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A Must Try Diaper Trick Using Aquaphor

written by Parita Leave a Comment

First and foremost, this post isn’t sponsored by Aquaphor. Although, if they saw how many tubs of their ointment we have, that might change!

Our love affair with Aquaphor began when Kaiden was just under a year old. Chicago winters are no joke, and this ointment was the only thing that kept him super moisturized. We still cover him in it post-bath. It’s his ‘cream!’

Given how much we loved it for Kaiden, Vishnu told me to use it religiously after having two bouts of horrible hives in 2019. And like K, it’s the only thing I use post-shower. Nothing else has come close to Aquaphor and how protected it keeps me skin. And fingers crossed, I haven’t had hives since October 2019!

So now for the diaper trick we use with Mila…

After M was born, Vishnu was all about protecting her from diaper rashes. With Kaiden, we started using Desitin pretty much right away because he was so prone to rashes, but with Mila we wanted to be more proactive.

So now, with every diaper change, we first spread a good amount of Aquaphor on the inside of her diaper before putting it on her. This has been a game changer!

First, we’re eight weeks in, and not only has she not had a diaper rash, but her bum is never red (and gf goes through A LOT of diapers!). Second, the layer of Aquaphor makes clean up a breeze because nothing sticks to her bum. I used to dread diaper changes with Kaiden, but with Mila we’re done in a few minutes, and I feel 100% certain that she’s cleaner than clean (also preventing any rashes or other issues).

A couple of notes:

  1. If you’re going to use Aquaphor on both your baby’s bum and body, I recommend having two separate tubs. Just in case!
  2. Costco sells Aquaphor ointment in a two pack for ~$20, which is so much cheaper than what you’ll find in other stores/Amazon. Vishnu made a trip the other day and came home with five 2 packs! Given 3 out of 4 people in our household use this, we go through tubs pretty quickly.

If your baby is still in diapers, I highly recommend trying this little trick out. Thank me later!

Written on December 7, 2021 Related:Baby, motherhood, Uncategorized

Must Have Baby Products We Use Everyday

written by Parita Leave a Comment

When it comes to baby products, brands are going to try and sell you things you absolutely don’t need. Or maybe don’t need for your particular baby. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and buy all the things or think you need to buy all the things. With Kaiden, we definitely took a very minimalistic route because we didn’t have too much space or money. Thankfully, he was easy in that way. He’s four now and thriving so there’s that! With Ms. Mila, we took a slightly different approach. My best friend gave us a lot of things she used with her daughter + as we got to learn Mila’s preferences, we definitely bought a few extra things we didn’t with Kaiden.

Parenting is all trial and error, my friends!

We have a pretty good sense of what really works for us at this point, so I thought I’d share our list of must have baby products we use everyday, mainly for anyone like me who felt overwhelmed when thinking about this and just wanted a list of things to buy!

Feeding

My Breast Friend Pillow – great for breastfeeding and feeding in general. Really helps you relax and get the baby into a comfortable feeding position.

Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter – when you’re breastfeeding and/or pumping, this stuff is gold! It really helps keep your nipples from cracking or getting too dry, which helps ease the BFing/pumping process.

Bottles – We had great success with the Avent bottles with K and are trying those out with Mila too. I’ve also heard good things about Dr. Browns and bought this newborn set on Amazon. And finally, a lactation consultant in the hospital told us about the Evenflow nipples which are apparently great for babies who need to transition between breast and bottle. Again…trial and error!

Drying rack – I know the green grass drying rack (don’t recall the brand) is super popular, but I read that it’s a breeding ground for mold, so I bought this one instead, and so far so good!

Bottle brush – LOVE this brush by Dr. Browns (works with all bottles).

Dapple soap – Again, used this soap with Kaiden, and we’re still loving it. Love how clean it is.

Medela Steam Bags – We haven’t used these yet, but I know they’ll be great for when we go to the grandparents house or on vacation (some day!).

Burp clothes – I know this is a given, but you have no idea how many burp clothes we go through in a day! I bought these recently and love how soft they are.

Pump – I got the Spectra S2 through my insurance and like it so far. I am officially an exclusive pumper again (more on this later) and am finding that it does a good job getting out as much milk as possible. And it doesn’t sound as annoying as the Medela pump I used with Kaiden.

Pumping bras – With Kaiden, I made my own bootleg pumping bras out of old sports bras. This time…I know better and got these based on a friend’s rec. Love them!

Bottle warmer – this isn’t a must have product for everyone, but it’s saving us with Mila because when she’s hungry, she’s hungry. And with the current set up of our home, we’re able to keep the bottle warmer upstairs so we don’t have to go back and forth. I also love that this device warms the milk to the perfect temperature. We didn’t have a bottle warmer with Kaiden (felt silly and a little bougie at the time), but for us know, it’s definitely a must have item!

Mini fridge – Ok, so before you LOL at us, listen! We keep this tiny fridge in Mila’s room along with the bottle warmer so we don’t have to go up and down the stairs at 1, 3, 5 am in the morning, and it’s been amazing! I prep her bottles the night before, put them in the fridge, and we’re good to go. This way, if Vishnu’s feeding her, he can just grab, warm, and go. I mentioned to Vishnu how a few friends of ours got mini fridges, and he jumped on it and got us this one right away. Life and time saver!

Sleep

Sound machine – We use Amazon Alexa as a sound machine in both kids rooms and our room. Vishnu did all the set up, so if you have questions, let me know and maybe I can get him to do a little tutorial.

Halo bassinet – My best friend let us borrow her Halo and I love it. With Kaiden we had a Graco bassinet that started caving towards the end of it’s life and I didn’t find it very comfortable looking. The Halo (while expensive I know if you were to buy) is fully mesh around the sides, it swivels, and it’s very roomy. So far so good with Mila but she’s a very sleepy baby so time will tell!

Halo sheets – Vishnu bought these extra sheets because the bassinet only comes with one. Trust me, you’ll need multiple! Babies spit up, pee, and poop A LOT! [Microfiber version | Jersey Knit version]

Eco Classica Baby Mattress – We got and loved this mattress with Kaiden and ended up getting Mila a brand new one too. It has an infant side and a toddler side, so it grows with your kid. I don’t think you can really go wrong with whatever mattress you chose but wanted to share our pick because both kids have had zero complaints!

Diapers

Wipe warmer – Again, one of those bougie purchases we didn’t even consider with K (poor guy), but also, he didn’t mind getting his diaper changed or cold wipes. Ms. Mila, on the other hand, goes crazy the minute we open up her diaper and start wiping with a cold wipe. Vishnu got this after recognizing that pattern pretty quickly, and I will say, it’s made the diaper changing process 3x easier.

Diaper Genie – Yet another purchase we didn’t consider with Kaiden. We basically DIYed the solution then and really shouldn’t have! I know the Diaper Genie gets mixed reviews, but we love it. It really does make discarding dirty diapers so much easier, and the set up is also very easy. But most importantly, it keeps everything smelling ok (which our DIY solution didn’t do so well despite our best efforts!).

Nails

Electronic nail filer – No one tells you this, but cutting your newborn’s nails for the first few times is the most terrifying experience as a new parent. With Kaiden, I definitely ended up clipping his skin a little (worst feeling ever!). A nurse at the hospital told us about electronic nail filers for babies, and let me tell you, it’s been a game changer. Mila still doesn’t love it, but at least there’s no risk of her getting cut! A must have in my opinion – thank me later!

Other things we love

Glider – This is the one we got, and we love it! Again, didn’t have this when we had K…such a missed opportunity. Both Vishnu and I love feeding Mila in this chair – makes the experience really comfortable for all of us!

Hanging closet organizer – We use this product (x2) for each kid and love how it keeps there clothes organized and easy to access, especially great for when you don’t a ton of other space and/or when you’re using the dresser for other items (like us).

Dresser dividers – Love these for when babies are little and you need to keep things super organized.

Pack n’ play – a classic baby/toddler product! A must purchase item!

Baby Bjorn Bouncer – We don’t put her in this too much, but when we have she tolerates it and we get 10 minutes to eat or check email. I’ve heard older babies absolutely love this little gadget!

No portion of this post is sponsored.  However, affiliate links are included. There is no extra cost to you, but I do receive a small commission on anything you buy through my links.  Thank you for reading and supporting My Inner Shakti!

Written on November 3, 2021 Related:Baby, review

Lollipop baby monitor

The Lollipop Baby Monitor

written by Parita Leave a Comment

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again at some point. Every first-time decision you make as a parent feels monumental.  And then once you get used to whatever it is, you ask yourself, “Why did I overthink that so much?”

Vishnu and I went back and forth for a while when deciding on a baby monitor. We read reviews, we read consumer reports, we thought about our needs and what features we really needed, etc..  After a month or so, Vishnu made an executive decision and purchased the Lollipop Baby Monitor.

The Lollipop is not your average monitor, so of course, I was a little hesitant at first. I didn’t think we needed the “Tesla of baby monitors.”  Once Vishnu explained how it works and good for us, I was on board.

So here’s what I love about the Lollipop…

For one, the design is pretty cool. Right now, we have it attached directly to Kaiden’s Pack n’ Play, but when he’s older, we can attach it to the wall or put it higher up somewhere and out of reach.

Lollipop Baby Monitor

The other feature I love is there’s a live feed linked directly via an app to your phone and/or iPad. So for example, when my sister watched him one night, Vishnu was able to set up the app on her phone and she checked in on him as needed.  This also means when we’re not home, we can see how he’s doing.  Creepy?  A little.  Useful?  Absolutely!

While we haven’t used any other kinds of monitors, I’ve caught glimpses of what my friends use, and I must say, the picture quality with the Lollipop is so clear.  I love this because it means no guesswork when we hear Kaiden crying.  There’s also no guesswork because of the cry detection feature where we’re alerted whenever Kaiden cries.

Lollipop baby monitor

Other features we don’t use often but are nice to have include push to talk and remote music playing. With Kaiden, I think he’d be even more frustrated hearing our voices but not seeing us, so I tend not to talk to him through the monitor.  We have, however, played classical music for him, which was nice because it doesn’t require an extra device.

If you’re interested in monitoring things like temperature, humidity, and air quality, you can purchase an additional sensor and track via the app. We decided not to go down that route, but it’s nice to have the option in case we change our minds in the future.

In terms of possible cons, I would say the price may be a detractor for some (it’s a bit of an investment), as well as the fact that good internet access must be available for this monitor to work.

Overall, we’re very happy with this monumental (kidding!) decision and would definitely recommend the Lollipop to friends, family, and internet strangers!

No portion of this post is sponsored.  However, affiliate links are included. There is no extra cost to you, but I do receive a small commission on anything you buy through my links.  Thank you for reading and supporting My Inner Shakti!

Written on March 7, 2018 Related:Baby, Parenthood, review, Uncategorized

White Noise Sound Machine

White Noise Sound Machine – THE Thing Every City Family Needs

written by Parita 2 Comments

Putting together our baby registry was stressful.  I still remember sitting on the couch, phone in hand ready to text my closest girlfriends, various lists strewn about the coffee table, and Baby Bargains open next to me.  Oh and a husband who was working that night.  I really thought I was going to go crazy!

Overall, I think I did a decent job.  Vishnu added a few things here and there, but for the most part, the majority of the items we asked for and received we actually use regularly.  And if we aren’t using them yet, we will soon.

Anyways, something I started thinking about is how our registry would’ve differed if we lived in the ‘burbs.  Personally, I think there’s a slight difference in the registries of city families who live in apartments vs. suburban families who live in houses.  For example, our apartment faces a very busy street often frequented by police cars, firetrucks, and ambulances (we live in a safe neighborhood, I swear!).  These noises often woke/wake me and Vishnu up because it’s that loud.  The noise factor was something we talked about a lot after finding out we were pregnant.  If we lived in the ‘burbs, this is something we’d likely never have to think about.

Our solution to this annoying city problem was a white noise sound machine.  And boy has it made life in our 1150 sq/ft apartment less stressful. We keep our sound machine in our bedroom next to Kaiden’s bassinet.  Part of my mental sleep checklist is to make sure the machine is on before putting Kaiden down.

White Noise Sound Machine

This particular machine is great at drowning out household noises that would otherwise wake our little guy up.  I mean, I wish I could just sleep when baby sleeps, but let’s be real!  I’ve successfully washed dishes, done laundry, and vacuumed during nap time.  Kaiden also sleeps though Vishnu’s pre-work getting ready routine.

I don’t think these are necessarily must-have white noise machine features, but the one we own has two volume settings, a built in nightlight, and two USB ports.  It’s a multi-use machine!

White Noise Sound Machine

I strongly believe that if you’re having/have a baby, this white noise machine needs to be a regular member of your household.  Heck, even if you don’t, this thing is worth it.  And you know what?  The more I think about it, a white noise machine would be great for any household, city or suburban!

And if we’re being honest, had Vishnu and I known about the magic of white noise sound machines sooner, this baby would’ve been ours way before our actual baby came along! 🙂

No portion of this post is sponsored.  However, there are affiliate links included. There is no extra cost to you, but I do receive a small commission on anything you buy through my links.  Thank you for reading and supporting My Inner Shakti!

Written on September 27, 2017 Related:Baby, motherhood, Parenthood, Uncategorized

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