Bella is 2 months old today.
That's 2 months getting to know our little human, 2 months into the fourth trimester and figuring out what works for us.
She's settled down a lot over the past few weeks. The colic is gone and she "sleeps" through the night (as long as I feed and change her nappy while she's still half asleep). She's a pretty good baby but like all babies they have their moments, and being brand new she's still very clingy and wants to be held most of the time which is great and I cherish those moments, but Mumma needs to go to the loo and stretch her back every now and then ya know?
Naturally we look out for things that will make our lives easier which is easier said than done considering the plethora of options available.
There's at least 5 different nappy manufacturers and we've tried them all (thank you nappy raffle). A ton of pacifier options ~ we've tried about 3 brands and types and she won't have any of them. Wipes, bottles, wraps, rockers, bouncers ~ you name it and guaranteed there's at least 4 different options available for whatever it is.
It's tough being a consumer these days so I figured I'd list our favourite things just in case someone out there needs advice.
We got this when she was 2 weeks old.
Not because it was named well (Bella Teddy) but because it seemed to be the best option.
Keep in mind I send Hubby out to Baby Bunnings with a rough idea on what to buy and he ultimately makes the final decision when he's there because I'm at home in quarantine (self imposed btw) with Bella.
It took her a couple of weeks to really get into it and even now it works best as a last resort option.
Eg. When I need to put her down somewhere safe and secure so I can go to the loo. Or when she's exhausted, I swaddle her and put the swing on and usually it puts her to sleep.
Now here's the thing about this particular swing. It's known for it's motor failing. In fact the motor failed on us 2 weeks after purchase!
Thankfully we bought ours from Baby Bunnings Bunting and by the time it broke we were so dependent on it that Hubby took it back to them straight away to get a replacement.
I would have opted for another swing but like I mentioned earlier he has final decision and he happens to really love this swing so he got another one.
This one has been working steadily for about 4 weeks now.
AC Adaptor for the win. Seriously you guys, go for a swing that plugs into the power point. This swing is usually on for at least 30~45 minutes each time and I can't imagine how many batteries we would have gone through by now AND imagine relying on it and then finding out you have no batteries left at 5 in the morning.
It's super plush. Love, love, love how soft and plush the seat and head rest is.
Features plus! The swing has 5 speed settings, and preset 30, 45 and 60 minute timer. There's 2 sound modes ~ music and nature sound, plus 3 preset volume control. The mobile rotates and also has a light show function. The seat has 4 vibration settings. Ohh! And the seat can be rotated 360 degrees.
The ugliest mobile EVER. Seriously? What the actual .... is up with the mobile?? They're meant to be bears and I can assure you they don't look like bears at all.
Mobile position is whack. From my understanding mobiles are meant to be above the baby. This isnt. Not when the seat is on recline or upright position.
The light show on the mobile is also whack. In some promo pictures you'll see the light underneath the mobile, its actually on top. It would be heaps better if it was underneath.
The seat vibration and mobile runs on battery. Yep. Wtf. Luckily bub hates the vibration option and we only use the mobile.
The motor issue.... Once burned twice shy.. Like I said earlier I actually wanted a different swing but Hubby really liked this one and Baby Bunting restarted our warranty so at least if this one fails too, we can return it and get it replaced.
All that said.... This swing has saved me many many times. I didn't think we would need it but now were so dependent on it I can't imagine not having one.
![20191230_121457.jpg]
Swaddling is definitely a must for babies. Something about simulating the cosy, tight environment feel of being in the womb that helps babies settle. Bella wasn't into it initially and I thought she enjoyed her new found freedom but recently I've noticed she seems to calm down and settle in for bed time better when we wrap her.
We've received plenty of wraps. 100% cotton, cotton blends, bamboo and it didn't matter how many times I wash them or if I use fabric softener only the bamboo wrap came out soft each time, with and without softener. That wrap was made by Bubba Blue and it's a bamboo/cotton/viscose blend, and we only had 1 of them.
Summer is truly upon us now and unfortunately we don't have ducted air conditioning. Relying only on fans in the bedroom, it's been challenging trying to keep bub comfortable and wrapped at the same time which is where these wraps come in handy.
Made from Bamboo not only are they super soft they're also thin and breathable making them perfect for summer.
What's even more perfect is they come in a pack of three which is currently on special at Baby Bunting.
Everything to love and nothing to dislike. If we only had 1 wrap I would get these.
Did I mention they are 120x120cm? Such a great size for a wrap. I find the smaller ones much harder to wrap and Bella can wiggle out of them much faster.
![20191230_122408.jpg]
This is a recent purchase. I actually don't know how I started looking into play gyms/mats but I'm really glad I did because she loves her playmat!
I've always liked the Princess Tales collection from Tiny Love and have been wanting the mobile for her cot for when she starts sleeping in her own room so you can imagine how happy I was to see they had a Princess Tales playmat on special at, yes you guessed it, Baby Bunting
That said, if you look it up on Amazon their price is $10 cheaper and it's not even on special. BUT buying it from BB meant we didn't have to wait for it to be delivered (which would have been a week wait) and we could return it if we had any problems.
The colours. We love the colours. It's bright without being too bright and in your face eye popping like some of the other ones out.
The design and over all cuteness. It's a seriously cute set. From the mat to the attachments, the features of the attachments, and how they can be moved around or taken off ~ someone at Tiny Love had their thinking cap on.
The music/light show bird is Bella's favourite. The moment we turned that on and the music started playing and the lights flashing she was captivated. She would just listen and stare at the bird and would often smile. It's a total winner in my book. Even though the volume isnt adjustable I found it to be set just right with the tone of the songs also just right and definitely not annoying like some kids toys.
Assembly was straight forward. If there was an instruction manual I didn't need it. The arches slide into the corners and they snap in to the mat meaning you can take the arches off and wash the mat like I did.
The arches are adjustable so you can move them around, lower/higher depending on what you want to achieve. We moved one side lower so bub can have a closer look at the musical bird and swat at the toys.
Not a damn thing. We're really happy with this purchase. Love everything about it.
One thing I've learned about bub is that she's a particular little human. She's quite sensitive to a lot of things especially when it comes to materials.
She's got plenty of clothes but the ones she's the most comfortable in are the bonds baby which are by far the lightest and softest out of them all.
Wish I was joking but I've actually conducted experiments with her and the days she's in bonds we have an easier time. She's happier, less fussy, settles easier and quicker and sleeps longer 🤷🏻♀️.
The biggest test was on Christmas Day when I put her in her Christmas outfit 👇 and we had a terrible day. The tulle annoyed her all day and the moment we changed her into bonds she calmed down.
It's weird but I'm just seeing and acknowledging the pattern and I'm not going to mess around anymore and get her other brands, not when her happiness saves my sanity.
Last but definitely not the least..
The Sudocrem and Chux Wipes combo.
Just like we tried almost every nappy brand out there, we've tried as many wipes; water wipes, scented, unscented, with vitamin E with an all natural barrier cream...
We tried it all and settled with unscented huggies paired with a natural barrier cream for rashes and still she managed to get the worst nappy rash/abrasions that were so bad I couldn't bear to see it and had Hubby changing nappies as much as I could.
Naturally we took a photo, sent it to the midwife only to be told nappy rashes are "normal" ~ which wasn't acceptable to me. So we followed her previous recommendation to use chux wipes (which get softer the more you wash them) and water, paired with Sudocrem and a couple of days later the abrasions healed and she hasn't had a nappy rash ever since.
So there you have it. Our current, gotta have, cant do without faves for the baby.
Obviously this is just our personal preference. Everyone is different and what works for us may not work for you and vice versa ~ but if you're stuck or just willing to give things a go these are our personal recommendations.
Always, if purchasing a product, make sure you trust your supplier and you can return an item if it's faulty, especially for the big ticket items like the swing.
Do you have any baby must have you want to recommend? Pop it in the comments! Tell me all about it!
