So, can we talk for a minute about parenting books, magazines, blogs, and websites?
As a new parent, who lived each day in awe and fear of the adorable but fragile little person who had entered my life, these sources of knowledge seemed like a gift from above.
A lifeline to valuable information that I needed to keep my beautiful baby safe from the perils of the world and my own ignorance.
Even before my baby was born, I devoured every piece of information I could find in order to try and prepare myself for bringing a tiny human into my home and life.
One thing that all of these sources of information seem to have in common is some version of the “baby essentials” list.
Being a busy, modern parent, these things drew me in like a moth to a flame. They promised to be a Cliff Notes version of all the things I needed to keep my baby alive and my sanity mostly intact.
I became a baby list junkie. Constantly on the search for these things. Trying desperately to create and complete a checklist that would make the insane task of childrearing seem more manageable.
Now, I am by no means a veteran parent, but being on the other side of things, I am here to tell you that these lists are not all you may hope them to be.
These lists will tell you horrible lies. Things like, “I need a ‘baby food’ blender, even though I have a perfectly functional blender in my cupboard.”
And before you know it, you will become a victim of the lists.
You will end up looking around at a mountain of these “essential” baby products, that have taken over your house, and wondering where it all went wrong.
Now, here at Lil Helper, our very mission in life is to help parents, whether they be sleep-deprived newbies or grizzled (and sleep-deprived) veterans.
So we are here to tell you that getting ready for baby is not nearly as complicated as these publications and their “helpful” lists and articles makes it out to be.
Essentially you and your baby will NEED only three basic things to make it through, despite what the registry lady at your local baby store may try to convince you.
1) Food: Children are ravenous little hyenas, who’s ability to pack away food will awe and astound you. Whether they are newborns guzzling breast milk or toddlers eating their weight in Cheerios, you will need to have some way to keep your hungry little hippo satisfied.
(Ps. If your baby’s drink of choice comes straight from the tata-tap, check out our breast pads here. Your ladies will thank you, we swear.)
2) A Safe Place to Sleep: It is one of life’s great ironies that a little creature who sleeps so much can ruin YOUR sleep so profoundly. I know it may not feel like it to you, as you guzzle your third coffee of the morning and put toothpicks in your eyelids, but babies actually do a lot of sleeping. So you will need a spot for them to get some peaceful shut-eye.
3) Poop/Pee Catchers: I think it was Sir Isaac Newton who once said, “What goes in, must come out.” Okay, I may have misquoted that but the statement holds true nonetheless.
Remember all that food we talked about in number one? Remember how we said the volume of it would astound you? Well, one of the joys of parenting is that you get to deal with that volume on both the input and output ends. And if you thought it seemed like a lot going in….
So the third ACTUAL essential to add to your list are diapers that you trust to keep your little one (and all of your earthly belongings) dry.
Luckily, Lil Helper has got you more than covered on this one. Not only do we have amazing Charcoal Cloth Diapers to hold back the tide of terror that your adorable little angel is capable of producing, we’ve also introduced some amazing new boosters that should be added to every parent’s list of ‘things they cannot live without’.
Here's why:
ALL THE ABSORBENCY!!!: There is no worse word in the English language than the word “leak”. No good can come from a leak. Leak implies that you trusted something to do a job and it did not stand up to the pressure (or moisture). So lose the leaks. Add our boosters to your Lil Helper or any other cloth for extra absorbency. Even if you aren’t using cloth, these can be added to a disposable diaper for extra leak protection.
4 Layers: Absorbent, soft bamboo terry (safe for baby’s bum) + 2 layers of hidden microfiber (to soak up ALL the moisture) + wicking bamboo-poly mesh (keeps baby feeling dry and spray cleans sooo easily). This awesome combo means that they are not only absorbent, but that they can be used many ways. Use stay-dry-side-up for babies who are sensitive to moisture. Flip it over for toddlers who are training, for added accident protection and so that they can feel they are wet.
Multiple Uses: Not only can you use our boosters for babies of all ages, and diapers of all descriptions, they can also be used for you! Mommas know that babies aren’t the only ones who do some leaking after they arrive. Our boosters, therefore, can also be used as a postpartum menstrual pad.
2 in a Pack: There’s nothing like getting more bang for your buck, so we have doubled the fun by giving you not one, but two boosters in each pack.
So, there you have it. A list of real essentials for baby that keeps it simple for you, keeps your baby happy, and keeps your sanity and closet space intact. Now check that off your list and put your feet up.