Baby Basics: What else?

Have you ever looked at the ingredient list of some baby products? I can’t even pronounce some of the ingredients. We definitely lean more towards natural living by using and eating organic products. It’s getting easier to find organic baby care products. Companies are listening to the demands of consumers. Your pocketbook talks. But please do your research. Marketing companies have also caught wind that parents would rather by “natural” and “organic” items for their new babies and children. Some “natural” products still contain ingredients that are known carcinogens. It’s scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Just do your research.

Here are our favorite Baby Care Products:

Shea Moisture Products. Our favorite Baby Shampoo and body wash is their Organic Shea Chamomile & Argan Oil with Frankincense and Myrrh. It smells so good! We also use the Olive and Marula Wash and Shampoo with Avocado and Shea Butter. I haven’t smelled anything of theirs that we haven’t liked.

Nose Frida. The Nose Frida is so much better than the classic snot-suckers from the hospital. It’s more gentle, and easier to clean. I will admit, I gagged the first time I used it. Only once though. It has a filter “just in case”. While the kids don’t like it, they don’t scream like they did every time they saw the bulb from the hospital.

Young Living Essential Oils. I don’t trust all essential oil companies. I do trust Young Living because “every essential oil Young Living distills or sources has the optimal naturally-ocurring blend of constituents to maximize the desired effect.” I highly suggest the book Gentle Babies: Essential Oils and Natural Remedies for Pregnancy, Childbirth, Infants and Young Children by Debra Raybern to answer any questions you may have about what oils are safe for infants and which oils are used for different scenarios. It’s an excellent resource. I use it constantly.

If you forget to get one from the hospital, I would purchase the Bean-B-Clean Scalp Massaging Brush for cradle cap. It’s gentle and really works. If you buy it and don’t use it on your baby’s head, you can always use it as a vegetable brush, or to fluff your Petunia Cake.

And here are some favorites that slipped my mind yesterday.

Bibs. Our favorite bibs have sleeves. My kids would always rip off the ones with just velcro. They kept on bibs with sleeves. Our favorite brand is Bumkins Junior Bib. They are waterproof and easy to clean.

The Woombie. This is the best swaddle blanket we found. We tried The Miracle Blanket and Summer Infant Swaddle Me blankets. And while they worked at first, my babies would wiggle their arms out and wake up. Mine didn’t wear this for long, but it’s all about the babies personality. I know of some toddlers who still need to be swaddled to sleep well. It might be best to purchase one of each and see which one your infant prefers. It could save you from many sleepless nights!

Burp Cloths. I suggest making your own. Just buy some flannel and ribbon at the store, sew it together and you have wonderfully absorbent burp cloths. But if you don’t sew, you can find adorable ones on Etsy. Like this burp cloth from Molly Anne Make or this set from Funky Monkey Embroidery. So cute!

Pacifiers. Our daughter never would take a paci. My oldest son was obsessed with his Mam pacis. Although I know Mam is BPA free, it still made me nervous. For number 3 I decided to buy Natursutten rubber pacifiers. He loves them and I don’t have to be concerned with crazy chemicals potentially entering his body via a pacifier.

The Fisher Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper was also a great piece of equipment. It allowed me to grab a quick shower and put him where I could see him. If you have a bouncer, your don’t need this. It was a great portable option for travel though. But like many things, he grew out of it quickly.