In Bloom Doula Services

Summer time is an exciting time for my family, especially this year. It’s Holden’s second and both my husband and I are teachers, so we will get to spend two months, all day, every day with our son. We are also welcoming a new little boy into our family, so this summer will be spent getting to know our newborn too!  I decided to update my list from last year to add in some new favorites and accommodate toddlers now that we are in toddler territory. We live in south east Texas, so its been “summer” here for a while now and summer in Texas comes with its own set of issues. Between the heat, the sun, and the mosquitos, I’d almost prefer to stay trapped inside. Instead I have complied a list of toddler and baby must haves for summer time to hopefully minimize the interference that those issues could have on summer fun with your baby.

 

SUNSCREEN

The first and most obvious must have is sunscreen. Babies have sensitive skin, and a sunburn on their precious skin could be severely damaging even into their adult hood. Using sunscreen is so important to protect them, so of course I wanted the best all natural, non-toxic sunscreen to put on my little. What I found was Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen. After some research I have found this suggested time and time again. You shouldn’t put sunscreen on babies until they turn 6 months, so now that we’re in the clear I’ve been testing it out on Holden to make sure he doesn’t have any kind of reaction. It’s awesome! Keep in mind that babies should be well covered, and sun exposure should be limited. I put Holden in the pool for the first time over Memorial Day weekend and we had so much fun. He did not have a reaction to the sunscreen or get a sunburn, so we will be using Thinkbaby for the rest of the summer!

Update: Thinkbaby forever! I never had an issue with reactions or burns all summer long. It is also now available at Target too!

SUNGLASSES, HATS, and TOYS

This is a tricky one with some babies because some simply refuse to wear sunglasses or a hat. They take them off and there’s only so much you can do. But trying to protect their skin and eyes is so important. I love hats like this that tie, and these sunglasses are the coolest, with the little strap to help them stay attached.

As for pool floats go, I saw a ton of really cute things that baby can float in. I decided to go with this boat because there is a canopy over the top for more shade. I have seen such adorable ones online. Little flamingos, swans, and even unicorns. So many cute options to have fun in the water with your baby.

PROTECTIVE SWIM WEAR

This one is a little easier. I have a boy, so I bought him a pair of swim trunks and a swim shirt. They have them at Carters, Amazon, Target. They keep the sun off and they’re great. For girls, obviously it is harder because their swim suits, unlike little boy swim suits, are ADORABLE. You can’t in your right mind cover that cuteness up!

SWIM DIAPER

Your baby will also need a swim diaper, because a disposable diaper will soak up that pool water immediately. I got this set of two from Alvababy and they worked great. They are adjustable to fit Holden as he grows, or for future babies that may be a different size summers to come. They have a lot of cute designs too. There are disposable swim diapers too, but I think it makes more sense economically to use a reusable one.

BUG SPRAY

As I said before I live in South East Texas. We have a mosquito problem, and due to recent rains the mosquito problem already begun for the year. I typically tend to get eaten up by mosquitoes, so bug spray is always a must have for me, but when I got pregnant this issue only intensified.

My area had confirmed cases of Zika and West Nile. Last year in fact was when this outbreak began. Of course there would be a mosquito spread disease harming unborn babies during the summer I am pregnant. I wanted to plan a “babymoon” and couldn’t go anywhere south of the boarder due to Zika madness. I decided on Miami. When it came time for our trip I was pushing the third trimester, and wasn’t too concerned with Zika anymore. That was until an outbreak happened while I was in Miami, in the area of Miami I had visited. I didn’t get any bites, and neither did my husband, but you know I was convinced I had it. I couldn’t even get a blood test because it was so new, which really made me panic because all of the articles about Zika I had read urged any pregnant woman exposed to get a blood test done immediately. It was much easier said than done, and to make a long story short I eventually got tested. Of course once I got the blood test two months later I was in the clear. I’ve heard that Zika is all a sensationalized conspiracy theory, or that microcephaly (that is associated with Zika) is actually caused by other things. Either way I’m not going to risk it with me or my baby and we will use bug spray.

 

Of course I want that to be all natural too. These baby bug sprays don’t use deet, and should be used only after 6 months as well. I have tried out Babyganics Natural Insect Repellant and The Honest Company Bug Spray. Babyganics was a little bit cheaper, but I preferred the smell of Honest Company’s bug spray. Both had the thick sticky feel of regular bug spray. I am not sure why I assumed they would feel better, or any different for that matter, but they both did their job. Holden had one brand on the right arm and leg, and one brand on the left. I somehow forgot to spray his back and tummy, and he did get one bug bite. I felt guilty, but for the sake of testing out bug sprays it worked in out. Both prevented bug bites, and I am happy with our purchases.

 

NOGGLE/ CAR SEAT FAN

When babies are rear facing in the back seat it’s harder for the AC to get to them. When you put them in a hot car it is even harder for the AC to cool them off, and we all know how hot cars can get. When I heard about a Noggle I decided we needed to get one, especially for those times Holden has a tantrum in the back seat. When he cries in his car seat he gets very hot and sweaty. I couldn’t stand the thought of him being hot and miserable back there. The Noggle works by hooking to your AC vent in the front seat and sending cool air to the back seat through a tube. Although a really cool idea, is kind of lacking in some ways. For one it doesn’t hook up to the vent perfectly. My husband was really frustrated when installing it because it just kind of hangs there, and it is kind of annoying running by you, or though the middle of the front seats to get to the back. Other than the design flaws it is a really cool product that works well. I could feel cool air blowing through it and I will continue to use it. Although, I prefer it for a newborn or smaller baby because it is not direct air in their face, which seems a little harsh, but for older babies I like the fan.

I love these battery powered fans because they are detachable, so you can clip it on the the stroller too. If there is too much sunlight you can also get window shades you can install in the back seat windows to prevent the sun from shinning into your child’s eyes.

BACKYARD POOL

To cool off in Texas it is nice to be able to get into the water. I bought this inflatable pool to let Holden play with in our own back yard. I can also get in with our newborn because it isn’t chlorinated. They are relatively cheap and easy to use. Plus Holden is worn out afterward, so we can always expect a good sleep to come.

WATER SLING

I love baby wearing! It is one of the easiest ways to juggle toddler and newborn life. The amazing thing about a water sling is the light weight mesh material, so it doesn’t get too hot and it doesn’t get saturated with water like other fabrics would. You can wear it in (or out) of water to keep your hands free and your baby feeling safe and secure. I love my Beachfront Baby sling so much. It was one of my most wanted registry gifts and I am so glad I have it.

OUTDOOR TOYS

Holden loves to be outside, so we knew we had to get him some stuff to keep him busy, one thing he loves to do is swing, so we got him a swing to put on our back porch. I love this even more because it confines him if need be. If the grill is on, or he knows Daddy is outside, but working with tools, or mowing, we can put him in the swing and everybody is happy. He can observe the action, but stay out of the way. Next year we may have to upgrade to a swing set, or add in some more outdoor toys, but this one is great for us this year. We also love chalk and bubbles, a slide, and a t-ball set.

I hope you find this list helpful! I thought about adding popsicle molds to this list, but that felt disingenuous since I haven’t tried any yet. Here are some homemade popsicle molds that are sitting in my Amazon cart ready to be purchased though!

Update: I have tried them and they work well! I plan on giving them another try this summer with Holden now that he seems to be on some kind of fruit strike. Hopefully popsicles will help.

Have a happy, fun, and safe summer!

-Alexa