My 1st Years – Made With Love Review

My 1st Years – Made With Love Review

Since 1st Years seen that I was having a baby, they decided to ask me to choose a product from their website in exchange for an honest review, so I said I would and ended up deciding upon the Star Jacquard Knit Blanket and adding “Lil Tater” as a personalization on it. Our last name is Tate, so I thought it was super cute and super fitting, plus it can be handed down to a future kid if we were to have another.

Personalised Star Jacquard Knit Blanket

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This blanket is absolutely adorable and HUGE. I thought it would be the size of a newborn that was big enough to swaddle her in, but this will work for even a toddler bed since it’s 100 cm x 100 cm which equals out to 39 inches by 39 inches. Every stitching is absolutely perfect and I can see this lasting a long time, that is if my daughter doesn’t have any explosive poo’s on it. The box it came in added the perfect touch with a cutesy bow. Anything on their website would make a great baby shower gift for a friend or families new little one since everything can be personalized to fit the new baby. I love it and will be recommending them to anyone looking for a great gift idea.

A little bit about My 1st Years:

Bringing a new life into the world is an event like no other, and at My 1st Years they offer you the chance to mark this occasion with a uniquely personal gift. Whether you’re looking for a classic teddy bear, a warm knitted blanket or their first pair of high top trainers, their individual category pages allow you to shop quickly and effortlessly for that perfect newborn present..

The My 1st Years team stand apart in their personalization expertise, which they have spent years honing and perfecting. Their carefully selected range comes with the option of being embroidered, flocked, printed or engraved with a special someone’s name or customized message – a service they offer as complimentary because My 1st Years believe each and every child deserves a one-of-a-kind memento that can become part of a treasured memory.

 

NoseFrida and Fridet the Mom Washer Review

NoseFrida and Fridet the Mom Washer Review

Those of you that follow my social media accounts know that I had my baby girl on April 19th. Things have been a little hectic over here for the past almost 3 weeks, but I am trying to figure out a schedule between sleeping, taking care of baby and blogging. It’s been difficult but I’m somehow making it work.

Before I had my baby girl, I contacted Frida baby who sent over the Fridet Mom Washer, which is a peri bottle that’s great for cleansing your bottom post delivery, AND the Nosefrida the Snotsucker, which is a unique and effective way to get the snot out of your little one’s nose.

The peri bottle came in handy at the perfect time considering I had just had her. It’s so much more effective using the mom washer over the ones the hospital gives you all because it’s ingeniously designed to be held upside down and is able to reach everything with its curved neck. It also came with a travel bag for easy on the go healing. My husband wanted to travel up to his families house 6 days after we had her, so this was perfect for just that. I did notice that you’ll need to apply your finger over the spouts to stop it from pouring out once you turn it right side up again, otherwise, you’ll have a wet toilet seat/floor. I guess it helps to follow directions. LOL

Fridet Mom Washer
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How to use the Fridet Mom Washer

1. Unscrew top of Fridet and fill reservoir with warm water
2. Mix in a few drops of witch hazel for soothing relief
3. Screw cap on securely and invert the bottle with one finger covering the silver valve
4. Position the bottle with the tip facing the desired direction and remove finger from valve
5. Squeeze bottle gently and repeat as desired
6. Unscrew top, empty contents, and insert top into reservoir for travel

To clean: disassemble the Fridet and clean in warm soapy water

Nosefrida

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The Nosefrida Snotsucker may seem a little weird or gross since you’re basically sucking snot out of your child’s nose, but there’s a filter that blocks anything from entering your mouth, which is why I wanted to try it. Although, it hasn’t really been used effectively quite yet. I did notice that when she feeds, she seems to be a little congested so I decided to break out the snot sucker and see what I could get out. I stuck the blue end up to her nostril and sucked on the other end. Nothing really came out, but she didn’t have snot inside of her nostrils either. When I sucked, it caused her to sneeze, so I know that it works, I’ll just have to wait until she actually has snot inside of her nostrils to see how well it does then.

How to use the Nosefrida Snotsucker

  1. The disposable filter should be in place to prevent mucus or bacterial transfer.
  2. Place the large tube against the child’s nostril, creating a seal.
  3. Use the red mouthpiece to SUCK out the snot. TIPS: Move the tube in a circular motion against the nostril – you will hear and see the mucus coming out of the nose. A few drops of saline solution in each nostril will help loosen thick mucus before using Nosefrida.
  4. To clean, detach all of the pieces, and dispose of the filter. All pieces EXCEPT for the long thin tube should be cleaned with hot water and dish soap (they are also top-rack dishwasher safe).The long thin tube should be cleaned with a few drops of rubbing alcohol and shaken out to dry.

Why is NoseFrida better than other aspirators?

NoseFrida is non-invasive – instead of going inside the nose like the bulb, it forms a seal with the outside of the baby’s nostril (creating a vacuum). Parent-powered (mouth) suction is much stronger and more effective than the static suction of the bulb or battery-powered aspirators. NoseFrida is also easy to clean.

The nosefrida comes with 4 filters, 1 which is preloaded and 3 extras. It is recommended to toss them after each use, so it’s a good thing that the replacement filters are relatively cheap at $3 for 20 filters.

Overall, both products are useful and effective and I recommend them to all moms/parents.

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Buttons Cloth Diaper Review

Buttons Cloth Diaper Review
What I like about Buttons Cloth Diapers is that they were created by a mom and dad team in the comfort of their own home. They know exactly what the ideal parents need and look for when it comes to their child’s derriere; comfort, stability, leak-free, efficient, etc.

 

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The Buttons Cloth Diaper really doesn’t get too much easier than this. There is no messing around with prefolds; just snap the insert inside and you’re good to go. We had no problem with Aislin’s new “Sweet Pea” Buttons Cloth Diaper leaking anywhere, not even around the legs which feature double gussets. I must stress that double gussets is a must have when using cloth diapers if you want to not have to clean up any blow outs.

  

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We received 2 small day time inserts, 1 microfiber and 1 hemp/cotton, which are about 4 layers thick and have a soft fleece layering on top, which makes it ultra soft and non irritating against babies skin. I also ordered a 2 pack of small night time inserts that are about 6 layers thick, which means it’s absorbency is going to be out of this world. They do not contain the ultra soft fleece since its intended use is to be under the daytime insert. This will cause it to be super bulky on your little babe, but its better to be bulky than sorry at 3 am when you’re dead tired and have an ass-plosion to clean up everywhere.
 
The difference between microfiber and hemp is that the hemp is a real work-horse in the cloth diapering world. They’re super durable and absorbent. They soak up a lot of pee, which in turn makes the parents happy since you don’t have to do a diaper change every hour. Am I right? Microfiber is similar, but it doesn’t soak up the pee as well which may cause a rash if left on for too long.
  
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When I received this, my husband told me I could use the inserts as feminine pads for myself cause he thought they were huge. He apparently hasn’t seen many cloth diaper inserts.

buttons cloth diaper review

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These covers sell for $11 and the inserts are $3.50 a piece which make these one of the most affordable cloth diapers for parents looking to save without sacrificing quality. Plus, you’re helping out fellow parents who own a small business.

Moms Who Have Trouble Breastfeeding: Try BARE Bottle.

My daughter was born back in October. Everything was going great until we went back to the hospital 4 days later and found out she had lost 11.5% of her birth weight. That meant she was not getting enough breast milk from me while breastfeeding. I had a feeling she wasn’t because she would cry after she was done feeding like she was hungry still. The pediatrician advised me that Aislin needed to supplement with formula. I was devastated because I thought my dreams of breastfeeding were over.

Over the next couple of months I worked with a lactation specialist and the pediatrician who tried to get my supply up. I tried all kinds of herbs, teas, eating foods high in fat, pumping, and even prescriptions without much of an increase. I was getting 1 oz out of both breasts after pumping for 45 min. Even though they both cheered me along, I knew I was one of the mothers out there that had a low milk supply and couldn’t feed my daughter exclusively with just my milk. 

By the time she was 2.5 months, she had weaned herself and my supply was drastically disappearing. I could barely get anything with a pump, which led me to search for a bottle I could use where she wouldn’t get confused between my breast and a bottle, and I came across the BARE® air-free baby bottle. The concept looked great because it was air-free and mimics a normal breast. The breast isn’t filled with air, so why should a bottle be? Because it is air-free, it slows down bacteria growth and oxidation. The nipple is short and realistic and even retracted up and down like the breast does naturally. I think part of the reason she weaned besides my low supply, was because she was getting a bottle too, and she didn’t have to work as hard at getting the milk out. My hopes were to get her to latch back onto the breast. As excited as I was when I got this bottle, Aislin seemed be accustomed to the bottle she was feeding with and I couldn’t get her to latch onto this bottle either. The nipple was short, and required a breast-like latch and she was having an issue with getting a good enough latch. I think for some babies that have been breastfeeding longer, it would work. I really don’t have anything negative to say about it. It’s a sturdy bottle, easy to clean and attractive. I think it would help in our situation if the nipple was a little bigger. But, I am still on the hunt for something suitable while I try to conquer my breastfeeding issues.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free from BARE®. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.