Three of My Favorite Things

Talking with an expecting friend today, reminded me that I've been meaning to write a post about three of my favorite baby/postpartum products.  Again, another momma post that I hope will be helpful to the gaggle of friends I know who are new or expecting moms.

• gDiapers (http://www.gdiapers.com) are a hybrid, eco-friendly diaper that Reed has worn since he was about six weeks old.  In the beginning he was too small for even the newborn size but remember he was only 5 1/2 pounds, so the average newborn can easily wear the newborn size.   Things I love about gDiapers:
• The versatility.  They are a hybrid cloth diaper that allows you to use biodegradable or cloth inserts.  I became interested in cloth diapering as I knew several people who went this route, and with the recommendation of a friend for this specific brand, I jumped in.  When we're home, we use the cloth inserts which are easy to clean and wash, and when we travel, the biodegradable inserts are a handy alternative.  
• The affordability.  To date we've invested about $300 in the system, which is a savings to buying disposable diapers every month.  gDiapers come in sizes newborn, small, medium, and large so as your child grows you'll need to buy additional items, but if you plan on having more children, you can reuse everything you buy (well, not the biodegradable inserts!).  gDiapers are currently sold through www.diapers.com, and as a first time customer you receive $30 cash back and free shipping!
• The healthy-ness.  Both the cloth and biodegradable inserts are earth friendly.  When I read somewhere that the average disposable diaper takes 500 years to decompose, I nearly fell out.  Now, while I love to spare mother earth, I also need products that are practical, so trust me when I tell you gDiapers easy to learn and simple to use.  In addition to the eco benefits, these diapers help prevent diaper rash because the cloth inserts are a lot easier on his little tush.  And honestly, they are the cutest diapers (go see for yourself)!

• Tommee Tippee (www.tommeetippee.us/) bottles have worked great for us.  Fortunately we didn't have to do too much bottle shopping to find what worked, and to be totally transparent, we (this would be the he-we part of us) chose these because they look modern and hip.  Ahem.  At any rate, things I love about these bottles:
• Design.  Okay so they do look pretty spiffy but there are other design elements that I love.  First, the neck of the bottle has a very wide opening so if you're pouring pumped breastmilk or dumping in a scoop of powdered formula, you're not likely to spill.  Most other bottle have narrow necks that make for very messy countertops.  Also, the nipple on these bottles are soft, ribbed, and flexible, which provides a "closer to nature" feel for baby.
• Availability.  You can easily find Tommee Tippee products at Babies R Us, a store that routinely puts out good coupons and promotions.  Recently we purchased some Tommee Tippee stuff at buy one, get one half off! 

• Gilligan & O'Malley nursing tanks (www.target.com) have become a staple in my postpartum wardrobe.  Even though I'm 1.5 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight (halleluja!), my body has definitely changed, shifted, and been rearranged. Things I love about these tanks:
• Comfortability.  I'm not a fan of nursing bras, though I own and use mine occasionally; they're just a little cumbersome in my opinion.  I highly prefer my nursing tanks because they are more comfortable and more easily accommodate nursing.  While the tank tops don't provide the same nipple coverage as a formed bra, you wear the tank under another layer of clothes along with nursing pads which provide extra coverage.  I do have a smaller bust so I don't need the same amount of support that my more endowed friends do, so I can't speak into that issue.
• Wardrobe functionality.  I spent less than $100 on maternity clothes (a good chunk of which I put towards a maternity bathing suit because I was the most pregnant during a SC summer!), so I sure wasn't going to go buy a whole new wardrobe to get me through the postpartum period.  In fact, I borrowed a box full of clothes two sizes larger than I normally wear to get me through the past five months.  And the nursing tanks have been just the thing to wear under some of my non-maternity tops and bottoms to help smooth over the belly and hip pudge.  These tanks also give a nice layered look under some tops that need a little more length these days.  A nice bonus: these cost less than $20 and you can purchase them in-store or on-line.

I'd love to hear what products you've found to be must-haves!  

And just for a disclaimer, I am not being paid by any of these companies to write this blog.  gDiapers, Tommee Tippee, and Gilligan & O'Malley have no clue who I am and are not bribing me to make them sound good :)  The links provided are, in some cases, affiliate links.