9 Products & 3 Websites That Make Baby Care Easier

1) BioGaia Probiotics- A 2010 study (you can read more about it here) found that probiotics significantly reduce crying time in babies with colic. Another study (check it out here) found that giving a baby probiotics reduces his chances of developing eczema. I discovered them when I was doing research on how I could help solve Noah's painful gas, and let me tell you, this product has been a gem. We noticed a difference within a week and tummy troubles intensify when we run out.

2) Snuza Go- This handy little device clips onto your baby's diaper and an alarm goes off if it doesn't sense movement for 15 seconds (you can change it to 18 or 20 seconds if you prefer). This was on my maybe list when I was pregnant. It seemed like a good idea, but a little pricey. Fast-forward to the day Noah was born. I had gotten 5 hours of sleep the night before and had just delivered a baby! How much sleep did I get that night? Not a wink. I spent the entire night watching him, making sure he was still breathing. First thing in the morning, I ordered this on Amazon and it was the best $70 I've ever spent. The peace of mind is so worth it and I've been able to sleep well (as well as you can with a baby) knowing that I'll be alerted if he stops breathing.

3) Sensible Lines Milk Trays- Better than traditional storage bags because it's less expensive (you freeze milk in the tray and then transfer to a freezer-safe ziploc bag) and tray slots are one ounce each which means milk freezes faster, thaws faster, and there's less potential for waste. It's also convenient because the sticks fit easily into a bottle, so you just toss them in and thaw. That simple.

4) Baby K'Tan Carrier- Any babywearing mom can attest to the awesomeness of having your baby snuggled up next to you while still keeping your hands free. I chose the K'Tan over the super-popular Moby wrap because it doesn't involve any wrapping, which means it's quicker and easier to put on. It's two large circular pieces of fabric connected by a smaller piece of fabric and you can get the baby in it in literally 30 seconds. The disadvantage is that it's made in specific sizes, so Josh can't use the size small we have, but I think that the convenience of this cloth carrier outweighs that. I used this carrier daily until Noah was about four months old and it made life so much easier! There are also lots of ways to position your baby in this carrier, which is nice, but I don't agree with the outward facing front carry position that they recommend because it puts the spine in an unnatural arch and doesn't hold the legs in the correct position. You can read more about this in Nine Reasons Not to Carry Your Baby Facing Out from the Boba website.

5) Boba Carrier- A fantastic soft structured carrier that holds a child up to 45 pounds. It's comfortable, adjustable, has multiple pockets and a purse strap holder. It also keeps baby's knees in line with it's hips, which is important for preventing hip dysplasia (you can read more about this and check out helpful illustrations at www.hipdysplasia.org). We started using this as our primary carrier after Noah got a little heavy for the K'Tan.

6) California Baby Products- Ok, so using these products won't necessarily make your life easier, but it will give you peace of mind. I'm hyper-aware of what Noah is exposed to, so I did a great deal of research before purchasing the stuff that I slather on him every day. A lot of the products in this line have good ratings on Skin Deep, which I'll talk about in a minute, and they're reasonably priced.

7) Medela Advanced Double Electric Breast Pump- Noah is exclusively breastfed, and this pump has played a huge role in that. It's efficient and well made. It was a godsend in that first six weeks when breastfeeding was so painful and I needed a break from his not so great latch. It has also allowed me to leave Noah with Josh occasionally and to create a 40 ounce frozen stash. I also like that the has an insulated pocket that fits four storage bottles and four reusable ice blocks so that you can keep the milk cold while you're transporting it.

8) JJ Cole Carseat Cover- Noah was born in November, so we knew we needed something to keep him warm when we went out. This is made of weather-resistent nylon so it's perfect for wet weather. It keeps the heat in and is safer than similar covers that have a piece of fabric that goes under the baby. Also good for keeping germy strangers away :).

9) Munchkin White Noise Machine- Baby's sleep better with a little wooshing noise. This has six different sounds, including white noise, rain, ocean, heartbeat, and two different lullabies. It also has a night light and a projector feature if you're into that.

And three websites you've got to check out:

Baby Got Colic- I couldn't tell you for the life of me why this works, but there were many times when Noah was absolutely inconsolable and we turned this strange sounding white noise on and he instantly calmed down.

Skin Deep- I research all of the skin/beauty products I buy for Noah and for myself here. They break products down by each individual ingredient and provide a rating on how safe the product is (the lower the number, the better). It's a very objective assessment of product safety, which I love. Anyone can throw all-natural on a label. It's meaningless. This website will give you some clarity and help you make informed decisions when it comes to buying skin/bath type products for your baby.

KellyMom- Everything you could possibly want to know about breastfeeding, and it's all backed by research so you won't get some of the cooky information you see on BabyCenter boards.

Advice to My Pre-Baby Self

I was given plenty of advice when I was pregnant, but there was something that nobody told me, something that I needed to hear: Believe in your ability to be the type of parent you want to be. You're absolutely capable. When I talked about wanting to read to Noah daily or give him a massage as part of our nightly routine, I heard, "You'll be far too exhausted to do those types of things". When someone asked what our birth plan was and I shared that we were planning to do it with no medication or interventions, they laughed and told me that I'd be begging for an epidural the second labor started. I'd mention wanting to make my own baby food or wanting to avoid "crying it out" and get equally negative responses."Just you wait", they would say.

Here we are, six months into motherhood. I've made plenty of mistakes, but I do the things I said I would. I'm the type of parent I planned on being before Noah arrived, and I don't think that makes me unique. If I had to give any piece of advice to an expectant mom, I'd tell her what I wanted so desperately to hear six months ago: You can be the type of parent you want to be. Believe in yourself. You're totally capable.

8 Must-Read Baby Books

When I was pregnant with Noah, I spent so much time reading baby books. Here are the one's that I found to be most helpful:

Get Ready to Get Pregnant: Your Complete Prepregnancy Guide to Making a Smart and Healthy Baby by Michael C. Lu, M.D., MPH. This book is full of great info on preparing your body for pregnancy. It includes information on a healthy diet before and during pregnancy (like foods that are beneficial for fetal brain development and toxic food that should be avoided), what to look for in a prenatal vitamin, how to eliminate toxins in and around your home, and how to strengthen your immune system.

The Baby Name Wizard by Laura Wattenberg. What I love about this book is that in addition to giving you what a typical baby name books does (popularity, nicknames, etc.) it also provides a short list of similar names, so it's great for brainstorming. So, if you look up Noah, for example, it gives Hannah, Maya, Chloe, Ivy and Abigail as similar girl names and Jonah, Ethan, Caleb, Owen, and Eli as boy names that go well with Noah. I spent hours looking at this book!

Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method by Marie F. Mongan, M.Ed., M.Hy. If you read our birth story you know that we prepared for a natural birth by taking Hypnobirthing classes. This book has great information about proper breathing, positive affirmations, and relaxation techniques. I loved the positive tone and the "you can do it" attitude of the author. It was a great complement to the five week course we took.

The Breastfeeding Book by Martha Sears, R.N., and William Sears, M.D. I read this book cover to cover while I was pregnant and have referenced it many times since Noah was born. It covers everything you could possibly need to know about breastfeeding your baby, from basic information about lactation and how to properly latch to more specific topics like pumping and how to deal with things like engorgement, thrush, and mastitis. Next to lactation consultants, this book has been the thing that has helped me most while nursing Noah these last 5 months.

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D. The information in this book helped us more than anything else in the first month or two of Noah's life. Dr. Karp converted us to the 5 S's: Swaddling, Shushing, Swaying, Side/Stomach, and Sucking. This stuff works!

The Vaccine Book by Robert W. Sears, M.D., FAAP. Vaccines are such a hot-button issue and I feel like there's so much information out there (on both sides) that is based on opinion. This book is the most unbiased discussion on vaccines that I've ever encountered. Each chapter is dedicated to an individual vaccine so that you can learn about and make an informed decision regarding each one individually. Each chapter is set up like this:

• What is the disease and what course would it take if your child were to get it?
• How common is the disease?
• When is the vaccine for this disease given?
• How is the vaccine made and what ingredients are in it?
• What are the different brands of the vaccine and what are the ingredients in each brand? (This is helpful if you're wanting to reduce your child's exposure to aluminum, for example, because you can choose a brand that contains less of the ingredient)
• What are the side effects of the vaccine?

I love this book because it's full of research, not popular opinion. If you feel like you want to know more about vaccines and are interested in learning about them in an unbiased way, I'd definitely recommend this book.

                        

Love in Spoonfuls by Parenting Magazine. We're getting ready to start Noah on solids in a few weeks and this book has provided me with a lot of good information. Along with lots of general information on feeding babies (when to start, how often, how much at each sitting) it also contains over 70 fun recipes (like pea-mint puree and asparagus with applesauce) divided by age group.

Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads by Gary Greenberg and Jeannie Hayden. Josh is not at all the type to read a baby book, but he finished this one quickly and loved it! It's written like a boyscout manual and is a mix of practical information (deciphering baby's cries, bathing basics) and funny stuff, like "bidding farewell to the breast". Ha!