My absolute favorite thing to do while I was pregnant was read mom blogs. I love reading other people’s advice and what they have learned. I am still a new mom, but I have learned some pretty awesome mom hacks, and products that I LOVE. These items will be helpful with any baby, but if you have a colicky/high maintenance baby like ours, you may want to check some of these out.
Products that SAVED MY LIFE (okay I am being dramatic, but really)
Nested Bean Swaddle
One night when Emmett would not sleep we used a nested bean sleep sack that was given to us by my sister in law (it did not work for my nephew). These are sleep sacks with a lightly weighted center. Emmett surprisingly liked it, but he still wanted to be swaddled. I got on the website and noticed they actually had some weighted sleep swaddles. He slept better the moment we put him in it. He stayed in the swaddle until he was too big for it, and it definitely saved us in those early days.
When we first brought Emmett home from the NICU he wanted to be held all the time (still does really) but that was not possible for this exhausted mama. I quickly started baby wearing. I had a Moby wrap but it was heavy fabric and it took me FOREVER to wrap him in it. I literally had to look up on youtube every. single. time. on how to wrap it around me. Some people may love it and get it down easily, but it was not for me. I quickly turned to my favorite Instagram mom bloggers to see what they were using, and many of them were using a Wild Bird sling. I thought this looks simple and exactly what I need. I will tell you I was super frustrated when I first tried to use it. It has an learning curve and looks easier watching someone else do it, BUT after watching tutorials and practicing, I have to say it is my favorite carrier ever and emmett loves it! I can get him in it in about one minute and he is a happy boy!
In the NICU we always use Dr. Brown Bottles, and after trial and error of many different bottles at home, we have settled with the Dr. Brown wide neck glass bottles. Emmett needed the air vent because he was very colicky and gassy after every feeding in his early days. He also needed a consistent nipple flow. He would choke on bottles with flow too fast and would get fussy if the flow was too slow. We use the glass bottles because all of our plastic ones started leaking!! I later learned they got warped in the dish washer. ALWAYS HAND WASH DR BROWNS oh my gosh lesson learned ha! We were given some glass ones and they never leak, so we bought more. I will say I hate washing all the parts. Bottles that I have noticed are similar to ours are the avent brand. We have a couple of these and we may transition to them soon because Emmett is older and not as gassy, but still we love Dr. Brown!
I am going to first point out that Emmett hardly ever took naps in the Mamaroo or other swings. He would always wake up when we put him in a swing. He does LOVE his mamaroo though. He loved to sit in it and watch Baby Einstein and he still does! It calmed him down, and kept him content and that is why is was a must have for us. It was one of the only places I could put him that he would be content while I did the dishes or other tasks.
I also want to note that these swings are very expensive. I have linked it for you guys, but I actually found ours on Facebook marketplace. Someone was selling it for less than half of what a new one costs! Mom Win!!
Emmett and I are both obsessed with these blankets. In the beginning I used them while he was in the NICU as sheets for his bed. It was so nice to have a personal touch! I also used them to cover while breastfeeding. When we went home we used them to swaddle him during the day. We used them as a carseat cover and also as Emmett’s go to blankies that he loved to hold. If he was fussy sometimes just putting the blankie in his hands helped him. They are so versatile and I love the patterns. Definitely a must have in this house!
Mom Hack: TJMaxx almost always has these in the baby sections for a lot cheaper!
So there you have it my Five items (that I could actually think of #mombrain) to help with colicky/fussy babies!!
Courtney
*This post contains affiliate links. This simply means that if you purchase something through the links provided I may receive a small commission at not additional cost to you. I would never post a link for something I did not truly use or love! Thanks!
