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Take or Toss

3 Things I Could Not Have Lived Without as a New Mom, 3 Things I Could Have

By Tiffany WilliamsPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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I will admit it. I was that mom—you know the one—the one who is searching frantically at 3 AM while baby is awake and will not go down. So many products come up from the google search, and everyone insists you need their product that it will be a miracle worker. I bought it all. Packages arrived daily and I ripped into them, certain it was the fix to the bags under my eyes and the dragging of my feet.

18 months later, and I am a much wiser mom for the second time around the board. Baby number two and this mom is NOT FALLING FOR IT. I want to help my fellow moms as well, and give you my take or toss list. This is my list, however, and I advise you to consult your fellow mom friends who have been around a kid or two and compare.

1. The dockatot was pricy but my total take. I know, I have know, the hype scared me too. I held off and held off buying it. Finally 3 months in when baby was waking up every hour, and it went from in the chart to delivery once again a 3 AM buy. I read the reviews, and ever the skeptic still worried, but I was not living. I was a mess and willing to finally give it a try.

Did he sleep through the night? Was it a magic fix? No. I wish I could say otherwise but it wasn’t. What it did do, though, is the nights I was so tired and delirious it gave me a safe space to put baby right next to me when my husband was driving for Lyft, and I had no one I could punch next to me—your turn to get up with baby. I think of those nights, and how my terror of co-sleeping was alleviated by that product. For baby number two, this product is high on the list.

2. This is where I have two products: one a take and one a toss. I bought every sleep sack on the market. The Zippadee, the halo, the woombie, the woolino; their claims of miraculously putting baby to sleep hooked me, and I bought them all. I would spend the money in seconds again for the Woombie—not having to swaddle that baby made the world of difference to me. The third night of baby being an escape artist in the early predawn hours, and my husband tucking him so tightly in. We were shocked to find ten minutes later his blanket everywhere but him, and I ordered the Woombie.

A zip up product that has no issues with swaddling or any of that silliness, it made me feel safe as a parent, but also was so darn easy. It was in heaven. (Until he wet it, and then I learned my lesson and bought a spare).

The others (although I dearly loved the Woolino, and it has lasted years versus other sleep sacks which are 3 months at most) are more a toss. I spent way too much time and money. The Zippadee Zip only caused me anxiety as part of it is very loose, and seemed to always be over baby’s face when I woke up. Other parents didn’t seem to complain about this—so maybe it was my baby’s odd shape. These other sleep sacks were tossers for me.

3. The owelet—I know some moms would murder me in my sleep for saying this, but I will say it because it is expensive and NOT WORTH IT in my humble opinion. I have read the reviews of babies it saved, and I know that is can be wonderful and maybe it was worth it for those moms? I am sure they would say so. But with a healthy baby, 150 dollars worth of a monitor that went off with false readings and caused this anxiety ridden mother ADDED anxiety, no thank you. I tossed it out.

4. The last thing I couldn’t have done without was a good, sturdy car seat. I used Britax. The reviews were beyond exemplary, and knowing my little guy was in a safe product all the time; going to doctors, going to visit friends, going to wherever, I was so much more at peace. It was worth every last penny spent.

5. My last toss would be a swing. Baby hated swings. Your baby may love them. But before you shell out money, only to have baby scream till they turn blue, trial them. Otherwise you may cry when selling it for a tenth of what you paid—if you even get that.

Lastly, this list is all kinds of different for different moms. Just realize we all are doing the best we can, and whatever you can get to help you is worth it. It is a hard task. Especially the first few months of baby being born and adjusting as new parents. Don’t know how we survived, the first bit is all a blur now. That little bundle has become my favorite little man in the world and those products which helped me out, make me so grateful for creative product makers. Thank you to them.

Being a mom is the best, but we all know the hidden treasures and support is everything.

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