MAD HEARTS: the blog

I don’t like giving baby product recommendation because as I’m quickly learning, every child is different and every parent does things differently.  So what may work for me and Jonas, won’t necessarily work for another mom and her child.  But there are a few exceptions to the rule that can be considered “universal” and I want to share a few of those with you! And guess what?! None of these items were actually on my registry, but I’m so glad I “discovered” them while Jonas was still a newborn!

1.  Mobi Tykelight Glomate Jr.: Sadly this product is now discontinued, but I’m so glad another mom had the foresight to gift this to me at my shower before it did!  Jonas and I LOVE this little night light!  The light is bright enough so I can see what I’m doing during middle of the night feedings, but not too bright or obnoxious to wake up dad sleeping right next to us.  It’s portable and cool to the touch, so you can carry it anywhere you go which comes in handy when I move between my bedroom and the nursery for middle of the night diaper changes. Jonas also loves the “rainbow” feature, which keeps him entertained and engaged forever! You can still find a few on Ebay, so make sure to snatch one up before they are gone for good.

2.  NoseFrida:  I had no idea about this fabulous product when I was registering for baby gifts, but I will make sure to add this as an extra gift for any future mom-to-be (it was gifted to me too!).  Everything in a newborn is so tiny, even their little nostrils! So when your baby is congested (as they often are in the very beginning) and you have to clear their boogies with the nasal sucker thing and you’re a new mom, talk about panic and frustration! Not to mention, those nasal aspirators never seem to get it all out. This is where the NoseFrida rocks! Yes you have to suck your baby’s boogers through a long tube. And yes, it sounds gross, but boogers never actually go anywhere near your mouth. And the best part, it takes everything out and I do mean EVERYTHING! Once you see how easy it is to clean your baby’s nose, you’ll get over the “ewwww” factor and never go back to regular aspirators again.

3.  Rockabye Baby: I stumbled upon the Rockabye Baby Lullaby series when listening to a baby station on Pandora.  It was a lullaby rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and I couldn’t get over how adorable and awesome it was that such a thing existed! I searched for Rockabye Baby on Spotify and hit the mother load! Dozens of lullaby renditions of my favorite artists! I mean they have Michael Jackson, Nirvana, Queen, Bob Marley, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Beatles – just to name a few. Not only is it soothing for baby, but it’s entertaining for momma too! Plus, you can expose your baby to great music from the very start.

4.  Baby Tracker:  I haven’t used this app much after the baby’s first month or so. But in the beginning, it was indispensable! It helped me stay on track of the baby’s nursing schedule, diaper changes and nap time.  Since we had to be mindful of so many things in the beginning (how many wet diapers, how many soiled diapers, making sure the baby ate every 2 hours and that I nursed equally from each breast), it just helped to have an app on my phone to keep us organized and on schedule. And the best part…it’s FREE!

5.  Coconut Oil: Jonas suffered from pretty bad baby acne during his first weeks. Even though it’s harmless and totally normal for newborns to breakout, it made me so sad to see my little guy like that.  I tried everything from leaving it alone to breast milk to high end organic baby products and nothing seemed to work. And then I tried coconut oil twice a day on clean skin: in the morning and right before bed time. The baby acne disappeared in a matter of days.  I also tried it on his scalp because he had dry skin that would flake and it took care of that problem too after one application! I know everyone has been singing its praises for awhile, but I wasn’t a believer until I saw the wonders it did on my baby’s skin.  And if it doesn’t work for your baby’s acne (every kid is different), there’s still a ton of great uses for the stuff. At $5.99 a jar ( I get mine at Trader Joe’s – make sure to buy the Organic Virgin kind), that’s a pretty remarkable investment!

Do you have any product recommendations you and your newborn couldn’t live without?