New Mom Must-Haves: Baby Essentials
When we found out we were pregnant, the few months that followed were a whirlwind of emotions, mental & physical changes, and preparing. We immediately were overwhelmed with anticipation by the seemingly short amount of time that we had to get ready. Let me just say that while initially we felt like we had very little time to prepare, by the time our little one came we were so ready.
If you are reading this and getting ready for you own little one, congratulations! Its easy and understandable to have many questions, feel confused with the numerous (arguably excessive) number of baby/parent-related products, so we collected our favorites. These were the 10 items that we absolutely loved and could not have survived without ha. These will definitely be used for any future kids we may have as well.
10 BABY ESSENTIALS FOR NEW PARENTS
1
If you are not familiar with the Snoo, it is a responsive baby basinet that was developed by a pediatrician to automatically soothe babies to sleep through a combination of white noise and rocking. While revolutionary, it comes with a pretty heft price tag for the technology. There are a so many baby bassinets & co-sleepers out there, that naturally we turned to our friends & family for guidance on what works. What we learned was surprising. All of our friends who had the Snoo loved it and found it to be extremely useful, however those who opted for other alternatives loved what they used too. Due to the cost, our strategy with buying baby items was to save money where we could so that we could have a little more leverage for big ticket items, like this. After using it everyday, multiple times a day for 6 months, I can definitely say, it was worth every penny, especially in the first 3 months, where night feeds are common and abundant. Our take: it’s brilliant and improved our’s and our baby’s sleep quality. We would definitely recommend. For more information about the Snoo like transitioning to the crib and the best places to find a deal - check out this article!
2
Another everyday item, the Doona is a smart stroller that converts to a car seat. It’s lightweight, portable and extremely functional. Our space is small but efficient, so we wanted to minimize the amount of “stuff” that we bought for the little one and strollers & car seats both take up SO much space. We can not say enough great things about this item. Another revolutionary product that just makes sense. Its also great for traveling since it significantly limits how much we have to travel with when flying with baby. Again, this is an expensive item, so highly recommend looking for gently-used versions on marketplaces. While we scoured for months for second-hand Doona, they are not common. We were lucky to find one for $350 about a month before our baby was born.
3
Before purchasing a pump, there are several factors to keep in mind, most notably if pumping is right for you. Breastfeeding is an extremely personal decision, and it not the right decision for every mom. My thoughts on my breast-feeding journey can be found here. While I did nurse, I decided to pump to help build up my stores of breastmilk and this pump proved to be an excellent option due to its portability. The S1 is battery-operated and averaged about 3-4 days per charge (with multiple pump sessions per day) for me. I do think its worth noting that there are other options on the market that offer compelling features, including this wearable pump. While these are more discreet, they still are not unnoticeable and ultimately my decision to purchase the S1 was based on what my insurance would cover. It was the best pump on the market and I was so happy to get a portion of the cost covered through this site that my OBGYN recommended. It’s was great because they totally handled everything all I had to do was put in my insurance info and I got a pump sent to me. It truly was such a resource. They even sent me additional pumping supplies a couple months after I delivered!
4
Another baby black hole, is bottles. There are SO many options, each promising to reduce colic, have the most natural shape that promotes a good latch and the appropriate flow. Baby B definitely struggled with latching at the beginning, but never seemed to have issues with these bottles. We have tried a couple other bottles (Como Topo, Doc Brown and a generic Amazon brand) but none of these seemed to work as well with our little one. They seem to be a favorite amongst friends as well.
5
We quickly realized that solid foods meant major messes. And while we didn’t want to stifle the little one’s exploration of food, we did need to contain the disaster zone. I came across this charming silicone baby product company on Instagram and was sold on their products. The reviews were all outstanding. We made the mistake of initially using fabric bibs but after a single meal they would be out of commission from the amount of food stuck to the fibers. Instead, we made the switch to these silicone bibs. They are incredibly easy, durable, and we simple rinse it out after meals and we are good to go. Plus they have some cute prints.
6
It seems so strange to have to say this, but this is a big one. We quickly learned that footie onesies with buttons along the torso were incredibly frustrating during the numerous night feeds for sleep-deprived parents. Zippers and magnets significantly speed up the process with squirmy wormy babies and low light environments. Secondly, onesies without footies were pretty much useless to us. Our little one only used these during the cooler months, but trying to keep socks on a tiny tots is a useless effort. They won’t stay and she would always wake up cold. All I can say is I am not sure why winter onesies without footies even exist, but we have already donated ours because they are a waste of space and time.
7
This is arguably the most unconventional must-have on this list, but it was one of the greatest pieces of advice we received from the HUBS’ brother and SIL. Essentially keep a small fridge next to your bedside or wherever you will be pumping (if you decide to pump). This helps decrease the amount of time spent cleaning the pumping equipment (bottles, flanges, lids, etc) by storing the used equipment in the fridge between cleans, while also doubling as a dedicated storage space for the extra breastmilk and recovery ice packs. So instead of washing the equipment after every pumping session (6X or more a day), I was washing the equipment at the end of the day but storing it in the fridge in between. After I got done pumping, the fridge transitioned into our garage and is now being used for extra groceries. We bought ours here. Yes, it was a little unsightly to have a fridge in the bedroom, but truthfully its just one more of the many things in the bedroom during the newborn stage.
THE LOUNGER
8
This is a pretty common one, but babies seem to love their loungers. Our baby was no different. While some found the original nursing pillow to be effective while breastfeeding - it truthfully did not work for us in that way. At the newborn stage (up to 3 months), our little one only seemed to like the lounger pillow (for both chaperoned sleeping and interacting). After 3 months, however, we were able to transition into the original pillow, but this time really just to interact. We were then able to transition the original into a support system for sitting. It is probably worth noting that these items were really only used until 7 months before being retired, but during those 7 months, they were used all day, everyday. A little tip: cover these with a swaddle or light blanket, so that the baby doesn’t ruin the actual pillows during “accidents”.
THIS BALL
9
After watching numerous videos, we decided to purchase one of these balls to help with delivery, but it turned out to be extremely useful afterwards as well. Prior to delivery, I used the exercise ball to help keep mobility in my hips and do exercises that encourage the baby to drop. These also supposedly help with delivery and dilation. But we quickly learned that the ball was an excellent way to put baby to sleep, just by lightly bouncing on it. This method really worked well while she was still sleeping in her basinet. Now that she is sleep trained and in her crib, we no longer need to use this.
10
Another crowd-sourced favorite, I literally have yet to hear a parent say something bad about this product. When we were soliciting recommendations from friends and family, almost everyone said this diaper cream was the best. Some were even willing to admit that they settled for something cheaper initially, but then ended up using this instead. It has proven to be very effective for diaper rash with our baby. While I was a little thrown by the cost (I mean, I have face creams that cost less), a little product goes a long way. We have barely made a dent after 7 months. Also it is eligible for HSA/FSA’s which is always nice! I find that it is usually cheapest here (but be warned its often out of stock online).