A Few Of My Favourite Things – Mommy-Tested Items for Newborns

Yes, I love ‘whiskers on kittens’ – who doesn’t? But what I really wish I’d had when I first had baby was some tried and true items that really help get you through the early days and beyond.

Here are a few of my favourites:

Baby Paper is … crinkly paper that seems to endlessly fascinate my little one. Covered in a soft material and very crunchy, he is able to grab it, shove it in his mouth, shake it, etc. Loves it. Available at SnuggleBugz

Next up, a wise mommy friend turned us onto these Baby Wrappers towels. They fit like a cooking apron and you can hoist baby right out of the bath, into your arms, keeping yourself dry and baby wrapped safely. The material is super soft and these are made in Canada! I got the plush ivory colour, direct from my friend but available on their website.

Our son loves to clutch these beads, but also use the pacifier that this clip holds to the edge of his carseat. It’s texture and length seems super appealing; so does the fact that it keeps the paci from falling on the ground 50 times per day.

 This one is from LouLou Lollipop

The ‘driftwood’ coloured Minimocs are by far my favourite shoes for little ones. They keep feet warm and protected (especially with the chilly winter we are having) and they are SO cute. Famous for not ‘kicking off’ – they are as stylish as they are practical. I want a pair in Rose Gold, black and… every colour. Excessive? Yes.

Toronto’s cutest local baby shop, August Kinn, also has these wonderful wintery finds: BebaBean Knit Moccasins.

Last, but not least: the My Breast Friend nursing pillow. Wait,… I know there are other styles out there, but this one is honestly a game changer. I was a late adopter, picking this up after month two upon the recommendation of a friend. What’s different is the fact that it clips around your waist, creating a feeding ledge that doesn’t have a gap for baby to slide into. Other pillows always shifted around and this one, because there is no space between you and baby, makes nursing – especially at night – so much less tiring, which is perfect when you’re a groggy, sleep-deprived mess. It’s available at BedBath and Beyond, but I got mine, used and laundered, on a Facebook Mommy Group (which I also recommend for all the items you might need, but which don’t need to be bought full price).

What are your must-haves?

Mexico with a Baby – Travel and Packing Tips

Planning our trip to Mexico with a two month old, was a great challenge for these new moms. It was a grand success. Check out the photos at the end. Drumroll…here is what we packed:

• Infantino Carrier
• Travel bassinet
• wipes
• diapers and swim diapers
• formula (pre-mixed or concentrate)
• birth certificate, parent letter and passport
• breast pads/washable inserts
• pump (we skipped this since I’m now producing enough milk on my own, with some formula top-ups)
• bottles and tops, enough to have spares
• lactation aide (we also skipped this)
• baby shampoo, creams (diaper cream, lotion, etc.), bug repellent (safe for babes)
• rashguard, swim diaper, sunhat and sun glasses
• baby headphones
• pacifier/soother
• clothes
• carseat, base (or learn to safely install without the base), stroller attachment
• changes of clothes for you
• I’m investigating, in advance of travel, to see if our destination stocks the formula, diapers and other things we like for baby. If we can avoid taking a week’s supply, that will really save on space
• Also, look up whether breast feeding in public is safe/legal/recommended in your destination
• Sleep Sheep or white noise machine
• medications (like Domperidone, for me)
• vitamins for you and vitamin D for baby
• coconut oil for sun protection for the babe
• a UV protecting cover for the stroller. Jolly Jumper makes a great one and Milk Snob has a great cover that doubles as a nursing screen
• Diaper cream and corn starch
• Baby paper and some simple toys (we ended up getting some beautiful, colourful pompom garlands in a market, which he couldn’t take his eyes off. These now hang over his change table! But careful that he isn’t unsupervised, as with anything that involves string)
• Nosefrida (for air travel and stuffiness)
• Infant Tylenol
• Gripe Water if you have a gassy baby

We upgraded our tickets and baby’s first trip was in Business Class.

First Class Flyer – extra leg room, wider seats and a bulkhead gave us ample room for him. No tears at all on either flight to and from Mexico! Bravo little traveller!

This was the main entrance to the condos we called home for two weeks.

Watching the sunrise. Three generations.

A boy and his Mama

They see me Strollin’

Sun-protected

For Clothes, we knew we’d have access to in-suite laundry, so we packed:

Bibs

Layettes

Shorts and pants

Short-onesies/rompers (this was the majority of the outfits)

Pajamas – for the plane and at night with the A/C

Burp cloths and muslin wraps

Socks

A knit jacket/sweater for air conditioned spaces and the plane

Swimsuits/rashguard

Sunglasses

Hats

Copy of his birth certificate, immunization record, passport, health card

Swimming with baby was an amazing first.

We loved all the time with each other, with him and with our family. For the rest of the trip photos, scroll down, past the last of the items from our travel must-haves.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Fanny pack, a carry on for us, carry on Diaper bag, small purse, big suitcase x 2 (one for us and one for all the baby stuff), a small suitcase of diapers and formula.

We made a call to set up/confirm our travel insurance/health insurance, etc.

We arranged a cat and house sitter, and also opted to use the Park ‘N Fly valet service (plus detailing) so we came home to a happy cat, safe home and a clean car.

Adios, Mexico and Gracias for a great first vacay with our blossoming family.

 

Now, listen…

Always time for a tasty snack.

Enamoured of pom poms

Stroller styles

Our little global traveller

Nautical vibes

Out at the Tuesday Market

Family photo at NickSan

Baby-wearing

Big Baby-sized Beer

Hot Mama, with our Milk Snob Stroller cover

Babiators. And a babe x2

Hard to believe our little one is 11 weeks old!

What are your travel must-haves? Share your faves in the comments!

Anne Geddes, Look Out!

I was surprised to read a post asking: is it offensive that I posted/took photos of my baby girl without her top on?

Photo: Anne Geddes

The mother felt blindsided by her own mom’s negative reaction, saying that the visible nipples made the infant photo shoot inappropriate (specifically as a girl-baby). Some other commenters raised concerns that this nudity made the photos sexy in some way, while others said that there was nothing wrong with a baby in the buff.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

My initial reaction, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde: ‘Those who find ugly meaning where there is only art … are ugly-minded.’

It’s people who make a sweet photo anything other than that. In my opinion, a mom’s beautiful newborn shoot, in a tutu and blankets, is adorable and innocent. A normal person would see this as a sweet photo of a baby.

For those who said that some creep may take this photo and use it for nefarious purposes… that could be true. It could also happen if this baby, or any child, is fully clothed. However, this line of reasoning slides dangerously into the victim-blaming territory and the messaging that a female is ‘asking for it’ if she dresses the wrong way, as though if we simply prevent a woman from appearing beautiful, or a child from looking vulnerable, we have solved the problem. A child predator, I’d imagine, might find a child just as appealing in an undershirt as without. The problem is the person and predatory behaviour, not this particular photo of a child exists. This mother’s photo isn’t smut.

As a mom, she has the discretion to determine what is right for her and her family. It’s a shame that her own mom took the glow off these sweet photos by insinuating they were scandalous because it was a female infant whose nipples were visible.

To that mom, I say – the photos are precious and I hope you’ll look at them as YOU intended. If you can’t get her words out of your ears, redo them so that you have photos untainted by your mother’s negative comments.