, you will lose them. Just know that. 

You will need lots of clothes, lots of burp clothes and receiving blankets. 

Most of these items may already be gone and new items in in six months, but these are the things we really liked. I am sure there are more, but these were the biggies. 

We wish everyone embarking on this journey the very best. It's a crazy ride, but it is worth it. Each day gets better and better! 

We will be updated this post as Emery gets older and we find out more things about him. It is always changing, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Team Oakley