Thursday, September 15, 2011

Little Things

Prevsiously, I had done a post about some baby items that I discovered I really liked.  Well, for this week's blog about something I've learned after baby, I am going to share a few more items that I like.  Take it or leave it because I know everyone has their own preferences and I would hate for somebody to feel as though I misled them.  Also, as I had said in the other post, each baby is different.  But these are some things I found to be great for Gordon Lee.

1.) First of all, Gordon Lee has colic.  He had a few difficult bouts with it starting at around 3 weeks, and we felt so bad because there was little to do to relieve the pain.  We did give him gas drops; however, those were not even enough at times.  He'd still have periods of time when his tummy would get very tight and he would be screaming.  Well, in the midst of all of this, I came across a recommendation for Hyland's colic tablets. 
I was still unsure as I had never heard of them before.  So, I did research and read at least 50 reviews on them.  Since the overwhelming majority of the reviews raved about them, I decided I would give them a try.  I also talked to my doctor about it.  She said that she believed they would be a good alternative to the gas drops and was familiar with Hylands and would trust their product.  After I gave him the initial dose of 2 tablets, a huge burp came up in less than a minute and he relaxed in my arms.  It was really wonderful.  Even with a lot of burping, he can still get colicky, and I have found it usually only takes 1 dose of these tablets a day to keep the colic away! They work so fast, and he hasn't had episodes with a tight tummy since he started taking them.

2.) As a shower gift, I received something called butt paste from my mother.  From the name of the product to the way it was packaged, I wasn't exactly at all interested in trying it.
It just seemed like maybe some knock-off brand that I'd try if I didn't have any other options.  Well, as it happened, I ran out of Desitin one day.  All I had around the house was a small packet of butt paste.   So, I got it out and decided it was better than nothing...only to find out it is better than anything! I'd tried quite a few different types of ointments to help his diaper rash and the Butt Paste was what really did it.  It often has the rash cleared up by the next diaper.  I promptly asked my husband to go out and buy a tube.  One note, however, is that there are apparently 2 kinds.  I found this out reading reviews about it online.  Everyone seemed to love the original Butt Paste (found in the yellow package with the label "original" on it); however, there is apparently another formula sold in a green bottle that people didn't like as much.  I do wish it had a better name with a more appealing package.  But Butt Paste it is for us now; nothing else I've tried works like it.  Lesson learned--I should trust my mother.

3.) When Gordon Lee was first born, it was easy to pick up almost any blanket to swaddle him in.  Yet, this quickly began to change.  We also found out that he has very sensitive skin.  So, he often goes around in just a diaper because his skin starts to break out if he sweats even just a little bit.  This is problematic, though, if your baby enjoys being swaddled but sweats at night.
For both of these reasons, I have discovered I LOVE carter's 100% cotton receiving blankets.  My doctor had told me that babies with sensitive skin often do better with 100% cotton materials (which I have found to be true for him).  Plus, these blankets are the PERFECT size for swaddling my 2 month old baby.  They stretch a little too, so I can still get him nice and snug with these blankets.  The ones pictured aren't the same ones I have, but they are similar enough.  I originally had 2 that my in-laws gave to me as a shower gift.  After realizing how much I liked them, I went out and bought 4 more.