Registering for Baby-Part 1, Diapering

One of my good friends, Jenny (from ILOVEAGOOD), is pregnant with her first child and she asked if I would help her create her registry.  Since I've prepped for a baby twice now I feel like I have pretty strong opinions on things.  I'm also the type of person who likes to read reviews but ultimately try things out for myself so I can form my own opinion.  And the more I can try the better.  I blame this on my years as an editor, we would look at hundreds of items before choosing the things for our pages.  As we were combing through the onesies, strollers, and swings Jenny suggested that I do a series on registering.  I'm starting off with Diapering and each week I'll add a new part, so stay tuned!  And please feel free to let me know if there's anything I've overlooked or that you find you can't live without!!

Diapering:

Probably the thing you will use the most of during the first few years of your little ones life.  After much debate I decided on the disposable route for both of my kiddos.  With Bea I never even considered cloth diapering (no particular reason, I honestly just didn't even think about it) and with Charlie I really took into consideration the pros of cloth diapering (money being the driving factor).  In the end we chose to stick with disposables.  My go to diaper for newborns is Pampers Swaddlers

I've tried most of the major brands and this is hands down my favorite.  I find that it not only contains the most (which you'll appreciate for the blow outs!) but there's also a line indicator that turns from yellow to blue when your little one is wet.  I'm also a big fan of Amazon Mom, it's a subscribe and save service from Amazon that allows you to set up monthly (or any schedule of your choosing) deliveries for diapers, wipes, etc and offers you a discount for doing so.

If you decide that cloth is the way you want to go I would suggest bum Genius.  I found this post from Young House Love to answer any and every question I had regarding cloth diapering too.

In addition to diapers you'll need to choose wipes.  In the first few weeks you'll want to stay away from traditional wipes (babies skin is too sensitive).  I had no idea about this until my friend Nicola told me right before Bea was born.  She suggested using Viva paper towels and that's what we went with for both of our kids.  They are super soft and super thick.  

After about a month you can switch to regular wipes.  Again, I've tried all of them at one point or another and I keep coming back to two brands, Seventh Generation and Target's Up & Up brand.

 Seventh Generation

Target Up & Up

I use them pretty equally, it's just a matter of which I have on hand (the Seventh Generation ones I order off of Amazon Mom as well).  As a bonus I use the Seventh Generation to clean faces with as well, since there are no harsh chemicals or chlorine.  

On to diaper cream.  This is another category that I feel like I've tried a fair number of choices out there.  For day diaper cream (granted, most people probably don't divide up diaper cream, but I'll explain my reasons shortly) we use California Baby Diaper Cream.  It has a wonderful subtle smell to it and isn't so thick that it's stuck to their bum all day (reason number 1 for a "daytime" diaper cream).  

  

For nighttime diapering I prefer something that's thicker and so we go with Aquaphor.  I've also used Burt's Bees which is great as well.  

Stay tuned for additional posts in the series!

Heather 

Pregnancy Foundations That Work

A dear friend and former O Magazine alum, Jenny Altman, has started a wonderful new site dedicated to all things lingerie, ILOVEAGOOD.  While working at O and doing many of our "real women" makeovers Jenny noticed that most women didn't have a clue about lingerie, shapewear, basically anything that goes underneath your clothes and many would pepper her with questions.  She partnered with Danielle Black and together they have created a go to site for all things lingerie.

I was honored when they recently asked me to contribute a post on my must haves for a new (and second or third or fourth) time mom, so I thought I would include it here as well:

With Bea at the pumpkin patch, Oct. 2010

Since giving birth two times in two years, I’d like to think I have become somewhat of a shopping expert when it comes to foundations for the new (or second time) mom. Here are a few things that I have come to rely on that make life with two under two just a little bit easier:

-A great nursing camisole by Gilligan & O’Malley from Target. I lived in these after the birth of my first child (there she is above!). They are by far the most comfortable camisoles and are extremely affordable.

-The second time around I made sure to add nursing bras to the mix. I’m not sure why I neglected them before, but I made sure to pick up a few this time around. One of my favorites is the Camille Nursing Bra from Belabumbum. The material is very soft and I love the feminine design. I might be breastfeeding, but I still want to look good! I also love the Molded Seamless Wirefree Nursing Bra from Leading Lady. They have great basic maternity bras that are comfortable and very functional.

-Cardigans are very important. During the first few weeks after birth, all you really do is feed your little one, and until you both establish a schedule, it’s important to have clothing that’s easy to wear. The number one thing I go to are cardigans. I throw one over my cami and I’m all set. Right now, my favorite is the Eden Cardigan from J Crew. I love that it’s a little bit longer (after all, you’ll probably still sport a tummy for at least a few weeks) and that it comes in tons of great colors.

-Burp Cloths might not be something you would automatically think of, but I have to tell you, when you have a little one that is constantly spitting up, this will become your new best friend. The best ones on the market are the Burpy Bibs by Aden + Anais. The soft muslin along with the bean shape covers better than any others. I only have four and need to add a few more to my collection.

-Without a doubt, you are going to be spending many hours in your pajamas the first month or so after delivery. It’s nice to have a pair of pajamas that are stylish and functional since visitors keep popping in and out of your house. I have the Starlit Nursing Cami and Pant from Belabumbum and I love them! The fabric is incredibly soft and it’s nice to have a sleeping cami with the same built-in access as my day ones. After all, who wants to fiddle with a top and then a bra at 2am?

-My mother in law, who also happens to be a lactation consultant, brought me this Hands Free Pumping Bra by Simple Wishes towards the end of my breastfeeding days with my first child. They had just come out on the market and she was given one for me to test drive. What a great idea! Now I can read a book or magazine while the pumping is happening and I have both hands free.

(as seen on ILOVEAGOOD)