6 products that will save your life in the first few months with baby
THOSE first few months with baby are about trial and error — with you as the parent testing out what this new being likes and dislikes, so you can both coexist in peace. This period can test your patience, especially if you have a picky baby who won’t tolerate many of the products other parents have dubbed ‘essential’ for newborns.
What do babies like — and what do they absolutely hate? These parents share the products that will save your life in the first few months with your baby.
The pacifier
Whether you call it a dummy, pacifier or soother, there’s no doubt that this magic plug will be your best friend. “It’s good for calming them down, keeping them satisfied between meals, keeping them quiet when you have to be out in public, and soothing them when they’re in scary situations,” Annique Vassel said. “For example, my seven-month-old is scared of everything when visiting the doctor, so just for peace, the binky works. No matter what others have said, the faithful binky has been a lifesaver for me on more than one occasion, because both my kids have had strong lungs and short tempers.”
The right diapers
“There’s no point in going cheap — all the blowouts that you will have in the first few months will make it necessary for you to invest in good quality diapers,” Narone Stephenson said. “The worst thing you can do is go cheap, and then have leakage, especially in public. So shut your eyes and buy the good diapers in bulk, you won’t regret it.”
Gas drops
“Pick these up at the pharmacy, you won’t regret it,” said Tyronique Scott-Morris. “They were the only thing that soothed my colicky baby on those nights when she was a newborn and was crying so much that I felt like I was going crazy.”
Vaseline
“Plain old vaseline is better than any diaper rash ointment,” Kerie Serju said. “My baby has never had a rash, except for the one time she got diaper rash after being prescribed antibiotics. A good glob of vaseline applied to her rear ensures that there’s never any redness, itch, or rash. I actually ended up donating the expensive zinc ointments I’d bought because I never had use for them.“
Humidifier
For a baby who has trouble sleeping at night, whether because of congestion or other issues, a humidifier can help add moisture to the air to prevent dryness that can cause irritation. “This helps if you live in an area where there’s always smoke or other irritants in the air, and your baby is miserable at night,” Avia Farquharson said. “Tip a little bit of essential oil like eucalyptus or peppermint in the water, and baby will sleep through the night, no worries.”
Swaddling blankets
“This is the only way my baby would sleep or nap,” Princess Campbell said. “The nurses taught me how to swaddle at the hospital, and whenever he cries, I just swaddle him. It’s obviously a very comforting thing for babies, and he’s still being swaddled even nearing three months.”
