As a first time mom, I'm no expert on what brands are the best but I definitely have an idea of items that I just can't live without. So in hopes of helping myself out next pregnancy when I've all but forgotten what it was like to have a newborn, as well as to hopefully help a few of you, here is my list of must haves!
1 | the boppy : we were lucky enough to borrow this from my sister (thanks Ashley!) and I'm so grateful because we used it all day every day. I used it every single time I nursed for the first few months at least! plus we used it for tummy time, lounging and keeping my arm from falling off those days when we snuggled all day long.
2 | a wrap carrier : my mother-in-law gifted us the solly baby wrap and I loved it. though I can't speak to the pros and cons of all the different brands. a wrap carrier is a must to get things done around the house. we also used ours for running errands, taking Kacee on walks, and going on hikes. McKai was always a huge snuggler so he loved it.
3 | burp cloths : nobody told me how much I would need these! I started out with a pack of four just because I figured, why not? within a week, I was on amazon buying more. here's why: 1. my baby spit up all.the.time. and they got gross so fast! 2. it took months and months for my milk supply to regulate, we're talking spraying my baby in the face if he unlatched for just a second. I could soak a burp cloth in one nursing endeavor. sorry, kind of gross.
again, I can't speak to a certain brand but in my opinion, there is no reason to spend lots of money on the expensive kinds like aiden and anais when lets be honest, burp cloths are used to clean gross things.
4 | swaddle blankets : I was gifted this brand (lulujo) and it was quickly my favorite! I love the pattern (plus they have these awesome modern patterns, next baby!), they are lightweight, huge, and just swaddle so perfectly. my other favorite is from the etsy shop a miracle unfolding. they are expensive so wait for them to go on sale! but they are so stretchy that you can get the perfect burrito. I know some babies don't like to be swaddled but mine did. plus, he was born so small that he had a hard time regulating his temperature so we constantly had him swaddled for the first few weeks.
5 | the snuggle nest : McKai started in a bassinet but hated it because he moved around so much that he didn't feel secured. I hated it because I was in pain from recovery and could hardly get out of bed at night when he needed to eat. and Tristan hated it because I'd get so mad at him in the middle of the night when he wouldn't wake up right away to go pick McKai up for me. long story short, we knew we needed something else. enter: the snuggle nest. it goes in your bed, it can incline (which we needed because he had reflux), and he felt more secure. we used it in our bed until we transitioned him to his nursery and then we kept it in his crib until he was probably 3-4 months and big enough that he didn't need it anymore. we also took it on trips! it went with us to lake powell and california, it's so portable!
6 | soothie pacifier : he loved his pacifier but he wouldn't take anything except the soothie. at lake powell he dropped the only one we brought into the water... we had a different brand but he wouldn't take it the entire trip!
7 | the mamaroo : people always ask if it's worth the money. for me? most definitely! this saved my life those first months especially the 6 weeks that Tristan was living in St. Louis and I was completely on my own! the first few days he slept in it because he had reflux so bad and it could incline where his bassinet couldn't. and then up until he was about 4 or 5 months, the only way I'd get a shower in is with this in the doorway so I could still keep my eye on him. he took naps in his mamaroo, he hung out in it while I ate, it was a lifesaver for me! definitely get the infant insert, we used that at least until he was 3 months (though my babe was on the smaller size). and we didn't get the more expensive plush material one and I haven't felt sad about that once. so maybe if you're trying to save a few dollars that could be a way to do it.
8 | an organizational basket with essentials : diapers, wipes, bum cream, hand sanitizer, vaseline & gauze (for the first few weeks after circumcision), thermometer, saline nose drops. we didn't have this the very first night after we brought him home and it was a train wreck. I can't stress enough how helpful it is to have everything you need in one moveable location. initially we just used the pink bucket we got from the hospital but since have upgraded to a cute basket. it goes everywhere in the house and always has just what we need.
I also have a basket with bath stuff in it (that can be taken to each bathroom or to the sink depending on where we wanted to bathe him) and for the first few weeks I had a basket with all my pumping stuff in it and the bottles and formula we used to supplement for the first couple of days.
I've also heard of nursing baskets... snacks, water, pads, a book... I never had one but it sounds nice doesn't it? I had to go get something to eat at 2 am for over a month!
9 | saline drops: I prefer the pink bullets they have in the hospital and wished I had asked for some! they are so much easier to just do a drop or two than the spray things they sell at the store. I did ask my pediatrician for some and she stocked me up. babies are often quite stuffy for the first few weeks of life and this helps loosen things up. along with a humidifier it really helped!
what are your must haves for those first few months?
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