Our Baby MUST Haves... pt. 2

Thank you for all of the comments about Mac and Paisley's big 5 month celebration! It is encouraging to know you are following and enjoying our blog. :o)

Now I've racked my brain about what we've used the most often and what I couldn't imagine not having once Mac and Paisley were born. (Click HERE to read part one of Our Baby MUST Haves.)  Some of these things I stumbled on myself, but most of them are necessities that I learned their need from others. I hope to share with you what the items are and how we've used them. You can find the first post on this topic here. 


Mac and Paisley were born at 35 weeks, and my body didn't produce milk until they were 4 days old. Before they were born, I decided they wouldn't use bottles or pacifiers because I didn't want to inhibit nursing in any way. That was one of the many plans that went out the window. When I laid eyes on those babies, it became about their survival, not my plan. Paisley went to the NICU for the first 24 hours, and supplementing was the only option. Mac didn't go to the nursery, but I wasn't comfortable with them nursing and surviving on strictly colostrum. Determined to get my milk supply and plenty of it, I pumped... and pumped... and pumped. Yes, I set an alarm and pumped every 3 hours. What colostrum I did get I sent to Paisley in the NICU where any breast milk or colostrum is considered "liquid gold". So I sucked up each and every droplet in a syringe and sent it with Jordan to feed Paisley in the NICU. 


I share all this to say that without a pump, I wouldn't be able to feed my babies for the first 6 weeks of their lives. My research online and with other moms pointed me to a Medela breast pump. I knew I wanted an electric (I used a manual one once, and my arms almost fell off, haha) and certainly a double (time is of the essence for new moms!). I have the Pump In Style.  

Before you purchase this, check with insurance!!! I had my doctor fax a written statement that it was "medically necessary" for me to have a pump so that I could feed, and insurance covered my pump!! Call your insurance company and find out what the doctor should write. I learned that if the mom is going back to work, that's also a valid "medical necessity." 


While Mac and Paisley were drinking breast milk from bottles, I wanted to make sure they wouldn't be "lazy nursers." My friend, Andrea, told me about The First Years Breastflow Bottles. Someone gifted us these, and we love them! Nursing requires a baby to compress and suck. When drinking out of a bottle, a baby only has to suck, and it drips into their mouth. With these bottles, the nipple mocks a mother's nipple: baby must compress and suck to get the milk. I feel that these bottles allow me to successfully nurse Mac and Paisley as they interchange between nursing and bottles. 

The last thing in this post will be about California Baby's Calendula Cream. I have used this cream for everything cream can be used. The cream is labeled as a " nature's first aid" ointment. I have put this cream on every rash- from eczema to diaper rash- and the rash is gone! I love that the cream is natural and organic. In studying the popular baby skin products, I was discouraged by the chemicals in the products. Baby skin is in purest form, and I really wanted to keep Mac and Paisley's skin natural. (For your own research, learn how a chemical makes certain baby washes and shampoos "tear free".) We use this cream (along with other California Baby products) all skin ailments. Also, the cream may seem pricey, but a little goes a long way! 

As always, if you have questions, please ask! 


-ashley