I thought I’d take a minute to mention some of the gear that we’ve found most useful and\/or essential so far:<\/p>\n
Lap pads:<\/strong><\/a> These are pads made of thick cotton that go on the changing table. They’re amazingly absorbent, and can contain a lot<\/em> of pee.<\/p>\n Hair dryer:<\/strong> The discovery of this basic appliance made diaper changes go from a shrieking struggle to a happy, relaxing time. We prop it so it’s blowing up toward her bottom end (but not too close to burn). She loves both the heat and the noise and it’s one of the most potent relaxation tools we have.<\/p>\n Cheap cotton wipes: <\/strong><\/a> Like the kind you use to remove makeup, we use these with plain water to wipe her bum. It turns out that regular diaper wipes were giving her a diaper rash, stupidly enough. With plain cotton and water, we rarely need diaper cream anymore!<\/p>\n Cheap Costco washcloths:<\/strong> My mom gave us about five million of these, and we use almost all of them between laundry days. They’re great for spit-up, drool, keeping milk wiped up during nursing, and many other things.<\/p>\n Onesies and sleepers:<\/strong> It’s folly to try to put anything more complicated on a newborn. Ruby lives in sleepers (or just a onesie, if it’s warm enough). For extra warmth, we just put a bigger, thicker sleeper on top. I should add that hats and socks also have their place.<\/p>\n Changing table top: <\/strong><\/a> This is meant to be portable, but we leave it on top of a regular piece of furniture and it works fine for her changing table.<\/p>\n My Brest Friend nursing pillow:<\/strong><\/a> This is a must-have for new mothers who are just figuring out the positioning for breastfeeding. It’s good while you build up your arm, hand, and wrist muscles. Just overlook the stupid name.<\/p>\n Nipple shields:<\/strong><\/a> These saved me when I thought the nipple pain would kill me. They’re a good temporary measure. (I used the “extra small”.)<\/p>\n