Our bath/bedtime routine + products we love

Our bedtime routine has been virtually the same since Jacob was about 6 weeks old. The actual time we start everything varies, depending on what we're doing that evening and how Jacob's nap was, but for the most part- everything else is exactly the same.

Jacob has always been a sweaty, busy boy, so we bathe him every single night. At the beginning, we wouldn't use soap every night, but we'd still put him in the sink/tub and splash around.

So, here's our routine and rough schedule based on an average night:

6pm - dinner
After dinner, we usually go outside and play or go for a family walk.
7:30pm - wind down while watching Bubble Guppies and drinking a smoothie
8pm - brush teeth and take a bath
8:15pm - dry him off, apply butt paste, put on a night diaper and PJs
8:20pm - read a bedtime story
8:30pm - sing "Jesus Loves Me" and put him down for the night

Since we weaned and sleep trained Jacob around 11 months, we have had NO PROBLEMS with him falling asleep at night. He hardly ever whines or makes a peep, and it usually takes him ~5 minutes to get comfy and fall asleep. I believe we are blessed in this department, but let me tell you- it took weeks...MONTHS...to get him there, the first 9 months of his life were brutal.

In terms of bath and bedtime products, here's a quick rundown on our favorites.

Aveeno Baby Wash | Triple Paste | Pampers Baby Dry

Hooded Bath Towel | PJs

Llama Llama Nighty-Night | Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site

Newborn Essentials

I know you're probably thinking, "newborn essentials...isn't this a little overdue?!" LOL! Why yes, yes it is.

My sister-in-law is due with their first baby in April, so I've been gathering newborn essentials for her. I thought I'd share it here, because I remember when I was expecting my first, I had NO CLUE what I really needed! 

Throughout the last 20 months, I've had a lot of time to reflect on those first few months and compile an "essentials" list for newborns. This, of course, is my personal opinion of what is necessary for newborn care in the first few months. Obviously having lots of blankets, burp cloths, bath soap, soft towels, wash cloths, etc. are all important, too. But these items are MY go-to BEST items!

 

Diapers and wipes (obv)- we've had a very good experience with Pampers. Jacob started in Swaddlers and is now in Cruisers. He also sleeps in Baby Dry at night. We also really love the Pampers sensitive wipes. I actually swear by these and will happily pay the extra $$ to avoid diaper rash! ((Jacob has never had a bad case of diaper rash- ever. Knock on wood.))

Triple Paste- on the same topic, I highly recommend this butt paste. We use it every single night. Lots of it! Works amazingly!

Zippered sleep & plays- any brand will work, and if you can find the ones with hand "pockets", that's even better! Your baby will LIVE in these the first few months!

Miracle blanket- I cannot say enough good things about this swaddle. It's truly a miracle. 

FP Rock & Play Sleeper- because of his reflux, Jacob preferred to sleep in an upright position. This thing is awesome! He slept in this, next to our bed, for the first couple months. It's also a great place for him to hangout during the day or when you gotta get something done.

Sound machine- Jacob still sleeps with his sound machine on FULL BLAST. He loves it! Even when he was sleeping in our room, we had the sound machine on the floor beside him. It helps drown out outside noises and also emulates being in their mommy's tummy (which is essentially what you're trying to duplicate for the first 3 months).
P.S.- we've owned 3 of these (they eventually die) and I would recommend buying the silver "spa" ones vs. the green "baby" ones. The spa ones get louder and last longer.

Boppy- I used this sucker multiple times a day every day for 13 months and I looooved it! It's a breastfeeding essential, in my opinion. I've heard people complain that theirs lost shape and got flat. I never had this issue. I bought the plain white one and used a couple different covers (so I could wash them easily, which WILL happen).

Puj Tub- we bathed Jacob in this, in the sink, until he was 5-6 months old. If he wasn't so HUGE, we would've kept him in there longer. It works great!

Honestly, that's it. These are the things I would recommend buying at the very beginning.

Good luck, mamas!

Must Have - Monkey Bouncer

I just have to share this with all the mommies out there... 

The Fisher Price Monkey Bouncer has been such a lifesaver for us! We happen to have a very high maintenance needy child, who doesn't like to be put down, so finding something he'll actually play/sit in is a miracle! Around 5 weeks he started loving this thing, and will now spend 30-40 minutes in it! SUCH a blessing when mommy needs to finally eat lunch at 3pm. We also put him in it when we eat dinner and we can actually eat together now! 

It has flashing lights and catchy music that can run continuously in a 20 minute loop (I hear this music in my sleep now), and a booty vibrator that Jacob loves! 

Anyways, I highly recommend this item! It won't be a waste of money, promise!

Hospital Bag

We packed SO MUCH unncessary stuff in our hospital bags, which ended up just taking up space in the tiny hospital room. So, here's a quick run down of things you need and things you don't need. Of course, this is based on our hospital, so you might just want to confirm with the hospital (or your OBGYN).

NEED:
- Warm, comfy clothes: The hospital is soo cold, and you'll literally just be sitting in your room all day. I'd recommend packing clothes that are larger than pre-pregnancy. I've heard that you'll be around 6-mo pregnant when you leave the hospital, but I was smaller than that.
- Nursing bra, nursing tanks, nursing sleeping clothes: I was so surprised how frequently the nursery nurses came to check on our breastfeeding (nearly every 3 hours), so these came in so handy! I have this nursing bra, and several of these awesome nursing camis and LOVE LOVE LOVE them! Buy your nursing bra a size larger than pre-pregnancy, because your boobies will get HUGE! I literally have been wearing these items every day since I got home from the hospital, too.
- Slippers/house shoes: You probably won't be leaving your room, so no need to dress to impress, but you definitely want comfy shoes to stumble to and from the bathroom.
- Toiletries: Bring your own shampoo, conditioner, tooth brush/paste. No need to bring pads, nipple cream, etc - the hospital will provide all of this.
- Cell phones, iPad, digital camera, video camera, chargers for all
- Boppy: This is a necessity for every mom that breast feeds! Can't say enough good things about it!
- Pillows, warm blanket: Definitely bring a pillow (with colored pillowcase) for you and your husband. I originally brought the warm blanket for me, but Josh used it most of the time. The hospital provides some blankets, but they are hospital blankets after all.
- Carseat: They won't let you leave without one!
- "Going home" outfit for baby: I brought TONS of clothes for Jacob, most in 0-3 month size, and ended up using NONE of it! He ended up being way smaller than we anticipated, so he only fit in NB size, plus the hospital provided little t-shirts and hats. The t-shirts ended up being so convenient for diaper changes, and all the poking/proding that the nurses do, so we just kept him in that the whole time. We put sweat pants on him when we left the hospital, which were way too big and looked silly. I guess his "going home" outfit will have to wait until a special occasion. :(

DO NOT NEED:
- Makeup, hair dryer, straightener, etc.: Unless you are Super Woman, I highly doubt you will want to/care about doing your makeup and hair. More power to you if you do.
- Baby stuff (diapers, wipes, blankets, clothes, etc.): The hospital will provide everything (literally even gave us a nail file and thermometer), so unless you have a special blanket you want baby to use or special pacifiers, don't waste your time!
- DVDs, books, magazines, etc.: You won't have time for any of this nonsense.
- Feminine pads, nipple cream, etc.: The hospital has the BEST pads and breast feeding accessories, so be sure to use their stuff, and request more before you leave and take it with you! Your insurance is paying for all of it anyways. My favorite items were the ice pack pads (amaaaazing) and the feminine water bottle (you'll know what I mean when you get there).

Other hospital recomendations I have include:
- Take advantage of the nursery at night: It was so hard for me to let the nursery nurse take my sweet, new baby boy, but it was the best decision I ever made! I haven't slept 4 straight hours since I left the hospital! Plus, they do lots of tests early in the morning, and your pediatrician will come every morning to check on your baby, so they have to be in the nursery for that. They will bring your baby to you if they are fussing or if its been 3 hours and you need to nurse.
- Take advantage of the lactation consultants: They are awesome and will just watch you and make sure you're doing everything right. Ours gave us little pointers that have come in super handy since we've been home!
- Take your pain meds whenever you can: Whether you can feel it or not, alot of trauma occured and eventually the pain will catch up to you.
- Drinks tons of water (and prune juice if it's available) and take your stool softeners: Just trust me.
- Do not be afraid to ask for advice: I asked everyone for advice - the nursery nurses, the lactation consultants, my nurses, etc. These people are around babies all the time and have seen it all, so don't be afraid to ask!!