These updates have been so fun to share, and I love hearing I’m not alone in some of the registry mistakes I’ve made. Here’s hoping this series is helpful for a few of you first time mamas! Today’s installment offers a few new recommendations for bath and potty time!:
1. DIAPERS + WIPES
Because I’m trying to keep the newborn phase as easy as humanly possible, I’m intimidated to mess with cloth diapers. Instead, we’re opting for diapers and wipes from The Honest Co. – plant-based, ultra-absorbent alternative disposables. Here’s hoping for minimal leakage!
Update: These worked, you guys. I shared more about why I love them here, but I highly, highly recommend. Note: The Honest Co. wipes are the only wipes that don’t give Bee a diaper rash, so if your baby has sensitive skin, I’d suggest these! A+.
2. BABY TUB
I’m head over heels for the Puj Tub
Update: OK, I wanted to love the Puj tub because it’s beautiful, but it super duper didn’t work for us. It would likely be perfect if you have a smaller pedestal sink to support the tub (it’s foam, so it needs a circular form beneath it to maintain its shape, if that makes sense?). But for our square (deep!) farmhouse sink, the tub had too much room to float around and never could support the weight of Bee. We ditched it after bath #1 and have been tub-less ever since. F- for us! (Note: Once Bee was able to hold her head up, I used the insert of our BabySnug to support her during sink baths. Worked like a charm!)
3. BABY LOTION
If it’s good enough for mom, it’s good enough for baby! I use Yes to Carrots lotion daily, so I’m thrilled with Yes To Baby Carrots Lotion
Update: I still haven’t tried this because, to be honest, we don’t use a lot of products with Bee. She did, however, have a small patch of eczema on her leg when she was just a few months old, and OMG this product
4. BABY SHAMPOO + BODYWASH
Packed with soothing aromatherapy, California Baby calming shampoo and bodywash
Update: This is my very favorite shampoo and body wash for Bee, and the scent is incredibly relaxing (and not overpowering!). A+.
5. TRAVEL DIAPER CHANGING KIT
If you’re a mom on the go, a travel solution for changing diapers is a good idea. I love Munchkin’s Travel Diaper Changing Kit for its simplicity and no-fuss design. Plus, a hidden zipper allows for creams, ointments and lotions.
Update: My diaper bag came with a changing kit, so I used that one instead. I also found it helpful to corral diapers, travel changing pad, wipes and ointment into a zipped pouch (my diaper bag came with this, too!) for quick and easy changes.
6. DIAPER OINTMENT
To keep that sweet little bum clean and rash-free, diaper ointment is a must. I’m a fan of Burt’s Bees entire line, so I’m anxious to see how the Burt’s Bees diaper ointment compares to its counterparts!
Update: Right before Bee was born, our midwife recommended extra light olive oil in lieu of diaper cream and we swear by it. For days that are extra messy(!), we layer the above ointment from Burt’s Bees with olive oil and it seems to do the trick just fine. We also love Honest Healing Balm for stashing in our diaper bag when olive oil isn’t the easiest to transport. A+!
7. BABY WASH CLOTHS // QTY: 8+
It never occurred to me to register for baby-friendly wash cloths until my girlfriend reminded me that baby skin is so very sensitive. These cotton terry wash cloths
Update: OK, I haven’t used wash cloths yet when I bathe Bee. Am I a horrible mother or just super gross? I mean, how much scrubbing does a baby need? Gosh, I’m torn on this. Either way, we haven’t used these, so I’m giving myself an F.
8. HOODED BATH TOWEL // QTY: 2
Hooded bath towels
Update: Yes, these are adorable. But for Bee, they were hardly functional. We just wrapped her in an over-sized towel and transported her to her nursery for a quick change. I can see this being useful for older babies or toddlers who wriggle around and want story time before they get dressed, but a big fluffy towel has worked just fine for us. I will say, however, they do look mighty cute hanging on the bathroom doorknob. C-!
Tell me, how did you guys fare in the bath+potty department? I’d love to hear! And for the entire registry (including a few updates already), visit this page!
Great update Erin! I’m curious about your bath strategy – how do you bathe Bee without a traditional baby tub? For our 7 month old, we switch between using his Primo Euro Bath (placed in the big tub) and just taking baths together. But he’s starting to get squirmy and I’m considering just giving him baths in the big tub. Always love to hear how other moms pull it off!
Great question! Bee sits in our big farmhouse sink and splashes around (it’s the perfect height so we don’t have to bend over). She’s JUST started playing with the faucet, so it might get tricky in the next few months and I’m anticipating having to bathe with her in our bigger tub. But for now, it’s working!
Great list. Olive oil is wonderful instead of baby lotion, diaper cream, or baby massage oil, but that stuff’s gotta be organic!
I agree. :)
You might need to change that first one from “alternative to disposables” to “alternative disposables.” Even though they are all environmentally friendly and such, if you throw them away, they are still disposable.
Thank you for catching that, Ellen! Just made the change. :)
Great update, Erin! I absolutely agree with you on The Honest Co. diapers and wipes. LOVE them, along with their Healing Balm. Actually, I have tried quite a few products from The Honest Co. and all of them are fantastic. I also love their Shampoo + Body Wash. It is so gentle. I tried California Baby, but my little guy reacted to it. Also, The Honest Co.’s 4-1 Laundry Pods are super gentle, no harsh chemical residues, chlorine, fragrances and are given an “A” rating by the Environmental Working Guide. I promise that I don’t work for The Honest Co. Ha!
I also have a PUJ tub, which was fantastic for the first 3 – 4 months and then my babe outgrew it. But like you said, the sink has to be the right shape and size for it to work. In fact, my sink was not the exact, perfect fit, but it still fit pretty well. Having said that, I can definitely see how a farm house sink would not work at all.
As far as a moisturizer is concerned, coconut oil has worked well for us. And I totally agree with you on the hooded towels… They look super cute hanging on the hook, but we always wrap our baby up in a big towel and immediately transfer him to the changing area.
Voila! I think that’s all. ;) Sorry to be so long winded!
Ha, I totally hear you on The Honest Co. I feel like their ambassador sometimes. :) (Thanks for the tip on the coconut oil!!!)
Erin, I’m a “horrible mom” right there with you – I use our washcloths to wipe down Forrest’s face or pat his bottom dry when the wipes are really wet but not in the bath! I also agree about the hooded towels, a big bath towel works just as well and you can snuggle them all up inside with just their adorable little face showing if you want. Now that he’s bigger we ditched the baby bath (an older one from my sister that never quite fit him right but it’s what we had) for lying or sitting in the tub, splashing away to soak the entire bathroom. He loves it. = )
So glad I’m not the only one, Jamie! :)
I agree about the Puj. Wanted to love it but – although it DID fit in our tiny sink and I love the design – it never held enough water to keep him warm. To be honest, none of them do – maybe I’m just fussy but I want something that doesn’t just keep his butt warm while the rest of him is dry and freezing. He’s just been bathed since by having dad in the tub with him (great Daddy Time) or sitting on a foam mat when dad isn’t around.
Ditto on the washcloths!
Maybe I’m just cynical about all the marketing hype and the needless amount of stuff out there for a baby, but I really didn’t find anything to be as awesome/can’t-live-without/genius as they claim to be.
I did and do really like the Burt’s Bees’ range of baby products. We’ve used and like the diaper ointment and the powder but prefer above all the all-purpose ointment. Then again, I haven’t tried coconut or olive oil but could see how those would easily work just as well for a fraction of the price!
And the one thing I would recommend to new moms is the My Brest Friend nursing pillow. It doesn’t slip off like the Boppy and it helps support your back, which is a plus when you’re already putting it in a poor position to feed most times.
This is so helpful, Rachel – thank you! And I’m totally like you, although I will admit to singing a love song to our baby swing when I finally broke down and purchased one. (Actually, my mother-in-law DRAGGED me to purchase one, but that’s a different post entirely!). ;)