When our daughter inevitably gets sick or has a bad case of diaper rash, it is always reassuring to have the right supplies on-hand. But, knowing exactly what to buy was totally overwhelming the first time I stood amid the myriad of products in the aisles of Babies R Us. Over the past year, we’ve found the right balance of natural remedies and classic cures. Here’s a peak into our medicine cabinet:
Key for colds and other illnesses:
- Digital infant thermometer
- Nasal aspirator. When our daughter was a newborn we bought a battery-powered one with turbo suction. This was great initially, but now our daughter recognizes it and won’t let us anywhere near her when it’s in our hands. Now, we have a small manual one that we can hide in our palm and sneak up on her!
- Saline Spray
- Infant Motrin and Infant Tylenol
For diaper drama:
- Ground up oatmeal (we blend ours in a mini-food processor and store it in a small plastic Tupperware). Sprinkle this in the bath to help soothe bad diaper rash. This is our favorite trick!
- Diaper Paste – Our favorite is Triple Paste. It’s expensive though, so we typically just use Desitin for maintenance and “call in” the paste when things get tough down there.
- Boogie Wipes – These wet wipes are handy both for wiping runny noses as well as cleaning up messy diapers when diaper rashes are bad. The regular wipes can be irritating. These wipes with just saline are more gentle.
Grooming essentials:
- Eucerin Lotion – The best lotion on the market. This is especially good for winter when babies are prone to really dry skin.
- Petroleum Jelly in a stick (like a chapstick tube). Great for chapped noses and cheeks in cold winters.
- Grooming Kit – Nail Clipper, Brush, Comb, etc.
- Cotton Balls and Q-Tips
Other handy items:
- Trivosol – Vitamin D supplement for breastfed babies. Your pediatrician will likely recommend you get these.
- Gas Drops – The jury’s out on whether these work at all, but when you have a colicky baby, you’ll use everything in your arsenal to calm them!
- Orajel – The homeopathic tablets are nice, but sometimes you need to call in the real-deal.
